If you haven’t made your Valentine’s Day dinner reservations yet, forget about it. Any restaurant worth going to is already overbooked and the only available times would be 5 p.m. or 11 p.m.

I think dining out on Valentine’s Day is overrated as service is never that good and expectations rarely met.

You can still enjoy the evening but think about cooking in perhaps as a togetherly event. There’s something really sexy about being in the kitchen together, working together on a mutual task.

Keep the dinner light as you are the main course but a lively repast that excites your palate could be all the spark that you need.

Bite and Kiss Jerk Shrimp with Sour Cream Mango Salsa

Serve spicy jumbo shrimp marinated in jerk seasoning, then grilled and served with a mango salsa using sweet pepper, celery, and onion  then cooled off with a sour cream horseradish sauce.  Hence, bite and kiss. Or you may fill in the blank and bite and kiss whatever.

For the shrimp

2 lbs. jumbo shrimp peeled + de-veined (buy it that way to save time)

3 tbsp. Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning (or any jerk brand) 

4 tbsp. olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and marinate shrimp for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

For the mango salsa

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 vidalia onion

1 stalk celery

1 firm mango

For the salsa dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs. cider vinegar 

salt & pepper

Dice all salsa ingredients and mix together with the salsa dressing and chill.

For the sour cream dip

4 tbs. sour cream

4 tbs. mayonnaise

1 tbs. horseradish

1 tsp. lemon juice
In a separate dish mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Presentation

Grill marinated shrimp for 2 minutes on each side. Place a dollop of the sour cream dip in the center of a large platter. Arrange the shrimp around the edge of the platter leaving space between each one for a dollop of the salsa in between.

Preparation time: 1 hour marinating + 10 minutes cooking + 20 minutes.  Serves 6.

You will have leftovers. This is finger food for lovers. Top off with champagne and chocolate fondue for dessert. Light candles. Play your favorite music and dance the night away.