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Little Help for a Romantic Dinner

post #1 of 12
11/14/07 at 10:44am
Thread Starter 
Morning Friends

This is my 1st post on here so feel free to let me know if this is the right place to post this. I can always repost it in another thread :)

I am trying to work out what I am going to make for my girl friend for a romantic 7 course meal. But before I go into the menu for the evening I just would like to give a little back ground so you guys know my experience.

I have been cooking for about 7 years for either my self or for parties/friends. I know a lot of recipes but not much time to make them before or have someone to cook for before now. When finding something new to cook I don't look for the ease at which I can make it I look for things that might taste good. So when I picked some of these recipes I went for taste. I don't not have the best palate but I make up for it with my sense of smell. But anyways that should get you some idea of what I can do.

Here is what I am planing to have that evening. (I have plenty of time to prepare for it FYI)

1. Broiled Tomatoes with Sliced Mozzarella
2. Salad of something but I have not decide on it yet
3. Mushroom and Onion Cream Soup
4. Chicken Kiev with Steam Asparagus
5. Pears and Plums in a Red Curry Sauce
6. Cheese Tray ( no idea what all to do with this)
7. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Most of the stuff is pretty simple any ideas or changes let me know

Also if you guys have any ideas for wines please let me know.


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post #2 of 12
11/14/07 at 11:26am
Greetings, Sweetchuck. You've posted in the correct forum. :)

Concerning your menu: As a home cook I'd say it's sort of a heavy meal for a romatic evening. ;) Of course, you could make the courses small- for instance, serve the soup in an espresso cup and make small, individual cakes for dessert. The chicken kiev could be downsized and served as bites (which you could feed to each other). Just some thoughts.....

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post #3 of 12
11/14/07 at 12:49pm
Welcome!

Yes, I also agree that it looks a little heavy. Perhaps a more brothy soup? Something with tiny raviolis in the broth? That's charming..

I also think maybe a fruit flavor with chocolate may be better than peanut butter. I mean, it's GOOD but to me that's more of an indulgent sitting with family dessert (unless it's tiny). Raspberries are tangy and they get ME excited, so I suggest that with chocolate :blush: I also think that the peanut butter flavor may linger a bit and it could be off-putting.

Something else that might be nice would be to serve an apertif. My favorite is a kir royale which is a splash of cassis liqour and champagne. I love peach liqoeur even more. That would start the meal of nicely.

Let us know how it turns out!

PS I still can't get the spelling right for liqeur... spelled it 3 different ways on this post so far just to see which one looks right. None of them do.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - GM
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post #4 of 12
11/14/07 at 1:35pm
(Harpua it's liqueur by the way... wink!)

I also think the menu is heavy.

I would replace pears/plum with something light like a lemon or lime sherbet to clean the pallet before the cheeses.

If you are looking for an idea for the salad, try bitter greens with a sweet vinaigrette. That always surprises.
something like: escarole, chicory, endive, radicchio, dandelion add thin apple slices or pears and roasted almond slivers and crumble walnuts. Mix balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, sesame seed oil plus a neutral oil for your vinaigrette.

Cheese: serve your cheese with thin slices of Bosc pears instead of crackers.

For something romantic, I would finish with a chocolate fondue desert. bring to a boil 1 cup of heavy cream add the cream to 1 1/2 cup of chopped semisweet quality chocolate. Mix until uniform. have fresh grapes, strawberries, pineapple wedges... of course fruits she loves. One fork each to feed each other. This can lead to interesting ideas (wink wink nudge nudge)

Luc H.
I eat science everyday, do you?
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post #5 of 12
11/14/07 at 2:31pm
Yeah, definately on the heavy side, I'd say. You're likely to founder yourselves, and there's nothing romantic about that.

Try replacing the soup with something lighter; perhaps a consomme like Essence of Celery.

As others have said, keep things on the small side. For instance, for your appy, I would consider using Roma type tomatoes, cross-cut into discs. Maybe a total of three such slices on a small serving plate, and a garnish.

For the salad you could introduce seafood for some balance. Perhaps lightly breaded and fried calimari on greens? Again, keep the individual servings small.

