the food of love; What's your heart's desire for Valentine's Day.

Byline: William Norwich

Just in time for Valentine's Day, some of the most romantic thinkers of my acquaintance, myself included, have come to the conclusion that there is no love, just acts of love. The rest is theoretical, like a check in the mail.

Which is why entertaining, though it makes you vulnerable to all available etiquette and culinary peril, is one of the most practical ways of saying "I love you" to anyone these days except extremely grumpy in-laws. And in a romantic relationship, well, diamonds may be your best friend, but a mate who cooks you something special is a little bit of all right, as well. A party for two? Think of it as nutrition to fuel the heart.

"How do you keep romance alive? It is the age-old question," said the designer Kristopher Enuke as he prepared a Valentine-themed feast in Los Angeles for his wife, Amy Enuke, who for more than a decade has been his muse and business partner and, most important, the mother of their children (Annahstasia, nine, and Christopher III, four). "We work together, we stress together, but we always hope we can somehow steal some quiet time away to be together."

Indeed, theirs is a relationship with a full plate. Known for his Oligo Tissew line of jeans, dresses, and knitted sweaters, popular with hipsters here and far, Kristopher was recently hired to be the head designer of the jeans brand AG Adriano Goldshmied. While continuing with his Oligo Tissew collections, he will help build AG into a prestige jeans line competitive with Diesel and Replay.

Here was the Enukes' Valentine plan: Pack up the family roadster and check into one of the Chateau Marmont's Craig Elwood-designed full-kitchened, two-bedroom bungalows just a few minutes away (but a world apart) from their house in ...