Love is in the air. It’s the perfect season for a cosy date with someone special. But how do you make it a special, memorable occasion? We believe there’s no need to step out of the comfort of your home to create a magical experience. Here are five date night ideas that can help you ignite, or re-ignite the spark of togetherness.
- Home-cooked love
An irresistible strategy. The secret to any special experience is to know your loved one’s preferences. Once you do, it’s a matter of recreating that personal favourite. By the time you’re done, your loved one will have two favourites on the planet – the dish you cooked up, and you!
Plan ahead. Make sure you give yourself a few hours to prepare and go about making the dish. Take it slow, make every step count. Like a waltz before the actual dance. Make sure the actual meal is a surprise. Let your special someone think that you’re going out to dinner. Deck up a special corner in your home with gentle lighting, fresh table linen, and a mildly scented candle.
The look on your loved one’s face when they discover what you’ve done for them will make all the work worth it. For a selection of grand, intimate meals, browse through a few of our earlier blogs for ideas, then get on the website and order a meat of your choice.
- Marinades for every mood
Relationships, like good meat, are best served marinated in special, spicy mixtures. Marinades can range from the fiery to the sumptuous to the mellow to the creamy. Whatever the mood you want to create for your date night, choose the right marinade.
Take great care in presentation. Since you’ve already saved yourself a lot of time by not having to marinate the dish yourself, give plating and ambiance some special attention. A sizzler set with fresh lettuce, fragrant rice, butter-roasted vegetables, would make a wonderful bed for most marinades.
Keep a dollop of cream handy in case things get a bit fiery. Once the short, interesting meal is done, treat your loved one to some dark chocolate. It balances the strong flavours neatly, and switches the mood to another level.
- My exotic valentine
How do you show someone they’re unique? How do you convince them there’s no one else in the world like them? That they are special and will be treated as such on a very special day?
It’s time to get exotic. What’s the most outlandish dish you can prepare? Rare treats that your meals otherwise couldn’t compare? Well, there are always the exotic varieties to choose from. A cut of country lamb, maybe a few rings of squid or crumbled shark? When they come neatly cut and ready to cook, your options are limitless.
Remember, when it comes to exotica, it’s not the meat by itself, but the preference of your loved one. What do they wish they had tried but never did? What did you promise they would love? Here’s your chance to cook up that storm.
- Quick fixers
There’s no time for elaborate foreplay. There’s no time to waste. You need it, and you need it now. Love can be a demanding, urgent master. Thankfully, there are always ways to make the experience special, no matter how little the time you have.
There are some things that simply can’t go wrong, like a juicy grilled chicken, or succulent fried fish, a coat of buttered crisp on the outside and flaky deliciousness on the inside. You could pick from a range of marinades to get things started, while the rest of the special evening wraps up in the kitchen.
Once you’re done, all that’s left to do is to enjoy the meal together.
- Earthy romance
The most difficult people to impress aren’t the ones that demand outlandish things. It’s the no-nonsense, no-frills kind of people. They look at the price tag when everyone is busy going ‘wow’. They look at actions more than words. They prefer honesty to opulence. They are romantics at heart. And the only way to get to their heart, is through their stomach.
A fantastic, simple, earthy meal. That’s it. Their wants are simple. Fulfil them yourself. An honest dish of chicken and rice, or a fresh-caught fish curry with their favourite seasoning.
The idea is to do it yourself, and present it in a familiar setting, with just one addition – a direct expression of love.
Let us know which idea worked best for you.
Bon apetit!
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