The same thing applies to the romantic meal. You might immediately think of oysters, chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne, but what really counts is not whether you include a purported aphrodisiac or how many hours you spent slaving over a hot stove. It’s more important to pay attention to what your date really loves and cater the meal to their desires.

“Maybe they’re a donut freak. You could put out pounds of oysters and it wouldn’t really be special to them, but a plate of fresh donuts might mean a lot,” says chef Wade Sirois, owner of Infuse Catering.

Josey Vogels, sex columnist and author of Bedside Manners: Sex Etiquette Made Easy, concurs. “You can avoid making it a tired old cliché. Sharing food can be a really sexy and romantic thing to do for Valentine’s Day—the goal is to create a more intimate experience.”

Sensuality, togetherness and fun play a big part in the success of a Valentine’s Day meal, and these elements can be introduced in a variety of ways.

Many foods can be sensual, especially when eaten (or fed to each other) with your hands. Rebekah Pearse, owner of Nectar Desserts, explains that touch and temperature play an important role in the sensuality of a food. Dishes that are textural, drippy or must be licked (like ice cream), foods that are dunked, spread or poured and anything that can be shared top her list of sensual foods for a romantic night.

Pearse and Sirois agree that no matter the menu, the experience should be indulgent in some way—whether that means a night with no kids, a food you would not normally eat, a special wine or cushions on the floor in front of a roaring fire.

Vogels believes that although it’s easy to become cynical about the holiday, couples should at least take the opportunity to devote time to their mate.

“It’s one day a year when you’re almost required to lavish some attention on your partner,” she says. “Whether that’s the first date or 25 years in, it’s nice that it’s one day a year.”

Though you might be tempted to choose a compli-cated recipe or go all-out on setup, the experts agree that it’s not worth stressing yourself out and that it is more important to spend time with your date rather than putting the finishing touches on the soufflé.

“People worry too much about creating this splashy kind of thing,” says Vogels. “It should be about focusing on the other person. It shouldn’t be something you’re stressed out about, and you’ve been running around all day—that takes the focus away from your partner.”

Sirois confesses he has made this mistake in the past, but has come to realize it’s better to either serve a dish you’ve prepared beforehand, or prepare the meal together and do something relaxing while it cooks, and then enjoy the fruits of your labours. A roast chicken with the vegetables in the roasting pan is a nice option for this type of meal.

Sirois’s recipe for Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks with Walnut Braising Reduction (see recipe p. 87) is a great choice as it’s not time-sensitive—the longer it cooks, the more flavour it takes in and the more tender it becomes.

Interactive meals of any sort, whether it is make-your-own pizzas or ice creams sundaes, antipasto or a dessert buffet, up the fun factor while ensuring togetherness.

Pearse confirms that pacing overall is crucial, and explains that dessert can be strategically timed. “I find dessert is great for extending an evening. You take a little pause after dinner and then have almost another meal, but one that is less about the consumption of food and has more of a social aspect.”

To wow your date with dessert, Pearse recommends her Flourless Chocolate Cake (see recipe previous page), an indulgent, chocolate-lovers dream which is great for garnishing and can be easily tailored to different portions.

And how to set the mood? If you’ve gone to the trouble of preparing or gathering your partner’s favourite foods, you surely don’t need to worry about losing points for presentation—but then again, it can’t hurt to dress things up a bit.

While Pearse and Vogels recommend a simple setup, with cushions, candles (tip: check the burning time on your votives to ensure they won’t go out in the middle of the meal), a set table or dimmed lights, Pearse also suggests making it clear that it is a special occasion.

Sirois suggests an ethnic theme, such as Moroccan or Asian, which might involve dishes made in advance which can be eaten with the hands—adding couples can even include correspond-ing decor and clothing to go with the theme.

For ideas, Pearse likes the classic Joy of Cooking, while Sirois finds French bistro fare very comforting and recommends The Balthazar Cookbook or Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook.

