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What to cook for a date (1 Viewer)

Jeff Braddock

Second Unit
Joined
Jan 26, 2002
Messages
306
If you want to do a pasta type of dish, try lasagna. Prepare it ahead of time and just stick it in the oven and you have a main dish. Something my wife cooks that is really good is this chicken fetuchini stuff. She gets the packet of stuff (I think it is Lipton that makes it possibly) and gets bonless skinless chicken breast. She just bakes the chicken, tears it into pieces and cooks it in the fetuchini. It is very good. Add some bread sticks and a salad and you've got a meal.
 

Ryan Wright

Screenwriter
Joined
Jul 30, 2000
Messages
1,875
I've made chicken parmesian when I was dating.
Mmmmmm... my wife made this for me when we were dating, with a white cream sauce with a lemon tinge to it.
htf_images_smilies_yum.gif
Haven't had it for several months now. I'm going to have a talk with her tonight...
 

Tommy G

Screenwriter
Joined
Sep 19, 2000
Messages
1,233
Ryan, I would love to do that with some of my favorite dishes (a take it or leave it attitude that is) but I have to realize that certain things are more liked by grown ups. My wife and I are actually quite spoiled with the range of likes my children have. Heck, they even like broccoli, asparagus and one of them like spinach! My daughter enjoys spicy Mexican so I kind of feel since they do like many things, it would be unfair to cook something they abhor. Believe me, if they are simply not in the mood for something, it is definitely take it or leave it.
 

Brian Perry

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 6, 1999
Messages
2,807
If you have room in your oven (or if you have a double oven), heat your plates at 115 or 120 for ten minutes or so prior to serving. It'll keep the food warmer, longer. It's especially essential if you cook scrambled eggs for her the next morning. :)
 

Frank Zimkas

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
888
My wife as a great receipe for Dijon Chicken. It's EASY, quick, & tastes fantastic! Especailly with a few slices of fresh tomatos onthe side. Send me a pm and i'll send you the receipe.

Warning
If you plan on serving something that you have never cooked before, make a practice batch and make sure it turns out well before serving something that is not edible or maybe even offensive!
 

Lew Crippen

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 19, 2002
Messages
12,060
Trevor, there is nothing better than cooking for a girl.
Try this (a recipe from Marcella Hazen’s Classic Italian Cooking).
Buy a whole chicken (this is a roast chicken—but a fryer will do nicely for two people):
Sprinkle some salt and pepper in the cavity. Take two lemons and pierce each many times (about 15 or so) with a truss needle (or fewer times with a fork). Put both lemons in the cavity. Tie up the cavity, truss the legs and roast (if you can’t do this, don’t worry—just don’t let the lemons fall out). This is moist a flavorful beyond description and takes no work. She will impressed that you can cook something other than spaghetti. Server with a green vegetable (you can use frozen peas, if you have to), such as green beans.
Green beans are a snap to cook. Buy some. Snap off the ends (just a little bit). Rinse. When you are ready (about 15 minutes before the chicken will be done), put the green beans into rapidly boiling, salted water. Do not overcook, they should be al denté or just a bit firm to the bite—a crisp texture, not flabby, but not undercooked. If you have not done this, just take one out of the pot from time to time and test.
You should also server a starch. For this mashed potatoes would be best, but if you are not up to this, bake a couple. Anyone can do this and it takes no effort. Rice would be a good alternative.
Drain the green beans. Take the chicken out of the oven (it is done when an incision with a knife shows clear running juices—your can also test by feeling with your thumb), remove it from the roasting pan and let it rest 5–10 minutes. Sauteé your cooked green beans in a pan with a little olive oil over high heat very briefly. Just toss them around and remove from heat. This will only take a minute.
During the remainder of the time the chicken is resting, turn a burner on your stove up to high, place the roasting pan on the burner and boil the cooking juices rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan to get any skin and chicken bit into the sauce you are making. Add some white wine (or chicken broth, or even water—ugh), about ¼ of a cup or so to give some additional liquid and flavor and boil until reduced. Optionally, remove from the heat and add a tablespoon of butter or so and just swirl this around until incorporated into the sauce.
Pop the chicken on a platter, along with the potatoes (if you managed the mashed, you can get very creative as to this. Put the green vegatable in a bowl. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and serve the rest in a bowl. Put on the table. Light the candles, pour the wine (a light red would be my preference).
Now this might seem a bit complex, but really the chicken takes no effort other than to check the oven from time to time and baste. The potatoes take zero effort. The beans only a little and both the beans and the sauce can be finished while the chicken rests. You get to spend your time talking with her. She may want to help at the end.
All good things.
An easy meal. Very tasty and does not give the idea that you have class.
If this does not get you to the next plateau, either she wasn’t interested or you need to turn in your card that admits you to the male sex. :D
 

