what meal to prepare for very special supper?

Question

My girlfriend and I are finally getting some quality time together. (both have kids from previous marriage). She is from Uzbekistan and still getting familiar with American eating (not that that is a good thing). I want to prepare a home cooked meal that will be romantic. I, however, have not cooked a good meal in years. I need meal ideas and tips. The dish doesnt have to be "american". I just really want romantic.
Thanks to everyone!

Answer 1

A very special, and romantic, supper isn't just about the foods you're planning on preparing. You have to create an atmosphere that says "I think you're wonderful!!!!!" Here are some ideas:

1. Real live table linens and napkins
2. Nice serving ware and real plates and glasses
3. A nice bottle of wine (red or white) that cost more than a couple of bucks.
4. Fresh flowers on the table
5. Music......Diana Krall, some good soft jazz etc.
6. Keep your menu simple and one that you'll enjoy cooking and can actually feel good about!

Here are some ideas:

Appetizers:

Consider frozen potstickers or getting them from your favorite take out place. Her country serves alot of Korean and Asian influenced foods and this might be good. Also, if you have a local Indian restaurant and can get samosas, those are featured in her country as well.
Main Dishes:

1. Mutton is a traditional food in her country. Instead of "old sheep", how about lamb chops, grilled, and seasoned with garlic and salt and pepper.
2. Summer and Fall are times when fruit is very popular. Create a simple salad of seasonal fruits and drizzle with a mixture of honey and balsamic vinegar
3. Veges can include potatos and carrots, which you can roast. Toss them in olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and thyme. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, turning once to carmelize on all sides. You can also make wild rice pilaf if you're not into potatoes and serve it with glazed carrots.
4. For dessert, consider something simple, such as vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream with chocolate sauce.

Your lady love will be impressed that you've cooked for her, but that you've also tried to include foods that will remind her of home!

Answer 2

Pasta is always a good choice especially if you have not cooked in a while. Get some fresh shrimp and saute them in a little butter and chopped garlic. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh ground black pepper. Serve over vermicilli(not sure how to spell, it is the really thin spaghetti). For a simple sauce for the pasta, add a little more butter to the pan that you cooked the shrimp in after you remove the shrimp. Let it bubble for a few minutes constantly stirring. Then add about 1 1/2 cups of cream and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. You could also add some fresh spinach with the cream. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve the shrimp on top. Add a little grated romano cheese on top. A tomato basil soup would be a good starter for your romantic meal with some crusty sourdough bread and a salad with vinegrette and some shaved parmesan cheese. You could finish it off with some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert ( very romantic). Have a great bottle of wine or champagne and some nice glasses and you have an easy, romantic meal that hopefully you will both enjoy.

Answer 3

Make a fresh Caesar Salad w/ Parmesan cheese and Bacon bits.
Salmon with spinached sandwiched between the two fillets.
Create the hollandaise sauce from scratch.
Cook RED potatoes
Boil some asparagus, again cover it with hollandaise sauce.
And finally make some crepes.

Answer 4

if you're not good with the stove, don't use it
try baking something sweet instead
something sweet has always gotta do with romance
maybe a simple cake with flower petals around it?

Answer 5

tritip would be a really special dinner

Answer 6

heres some ideas
you can start with this
Smoked Salmon Canapés with Cucumber Dill Sauce


1 seeded and diced medium cucumber
1/2 diced small red onion
1 drained 3 oz. jar small capers
1 16 oz container sour cream
1 chopped finely cup fresh dill
1 sliced side of smoked salmon
cut in triangular quarters thinly sliced dark pumpernickel bread
1 sliced in rounds seedless cucumber
1. To prepare the sauce, in a mixing bowl, combine diced cucumber, red onion, capers and dill with sour cream.

2. Stir well and season with pepper.

3. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve over the smoked salmon canapés.

4. On a large platter, surround the sliced salmon with the bread quarters and seedless cucumber rounds.

5. Place the cucumber sauce in a small bowl and serve.
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Lobster with Hokkaido Squash Soup and Brown Butter
Soup:
1 Hokkaido squash, halved and seeds removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground star anise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

Brown Butter:
3/4 cup butter

Lobster:
4 small lobster tails, cooked and cut into 1/3-inch-thick medallions
1 1/2 tablespoons brown butter (above)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
24 stems watercress, thick stems trimmed away
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup small-diced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons small-diced Granny Smith apple
1 orange, peeled, supremed and segments cut into thirds
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground star anise





Method
To prepare the soup: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub the inside of the squash with the olive oil and star anise; season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down in an ovenproof pan and add 1 cup of the water. Roast the squash for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Remove the pulp from the skin and puree the pulp in a blender with the remaining 2 cups water, the orange juice and the vinegar until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add additional orange juice and water. Transfer the soup to a saucepan and warm over medium heat; whisk in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the brown butter: Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Continue to simmer the butter, slowly, allowing the milk solids to rise to the top. Skim off the milk solids. Once the butter has a nutty aroma and dark brown specks in the bottom of the pan, it is ready to use.

To prepare the lobster: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay the lobster medallions flat in an ovenproof pan; drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the brown butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 2 minutes, or until just hot. Remove the lobster from the pan and reserve the juices in the pan.

Assembly
Toss the watercress in the reserved lobster juices; season to taste with salt and pepper. In the center of each shallow bowl, arrange some of the water chestnuts, apple and watercress (reserve 8 stems of the watercress). Divide the lobster among the 4 bowls and arrange in an overlapping row atop the watercress. Sprinkle the orange segments around the bowl. Carefully pour some of the soup into each bowl around the lobster. Drizzle some of the brown butter over the lobster and around the soup. Sprinkle the orange zest and star anise over the soup and lobster and arrange the reserved watercress over the lobster
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Berries and Cream Trifle


Begin preparing this recipe the day before you plan to serve it. Use frozen berries in place of fresh when they are out of season; if you do use frozen, choose the freshly frozen berries (not berries in syrup). Thaw and drain frozen berries before using.

Serving: 6





1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered
6 ounces fresh blackberries
6 ounces fresh red raspberries
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 cup seedless blackberry jam
1 tablespoon Triple Sec
21 (or more) ladyfingers or champagne biscuits
White chocolate shavings (garnish)
Fresh strawberries (garnish)
Fresh mint sprigs (garnish)





1. Whisk sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Sift cornstarch over and whisk well. Place bowl on damp kitchen towel to steady it. Bring milk and vanilla to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Slowly add hot milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return custard to saucepan. Place saucepan over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and just begins to boil, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and whisk until completely smooth. Pour custard into large bowl and cool. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold, about 3 hours.
2. Meanwhile, toss berries with 2 tablespoons Triple Sec and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand at room temperature.

3. Once custard is completely chilled, use electric mixer to beat whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into chilled custard. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into custard to make pastry cream.

4. Heat jam and 1 tablespoon Triple Sec in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.

5. Line bottom of 8- to 10-cup clear trifle bowl with single layer of ladyfingers, tearing to completely cover bottom of bowl. Brush or drizzle with 1/3 cup of jam. Top with 1/3 of pastry cream. Using slotted spoon, spoon half of berries over cream. Top berries with another layer of ladyfingers, 1/3 cup of jam, 1/3 of pastry cream and remaining berries. Top berries with ladyfingers, remaining jam and remaining pastry cream. Cover and chill at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

6. Garnish trifle with white chocolate shavings, fresh berries and mint leaves, if desired. Serve chilled