You may want to prepare a romantic dinner to celebrate an anniversary, good news, a birthday, or just to show someone he or she is special. You naturally want everything to be perfect, but you may be a novice at such things. Regardless of the reason for the dinner and whether you are planning your first or your fiftieth such dinner, here are some tips that might be helpful.

The morning of the dinner or the evening before, go ahead and handle the house cleaning. Dust, remove clutter, and vacuum. Spray the house with an air treatment that will eliminate, not mask, odors a few hours before dinner time. Plug in fresheners need a while to warm up, so set yours up an hour or two ahead of time. Select your music, preferably something instrumental and soft, so that vocals will not prove distracting.

Clean off the kitchen counters so that cooking will be easier. Unload the dishwasher so that you can add the dirty ones as you go. This reduces the time you will need to clean up later and prevents an untidy stack in case your guest should wander into the kitchen.

No later than the morning before your dinner, inventory your supplies to verify that everything you will need to cook and serve the meal is at hand. A salad, for example, will require not only vegetables but a dressing. Then estimate the length of time every item will require to cook and work backwards to determine when you need to start.

Make your table as elegant as possible. For instance, if you happen to own a black dining room set, use items that will look dramatic against that background. White dinnerware or place mats are a good choice. Rose petals, especially red ones, can look nice spread over the table top. Check the centerpiece to make sure it does not block the view of either diner. Place candles in faceted glass or gold holders so that the light, which will probably be dim, will be reflected.

You might choose to cook the meat course in a Camerons stovetop smoker so that you do not heat the kitchen with the oven. Use it to prepare tender steaks, chops, or chicken with less trouble than many other methods. It can also steam the vegetables you plan to serve on the side.

If you are serving mashed potatoes, use a hand mixer to make sure they are free of lumps. For those who prefer the instant variety to peeling and boiling fresh ones, there are ways to make them tastier. Increase the amount of milk and butter, and decrease the amount of water, that the directions state. This will make a creamier product. You can also add shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, or paprika before serving. Experiment ahead of time to develop your own variations so that you will know exactly what you need to add to make them uniquely your own recipe.

A tossed green salad can make an excellent appetizer. Use a mix of both romaine and iceberg lettuces, then add a few cherry tomatoes, olives, and maybe some pecan pieces. You can also mix in some shredded or diced cheese, grated carrots, or minced sweet gherkins. Add your croutons and dressing, toss, and serve. Bottled dressings can be used or you can create your own. One very simple dressing is just ketchup, mayonnaise, dill seeds, and seasoning salt stirred together to taste and then chilled prior to serving.

You may want to prepare an extravagant dessert like cherries jubilee, but that may not be practical. Instead, consider desserts that are simple to make but are both unusual and tasty. You could prepare shortcakes with fresh peaches, a chocolate decadence cake with ice cream, or gingered mixed fruit.