I agree with Luc; a sorbet would make more sense than an actual fruit course. And I would serve either a cheese tray or dessert. But not both, unless there's a longish break between them, and you have coffee and dessert later. (What you do to fill the time is your business ;))
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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post #6 of 12
11/14/07 at 9:18pm
Boy, sounds good! Maybe for the salad a simple greens with some tomato and raw or marinated mushrooms with a bit of diced proscuitto and capers will be a nice flow from the app to the soup.

My concern, however, is time. How much time will she be sitting there twiddling her thumbs while you are fussing about with the food? Maybe instead of a cake to finish off, something interactive, so to speak, like chocolate fondue and berries and ??

mjb.
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post #7 of 12
11/14/07 at 11:13pm
mmmm.... Kir Royale, I forgot about those. You won't go wrong serving her a couple of those. I think the proportions are about 1/5 cassis/champagne.

I first had one in Paris, I think it cost about $18 Euro, but it was worth every penny :)
Cheers
~Allan~
a little KD & a Box of Wine...
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post #8 of 12
11/14/07 at 11:47pm

Good luck

First and foremost i think you should try to make the dinner easy on yourself so you can spend most of your time with her instead of making the dinner, try to get most of it prepped so you dont have to do as much. I think istead of broiling the tomatoes with the mozzarella just go with a Caprese salad which is the same thing just cold, you could add some basil, balsamic and EVOO, maybe some infused oils (basil, sun dried tomato) if you so choose to. I think for the cheese course, some brie topped with a raspberry puree and wrapped in puff pastry would really wow her. You could start the evening with some simple hors'deuvres (butchered that spelling pretty well huh?) like something with smoked salmon or crab salad in endive. When i make someone dinner I try to think of things that they like and use in ways their not used to and make it look fancier than it really is, people will always eat with their eyes first. Best of luck to ya, hope it ends out the way you hope.
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post #9 of 12
11/15/07 at 2:17am
Young buck - I think its horse doovers :)

Sweetchuck - Wow - 7 courses! You must be out to impress. Do what has been suggested, tend towards a lighter menu, keep it small, almost like a taster menu.

And don't forget the music, and candles, and flowers. Believe me - we women appreciate the small touches (ahem no double entendre intended)

Then plan for breakfast :)
 Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein
 
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post #10 of 12
11/15/07 at 4:41am
"we women appreciate the small touches "

DC, you silver-tongued devil. You trying to get that boy in trouble? :D
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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post #11 of 12
11/15/07 at 5:44am
Thread Starter 
ZOMG I didn't expect to get this much of a response from a 1st time poster.

Thanks a million

I am getting a lot of great ideas.

Ok here is my modified menu

1. Caprese salad

2. Roasted Fruit Soup (found it in a cook book and though it might be interesting going to leave the whole fruit out and just do the broth)

3. Mini Chicken Kiev

4. Lemon Sherbet (might just store buy this I have not found a good recipe for making sherbets and no cook time then)

5. Light Cheeses with pears and apple slices (if you have some good suggestions for light semi-hard semi-soft chesses that would help)

6. Chocolate fondue with raspberries, cherries, mulberries, (her 3 favorite fruits though i dont think the raspberries will work very well i might just have time off to the side) maybe some strawberries just for something else

7. Breakfast

For drinks I was thinking of a Pino Giwar (i know i butchered it) for the start of the meal then after the main course go to a Asti champagne.
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post #12 of 12
11/15/07 at 6:16am
I like the sounds of this better, overall.

One question: Most fruit soups I'm familiar with are served cold. Is that the case here? If so, I might reconsider it, as she might conclude, "hmmmm? He said he was going to make me dinner, and all he cooked were some chicken nuggets." Well, maybe not. But I think a light, hot soup would serve better.

As it stands, your menu runs:

1. cold
2. cold
3. hot
4. cold
5. cold/room temp
6. sensual, leading to 7.

I'm thinking, too, that for color contrast, you might want to add something to the main course. Maybe glazed rutabaga, or carrots supreme. Something of that nature. Again, not a huge amount, but something that appeals to the eye as well as the mouth. I'm assuming you're retaining the asparagus.
They have taken the oath of the brother in blood, in leavened bread and salt. Rudyard Kipling
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