Is cramming into a packed restaurant with 200 strangers and their paramours on Valentine's Day not sounding quite like the romantic evening you had in mind? Then turn your home into an intimate eatery (tips provided) and concoct a gourmet candlelit meal for two (recipes provided). - B.H.

Set the Scene: Begin by moving the dinner table somewhere evocative: in front of a fireplace, outside by the pool, by a window with a view. Then, for a centerpiece, bring out all those red vases from the holidays and cluster them atop a white tablecloth or on a piece of sheer fabric. Fill them with a mix of flowers (think anything other than roses here - calla lilies, hydrangeas, peonies, something unique). Also, add candles - lots of candles. The occasion calls for the finest china and flatware available. Don't have it? Borrow it from a friend or splurge on two place settings, which will serve as an eternal reminder of the evening. Now sprinkle rose petals (we'll allow them here) and open the door for the violinist you've hired to serenade you.

The Menu
The perfect Valentine's Day dinner is one that's chock-full of aphrodisiac ingredients. Recipes made with lavender, peppercorns, oysters, crab, rosemary, ginger, chocolate, rose, and berries rev up the romantic rendezvous. We've supplied a couple of recipes to get you started.

The Toast
Pour some sexy bubbly, but make it pink. Try Dom Pérignon's 1996 Rosé Champagne or Chandon's perfectly pink sparkling Rosé.

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MAIN COURSE

Sweet & Spicy Duck
- from Walkerswood Caribbean Kitchen by Virginia Burke