Dinner Date at Home: How to Plan a Romantic Dinner Date

Planning a romantic dinner date is not always easy, especially if you don’t know what to do. Here are some ideas that will help you make the most of your time and create memories for years to come.

When you are planning a romantic dinner date for two, it is important to plan ahead. This article will give you some ideas on how to make your own romantic dinner at home. Read more in detail here: romantic dinner for two at home.

Mike Fisher, a classically trained chef and consummate bachelor, contributed this guest article.

Nothing beats a home-cooked meal for a romantic evening. Without the distractions of a restaurant, you and your date can concentrate only on one other. You’ll notice that the discussion becomes more relaxed and open. Women, of course, like guys who can cook. When you cook for someone else, though, it’s as if you’re putting on a show, and the pressure might be a little overwhelming. So simply stick to these “commandments” and food ideas, and you’ll have a romantic and successful dinner date at home.

Commandment #1: A home-cooked meal is not a good first date.

It’s disturbing to invite her to your place on the first date, no matter how eager you are to impress her. She has no idea whether you’re a serial murderer who is truly preparing to eat her for supper. It’ll have to wait until the third date or later. Also, going to a restaurant with her initially will give you an insight of her preferences. Keep an eye on what she drinks and eats since it will help you plan your own meal.

Commandment #2: Do as much as you can ahead of time.

I made the mistake of cooking extremely intricate meals in an attempt to impress my date. However, due to a lack of preparation, I focused all of my attention on the cooking rather than on her. That contradicts the point entirely. Prep as much as you can ahead of time so that cooking is a breeze. Leave some small activities for her to do so that she may participate. It will enhance the experience and provide a diversion if the chat becomes stale. Making the salad with her is ideal since she will be cooking at the same time as you.

This also implies that you should go through your recipes before the deadline. If you need softened butter, remove it from the refrigerator before beginning to cook. If you’re going to use 1 cup of beef stock, measure it out beforehand. If you need to cook at 425 degrees, turn on the oven before you begin. Is there a pattern here?

Commandment #3: Never offer something that is difficult to consume or is messy.

There will be no pasta, lobster, French onion soup, and so on. When you’re both worried about putting spaghetti sauce on your clothes, things might become a little uncomfortable. Don’t forget about your salad; make sure your lettuce is cut finely enough to be bite-sized.

Commandment #4: Make her a drink that you know she will like.

You’d know she enjoys cocktails, loves beer, or despises red wine if you followed rule #1. If she’s a non-drinker, make her something a bit more intriguing than water or soda. If you imitate what she’d order at a restaurant, she’ll be pleased that you paid attention.

No chewing with your mouth open is commandment #5.

You should be aware of proper table manners. Because you’re dining at home, you’ll feel more at ease, but the fundamental principles still apply. Instead of putting your napkin in your shirt, place it on your lap. When chewing, don’t shovel your food in your mouth and keep your mouth shut. For a complete guide on table etiquette, see this article.

6th Commandment: Don’t become too tipsy.

My girlfriend’s grandparents were visiting for the weekend, so I decided to cook a meal for the whole family. Unfortunately, I had a bad day at work and decided to start drinking tequila first thing in the morning. When I say that contributed to the end of our three-year relationship, I’m not joking.

Commandment #7: Have a back-up plan in case anything goes wrong.

Did you completely obliterate your entree? It’s OK; just have butter, heavy cream (milk in a pinch), grated parmesan cheese, and garlic in the fridge. All of a sudden, you’ve got alfredo sauce.

12 stick butter, 1 cup heavy cream, and some minced garlic, melted (one clove or so). Allow to boil for a few minutes before whisking in 1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve with chicken, shrimp, or anything else you have on hand over pasta (having a rotisserie chicken in the fridge is always a brilliant move).

Have you messed up your alfredo? Order a pizza and laugh at yourself. Your modesty will be appreciated by her.

Commandment #8: Forget about dessert.

Don’t overdo it: keep out of the kitchen after you’ve eaten. Purchase ice cream, sugar cones, and sprinkles as needed. It’s unplanned and adorable. Ice cream cones are a favorite of many people.

Keep things simple, commandment #9.

The more variables you have, the more likely things are to go wrong. To leave a lasting impression on a lady, you don’t need lights or a tablescape. Making things as easy as possible can relieve you and her of a lot of stress. Stick with the recipes I’ve supplied since they’re all based on this premise.

Commandment #10: Take a deep breath and relax.

It’s meant to be a good time.

It’s time to get cooking.

You should have some food ready before she arrives so you may eat while you prepare the salad/entree. The greatest choice is usually basic finger food – nothing substantial. That way, you can eat while cooking, and eating with your hands is a lot of fun. Bruschetta is a terrific option since it tastes better when made early in the day and is enjoyed by almost everyone. If you have a fussy eater on your hands, leave the onions out.

