How to make Valentine’s Day special

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to show that special someone just how much you care. But this doesn’t always have to involve splashing out on expensive gifts, or extravagant holidays. Sometimes quality time and a romantic night in can be just as effective and much more intimate. At Le Cordon Bleu London we understand that there is a strong connection between our stomachs and our hearts, so today we will be showing you how to make Valentine’s Day that extra bit special using the universal language of food and wine!

Breakfast in bed:

Start Valentine’s Day off right by serving your partner breakfast in bed. What could be better than not having to pursue a blurry-eyed search for food and coffee in the morning? Surprising your partner with breakfast in bed is sure to put a smile on their face and fill them with feelings of love and appreciation.

Our Teaching Chefs’ top breakfast in bed ideas include:

• French toast with honey or syrup, topped with red berries
• Smashed avocado on toast, topped with a heart-shaped fried egg
• Traditional viennoiseries (find out how to make these on our Breakfast Baking short-course)

Make sure that these dishes are beautifully presented on a tray with a rose for an added touch of romance, and be sure to include their favourite morning beverage for some extra brownie points!

As it is a special occasion our Wine Development Manager, Matthieu Longuere MS, suggests serving up the following drinks to accompany your loved ones' breakfast:

• Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry Adami with a few berries
• Poiré Authentique Pear Cider Eric Bordelet Normandie France 2015

A romantic dinner:

Anyone can book a table at a fancy restaurant or order their partner’s favourite takeaway, so why not try making an extra effort by preparing a romantic dinner for you both to enjoy at home. It doesn’t have to be a complicated dish, like those you may find on our Diplôme de Cuisine, as you don’t want the preparation and cooking of the meal to take away from your quality time. Keep it simple and tasty, and your partner is sure to be impressed with the thought, time and effort that you invested to make their evening special.

Our Chefs’ simple Valentine’s Day dinner ideas include:

• Steak with a port jus, served with pomme purée and steamed tenderstem broccoli
• Grilled salmon with seasonal vegetables
• Any dish containing an aphrodisiac such as oysters, ginger or figs

Be sure to set the mood with candles, and some romantic music to make it a night that they will never forget. And in order to pair your dinner with the perfect wine, Matthieu suggests the following top picks:

• Champagne Ruinart Rosé Brut NV
• Talinay Coastal Limestone Vineyard Pinot Noir Tabali Limari Valley Chile 2013

Valentine's Day baking:

If you have already booked a table at your partner’s favourite restaurant, don’t despair, you can still make an extra effort in the kitchen and show them your appreciation. Why don’t you try baking up a personalised sweet treat that you can share together after your night out? Being the home of the Diplôme de Pâtisserie, Le Cordon Bleu knows a thing or two about creating beautiful desserts, so here are our Chefs top Valentine’s Day baking ideas:

• Heart-shaped meringue Pavlova
• Heart-shaped sable biscuits, layered with strawberries and Chantilly cream
• Choux buns filled with chocolate pastry cream

Or... you can still pop by our Café near the British Museum and try one of our heart-shaped mango and passionfruit entremets!

And what would be the perfect wine to accompany your special dessert? Our expert’s top picks include:

• Moscato d’Asti Moncalvina Coppo Piemonte Italy 2015
• Muscat Ottonel Auslese Hans Tschida Neusidlersee Austria 2015

Tell us what food and wine you will be serving up for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day, by tweeting us @LeCordonBleuLDN or sharing a picture with us on Instagram @LeCordonBleuLondon.