Most romantic home-cooked meal?

How skilled a cook are you? What are his favorite foods? Does he have any dietary restrictions? What kind of ingredients do you have available?

It’s hard to beat a properly done steak, salad, and baked potato, maybe some asparagus or broccoli or brussels sprouts. Very little prep time, but the line between a properly done steak and a poorly prepared steak is very subtle and takes experience. Not the best meal if you’re not sure of yourself – you don’t need extra stress.

Adding to the steak idea, maybe make it “Au Poivre” style. It’s not too difficult, it’s got a little spice, it’s a little different than just a steak, and best of all it’s not too hard to do.

Also, instead of baked potatoes, make them Delmonico style. They’ll go perfectly with the steak au poivre.

There are a ton of good recipes for both on the net.

My gf was impressed by this recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Beef-Steaks-With-Blue-Cheese. We did it with a baked potato and salad.

Homemade spaghetti and meatballs was a memorable one from last Valentine’s Day.

Fondue! I’ve never actually made it, but it sounds easy, yummy, and fun. Get creative with things to dip, and maybe have chocolate fondue for dessert?

I am definitely a steak and potatoes kind of guy. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that this doesn’t really translate into a “romantic dinner”. I cook a bit and my girlfriend happens to be a vegetarian. The meal that she by far remembers me cooking her the most is eggplant parmesean with angel hair pasta and a caesar salad. It’s not hard, and when it comes to “romantic dinners” its about selflessness. Trust me, the girl knows if you go out of your way to make something that isn’t just something you love like steak, and she’ll appreciate it whether its intentional or subconscious. Steer away from steak and potatoes for the romance. Save that for a random Tuesday…

or I COULD realize that the person asking this question is actually a girl. I completely reverse my above comment. Grill big, medium rare steak from a butcher shop if you have one nearby. The meat is BY FAR better than from any grocery store butcher…

Well, if the person you’re cooking for is a vegetarian, steak obviously won’t work. That was the point of the questions I asked beforehand.

Why do people ask questions like “What’s a good romantic dinner?” or “What’s a good cheap Valentine’s day present?” or “What’s a good birthday present for a 30-year-old?” without even mentioning the tastes of the recipient? The absolute best dinner or present is the one that delights the recipient, and the person asking the question usually has a better idea about that than any of us do.

@cwilbur: It wasn’t mentioned because there isn’t anything he doesn’t like and people would mention if someone was vegetarian when asking a food related issue. If you are bothered by the question—feel free not to answer it.

Just make a nice pot of spaghetti and meatballs… in a bikini.