Heating things up
Food can be an integral part of the dating process. At some point, we are either mingling or getting to know one another over food. Cooking great food is also a great way to add spice (pun intended) to the regular, run of the mill date activities.
I recruited my fabulous new gal pal Chef Bren Herrera to help us navigate the joys of cooking and dating. She is a fellow blogger who recently wrote about one of her clients thinking outside the box for a non-traditional date idea. He hired her to prepare a special meal for a special lady. I have to say, there is something about a personal chef that can add instant wow factor to a date!
Photo: Shannon McCollumn
I asked Chef Bren how cooking could heat things up for a non-traditional date:
1. Cooking on a date will show both guy and gal that you’re atypical and think outside the box! Who like movies and dinner dates! So, so passé! It’s 2010.
2. You can totally spoon-feed each other while “tasting” what you’re making. That makes for an intended sexy moment, without being forceful or offensive.
3. If you’re looking for a life-long mate that can cook, this is the test!! How willing are they to break out the cutting board and knives and mince garlic(which will make your breath stinky, but that’s another test of his/her real interest)? If they’re down for it, chances are they are conscious of budgeting, their health and quality time at home.
4. If the food is good, you’ve sealed the deal and a 2nd date is in order.
Well, she makes a pretty convincing argument. What do you think? Would cooking a meal prepared by the two of you not impress the socks (yes…just the socks) off of you?
Have you tried it before? What would you do if you showed up to your date’s place to find the meal waiting to be cooked. Would you be impressed and turned on a little (Am I the only one thinking of the film 9 1/2 weeks right now? Just me? Ok.)
Would you *ahem* go with the flow and roll up your sleeves? As far as non-traditional dates go, this would definitely be outside the norm. It would definitely be a memorable night. I won’t forget the night younger guy brought all these ingredients to my place. I left to run an errand and when I walked back in, I was shocked to find dinner was done. Then he fed me. No seriously, he literally cooked and fed me. You’ve got to admire those younger dudes.
Chef Bren said that a male client’s favorite dish is the spicy seared scallops in honey with a mango and cilantro relish. That sounds amazing! Do you have an amazing recipe that would be ideal for date nights? What dish do you use to impress the ladies/men?
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891 comments Add your comment
kimmie
March 26th, 2010
10:14 am
Dang Dreams, you read my mind. I’ve been thinking about doing some cornish hens!
Slim Coo-Coo
March 26th, 2010
10:14 am
DK June 1st is me birffday
Rell unplugged
March 26th, 2010
10:15 am
i am BURNED OUT on the chicks that lead with the whole..i am not having sex this time so fast…i get dizzy when the convo goes that way…like dont square up now..lol…from my experience whenever the convo turns to drama or i am not having sex…its going down hill from there..i just dont get why we focus so much on what we dont want…i mean it does not work..why not focus on what you want and not talk about things that cause you pain…i am sure giving up the nappy dugout only to be dropped a week later is painful…but i dont want to hear about it…i am dizzy just typing it
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:15 am
3 cups of sugar
1/2 shortening
2 sticks of butter
teaspoon vanilla flavoring
” lemon flavoring
” butter flavoring
” rum flavoring
” cocunut flavoring
3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup milk
bake @ 350 1 1/2
for me cream cheese frosting and vanilla bean ice cream! #POW!
love cocunut cake too guys!
Carlito
March 26th, 2010
10:16 am
Kimmie, I love to cook
and yes the kitchen is hot (wink)
SlimOne, I don’t think that it is panty dropping time if I cook. But I will heat up the environment and send her home leaking, for sure. Thinking, he is a great cook and he did not try and take my glory land.
kimmie
March 26th, 2010
10:17 am
Lady J, that 5 flavor pound is the bomb! One of my specialties!
Carlito, do u have a good chicken marsala recipe? Or you Dreams, you read like you know your way around the kitchen?LOL!!
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:17 am
Happy thought!
Blessed is the person who is too busy to wory in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night!
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:17 am
yes kimmmie it is!
Rell unplugged
March 26th, 2010
10:18 am
@dk…i intent to meet woman that have no problem with sex…so i dont really focus on it…those that dont..usually fade to black without me saying a word…i dont have to look for something that i know is coming to me anyway…hell you can get poo cee before you get a meal out a chick
PrincessNik......supastar
March 26th, 2010
10:18 am
Tazze,
I don’t have a recipe per say
I prefer to use the red potatoes (but plain potatoes will do as well)
i use a sweet salad cube pickles
2 or 3 boiled eggs
small jar of pimentos (or large jar if making for a big function)
miracle whip (instead of reg mayo but reg mayo will work as well)
lil salt and pepper to taste
squirt of ketchup & squirt of mustard (for color)
Carlito
March 26th, 2010
10:18 am
Rell, in my experience when a woman starts talking about what she will not do to soon, means that is exactly what she will or wants to do. She is just trying to talk herself out of it.
