So it’s almost Valentines day and you’re planning to cook a romantic meal for your date. What could be more perfect? The two of you alone together, good food, lots of wine, candles and romantic music playing quietly in the background. You’re really looking forward to it. But there’s a problem – you haven’t got a clue where to start, what to cook or how to go about it. And now that the big day’s creeping ever closer and closer, you’re beginning to wonder if maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Never fear, here are a few pointers to help make your evening as perfect as you dreamed it would be.

Preparation: You could learn a lesson from the boy scouts here. If you want the evening to go without any problems you need to be prepared. Don’t leave everything to the last minute, take time to think about what will make it a night to remember for you and your date. If you want to go all out with a romantic setting, you’ll need candles, flowers and posh dishes and wine glasses. Get everything ready and set out before you start cooking so you don’t have to worry about it.

Food: Firstly and most importantly, know your limits and don’t stretch yourself too far. It’s better to cook one really good main course than to stretch yourself too far and end up with an average-at-best three course meal that you’ll struggle to eat. As for what to cook it’s important to know your date’s taste, even on a first date. If you serve up a big juicy steak only to find they’re a devoted vegetarian, well let’s say that’s going to be painfully embarrassing at best and you probably won’t see them again any time soon! Once you know what they like – and what they really hate – you can choose a dish that will impress them. You don’t have to go overboard, a simple but tasty main course followed by posh ice cream or a chocolate fondue and strawberries to share would be fine – and don’t forget chocolate is supposed to have aphrodisiacal qualities!

Wine: Selecting the right wine to go with your chosen food can be a bit confusing if you don’t know much about fine wines, but there are a few simple tips that should help. The easiest way to find a wine that will compliment your meal is to match the colours – red for red meat, white for fish and so on. If you’re serving a light meal choose a light wine, if it’s spicy choose sweet. Enjoying a glass of wine with your meal is almost as much about presentation as the wine itself. If you’re serving white wine or rose make sure it’s chilled in advance, and always serve it in your best wine glasses – good quality crystal glasses make all the difference, and they make it feel special too. Remember your date probably doesn’t know any more about quality wines than you do, if they’ve brought a bottle they’ve probably been worrying over it as much as you have!