Valentine's Day Dinner with Mollie Blake!

I am delighted to share a menu I put together which I think would be perfect for an intimate Valentine’s Day evening dinner.

Allow me to present “A menu to feed The Body and The Soulmate”

Pre-dinner drink

Manhattan cocktails with a maraschino cherry.

Not only does this taste delicious, the shape of the glass and the redness of the cherries and liquid are quite evocative.

Appetiser/Amuse-bouche

Baked honey fig with toasted almond and vanilla cream.

The opened fig creates a delightful vision to wet the appetite for the evening.

The almonds contribute to the production of dopamine in the brain. This is an organic chemical which helps control the brains reward and pleasure centres. The flavour of vanilla is derived from the orchid; what’s not to love about this sensual plant? The scent of the vanilla is known to help men relax and lose their inhibitions with the added bonus of containing calcium and phosphorous which can increase libido.

Main course

Poached salmon with Mediterranean vegetables.

Not wanting to over indulge, I keep the main course light and healthy. A poached salmon fillet is easy on the outside of the waistline and doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy on the inside. The fish also contains selenium with antioxidants helping to protect cells from damage. I serve an accompaniment of Mediterranean vegetables: roasted sweet potato, courgettes, aubergine, red onion and tomatoes. I don’t want to include anything that might zap our energy and spoilt things later in the evening.

Dessert

Now I turn the heat up with servings of cool fruit and warm liquids.

I choose a selection of pieces of watermelon, pineapple and strawberries, creating a visual display of texture and colour. The contrasting colours and flavours are all dipped in melted chocolate, mulled wine or hot toddies. My preference is dark chocolate. It contains phenylethylamine, otherwise known as the love drug. I am assured by scientific research that this will enhance our mood.

So the evening is set. I hope you enjoy yours x

Mollie Blake is a published author of contemporary romance. A lover of reading sexy stories, Mollie decided to go one step further and write her own. Her romances are filled with danger and peppered with hot sexy scenes. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and UK Romantic Novelists Association.

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