There's nothing more romantic that offering to cook for your partner at home. Don't worry, you don't need an open fire place and a bear skin rug to make this work. Just follow these simple steps:

• Clean the house. Remove dirty washing from the floor, put new towels in the bathroom, open the windows and let the fresh air in, then clear the kitchen bench of any unnecessary clutter.
• Choose your menu. Ensure that you can pre-prepare most of it. You don't want to welcome your date, and then disappear into the kitchen to prepare the meal.
• Buy the freshest ingredients (gentlemen, this does include fresh flowers for your date). Head to the farmers' market and talk to the professionals about how to make your home-cooked meal work.
• Be ready when he/she arrives. Have the music on, the wine on the table, the appetizers out and let the evening flow. So romantic.