Valentine's Day, Your Two Week Warning!

This is VERY IMPORTANT: Your "significant other" may say to you, "I don't care about Valentine's Day, it's just a made-up day to sell candy," or they may say, "Flowers are such a waste of money." Under no circumstances are you to believe this! Your significant other may even think they believe this nonsense, but I assure you that Valentine's Day is fraught with psychological perils that often involve complex self-delusion. For your own safety, I implore you, do not forget this day!

There are three things to consider on Valentine's Day: the gift, the flowers (for most women, not the same as "the gift") and dinner plans. Let's start with the latter, if you are restaurant people, make reservations today. Remember that you need to up-your-game for this day, so don't choose the regular place. It is acceptable to eat at home as long as the regular cook is not required to cook. It is even acceptable to order-out, as long as doing so is out of your regular routine. The trick is to make this day special.

The traditional flowers are a dozen red roses -- always appropriate, but other flowers are acceptable as long as they are exceptional. Order them now (you can pick them up from a local florist on the actual day). No grocery store flowers! If your significant other is female and works, you will gain extra points by having flowers delivered to the office. Don't be stingy, she and her co-workers will be judging you, don't embarrass her. If your significant other is male, you can also order flowers, but in this case you will have to use your own judgement. Many men have never received flowers in their lives, it may come as quite a surprise.

If you are flush with money, jewelry is always an acceptable gift. Buy the best you can afford. The good news is that the traditional gift for the rest of us is a box of candy--not such a painful hit. No drugstore chocolates! Luckily, I have compiled a short list of special candies for you. Order them today, and have them delivered to you; it is always best that you hand deliver the candy. (If you are worried that you will not receive such largess, forward this post to your significant other, and thank me later.)

From the old German company Reber. At first glance, this may seem like an odd choice, but their Mozart-Kugeln (pistachio marzipan, fresh almonds, hazelnut nougat, and double-coated milk and dark chocolate) are prized by connoisseurs all over the world. (Incidentally, it is okay that the box is not shaped like a heart; we are going for quality.) They have shops in Munich and Salzburg, and are widely available in the US. There are a variety of boxes to choose from and the prices are surprisingly reasonable.  http://www.reber.com/en/ (Also check Amazon.)

Next we have the Heart Gift Boxes from la Maison du Chocolat, Paris. These boxes offer an assortment of exceptional milk and dark chocolates, $45-$115. Their signature box is the Initiation Gift Box which is also a good choice, $65.  www.lamaisonduchocolat.us

la Maison du Chocolat, Initiation Gift Box

Venchi, Red Round Box

The venerable Italian chocolatier Venchi has been around since 1878. Their signature and elegant Red Round Box is my choice (though they do have heart shaped boxes), $67. The box contains:  Cuori bigusto: heart-shaped chocolate, Dubledoni Bigusto: round chocolate shells surrounding a toasted hazelnut, Dark Giandujotti filled with soft hazelnut creme, and Cubotti Chocaviar filled with crème brulée.  www.venchi.com/us/

Venchi, Heart Box

Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Heart Box

Vosges Haut-Chocolat is actually an American company based in Chicago. They are known for high quality chocolate infused with unusual flavors. The company has won numerous awards. Their presentation is beautiful and they have a variety of quality heart-shaped boxes, $30-$135. www.vosgeschocolate.com

Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Large Box

Charbonnel et Walker, single layer box

Charbonnel et Walker is a British company that has been around since 1875. They've had a royal warrant for years, and if it's good enough for the Queen, it is good enough for you. They sell a variety of candies, but their Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles are a signature product. The little pink boxes are coveted by those in-the-know, $27 for the small box and $52 for the double box. www.charbonnelchocolates.com

Charbonnel et Walker, double layer box

Finally, we have the unusual boxes from Compartes, a Los Angeles Chocolatier since 1950. These handcrafted chocolates are of the highest quality and the presentation and packaging, with a distinctive modern edge, are always interesting. The large heart box is $99.95 and they offer a wide range of possibilities and prices.  www.compartes.com

If it happens that you have no "significant other" at the moment, order yourself a box of fabulous chocolates anyway. You're worth a little bit of extravagance now-and-then.