Perfect picnic: from basket to blanket, we've got you covered

Men's Fitness, June-July, 2004 by Michele Meyer

Forget the candles, wine, and Barry White music. When it comes to seduction, "Think of a woman as a small furry animal that can be easily seared away" says Lou Paget, a certified sex therapist and author of 365 Days of Sensational Sex. Instead of clubbing her over the head with romantic cliches, try something low-key and classy like, say, a gourmet picnic on a hillside or rooftop. Here's how to plan the ultimate alfresco spread.

COME PREPARED If you're not the type to pack a basket, pick up the Super Deluxe Backpack from Picnic at Ascot ($76 @ REI.com). It has zipped pouches to keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Plus, it comes loaded with everything you need for chowing down, including plates, silverware, glasses, napkins, a corkscrew, even mini salt and pepper shakers.

SET THE MOOD Red-and-white-checked tablecloths are for pizza parlors. Instead, cover that patch of grass or rooftop with L.L. Bean's Trapper Stripe Cotton Blanket ($79 @ llbean.com). Or pack your own chair. Sevylor makes some super comfy inflatables. Ask her to help you blow ($19.99 @ sevylor.com).

CONSIDER A COCKTAIL

Instead of wine, go with a pre-mixed cocktail. Rande Gerber, owner of the Whiskey bar chain, suggests fruit-flavored drinks. For Lemon Drops, mix two ounces Ciroc Snap Frost vodka, half an ounce of lemon juice, and half an ounce of simple syrup, shake, and chill. (To make simple syrup, mix one part sugar with two parts water, bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, and then let cool.)

KEEP IT LIGHT

"Overindulging can kill the mood," says Paget. Go for foods you can dip: sliced vegetables, fruit, olives, fresh bread, and cheese, "That way, you can feed things to her." For dessert, consider apple slices or strawberries dipped in chocolate. Ditch the paper plates and serve everything on brightly colored six-inch modular trays ($4.95 each @ crateandbarrel.com).