BoomerGirl Diary

My husband Frank and I rarely go out for dinner on Valentine's Day. We prefer to stay at home and cook. What could be more romantic for two people who fell in love over their first soufflé? We enjoy cooking meals together and think those who haven't tried it are missing out.

The hunting and gathering of ingredients for our romantic meal for two takes place well before the big night. Finding a prime piece of meat, the freshest vegetables and the perfect bottle of wine builds our anticipation for an exciting dinner worth waiting for. When it's time to prepare the meal we divvy up the cooking duties and begin the evening by popping the cork on a split of Champagne. Tonight there is no rush, so we relax, talk about whatever pops into our heads and have a few laughs while we work on the dinner. The end result is a satisfying one — an evening spent with your special Valentine.

If you plan to dine at home with the one you love this Valentine's Day, here are some tips to make your special meal a romantic success:

• Plan the menu well in advance. Shop for the ingredients and just the right bottle of wine or Champagne ahead of time.

• Choose familiar recipes, or ones that match your level of cooking expertise. This is not the night for wild experimentation in the kitchen — save that for later.

• Do some advance prep to take the stress off the actual meal preparation such as making dessert the day before.

• Cooking is part of the fun so open a bottle of wine or Champagne to sip while you prepare the dinner together.

• Make it romantic. Set a table for two with your best tableware, turn on some soft music and light a few candles to set the mood.

• Savor each moment from the dinner preparation to the last sip of wine. Enjoy the time you are spending together, and leave the dishes for tomorrow.

This year, our main course for Valentine's Day will be a roasted rack of lamb. And for dessert, only something chocolate will do. (Recipes follow.) You can fill in the rest of the menu with some buttery mashed potatoes, tender-crisp green beans and a simple green salad. To match the lamb, I recommend a French Chateauneuf du Pape or a Pinot Noir from California or Oregon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rack of Lamb

1 rack of lamb (7 to 9 ribs), trimmed

salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/4 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms, crushed (optional)

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Remove all fat from the rack of lamb and between the bones. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, herbes de Provence, lavender blossoms and garlic. Spread the mustard mixture evenly over the meaty side of the rack. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and cover the mustard mixture with the buttered crumbs.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the rack of lamb on a broiler pan, or on a small roasting rack placed in a baking dish. Roast the lamb to an internal temperature of 135 degrees for medium-rare, 25 to 28 minutes, or 140 degrees for medium, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the rack of lamb from the oven, transfer to a warm plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. To carve, slice between each rib into individual chops. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Chocolate Custard

1 cup half and half

1/4 cup sugar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

3 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

sweetened whipped cream

3 small fresh strawberries

Heat the half and half and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until hot and steamy, just below boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the bittersweet chocolate until completely melted. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk them to combine. Add a few drops of the hot chocolate mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in all of the chocolate mixture. (If added too quickly, the eggs will curdle.) Stir in the vanilla. Pour the custard through a fine wire mesh strainer into a large glass measuring cup to remove any curdled egg.

Pour the custard into 3 (1/2-cup) custard cups. Cover the tops with aluminum foil and place them in a large baking dish. Pour in boiling water to a depth of one inch. Place the baking dish in a 350 degree oven and bake the custards for 25 to 30 minutes. The custard is done when the center jiggles slightly when shaken gently. Using tongs or a hot pad, lift the custard cups from the hot water and place them on a wire rack. Remove the foil tops and cool to room temperature. Cover the custard cups with foil and chill for several hours before serving.

To serve, top each custard with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and garnish with a fresh strawberry. Makes 3 servings.