Throughout college I was a hostess at a fancy Manhattan restaurant, and nothing gave me more anxiety than Valentine’s Day. Even now I refuse to eat out on the 14th, because I know what goes into it:  prix fixe menu, shuffling guests in and out, and tables so close together you end up sharing food with strangers.  Enjoy your favorite restaurant on an off night, and do something more romantic:  cook with one another.  

And a perfect romantic first course requires no cooking at all:  a raw oyster platter! The hardest part about putting together this platter is the shucking.  But once you get the hang of it, it’s as easy as pie.  A dozen roses is a nice gesture. But a dozen oysters? Now you’re talking!