You might not be able to afford to surprise your girl with a trip to Paris (or even take her to a French restaurant, for that matter), but that does not mean you can't treat her to some V-Day elegance.

A tin of caviar and a glass of champagne is simple to serve, but will make her feel like a queen. Without putting you in the poor house.

Don't worry if you've never even seen caviar, let alone served it. I spoke to the experts over at Sterling Caviar and got some tips. And it's a lot easier than you think.

First, chill a bottle of champagne or California sparkling wine, preferably pink. (Unlike with wine, many of the pink champagnes are actually better than the whites.) And pair it with black pearls. Of caviar. Sterling's caviar is taken from farm-raised white sturgeon under exacting conditions that give it that fresh taste of luxury.

Place the tin of caviar on a bed of crushed ice (it's gotta be kept cold), and find a small spoon that's not made of metal, especially silver. (Metal reacts with the caviar and can give it a metallic taste.)

Serve on lightly toasted bread - not heavily salted or peppered crackers - the flavor can overpower the caviar. If you're feeling creative you can add some cream cheese or sour cream under the caviar. Or a little chopped red onion, boiled egg, capers or chive. (You can get more serving ideas from Sterling, here.)

She'll be impressed, and you won't spend a fortune, or all night fumbling around in the kitchen. Or all week fighting for a reservation.

From $68
www.sterlingcaviar.com.