Serve a Valentine's Day meal with love

Is it true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? It seems likely according to Ledger-Enquirer Facebook friends. Check out their comments to yesterday's post about whether men want Valentine's Day gifts.

Some friends commented that a delicious home-cooked meal was the perfect Valentine's Day present. Not completely convinced that food was a good way to say "I Love You," I consulted the expert -- my husband. He confirmed the Facebook comments were accurate, but he offered a few caveats.

1. The special home-cooked meal contains only ingredients that the husband/boyfriend actually likes eating. For my husband that means no asparagus or broccoli. He would likely think the meal was extra-special if there was no vegetable on the plate.

2. The husband or boyfriend is not expected to clear the table, do the dishes or otherwise "work" for his meal.

3. The dinner conversation does not revolve around in-laws (his), children (anyone's), or money (everyone else's). An ideal topic? Sports.

4. Casual clothes are acceptable attire.

Keeping those guidelines in mind here are links to recipes that I think would be perfect to serve your sweetie on Valentine's Day.

Main course idea from allrecipes.com include filet mignon and lobster. Both are luxurious but not difficult to prepare.

If your man loves shrimp and grits, try this recipe for Shrimp Risotto.

You can save time Monday evening by making this bittersweet chocolate mousse on Sunday and keeping it in the fridge until you're ready to dive in on Monday. For a really easy dessert, melt some milk chocolate in a small dish and dip fresh strawberries in the chocolate.

For an elegant appetizer, put out a small platter of meats, cheeses and crackers. If your husband doesn't like fancy food but loves pizza, put out deli pepperoni and salami and cheddar cheese. If he likes fancier food, opt for prosciutto and fresh mozzarella.

If your husband prefers Miller Light to sparkling wine, pour the beer in a chilled mug and save the bubbly for yourself.

This story was originally published February 8, 2011 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Serve a Valentine's Day meal with love."