Mo (aka Moeisha - TGIF)
March 26th, 2010
10:18 am
Hey Eva-body!
okay SlimOne i need that peach cobbler recipe! I would love to try one from scratch.
Im not a lover of cooking (since its only me and Lil Mo) but I will do it with no problem. I love making cheesecakes from scratch but dont do it often cause Im not trying to eat a whole cheesecake!
THE INFAMOUS DK AKA MR FLAT SHOALS PUBLIX
March 26th, 2010
10:19 am
Slim – Nah I dont automatically think sex should come with it because Im cooking for us and its no big deal but if its goin there im gonna let it go there of course.. The environment will be conducive for a romp to happen though.. Will there be dim lighting… Prolly.. and the clapper will prolly be plugged into the lamp.. However everything will be done tastefully and not overtly like I wanna get you.. But heck we grown so we know when folk tryin to get you..
SexyCool (Stays on Ready, Set.)
March 26th, 2010
10:20 am
Three Words Daily – I’m up now.
PrincessNik......supastar
March 26th, 2010
10:20 am
Lady j, i got the red velvet locked down girl! lemme put it this way my ex chose mine over his momma’s
, she aint like that too hot
Rell unplugged
March 26th, 2010
10:20 am
She is just trying to talk herself out of it.
- thats too much for me to think about..amoung other things concerning emotional woman…i just dont understand.
Carlito
March 26th, 2010
10:20 am
Kimmie, yes I do. With mushrooms or without? Oh yeah, I do not properly measure anything at all.
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:21 am
All this food talk is making me hongry
SexyCool (Stays on Ready, Set.)
March 26th, 2010
10:22 am
Not really going to cook for a dude on the first *few* dates. Just not my thing.
By the time I’m cooking for you, you’ve impressed me enough with who you are for me to want to impress you with my cooking skills.
Tazzee - 49 days til Mrs.
March 26th, 2010
10:22 am
Lady J – I just got a text with the Dad and Me picture. I’m tearing up over here.
Infamous – Cool, it’s a good school. My godson is STILL saying his Black History Month speech.
Wait – is this the same school where Lady J and Infamous think they’ve seen each other? Or was that another blogger? If so, small world.
Wise Diva
March 26th, 2010
10:23 am
Happy Friday everyone! I am SO glad I had a good breakfast, or else I would be drooling over the keyboard. LOL.
All this cooking talk is making me want to go to the farmer’s market and make a sexy meal for myself
PrincessNik......supastar
March 26th, 2010
10:24 am
SexyC i agree with your 10:22, once we reach “that level” i’m good with the cooking part.
kimmie
March 26th, 2010
10:24 am
Carlito – Definitely with mushrooms – I love baby bellas! I don’t properly measure anything either except when I’m baking. Baking is almost scientific, especially cakes & breads. You gotta get that salt & baking powder or baking soda, yeast right or you’ll have a mess on your hands!
Slim Coo-Coo
March 26th, 2010
10:24 am
A dude cooked me dinner a few weeks ago and it was SOOOOOOO good. When I got over there he was like “Hey can you do me a favor?” I’m like ok, can I at least take my jacket off. So then he says, just go in there relax, watch tv or whatever until I get finished. So he finally comes to get me and everything is already setup. But what really got me was the fact that he remembered from a previous conversation that I’m not a big steak eater. So he had fixed himself steak and me talapia. He had the slow jams playing and it was just such a nice ambiance.
It was the first time a dude cooked for me that I was not in a relationship with.
DK “skrawberries usually puts em in sexy mode” me loves me some skrawberries especially when they are on top of a cheesecake!!
PrincessNik......supastar
March 26th, 2010
10:24 am
now rambling in my desk drawer for a pack of crackers to hold me over til lunch
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:24 am
Wise Diva: I love those shoes that the Chef is wearing.
Any word on where to get a pair?
Professor
March 26th, 2010
10:25 am
Hola!
Yes cooking together is very sexy and soothing for me. I love to cook, but I never have enough time to cook. Also since it is just me I love preparing food for others be it family, friends or the SO.
@Lady J…sorry but I don’t do lamb chops
but 
@Ared not the rubbermaid falling out his pocket how lame
Speaking of cooking I bought several cute serving dishes and pitchers this week…I guess the stores are putting the spring stuff out. I cannot wait to use them.
