Help Me Find a Good Starter for Valentine's Day Dinner Good Questions

Q: This is the first time I'm able to cook for Valentine's dinner. My partner and I haven't had a kitchen to ourselves in the past. I cook dinner every night but I want to put more effort into presentation and courses for this night. So far I'm set on the main dish — linguine alla vongole with homemade pasta, and I'm thinking about a halloumi flambé with date paste and reduced balsamic for dessert since I don't like to bake.

I want a starter though, and I need suggestions! We eat seafood but not any other meat. I'm intrigued by a Parmesan basket but not sure what to fill it with, and we're currently sick of salad. Suggestions for a minimal ingredient cocktail also appreciated (low budget!).

Sent by Quinn

Editor: Quinn, we asked for help on your question from our Twitter crowd, and here are a few things they suggested:

• From xanthie: Seared scallops over roasted beets, cut into circles (or hearts), with a orange-fennel beurre blanc.
• From TheRunawaySpoon: Champagne risotto (See recipe)
• From yasminATlesauce: Porcini-fried rapini (See recipe)
• From Savour: Salad with arugula, vinaigrette, aged pecorino or goat cheese drizzled with honey, or tomato soup with a dollop of pesto.

We love all these ideas! Tomato soup could be an especially nice starter to your pasta. Here are some other links, including one for the spicy seared scallops pictured above. You could also try a fennel salad in your Parmesan baskets; perhaps the fresh taste of fennel would break up the salad boredom a bit?

• Spicy Seared Scallops at Martha Stewart
• Heart-Shaped Appetizers, also at Martha Stewart
• Crab and Fennel Salad at Gourmet
• My Heart Beets for You - Heart-shaped beets!

Also, here is Nora's roundup of great Valentine's cocktails today:

• A Bouquet of 12 Valentine's Drink Ideas

Readers, any more good ideas for Quinn?

Next question?

(Image: Martha Stewart)

Comments (7)

"[A]nd I'm thinking about a halloumi flambé with date paste and reduced balsamic for dessert since I don't like to bake. "

You could also make truffles. You just need to remember to do these ahead of time. The basic method is to combine equal parts hot cream and finely chopped dark chocolate and stir to combine. Let ganache get firm (takes a few hours) then use a small cookie scoop to form rough round shapes then re-roll into a more spherical shape. (Latex gloves are highly recommended for this part.) Then roll in cocoa powder/chopped nuts/coconut/cocoa nibs.

No baking and delicious!

I like a pesto-stuffed mushroom, and it's always a big hit.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Take 1 package button mushrooms. Pull out the stems and reserve. Place de-stemmed mushrooms on a cooky sheet. Drizzle with olive oil.

Chop up mushroom stems and mix with purchased pesto sauce. I generally go for 1/2 a jar, but really, it's up to you and your pesto love. Use a teaspoon and scoop the pesto-mushroom mixture into the mushrooms on the cooky sheet.

Sprinkle some grated Parmesan over the mushrooms. Pop in the oven and roast until the mushrooms are soft and dark, about 15 minutes, give or take.

You could do individual-sized baked bries, topped with sliced almonds, plated on top of a raspberry sauce. Oozy and delicious.

Minimal ingredient cocktail, how about one, champagne. If you want something a little, umm, more? How about a French 75 (cognac, lemon juice, sugar, champagne) or a Kir Royale (creme de casis & champagne). You can mix nearly any liqueur with sparkling wine so whatever flavor may go with what your eating. You could also just freeze some cranberry juice to drop into the glass. (try the tubes that are meant for water bottles it looks really nice in a flute).

I'm doing a very simple entrée (i.e hors d'ouvres): mushrooms on toast (it's a little fancier than it sounds). I took the recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris (we're having a French theme for our anti-valentines dinner).

Ooh, and ditto RPoole11's suggestion. I'm serving a nice Kir, though I never thought of Kir Royale with champagne. Hmm, I might do that instead LOL.
Thanks!

@Rpoole11 - Ikea sells little heart ice cube molds, how cute would it be to freeze cranberry juice in that and drop it into the bubbly? Thanks for the idea!