Ryan Wright

Screenwriter
Joined
Jul 30, 2000
Messages
1,875
My daughter enjoys spicy Mexican so I kind of feel since they do like many things, it would be unfair to cook something they abhor. Believe me, if they are simply not in the mood for something, it is definitely take it or leave it.
I suppose I should clarify, there is always food on the table that she has eaten and enjoyed in the past. We don't make, say, broccoli soup and declare, "That's it, enjoy." There are always things to go with the main dish: Perhaps some bread on the side, and another side dish that compliments the main dish. So there is always something for everyone in any given meal; we just don't cook two meals. Worst case, she can pick off what she doesn't want, or starve until breakfast (it's happened -- her choice).

When we entertain (so rare it's not even funny, most of our gatherings are informal with close friends where we watch movies or play cards), and make food that we know she won't enjoy, we'll feed her a hot dog or whatever she wants before the guests arrive. So, we're really not these cruel people who force our child to eat things she doesn't like. At the same time, we don't want to raise a whiny child who complains about whatever is set in front of her.

I was that whiny child. My parents were constantly cooking me my own special little meals. It wasn't until I married my wife that I started exploring new tastes, and I found that there is an awful lot of good food available. Had my parents simply fed me what they ate, I would have found that out long ago. Common childhood tastes are "Yuck, I don't want that" even if they've never tried it. Turns out a lot of those "yucky" dishes are really quite tasty.
 

Dave E H

Supporting Actor
Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Messages
829
Best is to buy the BEST ingredients possible. This makes a huge difference. Salad? go to the best grocer and get the best quality lettuce, greens etc.

The quality of your meal is directly related to the quality of your components. Just like your HT - the quality of the experience is related to the quality of your components. And, one bad thing can certainly bring the rest down (like a crappy TV can hurt your HT experience, a crappy dressing for great slad greens will certainly bring down the enjoyment level.)

shop for your produce, meat etc the same day. Buy good wine - it's always impressive even if she doesn't like wine. Get to know dietary restrictions early in a relationship - that can be a bad faux pas. (don't make her Osso Bucco and then find out that she thinks veal is cruel.)
 

Trey Fletcher

Second Unit
Joined
May 17, 1999
Messages
354
Got that covered. New plates as of yesterday.
Trevor,
I think you may have slightly misunderstood Andrew. Nice dishes certainly can't hurt, but "plating" usually refers to the dishes and the food as it's presented on the plate. You see, your date is going to look at the food you have prepared before she tastes it (most people usually do :) ). This will be her first impression and you want her thinking, "damn that looks good".
For instance: Imagine a typical white pasta bowl. Now add pasta and a cream sauce (fettuccine alfredo for example). You now have a white sauce on white pasta in white bowl. Boring and pretty unappetizing. But, sprinkle some freshly diced parsley or red bell pepper on the pasta and the rim of the plate and you've added some color to the dish. If you're using dark plates, use freshly grated parmesan cheese instead. You don't have to go overboard, just pay a little attention to how it looks. Arranging the food a certain way on the plate and garnishing properly are cheap, if not free, ways of making a meal that much nicer.
Just my $.02 -TF
 

Patrick_S

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2000
Messages
3,313
I'm not a bad cook, but, I'm well, a guy,....
What, because you are a guy your cooking skills are naturally limited?

