This is what I think would make the perfect Valentine's Day Home-cooked meal

For an appetizer start off with a dozen fresh oysters on the half shell served with a traditional Mignonette sauce:

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup freshly minced shallots

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black or white pepper.

Combine all ingredients into a bowl, chill covered in the fridge until needed. For a varied sauce, try adding a few dashes of tabasco, or some freshly diced chili pepper for some heat. For a more tropical taste, add some freshly chopped mango, or some freshly chopped cilantro (coriander). It's really up to you and your imagination. Also pair with a cold crisp white wine.

For main course Pappardelle pasta with slow-cooked meat:

1 lb 12 oz braising meat

olive oil

a handful of fresh rosemary and thyme, with the leaves removed from the stems and finely chopped

1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

2 wineglasses of red wine, such as shiraz or chianti

2 x 14 oz tins of plum tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

14 oz (400g) fresh or dried pappardelle pasta, if you would rather try it with linguini or penne, but something big and hearty, not like a thin spaghetti

3 1/2 oz butter

freshly grated parmesan

1) In a large casserole type dish, fry your meat in a little bit of olive oil, until golden brown and then add the herbs , onions, garlic, carrot, and celery. Turn down the heat and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables become soft. Add the red wine and simmer until nearly all the liquid is gone. 2) Add the tomatoes, and just enough water to cover the meat but 1/2 an inch. Cover the pan with a piece of greaseproof paper that has been run under the tap and then rubbed with a little olive oil, then place the lid on. Cook slowly on a very low heat for 2-3 hours, depending on the tenderness and type of meat used. It's ready when the meat literally slides from the bone with a fork. Season carefully to taste . Pull the meat apart with 2 forks, discarding the bones or any skin. Put the pot back on to low heat. 3) Cook your pasta according to the packet in boiling salted water (to make your pasta not stick together while cooking add a little splash of olive oil to the pan) drain, reserving some of the water, remove meat from heat, stir in butter and some parmesan with a little of the cooking water just to loosen everything. Toss with pasta and serve with a nice glass of red wine, some crusty bread, or a simple side salad and extra parmesan.

For dessert try something chocolatey like homemade truffles and a glass of cold rosé cava:

to make the ganache:

1 quart of heavy cream

3 pounds of bittersweet chocolate, a good quality one (or white chocolate for white ganache)

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

a pinch of salt

Some flavorings:

1 1/2 tablespoons dark

4 teaspoons pure peppermint oil

2 teaspoons instant espresso dissolved in 2 teaspoons of water

1 teaspoon ground caramom

First make the ganache: 1) In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer- little bubbles around the outside of the pan. In a large bowl, combine chocolate with butter and salt. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit until the chocolate and butter have melted, do not stir it, about 5 minutes. Whisk it until smooth and shiny. 2) Divide between 4 bowls, and add the flavorings, or any flavor of your choice, maybe some orange liquor, or amaretto, or lemon zest. 3) Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1 - tablespoon size ice cream scoop, drop levels of the ganache onto the baking sheets. Chill in fridge until firm, about 1 hour. 4) Coat the truffles. Spoon coatings of your choice - see list below, into bowls. Moisten, not drench, your hands with ice water, keep a bowl next to you, and roll the ganache into balls, then roll into the coatings.

Toppings: Melt some good white chocolate or milk chocolate, dip the balls into the chocolate using a fork, let the truffle sit and get hard, and then re-dip into the chocolate and while its hardening sprinkle with nuts, or sugar that has lemon zest in it, or crushed toffee. Whatever you can think of. If you just want to roll the toppings in coatings there is crushed toffee, crushed mints, nuts, coconut, cinnamon-sugar, cocoa powder, whatever you can think of.