For the last year and a half, Joshua Korman’s steady girlfriend has been dropping hints—subtle and not—that cooking her dinner would earn him serious boyfriend points.

“It would be, to her, better than taking her to any restaurant I could possibly take her to,” said Korman. “It would make her very happy.”

One problem: He can handle complex cases before judges in courtrooms, but the 29-year-old lawyer is lost in the kitchen.

Maybe it was repeatedly gashing himself opening cans. Or learning that turning on the ancient oven in his Amherst home could burn the house down.

“I’d like to be able to cook. It’s just not something that I have, to this point in my life, invested the requisite amount of time in to do well,” Korman offered for the defense. “I make a wicked sandwich.”

But his girlfriend, Rachel Humphrey, a social worker at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, deserved better. So last week Korman agreed to subject himself to a culinary boot camp, courtesy of a newspaper food writer, so he could make her wish come true on Valentine’s Day.

The first task was choosing a menu.

Korman wanted fresh fish and nothing dairy-based, since they’re both somewhat lactose-intolerant. Also, no oven required, since he likes his house.

Here’s the menu: Seared fresh tuna with basil-mint-orange vinaigrette; spinach with garlic, lemon and double-smoked bacon; and for dessert, a Raspberry Fool — fresh raspberries layered with nondairy topping that’s fortified with Grand Marnier and chocolate lace.

The intensive two-hour seminar covered topics many kitchen dummies should know about.

“There’s a difference between a blender and a food processor?” Yes, the blender is better for liquids, especially amounts less than a cup. The vinaigrette on Korman’s menu, about three-quarters of a cup, would be harder for a rookie to make in a food processor.

“What’s a zest?” It’s the shiny outer part of citrus peel, full of the essential citrus flavor. You get it with a special zester tool or a Microplane-style grater, which leaves behind the bitter white layer underneath.

To get thinly sliced garlic, first peel it. That’s easier if you crush the clove slightly, with the flat side of your knife. Then hold the clove flat on a cutting board.

Using a rocking motion, draw the knife through it — slowly if you need to — for thin slices. (The blade is on the board the whole time; you’re just sliding it back and forth as you feed it the garlic.)

Make a task list

Here’s how kitchen rookies like Korman should plan out a meal:

First, use the recipes to make a shopping list, especially if you’re like Korman and answer questions like “Where’s the sugar?” with “I don’t know if we have sugar.”

Check to make sure you have adequate equipment. If you don’t, buy it, borrow it or find another recipe.

Then, do your shopping. Make a task list before you cook. Note that dishes like the Raspberry Fool need 30 minutes minimum to let the berries sit, and plan accordingly.

List all the individual steps and decide how much time to allot. If you make a plan and follow the plan, you’ll reduce the fear of running late. Order steps so that items you don’t want to sit around, like freshly seared tuna, come last.

Here’s how Korman’s kitchen duties were ordered for this meal:

Mash berries. Set Cool Whip on counter to thaw.

Pluck herbs. Zest orange. Put ingredients in blender and whir them into vinaigrette.

Put Cool Whip in bowl. Melt chocolate. Stir into Cool Whip. Refrigerate.

Chop bacon. Slice garlic. Cook bacon and remove from pan. Cook spinach.

Assemble raspberry desserts. Place in refrigerator.

Oil and season fish. Sear fish.

Arrange food on plate, topping fish with vinaigrette and spinach with crispy bacon.

Practice first

The biggest help rookies can get is a chance to make the meal first, with another cook around.

With that experience under his belt, Korman was ready for the future. Almost.

“I think the most difficult part,” he said, “will be repeating it when you’re not here.”

The Shopping List

The menu: Main course: Tuna steak. Olive oil. Kosher salt. Black pepper. Sauce: Basil. Mint. Orange. Vinegar. Vegetable oil. Salad: Spinach. Bacon. Garlic. Lemon. Dessert: Raspberries. Grand Marnier. Cool Whip or cream. Chocolate chips. Mint sprigs.

Equipment: Sharp chef’s knife. Large skillet. Two large bowls. Nonstick pan. Small pot or microwave. Whisk. Mixing spoon or tongs. Blender or food processor.

Preparing the Valentine’s Day Dinner:

The Recipes

Seared Tuna Steak

2 8-ounce pieces fresh tuna, 1/2 -inch thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more

2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

Put tuna steaks on a plate and roll in 1 tablespoon olive oil until coated. Generously salt and pepper steaks on both sides.

Put remaining oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Just as it begins to smoke, place steaks in pan. Put lemon halves into pan, too, cut sides down.

Look at the side of the steak to see how much it has cooked, and when it is about one-third cooked, 3 to 4 minutes, turn fish over. (If you don’t want medium-rare, let it cook halfway, then flip it over.)

Allow fish to cook through another third, then turn off heat. If not serving within 5 minutes, cover and keep in 200-degree oven.

Spinach with Garlic and Double-Smoked Bacon

1 pound fresh baby spinach, washed

2 slices bacon, preferably double-smoked

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut in half

Heat your largest frying pan over medium-high heat. Chop bacon inv-inch slices and add to pan. Fry until bacon is crispy, then turn off heat. Scoop bacon into small bowl, leaving fat in pan.

Add olive oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and fry until golden brown. Immediately add spinach to hot pan, and turn heat to high.

Turn spinach in pan as it wilts. When it is wilted and tender, and most liquid has evaporated, squeeze lemon over spinach, toss again, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with crispy bacon.

Basil-Mint-Orange Vinaigrette

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar, or to taste 1 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Clean herbs and pluck leaves from stems, except for 3 or 4 mint sprig tops saved for garnishing dessert.

In a blender, process all ingredients until emulsified, about 5 minutes. Source: Gourmet magazine.

Raspberry Fool with Chocolate Lace

4 cups fresh red raspberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur

1 8-ounce container Extra Creamy Cool Whip

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Place berries in large bowl. Addvcup sugar and 2 tablespoons liqueur. Mash half the berries with a fork, leaving the rest whole. Stir well, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Put softened Cool Whip in large bowl, and stir in other 2 tablespoons liqueur. (Or, whip 1z cups cold heavy cream with 3 tablespoons sugar until cream holds stiff peaks, then fold in the 2 tablespoons liqueur.)

Melt chocolate in microwave or small pot, stirring frequently. Fold melted chocolate into Cool Whip (or whipped cream), where it will solidify. Place bowl in refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to harden chocolate, if necessary.

In a martini glass or other small clear dish, layer raspberry mixture with cream mixture, decorating with whole berries. Put mint sprig in crowning dollop of cream.