Whip up a V-dinner

Taking your valentine out to a snazzy restaurant is very common and won’t surprise him or her. Think out of the box, make an effort to plan a private dinner date for just the two of you and you will make your date feel special. So, this Valentine’s Day, give that fancy restaurant a miss and cook up a storm to impress your partner.
Don’t worry if you can’t tell a mousse from a meringue. There is good news for cooking-newbies too. P. Mahesh, sous chef, Marriott, says all you need is a little help from the pros to rustle up a decent meal. “After all,” he adds, “it’s the gesture that counts.”
Here is what chef Mahesh has in mind. “Your aim should be to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Making dishes which take the least amount of time should be your priority. But a sandwich and coffee meal can hardly be called romantic.”
He adds, “Instead of packaged soups make use of the most cherished ingredient of the season — strawberry — to make your soup. Sounds different? That’s the intention. Take strawberries, olive oil, salt, sugar and some vegetable stock and blend well. Strain. Add yoghurt, it can be sweet. Blend and refrigerate. Serve it at the beginning of the meal.”
For the main course you could try something Italian. He says, “Try making your own ravioli. Take 250 gms of flour, two eggs and one egg yolk. Mix them together, add salt and knead it into a soft dough. Roll it on a tin sheet. Use a fancy-shaped cutter to cut the dough. Now, make the stuffing with anything you want, mushroom, cheese, veggies or meat. Put the stuffing on the dough and paste another on top to seal it. Make a tomato-based sauce and add the ravioli. Cook well and serve. You can even make starters by using the same method, but deep fry it.”
Serve small portions, add some rose petals as a garnish for the romantic touch and pull out a bottle of chilled sparkling white wine, adds the chef.