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Cooking for a girl for the first time

9K views 41 replies 17 participants last post by  flipflopgirl 
#1 ·
What's an entree everybody likes to create for a girl their first time cooking for them? How about desert?
 
#4 ·
I think chicken could be a good choice as its quite light - but really, its worth knowing a bit about foods she does or doesn't like before going ahead. Does she like spicy food, for example? As for dessert, something with chocolate usually goes down well. How about a chocolate truffle cheesecake with some raspberries or strawberries?
 
#5 ·
Many years ago a friend told me he kept chicken breasts, mustard and heavy cream on hand for just such occasions. So he could whip up chicken with mustard sauce with rice or pasta and a salad on a moment's notice and add in whatever he had on hand to make it different from the last time. He claimed it was a sure winner. 
 
#6 · (Edited)
Yup. Get to know what she likes first. But start with a nifty cocktail and a cheese board with rosemary crackers or the like found at any whole foods.  

Followed by a light vegetable salad with a protein like grilled chicken or shrimp, home made dressing, a crisp perfectly chilled rosé, and a flourless chocolate cake with creme fraiche and berries for dessert.

But it depends entirely on the woman. She might be a meat and potatoes kinda gal, in which case garlic mashed potatoes, steak au poivre, par boiled snap peas and balsamic vinegar/ olive oil might be the way to go. 

Don't pick anything you can't make portions ahead of time or while paying attention to her. You don't want to spend half the night in the kitchen while she watches. Unless of course you're a culinary superstar and she watches food shows for hours each day. 
 
#13 ·
If she's okay with chicken breast (and even many weight watchin gals are)
I might suggest pounding em out a bit and stuffing em with ham n cheese,
aka chicken cordon bleu. Impressive and elegant, with simplicity at its core.
A mustard white wine sauce, or a sherry cream sauce (both easy to make)
would compliment it nicely.
 
#14 ·
Go to Portillo's and buy a coupla chopped salads. On the way home, stop at a good grocery and buy some really good sorbet and fresh fruit to go with. When you get home, cut up the fruit and put the salads in your own bowls. Serve up the sorbet w/ the fruit and you're good to go. I've never wasted the $$$ time and effort on a "first dinner" because it never really made a difference.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Keep the the dishes light, you dont want her to go into a fat/carb induced coma :)
If she's okay with chicken breast (and even many weight watchin gals are)
Keep the the dishes light, you dont want her to go into a fat/carb induced coma :)
Always interesting to read how men perceive women to be around food. In this strange and diet obsessed culture women aren't even allowed to enjoy food anymore but your observations could not be more wrong, or at least they are only right for a portion of women around. Obviously women are people and people come in all shapes and sizes. Not all women are scared to eat in front of men and for goodness' sake, not all women want to eat a salad on a first date. That is just a myth perpetuated in the media and observed only by insecure women who want to make men think that that they don't have an appetite. I am more than happy to enjoy a meal cooked by a date. I am more than happy to go into a carb and fat induced coma. If I'm served a light meal I will most likely end the night early and go get myself some real dinner. But hey that's just me so the moral of the story is to find out what the girl likes before you make something for her. I am much more inclined to go on a second date if a man has taken the time to make something I might be interested in eating. If I show up and he's made a huge curry meal I'd be second guessing a second date. So try to ask what she'd like first, especially if there may be allergies or aversions involved.
I've never wasted the $$$ time and effort on a "first dinner" because it never really made a difference.
Wow, what a lucky lady!
 
#16 ·
Always interesting to read how men perceive women to be around food. In this strange and diet obsessed culture women aren't even allowed to enjoy food anymore but your observations could not be more wrong, or at least they are only right for a portion of women around. Obviously women are people and people come in all shapes and sizes. Not all women are scared to eat in front of men and for goodness' sake, not all women want to eat a salad on a first date. That is just a myth perpetuated in the media and observed only by insecure women who want to make men think that that they don't have an appetite. I am more than happy to enjoy a meal cooked by a date. I am more than happy to go into a carb and fat induced coma. If I'm served a light meal I will most likely end the night early and go get myself some real dinner. But hey that's just me so the moral of the story is to find out what the girl likes before you make something for her. I am much more inclined to go on a second date if a man has taken the time to make something I might be interested in eating. If I show up and he's made a huge curry meal I'd be second guessing a second date. So try to ask what she'd like first, especially if there may be allergies or aversions involved.

