So you are stuck at home. But being unable to enjoy restaurants doesn’t mean you need to forgo date night. It just means that you need to plan it a little differently. Cooking at home is a thoughtful and romantic way to show your special someone your love. To make sure the dining experience goes down without a hitch, here are five tips to help you cook the perfect meal!
Use The Right Equipment
You stand the best chance of whipping up a storm in the kitchen if you have the right gear to make great food. Try to avoid planning a date night when you know the oven is broken or your cookware isn’t up to scratch.
If you want to show off your culinary skills, you need to start with not only the best quality ingredients but the best quality cookware too. By using the right equipment, you give yourself a great foundation for your culinary date night. Luckily if you don’t want to head to the store, you can purchase online ahead of time and get it shipped.
Set The Scene
At the very least, make sure you can relax during your ‘date’ in a clean home. This means no dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, no tea stains on the table, and no crumbs on the table. A clean house will make it feel more like a restaurant atmosphere and more romantic.
At the very most, you can add some extra touches to further enhance the romantic vibes. Here are some easy ways to set the scene for date night:
- Opt for soft light like candles and fairy lights
- Get some scented candles or reed diffusers containing romantic scents like jasmine, vanilla, or rose
- Put some flowers in a vase on the table (it’s the right time of year to get some from your front yard!)
- Choose a nice background music to play during your date
- Kindly ask your ‘housemates’ (aka kids) to leave you both in peace (offer bribes if need be! We wait until bedtime or put on a movie while we prepare)
Avoid Allergies & Dislikes
You may want to decide ahead of time what to make and run it past your husband or spouse. Even 14 years into our marriage I’m still learning! Obviously make sure your menu doesn’t contain anything either of you are allergic to since 1 in 10 Americans has some sort of food allergy.
Make It Playful
Don’t be afraid to make the meal playful. Finger foods and interactive dishes are always a great idea. For example, you could set it up so you can make pizza, sushi, or rice paper rolls together. How about building your own burger? Personally we love fondue! Or, if you have a sweet tooth, you could get a bunch of fun toppings, and different ice cream flavors so the two of you can build amazing sundaes together.
The more playful it is, the more likely it is to help you not only have a date night, but make a fun memory together, too. Do make sure there was an element of artful preparation involved on your part. Otherwise, you’ll lose all your ‘effort’ points!
Don’t Spend The Whole Time Cooking
It won’t be a great date if you spend half the time in the kitchen. It won’t be able to enjoy yourself either. To fix this, prepare before the date itself so that cooking up the food is easy and doesn’t demand that you spend all your time making the food. Planning a multi-course meal isn’t easy, but if you pull it off, your hubby will be extra impressed.
Or have your spouse keep you company in the kitchen and help out. If you are feeling confident, this can work really well, especially if you like to flambé or grill and enjoy ‘showy’ cooking!
Hopefully these tips help you plan the perfect stay-at-home date you both enjoy!
