Love Food: An Inquiry

The other night, as Awesome Stepkid R. was serving as my sous-chef, diligently peeling and dicing away, my husband wandered in.

Hubs: Hey, you’re getting pretty good at that.
ASR: I know.
Hubs: You know, chicks are impressed by a guy who can cook.
ASR: Can you cook?
Hubs: Um……….. no. But you should learn.
Me: That’s a good idea. We should pick a few things that would impress chicks and make them.
ASR: Kay…..but what food impresses chicks?

This led to a rather animated discussion. My husband voted for grilled steak, some kind of potato besides mashed, and a salad.

I disagreed. I think the menu he suggested is a menu to impress a dude, not a chick. It is, in fact, the menu he asks for every Father’s Day.

Awesome Stepkid R., showing a frightening ability to look into the future, suggested he learn how to make breakfast. You know, just in case.

Yeah, I almost peed myself too.

I’m not sure I have the emotional fortitude to delve into breakfast just yet with R. However, it got me thinking…what, as a woman, would impress you? What would you love to see on the table, happily prepared by the man at the stove? And men, you can weigh in too, feel free.

I immediately thought of pasta. But unfortunately, Awesome Stepkid R. doesn’t like pasta. That kid is craaaaazy that way.

Then I thought of chocolate. Of course. But that’s dessert. Shouldn’t we start with the meal?

Shrimp, scallops or tuna could be a good bet, but then again, a heck of a lot of people don’t “do” fish. Seems kind of risky to me–I’d hate for him to take the pains to make something, only to turn his date green around the gills. Still, there’s something about shellfish that’s sexy, don’t you think?

Here are a few of my thoughts:

– it shouldn’t be too heavy. You definitely don’t want your date to require a nap during the date.
– it should be relatively simple, yet complicated enough to impress.
– ditto with speed of execution. Not too quick, not too cumbersome.
– it shouldn’t contain immense amounts of the following: garlic, chile flakes/peppers, bones, shells, cheese.
– it shouldn’t require copious mess and/or skill to eat, eg: ribs, crab legs, whole lobster, noodles with chopsticks.

I’m searching for a meal to seal the deal (okay, not like that) that’s not a bank-breaker, a time-sucker or a risk-taker.

Tell me, tell me, wise readers…what should Awesome Stepkid R. have in his culinary arsenal?

Tagged as: cooking with teens, Family, men who cook, seductive foods