Skip to main content

How to Make Valentine’s Day Dinner At Home

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and we’re sure several of you want to do something amazing for that special someone in your life. Why not impress your partner with dinner? It’s intimate, it’s personal, and it might just get you lucky. We spoke to a few experts on how to select the perfect wine, how to take the hassle out of shopping for a homemade dinner, and what to do for the morning after.

Picking the Perfect Wine

Recommended Videos

“A successful Valentine’s Day dinner is all about setting the mood. You want your wine to add to the setting you’ve put so much work into creating. If you are going romantic with rose petals, candlelight, and chocolate, why not pick a wine that matches the mood? To me, this setting calls for a red with sweet floral notes, gobs of fruit, and soft silky texture like a California Zinfandel. These kinds of wines tend to have some warmth to them that help push the evening along. For whites, I’d look towards light and aromatic whites with a touch of sweetness like an off-dry Riesling. Think pretty wines that keep your kisser clean and fresh.

If you want a no-brainer assortment of wines to match your Valentine’s Day plans, I’d go with a curated wine pack. Let the experts choose the wine for you and send it right to your door — this Valentine’s Day, Club W is even adding a bouquet of roses that will show up fresh to give to your date.”

– Brian Smith, Chief Wine Officer, Club W

Online Delivery Farmers Market Good Eggs Offers Pre-Packaged Bundles

“If you want a classic steakhouse meal without the steep prices, we’d recommend the Surf and Turf Dinner for Two. This dinner kit — complete with locally sourced sirloin steak and shrimp — is sure to be a winner with your sweetheart. We like to serve it with a side of bacon mac n’ cheese, but feel free to get creative with your sides! At just under $50, this dinner kit makes for a special meal without breaking the bank.”

– Max Kanter, Marketing Manager at Good Eggs

For the Morning After

Morning after doughnuts are best made when you’re pretty sure about there being a morning after.  This is not a first date or second date move, but I guess the consolation is if there isn’t a morning after, you get to eat a bunch of doughnuts!

For the doughnuts, I love serving them piled high on a cake platter. It makes them look a bit dressed up and purposeful.

I feel like doughnuts are a great post-valentines day treat because you can make them as sweet as you like, and they’re fantastic with coffee. After all of that candy, having something like doughnuts and coffee help cut through all of the sugar.”

– Claire Thomas, Chef andAuthor of The Kitchy Kitchen.

Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
Peanut butter coffee: A creamy twist on your favorite brew (and how to make it)
3 variations of peanut butter coffee
Peanut butter

Unlike french vanilla or hazelnut coffee, the term "peanut butter coffee" isn't one you've likely heard often (or at all). I first encountered peanut butter coffee on an Instagram reel where a fellow coffee lover showed a latte brewed into a cup filled with peanut butter. Since I love creamy peanut butter almost as much as I love coffee, it's safe to say the idea of peanut butter coffee intrigued me.

As it turns out, Alex Zapata's variation of peanut butter coffee is only one of the many ways creative coffee lovers use peanut butter and coffee together. If you're as intrigued about this flavor pairing as I am, here are three ways to try peanut butter coffee for yourself.
Plant-based peanut butter coffee

Read more
How to make whipped coffee in just 5 minutes
Make coffee with a thick, fluffy foam on top
how to make whipped coffee pexels martin munkacsi 30043555 8548113

As an avid coffee drinker, I think whipped coffee is incredible; it even has a unique look.

Whipped coffee almost resembles coffee that has been topped with whipped peanut butter, yet no peanut butter is used in this unique beverage. Instead, this distinctive coffee drink is made with instant coffee, sugar, hot water, and cold milk (or, if you're like me on a low-sugar, low-carb diet, you can swap granulated sugar for a zero-calorie sweetener like monk fruit). You may have heard this drink referred to as a Dalgona coffee, which comes from a Korean sugar candy with a "whipped" appearance.

Read more
How to make ham glaze without the hassle: Timing, technique, and flavor
A helpful guide to making a flavorful ham glaze: Ingredients, tips, and variations
glazed ham

The first time I ever made a glazed ham, I was hosting my first holiday dinner. I had spent way too much time stressing over the sides, but the real challenge was making sure that the ham was more than just good — I wanted it to be show-stopping. I quickly learned that the secret to an unforgettable ham isn’t only in the baking process; that glaze has to be on point. The right glaze can turn a basic store-bought ham into a sweet, sticky, caramelized masterpiece.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a flavorful, glossy glaze that coats your ham perfectly, you’re in the right place. After many rounds of trial and error and many hours of internet research on the best honey glazed ham recipes, I think I've found the perfect ingredients, different flavor combinations, and exactly how to apply that glaze for ham perfection every time.
Choosing the right ingredients for your ham glaze

Read more