This menu turns dinner into a romantic interlude.

Valentine's Dinner Menu

Curried Shrimp with Cucumber Sauce
Fragrant shrimp on a pale green bed of cucumber sauce make a just-for-two appetizer.
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Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
Prepare the artichokes ahead, and let them sit at room temperature to allow their robust flavor to develop while you enjoy the first course. Then serve the artichokes as your second course.
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Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding
Chocolate and true love. That's an irresistible combination. Go ahead and dip into this light but luxurious finale.
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Cupid's Foods

Through the centuries, certain foods have been linked to love. Kissing a passion fruit was once believed to ensure a romantic dream would come true.

An ancient recipe for ensuring sexual prowess called for placing a May apple, two acorns, and a jasmine flower under your bed. Here's more lore on foods with a reputation for spurring romance.

• Chocolate. The Aztec ruler Montezuma II was reputed to consume 50 cups of chocolate per day to aid his love life. Chocolate bonbons continue to be a prized Valentine's Day gift. Chocolate may not really produce that falling-in-love sensation, but this sensuous food can't be left out of any romantic celebration.
• Hazelnuts. Valentine's Day has been observed in England since the 1400s. It was long believed in that country that one way to identify your true love was to write the names of romantic prospects on hazelnuts, roast them, and see which one popped up first.
• Honey. The word honeymoon, which refers to a period of harmony following a marriage, may have originated from the tradition of having newlyweds drink a honey-sweetened beverage. Hindu brides offer honey to their new husbands, and English-speaking sweethearts everywhere call each other "honey."

Good News About Chocolate

1. Chocolate won't cause or aggravate acne.

2. Chocolate isn't bad for your teeth like many candies. Chocolate contains tannins, astringent substances from the cocoa bean that actually block plaque formation. Of course, the sugar content means you can't toss out your toothbrush.