Going Out for Valentine’s Day Is Overrated. Make These Date Night Recipes at Home Instead.

As you dip the roasted beets into this delicate fondue, it will gradually turn pink. The cheese stays molten and creamy for a long time. When the fondue cools, it has the texture of cream cheese; post-Valentine’s Day, spread it on toast as a delicious snack.

A dialed-in version of a coastal classic. If you’ve never made your own barbecue sauce before, this is your chance to taste the profound difference between corn syrup supermarket stuff and the real deal, made with good spices and exacting technique.

This pink salad stays on theme. “This salad is all about texture. The crispy chicories, jammy dates, and crunchy walnuts are very satisfying,” says Kelly Mariani, chef at Scribe Winery, in Sonoma County.

The crab bisque makes for decadent and delicious starter.

Woodsy and herbal, these mushrooms pair well with steak (but really, any kind of protein). They should be glossed with sauce but not swimming in it.

While you’re waiting for the mains to cook, serve up this tasty tartine along with some wine or a cocktail.

Artichokes are the perfect way to start any romantic meal. Purchased mayonnaise makes this a breeze to prepare. You can make this the day ahead and keep everything chilled until ready to serve.

Create a steakhouse experience at home. It all starts with a nice, juicy grilled steak.

If any ocean creature can be said to have a cult following, it’s sea urchin (uni). Its roe, the edible part, has a briny, sweet taste. When mixed with hot pasta, the roe melts and creates a luscious sauce, as in this recipe based on one from sea-urchin diver Peter Halmay. California produces most of the American sea-urchin supply; look for the top grade, called California Gold, or B-grade California Premium, which has a slightly softer texture. The roe is extremely perishable, so use it as soon as possible.

Think outside the box this Valentine’s Day and serve up a paella. This one’s great for vegetarians.

Chicken pan juices, shallots, white wine, and tarragon become a velvety sauce when you add butter as a finishing touch.

Gochujang gives the salmon an alluring spicy-sweet depth. Serve it with rice, lettuce, cilantro, and a crunchy topping like bean sprouts or cucumbers, so you can make you own ssam (Korean-style lettuce wraps).

Stuffing this roast with figs and garlic slivers will make you feel like a modern-day Julia Child, and the results are stunning: mosaic-like slices infused with rich fruit and wine flavors.

Even though this recipe is garlic-heavy, it calls for roasted garlic, which has that caramelized, mellow flavor.

Make V-Day a pizza night and have fun making pizzas together in the kitchen. This recipe is a mix of flavors: the smoky heat of adobo, sweet corn, and the salinity of fresh feta.

Instant polenta and sliced mushrooms help get this hearty, intensely flavorful dinner on the table in well under an hour. You can ladle the ragout over pasta or thickly sliced toast too.

This rich mussel dish is all about the broth, which is enriched with heavy cream and spiked with hard cider to brighten it up and give it backbone. The mussels will yield their briny liquor once steamed, so consider getting an extra baguette to sop up all the juices.

This Chinese-inspired take on short ribs gets its freshness from Bosc pears cooked in the sauce, plus more pears on top in a raw relish. If you have time, cook the recipe a day ahead. The flavors will be deeper, and you can more easily lift the fat from the sauce.

Like all good New Mexico food, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are simple, earthy, and delicious. Its heat depends on the chiles; go with Anaheims if you scorch easily.

This (non-casserole) version of eggplant parmesan is lighter and fresher tasting than the classic—we ditched the breading and added spicy sauce and fresh herbs.

“Cooking whole fish is a great way to utilize the entire product, and it is a fun and classic way to cook for your guests,” says chef Brad Mathews. “At Bar Le Côte we use dry-aged sea bream from the Joint Eatery, but you can use any whole fish. The texture of the dry-aged fish offers an extra-crispy skin and a more consistent cook. We serve this sea bream with Romesco, a classic Spanish sauce made from roasted peppers, sherry vinegar, and almonds.” 

Seattle chef Rachel Yang reinvents the classic peppercorn steak with a not-too-hot Sichuan peppercorn rub that produces a pleasant tingly sensation in the mouth. With the zesty kale slaw, it adds zaps of excitement to a romantic dinner.

Scribe chef Kelly Mariani says this pasta “feels like a hug on a cool day. The creamy radicchio filling is delicious with the nuttiness of brown butter and hazelnuts.”

Scallops just feel so “special occasion,” right? Serve them with Saffron and Preserved Lemon Risotto.

Created by chef Nobu Matsuhisa in New York more than 20 years ago, this delicate, buttery dish has fans around the world. We’ve adapted a version from former San Diego fisherman Zack Roach that features green onions and ginger.

This sensual dessert offers intriguing flavor combinations and textures that range from cloudlike to crunchy.

Sweet and tangy, crunchy and creamy—this recipe delivers a perfect combination of flavors and textures in each bite. A touch of gelatin in the lime curd helps it set enough to slice cleanly.

Cap off your romantic meal with this decadent, melt-in-your-mouth dessert. They bake from frozen, which means you can do the prep ahead of time, bake them while you dine, and enjoy them warm from the oven.

It’s nearly impossible to resist these ice cream sandwiches. Between the churro waffles and the homemade chocolate sauce, there’s a whole lot to love. This recipe skips the deep fryer and instead uses a waffle maker to make crunchy, fluffy, churro waffles to hold your ice cream.

Semifreddo spiked with chai spices is a luscious counterpoint to pears poached in wine and orange juice.