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

Cream of Zuchinni soup with tarragon

Ingredients:
1 large tablespoon creme fraiche
500 g small courgettes (zucchini) firm and a shiny green
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 saucepan 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 and salt, creme fraiche, peppercorns, and then blend. Pour into soup bowls and add the sprigs of tarragon as a garnish.

Tagliatelle with pancetta and sage

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

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

Preheat oven to 300F or 150C
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove from the heat and whisk in the raspberry liqueur, butter,sugar,egg yolks and flour. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then fold gently 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 template approximately the same size as the cake tin. Remove the cake from the tin and place the heart shaped template on top and use a sharp knife to cut out a heart. Cool. Wash and drain the respberries. Just before serving, arrange the raspberries in an even way over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with icing sugar (use a tea strainer) and serve immediately.