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:25 am
Tazzee it is the best and I am certain it is the same school and that school ROCKS!!!!!!!!! I am sooooo HAPPY FOR YOU CHICA!!!!!!!!!!
Leggs
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
@i am ~ I looked at those shoes a long time!
DreamsMaterialize
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
you read my mind. I’ve been thinking about doing some cornish hens!
kimmie Those cornish hens are the joint. Great taste and texture.
On the topic of cooking for azz: never do it. I cook becaue I like it, and because it’s a much more creative and interactive date than dinner and a movie. Sometimes the get-down follows, sometimes it doesn’t, but I never make it the focus. Just have fun.
Oh, and what’s wrong with soul food? And how are we defining soul food? Is South Carolina or Louisiana cooking considered soul food? Shrimp creole and crawfish etoufe have been a hit.
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
Ok Professor! I will see how Paula Dean does them! Wonder if Kym cooks them???!!!!????
THE INFAMOUS DK AKA MR FLAT SHOALS PUBLIX
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
Tazzee – Yeah the school he’s in now kinda let me down this year. I wanted him to stay there until he graduated but its not the same anymore… I just hate I have to get rid of the blue and yellow for brown and white.. He has uniforms for days..
Rell unplugged
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
He had the slow jams playing and it was just such a nice ambiance. It was the first time a dude cooked for me that I was not in a relationship with.
- sounds like it was O face time after the meal
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:26 am
LOL @ my son’s father!!!! When I went into labor, He was so nervous. He cooked himself a steak while I got ready to go to the hospital.
LOL
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:27 am
superstar you are OFFICIAL then gal!!!!!! I don’t even like eating that cake for the most part! It is overrated to me imo and that means nothing I know! LOL
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:27 am
“He had the slow jams playing and it was just such a nice ambiance. It was the first time a dude cooked for me that I was not in a relationship with.”
Where is the dude now? Any chance he could be your man?
Slim Coo-Coo
March 26th, 2010
10:27 am
@Carlito “I will heat up the environment and send her home leaking, for sure” Dayum, where do you live again? (Slim now wondering if that works for PP’s – parched pdssy’s too)
DK “the clapper will prolly be plugged into the lamp”
Had this image of every time the dudes thighs hit the back of her legs the lights come on and off…lololol
Carlito
March 26th, 2010
10:28 am
Rell, they want it….they all want it. All the time.
Pick Up Line of the Day.
“Excuse my name is _____, can I touch you?”
LOL
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:28 am
” Shrimp creole and crawfish etoufe have been a hit…”
Got the stomach rumblins! Feed ME!!!!!
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:29 am
DK come on over dude! lil lady will be there to 4th grade with God’s grace! So thankful for a solid start! That’s the only schooling she had in her life! I am pushing for Atlanta Girl’s School for the future! I ain’t neva scared! HA!
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:29 am
LOL @ Carlito.
That actually put a smile on my face
JtJ
March 26th, 2010
10:30 am
Morning All,
Has anyone ever bought the presale “lawn seating tickets” for events at Verizon Amphitheatre? How is it? Thinking about going to the ATL Summer Jam in June with Toni, Tony, Tone, Faith, New Edition, etc…PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!
Wise Diva
March 26th, 2010
10:30 am
I was lusting after those shoes too! I need to ask her where she got them. She is a fellow shoe fanatic! Clearly, no good can ever come from us meeting up to shop for shoes.
Dig That
March 26th, 2010
10:30 am
@Rell
I feel you bruh. I really don’t pay it any attention tho. If she starts off talking about what she is not going to do, it always ends up hours later or the next day with her saying I can’t believe I did that and looking at me like I had some kind of magic powers. Always coming back for more.
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:30 am
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-rosemary-lamb-chops-recipe/index.html
hmmmmm I rather mine grilled! lol
I am whatever you say I am
March 26th, 2010
10:31 am
Enter your comments here
Rell unplugged
March 26th, 2010
10:31 am
my meal specialty
- tube steak smothered in underwear.
Lady J
March 26th, 2010
10:31 am
dig that too funny…..lol that’s apart of the game! lol
Professor
March 26th, 2010
10:31 am
Lady J…I must confess I haven’t had lamb chops in almost 20 years. I am sure the you can a good recipe online. I love that about the internet you can find some amazing recipes and doctor them up with the spices that you like.
Slim Coo-Coo
March 26th, 2010
10:32 am
Rell “sounds like it was O face time after the meal” Yep but not the kind of O face you’d be thinking of.
“Where is the dude now? Any chance he could be your man?”
@I am He is still around…taking things slow (that’s who I went to see in stepshow last weekend)