All to often couples get in a routine and overlook daily opportunities to connect and have some fun. Every day is a day to do something special for and with the person you love, especially in the kitchen. And we don't just mean cooking something special for your partner, we mean to get in the kitchen with your partner - together - and get dirty. Figuratively at least.
The longer a couple is together, cooking becomes a responsibility rather than a fun activity. Often, one person becomes responsible for an entire meal while their partner waits to be fed. You eat every day, and very few things are as routine as that. Enough of that.
Follow These 15 tips to make your Couples Cooking Class with The Chef & The Dish the ultimate date-night.
1. TRY SOMETHING NEW
Every home cook has their staples, but use today as a day to try something new. If you love Creole food, try your hands at Jambalaya with the coaching of Chef Gason from New Orleans. Do you love Risotto or perhaps you want to learn how to make homemade pasta? Book an Italian cooking class. Love grazing? Master Spanish tapas in our Spanish Cooking Classes. Adventure spices things up, sometimes literally. Explore new things together.
2. MAKE A DAY OF IT
Half the fun of cooking together is finding new and authentic ingredients together. Head into town and visit a gourmet store. A place you might not visit every day, somewhere that feels special. In Toronto, we love visiting Chinatown - you never know what you'll find. Other favourites are Cheese Boutique and Pasquale Brothers. They have lots of imported products and their staffs are quite helpful. We spend hours looking at all the different products coming from different regions of the world. It adds adventure to the day.
3. BUY SOME FLOWERS
Gents, here’s a great opportunity to surprise your partner with something special. So often we will leave these little touches to holidays. Make an average night a special date night at home and pick up something simple - buy flowers your wife or girlfriend will love.
4. GIVE YOURSELF SOME PAMPER TIME
Before your cooking class, give yourself a little pamper time. Ladies, do your nails, put on those cute earrings, give yourself a mini-facial… you get the point. And to both of you - no matter what you do, leave the track pants in the closet. Step it up and put on that outfit you love (just don’t forget the apron when you start cooking!).
5. CLEAN THE CLUTTER
Take that pile of papers that have been building up on the dining room table and move it for the night. Yes, you need to get to that unopened mail, but tonight - move it so it isn’t a burden.
6. SET THE MOOD LIGHTING
We have so many candles in our home, but I find so often they sit unused for weeks on end. Change the ambiance in your dining room and kitchen (and don’t forget the bedroom). Light lots of candles for a romantic glow and you’ll notice how different your home feels from an average night. If you have a fireplace, turn it on. It makes the home cozy and romantic.
7. DISCOVER NEW MUSIC AND MAKE A PLAYLIST
We love exploring and adventure seeking. Now is a great opportunity to explore music from the region where your menu comes from. Start a new playlist in Spotify or iTunes. Look for Italian Classics, J-Pop, or Spanish Favourites. On our recent trip to Italy, we had a blast listening to I Dik Dik and their Italian versions of American classics. Now we put them on rotation when we make fresh pasta at home.
8. START WITH A COCKTAIL
Cocktails always feel special at home. We love fancy drinks and it’s a great start before you move over to a bottle of wine. If Spanish food is the theme of the night, make a pitcher of Sangria or try a Tinto de Verano, a simple cocktail with equal parts Spanish Red Wine and Sprite. Making Japanese? Try a hot sake or a sake cocktail like a Samurai Rock (five parts sake and one part lime juice - so delicious). Maybe you’re doing an Italian cooking class at home? Try an Aperol Spritz, a popular choice in Italy during aperitivo, a popular Italian after-work hour.
9. PUT THE KIDS TO BED
Cooking with your kids is so fun, and if you're doing an at-home cooking class, interacting with different cultures is very educational, but for a special date night, we suggest putting them to bed. Tell them they get the extra special leftovers in the morning.
10. TAKE TURNS COOKING
Great couples know when it's their time to step up and sometimes step down. When you're cooking together, take turns with each dish so you both play lead and sous chef. Each part of a dish is equally important, so decide who will do what, and do it well. Your chef will make sure you're both involved.
11. TAKE A SELFIE AND FOOD PICTURE, THEN TURN OFF THE PHONE
If you're taking a cooking class with The Chef & The Dish, you need to keep your computer on, but that doesn’t mean you need to get text messages from your sister. As much as we love Instagram food shots (and you should definitely take a picture or two during your class), during dinner - turn the phones off, put them on silent mode and move them to a different room. Tonight is about cooking with your partner and paying attention to each other.
12. TRY A NEW WINE
After a cocktail, why not experiment with a new wine? The Chef & The Dish offers wine recommendations with each cooking class, and now is a great opportunity to try a bottle that comes at the recommendation of our wine experts.
13. HAVE DESSERT
Dessert tends to be a special thing, saved for restaurants (or binge TV watching). If your cooking class includes dessert, great! If not, pick up a little something special. Your Kitchen Assistant with The Chef & The Dish can recommend something that pairs well with the rest of our cooking class menu. Maybe even surprise your partner with it as an extra treat.
14. THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND. USE THE NICE DISHES!
Remember those dishes you got as wedding present that are collecting dust? What are you waiting for? Seriously! Take them out for the night and enjoy them.
15. DON'T THINK ABOUT TURNING ON THE TV!
We love to Netflix and chill at my house, but our favourite times together are when we turn off the TV off and spend the night talking on the couch. After you enjoy the meal you just cooked, get cozy, nestle in, and just spend time with each other. Don’t talk about the bills or the kids, but reconnect with a board game (tip: don't be as competitive as we tend to be at my house!), or ask each other silly questions like, ‘which would you prefer, a cabin in the forest, or a houseboat?’.
You get the drift. Make your date night fun and special... be kids again, explore new things, eat great food, be crazy and eat from the nice silverware.
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The Chef & The Dish Cooking Class Gift Certificates
Looking for a date night at home? Rated "Best Gift for Foodies" and the "Person Who Has Everything" by SavvyMom.ca, and "Coolest Food & Drink Classes" by FoodismTO. Hang up the keys, crack open the wine, and Skype a chef into your home kitchen! Book a couples cooking class and surprise your partner.
