OK, based on feedback, I have revised the menu:

Cold appetizer: Gravlax over cucumber salad
Soup: Caramelized tomato soup with basil guacamole
Hot appetizer: Steamed globe artichoke with hollandaise sauce
Intermezzo: Cantelope sorbet (probably have a little slice of
prosciutto on the side)
Main course: Braised lamb shanks with swiss chard, Herbes de Provence,
and sweet potatoes
Salad: Fennel and orange salad
Dessert: Strawberries with balsamic vinegar

I agree with everyone's suggestion to make the dinner a little less
rich. So, I nixed out the pasta course, replaced the cake with fresh
fruit, and subsituted the asparagus with a steamed artichoke. I will
make the hollandaise dipping sauce myself since it's so cheap, and I
can't resist a buttery sauce with an artichoke. Also, I remember
reading in "On Food and Cooking" that artichokes temporarily alter the
tastebuds to make food taste sweeter, so it could be delicious before
a sorbet.

I love the idea of cantelope sorbet as a palette cleanser, and I feel
that it begs for a slice of prosciutto to be served alongside.

I decided to go with the sweet potatoes with the lamb, and since that
may be a bit too similar to carrots, I wanted to change the soup. I
definetly want a pureed soup, as a chunky one is more of a meal in
itself. He doesn't like parsnips or cauliflower, potato seemed too
plain, butternut squash is too similar to sweet potatoes, asparagus is
expensive, and broccoli-cheese is too rich. Obviously there are many
other veggies that can go into a pureed soup, but you get the idea. I
once made Daniel Bolud's recipe for chilled tomato soup with basil
guacamole. However, I like hot soup much more, and I recently saw a
great recipe for tomato soup that involves roasting seeded canned
tomatoes with a sprinkle of brown sugar. I'm going to make that and
serve with a timbale of basil guacamole (just avocado, shallots,
lemon, and basil) in the center. If I can find those little fingerling
potatoes, I might use them in lieu of sweet potatoes, but I still like
this soup idea. I'm going to make a big batch so that I can have some
for lunch the next day with grilled brie sandwiches

I like the fennel salad for its simplicity and elegance, and I am
still debating as to whether or not shaved red onion is a good idea,
breath-wise. Normally I would make a balsamic vinaigrette, but since
the strawberries come next it could be redundant. I'll probably pick
some of the wild grapefruits in my backyard and make a vinaigrette out
of those.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!

--Erica

(Erica) wrote in message . com>...
> For Valentines day, I'm thinking about preparing a decadent
> seven-course meal as my present to my boyfriend. This is just a
> tentative menu, but I was hoping for some feedback. Here goes:
>
> Cold appetizer course: Gravlax over cucumber salad
> Soup course: Carrot soup or roast garlic soup
> Hot appetizer course: Proscuitto-wrapped asparagus with fontina cheese
> sauce
> Pasta course: Cappellini with braised artichoke sauce
> Intermezzo: Sorbet (not sure what kind)
> Main course: Braised lamb shanks with white beans, swiss chard, and
> Herbes de Provence
> Salad course: Fennel, orange, and red onion salad OR mixed baby greens
> with raspberries
> Dessert: Flourless chocolate cake with almonds and espresso
>
> Whaddaya think?