It's finally happened.

Until now, I've never done much for anyone for Valentine's Day. Never purchased anyone flowers or candy. Sure, some years I went on weekend getaways, to Montauk or maybe to the coast of New Hampshire, with whomever was my then-current paramour. These jaunts had less to do with romance than they did with my compelling wanderlust. Most of the time, I'm not even dating anyone around this time of year.

But there I was last night, in my kitchen at 1 a.m., using cookie cutters to create heart-shaped slices of polenta. I was prepping my Valentine's Day dinner — a vegan, gluten-free and soy-free feast that coordinates not only with my animal-friendly diet, but also with my girlfriend's dietary restrictions. Because if there's one thing I've learned over the past decade or so of dating, there's nothing romantic about accidentally sending your date into anaphylactic shock.

This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2012.