Valentine's Day Food Ideas

Valentine's Day is an occasion for showing your spouse how much you care. A special way to express your feelings is thoughtfully choosing your Valentine's Day food. Take your sweetheart to a fine restaurant, plan a romantic picnic, or cook an exceptional meal at home. Whatever you choose, your Valentine's Day food should contribute to a romantic ambience.

Valentine's Day Food Do's

Before you plan a menu, give some thought to what might be suitable choices for your Valentine's Day food. It's a good idea to check with your loved one about foods they don't like, or worse, are allergic to. If you're planning a picnic, you'll need to consider some logistics like whether your Valentine's Day food should be kept cold, or whether it'is messy and will need a cleanup.

Valentine's Day Food Don'ts

Think about Valentine's Day food which has odours that linger like garlic or onions. If you know each other well, maybe neither of you will care, but if you've just started dating, you probably won't want to smell of garlic all night!

Valentine's Day Food - Restaurant Dining

You and your partner might have a favourite restaurant perfect for Valentine's Day, but if not, you might like to consider these ideas. Do you or your loved one have a passion for a particular food? If you both love seafood, then pick a popular seafood restaurant.

There might be a restaurant which holds fond memories for you both; if you proposed in a particular restaurant then returning for a romantic dinner will add to the memory. Choose a restaurant with a romantic atmosphere, for example somewhere with beautiful views where you can dine al fresco by candlelight.

Valentine's Day Food at Home

With a little thought, it's easy to create a romantic meal at home. The following foods are ideal for romantic nibbling and there are many recipes online to assist you:

• oysters - reputedly with an aphrodisiac effect!

• fondue - perfect for feeding morsels to each other

• decadent desserts with chocolate, strawberries and cream

• foods in heart shapes, like cakes or cookies

• sparkling wine to accompany

Don't forget to set the scene with candlelight, flowers and fine linen. For an extra romantic touch, surprise your loved one with flowers or a champagne hamper.

Romantic Valentine's Day Picnic

What could be more romantic than enjoying delicious gourmet food at a beautiful picnic spot. When planning your picnic, choose items which are easy to transport and can be prepared ahead of time. Ideal Valentine's Day food items for a picnic are French bread, cheeses, antipasto, pate and salads. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are an easy dessert and for a little extra, spoil your loved one with a hamper with champagne and chocolate. The only other items you'll need are a blanket, cushions and an umbrella.

Surprise your sweetheart on Valentine's Day with a romantic champagne gift hamper, box of roses or arrangement of flowers from Roses Only.