If you can handle cooking the meal but don’t feel up to tackling dessert, Nectar Desserts makes a great after-dinner dessert destination. This Valentine’s Day, they will be serving profiteroles (little chocolate mousse-filled, chocolate coated creampuffs which will be served with hot chocolate sauce), and there is always a delicious selection of treats in store.

For more information, visit http://www.nectardesserts.com, or http://www.infusecatering.com

For the Love of Lamb
Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks with walnut braising reduction*
Yield: 2 portions

4 each     lamb shanks salt and pepper (to season shanks)
1 tbsp     olive oil
1    medium onion (chopped)
2    cloves garlic (chopped)
2    carrots (chopped)
2    celery stalks (chopped)
1 cup    red wine
1 cup    POM Wonderful
pomegranate juice
2 cups    veal stock
3 sprigs    fresh thyme and rosemary water to cover
1 cup    walnuts (toasted, chopped)
salt and pepper (to taste)
pomegranate seeds (for garnish, optional, can be hard to find in February)

1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Pat the shanks dry with paper towel. Rub them with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a deep casserole pan that will hold all the lamb. Brown the shanks on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Brown the vege-tables slightly. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the shanks, pomegranate juice, veal stock, and herbs to the pot. Add enough water to cover the shanks and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pan and put it in the oven. Bake for 3 to 4 hours until the lamb falls easily off the bones.

2. Remove about 3 cups of braising liquid from the lamb. Recover the shanks and keep them warm (200˚F oven). Run the liquid through a sieve to remove the solids. Place in a saucepan on high heat. Boil the sauce until reduced by about half and it thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the walnuts to the reduction. Ladle the sauce over the lamb shanks and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Great served on couscous or mashed potatoes.

• Pat the meat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Always use hot oil to ensure a nice browning of the meat.
• Remove the meat and add in vegetables. Be sure that they carmelize too.
• Add some of the liquid to deglaze the pan. Add meat and cover to just under top with braising liquid. Add aromatics.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Bake covered for a several hours. This depends on the size and type of meat.
• When the meat falls from the bone you are done.
• Drain off some, but not all, of the braising liquid. The meat needs to be kept moist while you make the sauce.
• Reduce the braising liquid to produce a flavorful sauce.
• Remember that bones tend to make up a lot of the weight and you may need more than you think to provide a dinner portion.
• Meat can be held warm for hours, making this an easy dish for entertaining.

Nectar Flourless Chocolate Cake
Yield: 16 portions
1 lb    Valrhona Manjari chocolate (64%)
1 cup    granulated sugar
1 lb    unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp    cinnamon
1    chipotle chili, ground
Zest of ½ orange
20    egg yolks
20    egg whites
1 cup    granulated sugar
1/8 tsp    cream of tartar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 250F. Grease and line with parchment or silpat, two 18-inch by 13-inch baking sheets. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter, a cup of sugar, cinnamon, ground chili and orange zest together until light and fluffy. Add the yolks to the butter mixture one at a time, scraping the bowl at intervals. Add the warm (not hot) chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Whip in cup of sugar in a steady stream until the whites form medium peaks. Add cream of tartar.
4. Fold ¹/³  of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Repeat twice with the remaining thirds until all the egg whites have been folded in. Set aside ¼ of the mixture into a medium size bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
5. Divide the remaining ¾ of the mixture in two and spread it gently into the two prepared baking sheets. Bake at 250˚F for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before turning out of the pan, then gently peeling off the liner. Cut each layer in two, to create four rectangular layers.
6. Spread ¹/³  of the reserved mousse onto one of the layers, then place another layer of baked cake on top. Repeat until you have created a four-layer cake with three layers of mousse in between.
Garnish with fresh fruit, drizzle with chocolate ganache, or just enjoy it as-is!
Just remember, this cake is VERY rich, so you only need a small piece! (Serves 16 … so you’ll have a little left over to enjoy even after your romantic evening.)

Photos by Don Molyneaux