Chef Rock Dishes Up Advice For Romantic Dining On A Budget

Whether you have been in a relationship for years or are currently scouring dating sites, looking for "the one," you may well have an opportunity for a romantic dinner on Valentine's Day. Luckily, a romantic meal for two doesn't have to cost a fortunate. There are plenty of things you can do on a budget, right at home, to create a warm and romantic meal which is sure to please.

"Going out for a romantic meal is a great experience, but if you want a budget-friendly option, you can easily pull it off at home," says Rahman "Chef Rock" Harper, celebrity chef and adjunct culinary instructor at Stratford University. "And you may even earn brownie points for putting in the extra effort of doing it on your own."

Chef Rock knows his way around a kitchen, being the Season Three winner from "Hell's Kitchen." And he has some tips you may want to keep in mind when planning a romantic dinner on a budget:
� Focus more on the time you will be spending with the person, rather than the food you will be serving.
� Find romantic background music to play softly and dance to.
� Think about some fun and romantic things you can do, such as playing games, looking through old pictures, or reading love poetry together.
� Opt for a different setting than where you usually eat, if possible, such as the dining room, patio, etc. Make the table look different than on a normal night, by adding a table cloth, special place setting, cloth napkins, and a candle.
� Make sure that everyday distractions are off, such as the television and cell phone. The last thing you need is to have a text message ruin the romantic moment.
� Popular romantic foods include chocolate, coffee, ice cream, and seafood. It's also a good idea to have a dessert that you can feed to each other, such as strawberries dipped in chocolate.
� Avoid tasting or smelling foods like garlic and raw onions, as the smells can ruin the moment. Or if you must try, be sure to use a breath freshener afterward.
� If you don't want to have your romantic meal at the table, think creatively about other places, such as having a picnic. Even if it's too cold outside, an indoor picnic can help create a new and festive mood.
� For those who don't want to cook, find a good place for take-out food, one which will provide you with a beautiful and tasty dish to serve, much more affordably than dining out.

"It is especially important for those who have been in relationships for a while to plan a special night like this," adds Chef Rock. "It's easier than you may think, and you may find you do it more often than just waiting for next Valentine's Day."

Stratford University offers both degree and non-degree culinary arts and hospitality courses. Culinary degrees include baking and pastry arts, as well as advanced culinary arts. Students can also enroll in the advanced culinary arts professional diploma program. In addition, the school offers non-degree public one-day culinary courses covering such topics as beginner baking, knife skills, vegetarian cooking and cake decorating, as well as parent-and-child cooking.

About Stratford University:
Stratford University operates campuses in Tysons Corner and Woodbridge. It offers 30 undergraduate and graduate degrees in the areas of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Health Sciences, Business Administration, and Information Technology. The degree programs are offered both on campus, as well as online. For more information on Stratford University, please visit www.stratford.edu.
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Source:
U. S. Census Bureau. Valentine's Day 2010. < http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_feat....

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