Plan Ahead

• You'll create anticipation for the event by planning early. If you have children, send them to their grandparents or a friend's house so you can devote your attention to each other. Wait to shop for your meal's ingredients until the last minute to ensure they're fresh when prepared.
  
  

Aphrodisiacs

• The word "aphrodisiac" is derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality and love. Though there's no scientific evidence to prove certain foods are aphrodisiacs, some herbs and spices, such as anise, fennel and ginger, do contain natural chemicals that stimulate the brain and possibly the libido.
  
  

Light Menu

• A menu of light foods is best because heavy foods have the potential to create stomach upset or make you sleepy if you eat too much. Don't dismiss the aesthetic value of food that looks as good as it tastes. They can inspire amore.
  
  

Appetizer and First Course

• Start the meal with a couple of glasses of wine to relax you. Be careful not to drink too much or you and your partner may get drowsy halfway through the meal.
  Appetizers should be light, such as a simple baked Brie with crackers or warm baguette. A delicate cream of asparagus soup makes a good first course. Asparagus is attributed with aphrodisiac qualities for both men and women.
  
  

Entree

• Serve an entrée of broiled lobster tail with melted butter for dipping. Not only is lobster an aphrodisiac appreciated by the ancient Greeks, but eating it with your fingers is also an intimate prelude for romance.
  Serve the lobster with truffles or mushrooms cooked with risotto, letting the musky scent stimulate and sensitize the skin. Season the meal with basil and coriander--both herbs are renowned for stimulating the sex drive.
  
  

Dessert

• Present a luscious desert of plump strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. These perfect little red hearts are edible Valentines and a symbol of Venus. As the only fruit with its seeds on the outside, the Romans considered the strawberrry a sign of fertility. And chocolate contains a brain chemical that stimulates sexual arousal. It's as if strawberries and chocolate were made for each other, perhaps like you and your partner.
  Finish off the meal with demitasse cups of espresso to stimulate the mind and body and help prepare you for the rest of your romantic evening.