A guest post by writer, Tracey Chandler, a fellow Food Lover, Traveler and Francophile.
When you think of romance, you think of France – of the Eiffel tower, of music on an accordion, and most of all, of French cuisine. There is something very luxurious, rich and intrinsically delicious about French food that so compliments a romantic evening, preferably twinned with a red wine from the southern regions of the country. Here are some suggestions for the perfect menu for a romantic evening in, sure to sweep your date off their feet, whether you met through friends or on eHarmony.
Entree
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There are lots of delights to choose from for a starter. You could try a traditional French onion soup: easy to cook, combining onions, butter, flour, parmesan, whipping cream, broth and even black winter truffles if you’re feeling adventurous. After browning the onions in the butter, sprinkle with flour, add the broth and leave over a low heat for 30 minutes. Combine the grated truffle with cream and add to the soup when ready, finishing with seasoning and parmesan. The best onions to keep this dish authentically French are the Oignon doux des Cevennes, a sweet onion from southeast France.
Main course
For your main course, you could opt for a Camembert fondue. This is relatively simple to prepare. You’ll need Camembert – preferably from Pacé in the Normandie region of France, the place of origin for the cheese. Other than this, orange zest, rosemary, garlic, black pepper, oil and white wine are all you need. Bake the camembert at 180 Celsius for 20 minutes, with the zest, garlic, rosemary and seasoning sprinkled on top of it along with the wine and oil. The end result is simply delicious and looks great. Make sure you share pictures online to make your friends jealous! You could even post your recipes and personal tips on a dating website’s Facebook or Twitter page so other singles can benefit from them.
Dessert
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For dessert, you’ve got to go for a crème brulee. It’s easy to make and extremely delicious. You’ll need cream, vanilla, caster sugar and six free-range eggs. After pre-heating the oven, pour the cream and vanilla into a saucepan and bring it to boiling point before simmering for five minutes. Beat the eggs and sugar together, and pour the cream over them until the mixture has a thick consistency. Now strain this with a fine sieve and use the liquid to half-fill ramekins. You then cook these using a bain-marie: pour hot water into the roasting tray until it comes to roughly half-way up the ramekins. Bake for 45 minutes. Now for the fun bit – sprinkle caster sugar over the top and caramelise it with a blowtorch or under the grill.
Wines
As for wine, you have an enormous range to choose from. France is the biggest producer of wine in the world. For your rich menu, a sweeter Bordeaux such as Chateau d’Yquem would work really well.
This French-themed menu guarantees a romantic evening of wonder and will definitely impress your dinner guest. If you met on a dating site, this special evening could see you become one of those online dating success stories. After the meal, enjoy cozying up together with a bottle of red, some French music and perhaps a little French kissing…