Curtis Stone's 3 Rules for a Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner

Celebrity chef shares his secrets for making the evening extra special

If you waited until the last minute (like us) to make your V-Day dinner reservations, you're probably encountering the same problem the rest of us are: every place in town is packed!

Not to worry, though, you can cook up an even more romantic evening at home—and we got tips from celebrity chef Curtis Stone to help you along the way!  

Here's what he had to say:

Keep it Simple: "Don't overcomplicate it, that's the first tool…something simple," he says. In other words, if you want to try that crazy complicated new dish you've been craving, save it for another day!

Plan Ahead: "Be prepared. Set the table, choose the music, do all that stuff ahead of time," he tells us. We know, the big day is already upon us, but that doesn't mean it's too late to do a little last-minute prep! Set up some romantic songs that can play during dinner, light some candles—you know what your loved one likes—create an ambience that makes it different than an ordinary dinner!

Have Fun: "Enjoy yourself. The best hosts have the most fun. Remember to enjoy yourself." While there's a lot of work involved, the most important part is simply to make sure you and your sweetheart have a special night—so, even if you burn the main dish or your dessert is a complete disaster, do your best not to stress!

Of course, we had to ask what Curtis' favorite dish to cook for fiancée Lindsay Price is. "We eat a lot of seafood," he said. "I cook for her a lot out of the wood fire oven." Lindsay is definitely a lucky lady!