Word to the wise… the cooking date is a great idea, but it is not for the faint of heart! Eric and I confess to you that we have not cooked together in a long time. ~smile~ Eric has a rule-follower style of cooking. If the recipe says to add 1 cup of chicken broth, 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, by golly that is what he is going to add – exactly.
I, on the other hand, like to throw edible objects in a pan and hope for the best. Some would call that lazy; I prefer to call it artistic. ~wink~ To my knowledge, we did not cook together (at least not much) before we got married. Had we done so, we may have forgone that pleasure as newlyweds; but, since we were not aware of the “fun” that awaited us, we dove into the kitchen for a happy cooking date. And realized our personalities were not well suited for accomplishing that task together. ~smile~
Today, I am pretty much the cook. If Eric wants to make something, he is more than welcome. I’ll either sit and talk to him, or do something else. Our dream of partnering up to create culinary masterpieces has drifted away. But we’re both okay with that! ~smile~
Every Couple Should Try it at Least Once
However, don’t take your cues from us. You may try cooking together and absolutely hate it, or you may find that you make a tremendous team! Every couple should at least try making one meal together before getting married. You will likely learn a lot about each other. You may discover she has crazy awesome cooking skills and what man does not want that in a wife? You may find that he has an adventurous side you did not know was hiding under there.
Eating is essential to life – and cooking precedes eating. Since you are going to be eating together for many years to come, it is good to know how well you both can cook, how much you both enjoy cooking, and how you work together in the kitchen. Cooking skills can be obtained, but it is good to know how much you both have to learn. ~smile~
After your initial chef/sous chef experience, you may lay your oven mitts on the table and walk away slowly – or you may run out and rent a food truck to start operating together. Wouldn’t you like to know which?
Every Couple Should Know the Basics of Cooking
Whether you both abhor cooking and plan to eat every meal out (which your wallet may not prefer and your long-term investments definitely do not prefer ~smile~) or agree that one of you will be the main cook, it is important for both of you to have an elementary understanding of food preparation. If you know the basics of how to bake a chicken, scramble eggs, boil pasta, and make a handful of sauces, you can live to fight another day should you find yourself in charge of the kitchen for an evening.
What happens if your cook becomes ill and cannot feed the kids? You’re up! If you try a cooking date and consider it an epic fail, you may want to consider a basic cooking class. After learning your way around the kitchen, you may want to attempt another cooking date to see if you have a better experience! If you and your sweetie are still at odds in the kitchen, but you are determined to be a culinary team, keep practicing. And it would be helpful to discuss your personal culinary bent with each other – the scientific route (like Eric) or the artistic route (like me) – so you know from where the other person is approaching this task.
Before starting a meal, both of you should review the recipes. Determine who is going to do what so you are not stepping on each other’s toes. Remember that too many cooks spoil the soup! After working through many meals together, you may turn into a force to be reckoned with – the Bonnie and Clyde of meatloaf!
Cook and Connect
If you set your mind to it, you will find cooking to be a connecting experience. First of all, neither of you should take the experience too seriously. If the meal is not perfect, that is okay. The point is not the outcome of the food as much as the time spent together cooking it!
Secondly, have fun with it. Don’t just place the mushrooms in the pan. Toss them in the pan from across the room. It’s all fun and games until someone gets burned, so just be careful of hot surfaces. ~smile~
Lastly, try to create some fun meals together. After you know the foundations of food preparation, make some recipe variations and see how you like them. If you like them, add them to your “Love Kitchen Cookbook.” If you don’t, try again later or try something else.
Eric and I have toyed with the idea of stepping back into the kitchen together, but so far we have not braved it yet. I think we will. Surely we will. It’s almost definite. ~smile~
Have you and your sweetie enjoyed a cooking date, or cooking class, together?