Bruschetta as an appetizer

Ingredients

1/2 baguette, 12-inch thick cut on the bias
2 huge garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in half
Extra-virgin olive oil is a kind of extra-virgin olive oil that is
5 seeded roma tomatoes
12 onion (red)
vinegar balsamic
basil leaves, fresh
salt kosher

Directions

Seeded tomatoes should be chopped and placed in a small basin. Roll basil leaves like a cigar by piling them on top of one another. Tip to tip, thinly slice your basil cigar. To avoid huge hunks of basil, chop it up a little. The red onion should be peeled and diced into tiny pieces. In a mixing dish, combine the tomatoes, onion, and basil. Add a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of kosher salt, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. (To shatter the huge crystals in kosher salt, rub your fingers together.)

Toss everything together and chill for a few hours before the date.

Preheat the broiler to its highest setting. Place the bread pieces on a baking sheet. On each side of the bread, drizzle or brush a little olive oil. Broil the bread on all sides while keeping the oven door open. Keep an eye on the bread since the broiler becomes quite hot. Flip them when the edges begin to brown. While the bread is still hot, rub it with the half garlic cloves.

Done.

Salad: Balsamic Vinaigrette with Mixed Greens

Make the salad while you’re preparing the main course. Encourage her to participate. Here’s a simple salad for her to make that just takes a few minutes to prepare.

Purchase a bag of prepared mixed greens/mesclun mix. Toss in whichever salad ingredients you choose. Add the other half of your red onion, cucumber slices, carrots, or cherry tomatoes to the mix. You may put anything you want in your salad, but she should handle the cutting.

Make your own balsamic vinaigrette instead of buying bottled dressings. You’ll already have all of these items on hand if you prepared the bruschetta:

Ingredients in Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
a half teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper and whisk until the salt is dissolved. While whisking quickly, pour the olive oil slowly into the balsamic mixture. Despite the fact that the dressing should emulsify smoothly, pour it into a jar or container. Before serving, give it a good shake and top with blue cheese and walnuts, if desired.

Entrée: Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Molasses + Cognac Sauce + Veggies

Choose your entrée with consideration. For a date, I once prepared a purple crab cake filled swordfish. She didn’t tell me she didn’t like shellfish until halfway through the meal. To be nice, she battled through a pretty fishy meal. It was a horrible sensation. When we went out to dinner, I didn’t pay attention to what she ordered, and I paid the price.

If you know some of her favorite foods already, look out a recipe on the internet that includes them; if you don’t, stick to the basics. Choose an entrée that will take no more than 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook. Stick to “flavor-neutral” meats like chicken or pig, plain veggies, and a simple carbohydrate. Here’s an excellent example:

Ingredients for Pork Tenderloin

Tenderloin of pork, small
molasses (34 cup)
kosher salt (1.5 cup)
distilled water (12 gallon)

Directions

This is a basic brine recipe that should be prepared the night before. The pork will get a lot of flavor from the brine. In a 1-gallon ziplock bag, combine the molasses, salt, and water and shake well (feel free to use anything that will hold the pork and brine, just so long as the tenderloin is fully submerged). Place the meat in the bag and place it in the refrigerator. Allow it to sit for at least one night.

Ingredients for Roasted Vegetables

Remove the stems from 2 small fennel bulbs and slice the white bulb about 12″ thick.
1 thickly sliced yellow onion
5 quartered tiny potatoes
4 peeled and sliced carrots
olive oil (extra virgin)
salt kosher
peppercorns, freshly ground
Thermometer for meat

Directions

When cutting the veggies, make sure they’re all the same size.

Get your pork loin ready. Remove any extra salt from the meat by patting it dry (it should be a dark brown color). Allow 30 minutes for the meat to come to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Is there no grill? A standard sauté pan would suffice.

Combine the veggies, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Place in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated oven.

Place the pork on the grill (or in a sauté pan over medium-high heat) with the lid off. The goal is to have a lovely crust on the exterior of the pork – the molasses will caramelize, but if cooked too long, it will burn (if it burns, just cut it off before serving). The crusting of the pork should only take a few minutes each side.

Set your timer for 15 minutes and place the pork on top of your veggies in the oven (stir your vegetables). Check the temperature of the pork every 15 minutes until it reaches 140 degrees on your meat thermometer.

Remove the pork from the oven when it reaches the desired temperature and set it aside for 15 minutes on a chopping board (very important). During this time, continue to sauté the veggies.

Ingredients in Cognac Sauce

12 oz. Cognac
1 cup beef broth (low sodium)
a handful of apricots that have been dried
a handful of cranberries that have been dried
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tblsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

Cook the cognac with the sugar until it fumes while the pork is resting. Pour the heated cognac over the dry fruit in a mixing bowl. Heat your broth in the same pot until it has been reduced by half. Cook for another 3 minutes or so after adding the fruit and cognac combination to the meat broth. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

That is all there is to it. Using a bias knife, slice the pork lengthwise and serve over the roasted veggies. Finish by sprinkling the fruit/cognac sauce over top.

You’ve done it. If everything goes according to plan, the two of you will be sitting on the sofa watching a movie and having an ice cream cone. What you do now is for another article, but if you follow these principles, you’ll always have a perfect supper.

When planning a romantic dinner date, it is important to have ideas in mind. The “romantic dinner date ideas” will help you plan a romantic dinner date that will be memorable and enjoyable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a romantic dinner date at home?

A: The best way to make a romantic dinner date at home is by focusing on the company that you are with. You should also try not to get weighed down with cooking or cleaning and focus more on making sure your partner has fun.