Well, I'm a guy and I'll just come out and say it, I'm a better cook then the majority of women I know. It seems that something has happened over the last few decades. Suddenly no one seems to want to, or even try to cook a good meal, let alone have a dinner party.

I commend you on your willingness to go for it. Keep it simple and to her what will really matter is that you made an effort. After all anyone can go the safe route of going out to eat but it takes some one special to go that extra mile of cooking for someone.

Interestingly this Saturday I'm having some friends over for a dinner party. I'm kind of nervous since I haven't had people over for a formal dinner in years but I'll go with some safe bets and everything should be ok.

I'm going to start with some appetizers. Nothing really special although I’m going to have Bake Brie with mushrooms in puff pastry dough. I'm going the easy route and buying the puff pastry. The Brie, wine and assorted other appetizers should keep them occupied while I put the final touches on the meal.

The first course will be a Bake Manicotti. I've made this for decades. (Sauce, shells and filling will be home made.) It's great because I can make it today and keep it in cold storage until it goes in the oven. If this was just an informal dinner this and a salad would be the meal but I really wanted to have a paste dish and then a main course.

For the main course it will be Osso Buco Milanese with Risotto and fresh-streamed peas. I'm really jacked about the Osso Buco; I was able to find some really good quality hind shanks from a local butcher. Most of what you find out in the stores is the foreshanks, which tend to be bonier and gristlier then the hinds, although when braised the foreshanks do become tender but in the end nothing beats the hind shank.

I'll also have home made rolls but I haven't decided what if I really want a salad or not.

The desert will be a French Chocolate Mouse. I know why a Mouse after all the Italian food. I've made the Mouse before and the guest of honor really wants it's it so I decided why not.

I’m off to the kitchen for some prep work.
 

Lew Crippen

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 19, 2002
Messages
12,060
Well, I'm a guy and I'll just come out and say it, I'm a better cook then the majority of women I know.
As am I. Perhaps not quite so good as my wife, but there is really not too much I can’t accomplish in the kitchen.
And I have many male friends who are excellent cooks as well.
Love to cook, love to eat and especially I love to share all of this with friends. It is all just a bonus when its for a girl. :D
 

Brett_H

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 3, 2001
Messages
341
Trevor,

So.... what did you cook and how did it go? Enquiring minds want to know!

Oh, and to everyone else that posted ideas here: Thanks. I've been getting some ideas for stuff to cook for my wife to relieve her of some of the burden.

-Brett.
 

Trevor Harveaux

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 9, 2001
Messages
116
First off, thanks everybody for the great ideas.
I started off with a Caesar salad (chilled plates, the salad was in a handmade bowl that I had made and was painted by a Russian artist friend of mine in college) and warm bread.
Next up was the main dish, chicken Alfredo, made from scratch, turned out awesome. :) I used three kinds of cheese, none of which had a 'etta" in the name.
Lastly we did the ice cream thing. I had 7 different things to add and two kinds of toppings. She picked the strawberries. Very yummy. I was worried about making the ice cream mix though. I had to rig up a double boiler and it was taking a bit too long to thicken, as I wanted it nice an chilled long before she got there.
She brought two bottles of wine.
I had candles on the table and around the house, plus I bought a nice tablecloth.
Overall, it was a great night, and she was very impressed. After diner I showed her around the house, she got lost once, I have a very odd house. And then we watched movies and talked till 4. Her friends are all jealous, and I guess now I'm supposed to "train" one of her husbands friends. LOL.
Oh... She liked my 62" wide-screen HDTV, she is a movie nut like me. And and even at one point said that movies can never really be too loud (though I never really turned it up).
Thanks again everyone!
 

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