Any romantic dinner menu suggestions?

Thank you all for the wonderful ideas! I got inspired by all of them.
Since you all gave me so much to go on,I wanted to tell you the menu we decided on.

Caprese salad (we both love caprese,so thank you to the person who suggested it)

Warm goat cheese with crusty bread

Scallops and Shrimp over Linguine with baked feta:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/3003_scallops_shrimp_over_linguine_with_baked_feta

And Peanutbutter Pie bites for dessert:
http://www.finecooking.com/item/35187/peanut-butter-pie-bites

Oh,and wine!

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes and good wishes to our kitties too. You guys are great!

Michelle

Congrats!! My 1 year anniversary is coming up in Oct, so my heart is fluttering for you.

This is a tough one because the only person that knows his and your tastes best is you. But for the fun of it, I want to share the first thing that comes to my mind; a Brazilian meal I cooked for my hubby (way back when we were first dating)-- moqueca do camarao.

It is a shrimp and coconut milk stew that is flavored with dende (palm) oil, which also turns it a gorgeous bright red color. It was served with toasted cashew couscous...and for dessert, pineapple ice cream topped with stewed pumpkin. The recipes were from a beautiful aphrodisiac cookbook I picked up in Brazil. I wish I was at home so I could post a picture.

I did this with Madame - just for the hell of it. It was fun because there was some ingredient hunting (guanciale) to do. Michael Symon did it on how to cook like an iron chef, so you if you can find the episode, you can see it in action.

Also making pasta is such a sensuous activity.......

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-symon/spaghetti-with-bay-scallops-guanciale-and-parsley-recipe/index.html

Steak, new potatoes, and green beans almondine. For dessert, pavlova.

I have a great grilled lobster recipe. Good sides would be the Thai Creamed Corn recipe on this site and fresh tomatoes. For dessert, a simple peach tart or a favorite, light coupe of fresh (peak) raspberries macerated in Grand Marnier with fresh whipped cream.
Grilled Lobstas"
Two 2lb. fresh lobsters
In a pot large enough to hold them, fill pot with water.
Add 1Bay leaf, 2 Star Anise, 2t. sea salt, 10 black pepper corns.
Bring to a hard boil. Plunge lobsters in head first (remove rubber bands prior to cooking) and cover. Boil for 7 min.
Remove from pot and plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Split lobsters lengthwise and remove tomally, eggs, etc. (funky stuff). Chill till ready to grill.
Butter:
Melt 6 T unsalted butter. Add
1/2t. sea salt, pinch of all spice, 1/4 t. chili powder, 1-2 t. Sriracha, juice of 1/2 lime.
Heat grill to med. high
Brush butter on tail and grill meat side up for 4 min. Turn meat side down and grill 3-4 min. to mark. Turn and brush tails w/ more butter. Grill 2 min. more.
Reheat remaining butter and serve w/ lobster.

This is a really easy recipe but SO delicious and festive with the flambe.

http://www.food52.com/recipes/10695_flambed_chicken_with_tomatoes_and_garlic

Congrats on the anniversary and wishes for many more! Have to 2nd the pass idea...try making your own with an old fashioned crank pasta roller...it gets you working with your hands together! If you are still doing scallops, a seared scallop with an asian-ginger-orange glaze and sticky rice. Lots of good cocktail recipes a few weeks back

Such great ideas. Everything you guys have suggested sounds so good :)

I may be leaning towards scallops as part of dinner,not sure yet. But it really sounded good!

Kitty's name is Doc. I'll post a picture :)

We also have two other wonderful kitties, Herbert (my profile picture) and Roxanne (a very sweet orange kitty).

Fondue! Do a whole menu revolving around fondue! I can't think of anything more romantic and decadent than that....

How could I forget Lovers' Figs in Honeyed Wine with Mascarpone: Valentine's Feast for Lovers

http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/special_valentine_figs.html

What is the kitty's name?

I always associate seared scallops with romance, and asparagus. I know some of our more romantic meals have been very elaborate ones we have made together that take all day to assemble. We spend the whole day preparing the meal then we get dressed for dinner, start with a cocktail and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Sounds like fun! Congratulations! My husband and I will be celebrating our first anniversary next month. Here's my vote for a romantic menu:

Appetizer: Oysters on the half shell with a spicy mignonette

Entree: Pan-seared halibut with grapefruit beurre blanc (I just posted my recipe for this sauce) with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus or broccoli, paired with a yummy pinot grigio

Dessert: Some decadent chocolate creation, perhaps flour-less chocolate cake, a souffle, or chocolate pudding cake

Wow these suggestions sound wonderful!
I'm getting hungry reading the ideas and looking at the recipes.
Such fun planning this!


Thanks for the anniversary wishes too.
And happy anniversary to you too, Theresalwayspie!

How about filet mignon with a cognac,mushroom and shallot cream sauce, new potatoes with butter and parsley, your choice of veggies. A souffle for 2 would be so nice for dessert.
Happy anniversary!

Just the two of you and the kitties together all day - that's very romantic in itself. In the last contest, pierino posted a lobster and pasta that sounds insanely good, and is wonderfully uncomplicated as well: http://www.food52.com/recipes/14018_tu_voi_fa_lamericano

Happy anniversary!

Congrats on your anniverary and I applaud you for choosing to cook at home and take care of your little kitty!! With all the wonderful heirloom tomatoes available now, I would start with a Salad Caprese (tomato slices layered with fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil, salt, pepper and some extra virgin olive oil) and be sure to have some nice crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Follow with a pasta primavera that features seasonal veggies. Summer squash, eggplant, asparagus, green beans, etc. Colorado peaches are amazing right now. Pit, peel and slice ahead of time and serve over vanilla ice cream or a fruit flavored sorbet for dessert. Easy to make and fun dishes to make together.
Good luck!
Chef Shayna

I think the two of you cooking ANYTHING Together and then sharing the meal would be soooo romantic, especially if you paired different wines with the different courses (and included a wee bit of champagne!)

How about homemade pasta or risotto? Both delicious and good to make when you have some time on your hands to cook...plus there are a lot of different varieties that you can make with both.

Congratulations on your anniversary - my husband and I are celebrating our one-year on Sunday too!

A couple of months ago there was a contest here on Food52 - 'The best dishes you intentionally set on fire" Check these recipes - flambe is romantic - as long as you don't set your hair on fire http://www.food52.com/contests/228_your_best_dish_you_intentionally_set_on_fire

All good advice, thank you!
Open to more suggestions from anyone that has them.
As far as what we like, we like all kinds of food.
We both love steak and chicken, pasta and all different kinds of foods (Italian, Mexican, Chinese, you name it).
Definitely plan to make a good dessert too and have some wine.
Not many foods I'd steer clear of, but lamb, veal, walnuts, strawberries and pineapples are on that list (some for allergy reasons).

Thanks!

It all depends upon what the two of you love to eat and find romantic.

I owuld suggest choosing uncomplicated recipes (ones you have tried before, perhaps) so that your interactions in the kitchen will be more relaxed, and the event's "fun-factor" can be intensified... rather than to get stressed over putting together a complicated recipe you've never made before.

oh, what fun!!! chocolate souffle? steak au poivre? since you have the better part of a day to cook, it might be fun to page through mastering the art of french cooking and pick out a more lux and complicated recipe to tackle =)

Hmmm - well how fancy do you want to get? You might search the site by a specific ingredient (like say, LOBSTER) and of course by desserts ... think about what your husband loves most (besides you and the kitten :-) and work around that ... and then add chocolate