It's hard to devote time to the care and wooing of your beloved, particularly if you're part of a working couple with children. Our four-year-old requires so much attention that he says he wants his mommy even when I'm holding him.

Between the demands of our son and my new TV series, Dream Team with Annabelle and Michael, my husband has taken to signing off on phone messages as "Jeff — you remember, your husband." I, myself, fantasize about late night tête-á-têtes with him — right before I collapse at 9:30 p.m.

Luckily, I married the most romantic man alive. Jeff Kahn framed the napkin I wrote my phone number on the night we met 12 years ago. He brings me flowers. He lights candles. He composes love letters with the salutation, "Dear Goddess." It should come as no surprise, then, that a month before "V-Day" Jeff floats plans as intricate as the storming of the beaches at Normandy. Yet the one offering beyond his ability is the preparation of food. Jeff does not cook.

But I do, and a special meal is the one gesture with which I alone can demonstrate my affection. (Besides, it rankles me to pay for one of those inflated prix-fixe holiday menus at a restaurant — and on top of that, our baby-sitter always has a date.) So my Valentine's Day offering is a well-planned, prepared-in-advance, late-night romantic dinner at home.

What does my labor of love include? Something I don't make every day, and that usually means something from the sea. Does seafood seem romantic because it evokes sun, sand, saltwater, and the memory of Swept Away (not the more recent one with Madonna, but the original with Giancarlo Giannini)? Yes, I say.

Next, I like to keep it light, because nothing screams "Take me" less than a belly full of T-bone and mashed potatoes. A salad course fits the bill — specifically one with hearts of palm (just too fun on a day devoted to hearts) or beets (which are certainly the right color).

Of course, I always serve dessert. I am endlessly seduced by the endorphin rush of a chocolate anything and have always been a sucker for bread pudding; the two combined are heaven to me. As for my honey, well, he always finds a tart enticing. These two menus please us both and go a long way toward adding some wow to our woo.

Menu 1
Heartthrob Salad
Deviled Crab Boules with Beurre Blanc
Steamed asparagus
Raspberry-Topped Amaretto Tarts

Menu 2
Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Pear Salad
Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine with Tomato-Cream Sauce
French bread
Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings

More Sweet Menus for 2