India, Feb. 8 -- 00 PM table or the loud noise of a packed restaurant where you have to yell just to be heard. This Valentine's Day, our editorial desk is staging a romantic coup against the cliche. There is no reason to settle for a hectic, overpriced night out when the best kind of love is found in the quiet, simple parts of your own life.

Real romance is not something you buy at a dinner table. It is about the shared path you take and the life you build together. You call the shots in your own story. Ditch someone else's script. Lean into those small, real moments that hit home for you.

Forget about everything going on outside and just focus on being together. Start your night in the kitchen by making something from scratch. There is...