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The Best Recipes to Cook for a Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner (and the Essential Items You’ll Need)

Impress that special someone in your life with these delicious dishes.

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By Sean Tirman

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A physical Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other is great. But if you’re looking for something to elevate that gift, try cooking them a meal — something more elevated and labor-intensive than your typical weeknight dish. We included a succulent slow-roasted lamb shoulder, a hearty cacio e pepe and some delicious cocktail recipes. Now crack open a bottle of wine and start cooking. And don’t forget the flowers and chocolate.

Ideally, you’d have an outdoor pizza oven, but that’s not reasonable for most folks, especially for apartment dwellers. This pizza stone, however, is a solid alternative that will make your crust crispy, even and delicious.

To properly make a whiskey sour, you’ll need to incorporate egg whites and avoid yolks like the plague (they’ll ruin the drink). This simple device will help manage that so your drink is perfect every time.

A true must-have for every cocktail cabinet and an essential ingredient in an Old Fashioned, Angostura’s bitters is an everlasting classic and sets the standard for bitters across the entire liquor industry.

Peugeot 23485 Paris u'Select 9-Inch Pepper MillAmazon

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Peugeot 23485 Paris u’Select 9-Inch Pepper Mill

Pre-ground pepper will never be as good as freshly-ground varieties. And this pepper mill (yes, it was made by a car manufacturer) is one of the absolute best around.

If you’re going to make an Instant Pot recipe, you’re going to need… well… an Instant Pot. The Duo multicooker you see here is a 7-in-1 device that will quickly become one of your favorite go-to kitchen appliances for its versatility if nothing else.

Not all wine keys are created equal. This one, for instance, comes from a tried-and-true brand and actually won a Red Dot Design Award — meaning it’ll get the job done right every time and look great in the process — and it has some additional functionality.

Don’t get it twisted: the lemon twist is more than just an accouterment in a sazerac (if you want to make it properly, that is). This citrus-focused device can peel and zest, and it has an ergonomic handle so you won’t feel cramped or awkward when using it.

Yes, this device was created to make shaved ice and snow cones. But it works just as well making ice for a mint julep, and it comes from perhaps the only recognizable and trusted name in the shaved ice game.

epic provisions rendered duck fatAmazon

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Epic Provisions Rendered Duck Fat

The secret ingredient in the above recipe, as you probably already realize, is duck fat. This variety comes from a trusted brand and contains 11 ounces of culinary gold.

lodge preseasoned 12inch cast iron skilletWalmart

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Lodge Pre-Seasoned 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge is the standard-setter in the world of cast iron and has been for years and years. If you don’t already own a cast-iron skillet from this brand, it’s time to invest — but don’t worry because Lodge’s offerings are also super affordable.

If you don’t press your tofu, it won’t cook right and definitely won’t hold the flavors you’re trying to imbue into it. To avoid that, utilize a simple tofu press, like this one, to ring out the extra water content and ensure your plant-based culinary dreams come true.

The above recipe, like most that call for bread, will necessitate a knife to cut your loaf of choice. This knife will get the job done right and cut through that loaf like, well, butter. And it’ll keep cutting and cutting and cutting long after that first loaf.

To make banana, zucchini and/or pumpkin bread correctly, you’ll need a loaf pan. And you definitely can’t go wrong with this cast iron one from Lodge.

You should already own a do-it-all chef knife, full stop. But if you don’t already have one, you’ll need it for the above recipe (and just about every other one you’ll ever make). This one is solid, well-balanced, looks great and won’t let you down.

Seasoned chefs know not to underestimate the importance of high-quality ingredients, especially with foundational ones like olive oil. This extra virgin olive oil is exceptional and, as an added bonus, comes in a bottle you might actually leave out on display.

Perfect for serving and cooking single-serving, single-pot meals, Le Creuset’s mini cocottes are high-quality, easy to clean (dishwasher safe) and available in a wide variety of colors.

beekeper's naturals b powered superfood honeyAmazon

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Beekeper’s Naturals B. Powered Superfood Honey

The finishing ingredient to the above recipe is honey. And while most would probably do, this one has the added bonus of longer-lasting health benefits along with adding a bit of needed sweetness.

Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester GraterAmazon

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Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester Grater

To finely grate a cheese like parmesan, not just any grater will do. If you want it done right, turn to the device trusted by world-renowned professionals: the microplane you see here. As an added bonus, it can also handle zesting citrus, giving it plenty of versatility.

Spices can (and will) make or break many a dish, including the one above. Before you even think about starting cooking, make sure you’ve got a collection of seasonings like these to ensure you can spice up your meals as necessary.

Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino CherriesAmazon

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Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries

Standing head and shoulders above literally any other cocktail cherries available, Luxardo Maraschino cherries are the alpha and omega. They’re expensive, sure, but they are absolutely worth every penny if you really want to get your Manhattan right.