Staying in and cooking a meal at home is a great way to create a relaxing vibe and get to know each other a little more. Better yet, if you plan a meal where you work together to create a culinary delight, it’ll be a fun time for all.
With that said, cooking for a date can be somewhat nerve-wracking as you want everything to go well. If you’re not careful, you might find the meal prep spiraling out of control and your date less than impressed with your cooking skills. To keep the day or evening on track, read on for five crucial things to remember when cooking for a date.
1. Only Cook for a Date if You Can Follow a Recipe
While it’s a nice gesture and undoubtedly impressive if you whip up a gustatory wonder, don’t risk cooking for your date if you know you aren’t adept at the activity. If you hardly ever step foot in your kitchen or don’t own any induction-compatible cookware for the induction stove you’ve never used, don’t invite your date over for a home-cooked meal. Instead, ask about their favorite cuisine and either take them to a relevant restaurant or book the two of you into a cooking class.
2. Keep the Menu Simple
If you know how to cook spaghetti and meatballs, and you know it’s always a crowd favorite, go with that. There’s no need to impress your date with a gourmet menu that requires more time and know-how than you have.
Preparing a known crowd favorite will help you stay relaxed and focused, ensuring the meal turns out great. Your date will be more impressed with simple, low-fuss fun than they would be with a fancy spread that leaves you frazzled.
3.Let Your Date Bring Something
Most people like contributing something when invited over for a home-cooked meal. So rather than saying no when they ask, tell them to bring something specific like a bottle of wine, dessert, a playlist to go with dinner, or even their favorite kind of tea or coffee to make the following morning (if the relationship is at that point, of course).
4. Include a Delicious Dessert
While you don’t have to prepare a five-course meal for your date, you should serve a delicious dessert after dinner. Something fruity always goes over well, with strawberries being a popular choice.
You’re not a confident baker, you say?
That’s okay! You don’t have to make the dessert yourself. Instead, stop at your local bakery or grocery store and pick up something tasty. Most people love indulging in a sweet treat to top off a delicious meal.
5. Don an Apron to Look the Part
This recommendation is two-fold. First, donning a crisp, clean apron will give the impression you know what you’re doing. When you answer the door wearing it, your date will surely be impressed. Second, the apron will keep your clothes clean while you cook, eliminating the need to change mid-date because your shirt is covered in food.
Ultimately, your date isn’t about the food you cook. If you and your partner have things in common, the date will take on a life of its own, regardless of what you prepare. The meal is just a bonus that enhances a good time.
Follow the tips above, and your home-cooked dinner date will go off without a hitch. Hopefully, your date will be keen to come back for seconds!
