Just a week or so ago, Joe and I went on a double date with our good friends, who I absolutely love talking food with. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Dosa in San Francisco.
While we indulged in our Dahi Vada, it dawned on me that the issue we were discussing wasn’t uncommon. It wasn’t something I’d experienced, so I didn’t tune it right away-so I’m definitely curious if it rings true for you.
We’ll call the female counterpart of these double daters, Sara, and her husband Tom. Sara was telling Joe and I a story about visiting friends on the East coast. It was a joyous conversation until a dreaded question arose. “Tom! What does Sara make you for dinner?”
I don’t think what came next in the replay of this conversation was so important. The noteworthy part was how Sara felt. She expressed her anxiety around cooking. She doesn’t feel like a great cook. Of course this could go for both the ladies, and the gents-but feeling anxiety about your cooking not being tasty isn’t an uncommon dilemma. I totally used to experience this issue myself. When I first met Joe, my time as an executive chef had not yet come. However, I was a pro at burning food (and the pan), over-salting, over-seasoning, and making mush. Somehow, Joe would eat it all. He would eat it-and even seem to enjoy it.
Ironically enough, Tom expressed this same reaction. He boasted at the dinner table, “I would LOVE anything Sara serves me. If she made it with her love, and she’s nurturing me by cooking the food-I love it all.” Joe totally agreed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most men did…and ladies too!
Cooking for your partner is an act of love, and they’ll appreciate it, no matter what. The only way to become a better chef is just to practice 🙂 This article from Psychology Today is an awesome read for overcoming the fear of cooking. Sara’s case isn’t extreme-she’s certainly not a “Mageirocophobic” (someone with a cooking phobia), but the tips in the Psychology Today article anyone can use!
But the basics, I can tell you now:
1.) get delicious ingredients (and they’ll do the work for you)
2.) start with a simple, basic recipe
Here’s my suggestion. Pick one night this week, and go ultra simple for dinner. I love Sunshine Burgers. The Hemp and Sage is the best for sure. Buy some fresh, colorful organic lettuce, tomatoes, and an avocado. If you enjoy mustard, pick a brand with quality ingredients and nothing weird that you cannot pronounce. Make sure to have some high quality mayo and sourdough bread too. Assemble the burger! The delicious ingredients will guarantee a successful, tasty meal and your lover will be pleased (and you will too)! Who knew? Burgers can be healthy-totally sensual food!
After you serve up a few mouth watering dishes, your lover’s verbal pleasure-the mmm’s and yumm’s will keep you fueled…and you’ll be eager to cook up more deliciousness 😉
Be sure to share this article if you have a friend or lover who’s needs a little confidence in the kitchen, and let me know how YOU feel about your cooking skills in the comments section below!
Speaking of being savvy in the kitchen, I can assure you that a adding a little sensuality to the dish, will grant you success 😉 I invite you to join a live online event to find out how! Register here: it’s totally free.
