Down WIth Love

This retro battle-of-the-sexes romp pulled from countless Rock Hudson - Doris Day films, and our romantic dinner (perfect for a double date with another couple) will also hearken back to the sixties, with a beef entree. The official tag line of this film is "The ultimate catch has met his match", so I went through my black-book (recipe book, that is) for dishes I served in my bachelor days. This collection (Rib Roast, Tomato Quiche, and steamed Broccoli is easy to very easy to make, easy to clean, and will make you look like you're a pro. But, the real star of the show is a homemade Chocolate Mousse.

The main course is a standing rib-roast, a nice change from traditional steaks. The meat makes a wonderful presentation from the kitchen, but is actually very simple to prepare.

If the rib-roast is a bit traditional, the piquant tomato quiche will be a surprise to your guests, who are unlikely to be familiar with non-cream based quiche. Tasting more like a deep-dish pizza than a quiche, it has been a universal hit and standard part of my culinary repertoire for years.

A green salad would work here, or steamed broccoli.

We'll take our cue for dessert from Renée Zellweger's character's heavy leaning on chocolate as a way of maintaining sexual control. With this Mousse, we'll melt the chocolate - as well as your date's inhibitions.