When you prepare your own meal for Valentine's Day, love radiates from your heart, seeps into the food and gives it the mystical quality that ignites the soul. When you serve your Valentine an elegant meal do it with some beautiful candles, good wine or champagne if you like, and a loving and warm smile. Remember the real aphrodisiac is you!

Cream of Courgette soup with tarragon

Ingredients:
500 g small courgettes (zucchini) firm and a shiny green
1 large tablespoon creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon of crushed peppercorns
2 sprigs of tarragon washed and drained
1 chicken bouillon (stock) cube
salt to taste

Wash trim and slice the courgettes/zuchinnis. Fill a pan with 1 and a half cups water, add the stock/bouillon cube and bring to the boil. Add the sliced courgettes/zuchinnis. Cook for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the creme fraiche, and salt, peppercorns, and then blend. Pour into soup bowls and add the sprigs of tarragon as a garnish.

Tagliatelle with sage and pancetta

Ingredients:
4 slices pancetta ham
1/2 bunch fresh sage washed and drained
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
60 grams of grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
200 grams fresh tagliatelle pasta

Saute the slices of pancetta and drain on paper towel. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan and add the sage leaves and saute for 1 minute. Drain. Cook the pasta according to the instructions with 1 tablespoon of oil added to the water to keep the pastra strands separate during cooking. Drain the pasta and add the ricotta and butter. Stir together. Heap the pasta on two plates and top each pile with the pancetta, sage leaves, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Heart with Raspberries

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plain flour
100 grams of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon raspberry liqueur
100 grams bitter chocolate
100 grams unsalted butter
150 grams fresh raspberries
3 eggs
Icing sugar to decorate

Preheat oven to 150C or 300F
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, butter,egg yolks,raspberry liqueur and flour. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the chocolate mixture. Butter a heart-shaped or round cake tin. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 minutes. The cake should be slightly runny in the centre. If using a round cake tin then cut a piece of cardboard into a heart-shaped pattern approximately the same size as the cake tin. Remove the cake from the tin and place the heart shaped pattern on top and use a sharp knife to cut out a heart. Cool. Wash and drain the respberries. Just before serving, arrange the raspberries evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with icing sugar (use a tea strainer) and serve immediately.

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