It was my first time ever having a Valentine. I wanted to make it Special. Cupid had struck me with his arrow weeks earlier and I had fallen victim to his magic. I knew I had to give my Valentine a Romantic evening that we both would remember always. The Problem was, I didn’t know how the heck to do that. I once read in a book, that food is the way to any girls heart, so I decided to cook a delicious meal for two. The problem was, I didn’t know the first thing about cooking! Needless to say, I google searched “How to cook the perfect Valentines Meal” and I was very surprised. I learned that it’s not just the food that makes a perfect meal, but the ambiance you create around the meal that makes your Valentines Day “picturesque.”

Fact proves, (backed up by historical literature & internet research) that these 5 thing are: Poetry, Valentines Decor, Romantic Music, An exquisite meal & “The perfect Valentine.” Since I already had a date, and I was fairly good at writing poetry, I figured I’d better get cracking on learning how to cook and make the apartment look {& sound} sexy before she got there. My roommate Murkem and I had already handled all of our logistics and got ourselves a nifty little “Crash Pad” at 1300 Social Club on Pennsylvania Ave. in South Beach.That weekend, Murkem introduced me to his pal Barbie, who just so happened to love cooking! I told her I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted  to cook, only that I wanted the meal to include a fair assortment of Aphrodisiacs.

Without wasting any time, Barbie and I went shopping and she helped me pick out a simple yet elegant meal that even I wouldn’t be able to mess up. We decided on an Herb Chicken Tortellini with a Roasted garlic marinara sauce, mainly because all I had to do was follow the directions on the box and it would be ready in 15 minutes. For an appetizer, she gave me a recipe for a honey vinaigrette glaze that would be a perfect topping for some fresh avocado’s & strawberries. We also picked out all the other Valentines decor that I would need to help set the mood.

Valentines morning, I woke up early and started decorating. I arranged rose petals all around the room, wrote my date a poem, and prepared a groovy playlist of songs to play while we ate dinner.  I mixed some Luther Vandross, Phoenix, Sade, and even some Sergio Mendes to create the vibe I wanted. All the while, I lit some candles and started reading the directions on the box of the tortellini and got to cooking. The only way I could mess this date up now was if I sneezed into her food or something, but I sure as heck wasn’t going to let that happen!

When she got there, it was like I had been struck by Cupid all over again. My heart was beating fast. It was a mixture of excitement and fear that I was going to overcook the tortellini. She looked stunning, I immediately  grabbed her by the hand for a dance to remind her of the night we first met. She was an amazing dancer. After we danced, we fell back to the couch in each others arms. I knew this would be the perfect time to recite her the poem I wrote so I gazed into her eye’s and read her the card. She loved it and even gave me a big hug.

I told her it was time to eat and sat her at the table. I brought out the bottle of Champagne, but I had no idea it would be so hard to open. The cork flew off of the bottle, but luckily the champagne didn’t spill all over my date. I began by serving her the avocado/strawberry appetizer along with a fresh salad. It must have been good, because she finished her plate before I even had a few bites. Next, I brought out the main course and served the tortellini. I didn’t have to ask if she liked it or not, because I could see the satisfaction on her face from the first taste. The combination of flavors with the great conversation made me realize what I had been missing on Valentines all those years. I wondered how everyone else was spending their day, and wished that it be just as amazing as mine.

For desert, I brought out a “Sarah Lee” cheesecake that I had pretended to bake, and topped it with some fresh raspberries and strawberries. From the first bite, I could see her eyes roll back in her head as she recited the words I’m sure all chef’s find to be music to their ears, “Mmmm.”  With a sensual look in her eye, she licked her lips and dug her fork into the cheesecake and fed me a bite. For my first time cooking, I felt like I was on to something here. After three servings of desert later, I led her back to the couch to read her some love stories. I gave her a pink teddy bear and a heart shaped box of chocolates.

As I read, I the anticipation to kiss her was unbearable. When I looked up from the book however, she was sound asleep. She was holding the teddy bear in her arms and dreaming away. I wanted to wake her, but she looked so peaceful just laying there. I guess the combination of  Champagne & Cheesecake did her in. I wondered what she was dreaming about and if I was in it. Maybe I’ll found out when she wakes up. Maybe next Valentines day I’ll remember to go for the kiss BEFORE all the champagne kicks in. For my first Valentines day however, I think I’m off to a good start.

Photo by: Murkem

Model: Lauren Mc Donald