Wow, what a lucky lady!
I know what you mean here @Koukouvagia! I also suggested a light main course - but mainly because if I'm on a first dinner date (and there might be interesting things to follow!), I wouldn't want to feel stuffed full of food afterwards! So my reasons were not really to do with dieting! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif
 
#17 ·
I have a good appetite and learned a long time ago how to eat in front of boys.
In fact I was of the opinion that the less fair sex would rather be around women who lived on more than chicken and salads.
So if you happen to be acquainted with a few of this lucky girl's beasties....ask them.

For those who are equating this meal with getting lucky....:eek:

mimi
 
#18 · (Edited)
I didn't see anything in OP about first date, not even first dinner date. I saw first time cooking for a girl.

The first time I cooked (not first date, not first dinner date, etc.) for the woman who later became my wife, I made Moo-Shu pork with scallion brushes, hoisen lime sauce, and Mandarin pancakes.

Thirty years ago, that dish was in the wowzer category for the average American. It must have worked... or maybe it was just my charming personality :~)
 
#19 ·
I didn't see anything in OP about first date, not even first dinner date. I saw first time cooking for a girl.

The first time I cooked (not first date, not first dinner date, etc.) for the woman who later became my wife, I made Moo-Shu pork with scallion brushes, hoisen lime sauce, and Mandarin pancakes.

Thirty years ago, that dish was in the wowzer category for the average American. It must have worked... or maybe it was just my charming personality :~)
I meant first dinner date in the sense of the guy cooking for me for the first time. But, of course, that could turn out to be breakfast not dinner!! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif

The meal you cooked sounds absolutely wonderful. For me it would be in the wowzer category now!
 
#20 ·
Before my wife, of 26 years, all the women of my relationship history were lucky. SmartyClown. My point was based on the fact that when dealing with "first time" kinda stuff there are so many variables going on that many of the things getting the majority of effort are actually overlooked. Emotions and hormones are flying all over the place. More than likely the attention and effort spent will be wasted, goofy mistakes could be made and a killer meal will probably not be appreciated. If the date is going as well as wanted ... the OP could serve SPAM and crackers and still be in like Flinn.
 
#21 ·
Before my wife, of 26 years, all the women of my relationship history were lucky. SmartyClown. My point was based on the fact that when dealing with "first time" kinda stuff there are so many variables going on that many of the things getting the majority of effort are actually overlooked. Emotions and hormones are flying all over the place. More than likely the attention and effort spent will be wasted, goofy mistakes could be made and a killer meal will probably not be appreciated. If the date is going as well as wanted ... the OP could serve SPAM and crackers and still be in like Flinn.
There are cases where this would be true, but also not. I remember one time a guy cooked for me and he really did a very fine job, setting the mood, the candles, he made fresh linguine a vongole and I came in during the process. I of course held my tongue but I so so so much wanted to stop him from overcooking the poor clams who were first steamed, then removed from the shell, chopped and put back into the sauce to continue overcooking while the pasta turned to mush. That relationship didn't work out and I wouldn't blame the clams but who knows where this could have gone if the dish had turned out good!
 
#22 · (Edited)
There are cases where this would be true, but also not. I remember one time a guy cooked for me and he really did a very fine job, setting the mood, the candles, he made fresh linguine a vongole and I came in during the process. I of course held my tongue but I so so so much wanted to stop him from overcooking the poor clams who were first steamed, then removed from the shell, chopped and put back into the sauce to continue overcooking while the pasta turned to mush. That relationship didn't work out and I wouldn't blame the clams but who knows where this could have gone if the dish had turned out good!
I think it's obvious that the OP wanted to impress his girl, otherwise they wouldn't have come to cheftalk to get advice from a bunch of foodies and gourmands. Can't impress with store bought salad and dessert, regardless if they would have gotten "lucky" or not. Canned ham might have even had the opposite effect.
 
#23 ·
There are cases where this would be true, but also not. I remember one time a guy cooked for me and he really did a very fine job, setting the mood, the candles, he made fresh linguine a vongole and I came in during the process. I of course held my tongue but I so so so much wanted to stop him from overcooking the poor clams who were first steamed, then removed from the shell, chopped and put back into the sauce to continue overcooking while the pasta turned to mush. That relationship didn't work out and I wouldn't blame the clams but who knows where this could have gone if the dish had turned out good!
Hahaha, oh dear.
 
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