Cupid's arrows are flying in the air. That must mean Valentine's Day is coming up.
Which means, you better have your restaurant reservations in place already, because if not, you might find yourself in a spot of trouble ... unless you decide to wow your girl (or your dude) by cooking for them.
Now, wait, before you start to panic, let me set your mind at ease; you don't have to make a hugely fancy meal. It can be a simple dish that's a little more elevated. Or, you can decide to go all out and make the fancies and most elaborate meal anyone has ever seen.
Some things people associate with Valentine's Day meals include steak, lobster, shrimp, oysters, scallops, strawberries, chocolate, to name a few items. But really, the meal you make should come from your heart.
But, there are a few tips to make sure it doesn't hurt your wallet too:
Search Sales: A lot of stores, especially now, have some of their more expensive cuts of meat and food on sale to promote cooking this season. But also look for ingredients that are in season; they will be cheaper and you can probably create a delicious dish out of them without breaking the bank.
Check the Recipe: Nothing hurts worst than to tell your date to be at your house at 7:30 p.m. and the meal that you started cooking at 6 p.m. is not going to be done until 10 p.m. because you need a couple of hours to let something rest or freeze something. Or to be halfway through cooking and realize you need a certain ingredient or tool that's not in your kitchen to finish. Reading a recipe start to finish before you begin will save you time and trouble later on in the kitchen.
Don't Over-complicate Things: If cooking is already a struggle for you, don't try the recipe that makes professional chefs cringe. It's okay to try a simpler dish this year. Especially if your date isn't into fancy foods. Leave the snails and exquisite meat trays behind if a bowl of her favorite pasta works. There are easy enough recipes on this site to help you and you can search Pinterest, Google, Tasty to find more ideas.
We about the love of romantic/fancy dinners, so light them candles (makes your food look better), and pour the wine (makes your food taste better)!
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