Absolutely. I stayed in a relationship way too long with a guy who was an amazing cook and had a knack for improvising delicious cocktails out of random things in the fridge.
As a picky omnivore cooking for a vegan wife and three picky kids with sensory issues, I got real good at cooking A LOT of things well, at the same time. It continues to impress friends when I can land four separate meals on the table that are all ready at the same time.
Excellent advice. Easy machete jokes aside, knife skills are good to pick up as well. It’s fun and will level up your plating and presentation for bonus points.
100%, my Significant Otter won me by making amazing pizza and other foods by himself AND included me in making stuff, which increased feeling of closeness to him.
I’ve turned several first / early dates into relationships because I cooked for them.
That was the reason I learned to cook in the first place, but I wound up liking cooking for its own sake. So much so that I cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for any friends who didn’t have local family for ~20 years.
Yup, in case of my Significant Otter, he was used to cooking and doing household chores. And cooking has been getting better and better by each year. 🥰
Yup. One of the most intimate things you can do is cook for someone. Even if it doesn’t turn out perfect, it’s still a powerful act of care. And it’s hot as fuck.
My impression is that cooking skills are starting to get pretty common among men (atleast in Europe) to the point that it's not a selling point to cook, but a big negative that you can't.
This feels like it should be. I don’t think it’s necessarily cooking well, but competently being able to take care of yourself should be a bare minimum.
All of these. I'm autistic AF, and part of the reason I have my amazing other half is that I can cook. Also, have hobbies that are creative, rather than passive. Be curious and keep learning new things not related to work. Do the hygiene thing, because SO MANY GUYS DO NOT.
Have a few friends who aren't assholes. Do things with them that aren't just drinking or passively watching things. Learn about where you live and have places you want to show off to people, even if they're simple, humble things. Never underestimate a little park with a duck pond.
(I can’t emphasize enough that if you can’t make some decent friends, romantic relationships are probably not viable. At some point you are going to have to be something resembling a friend with this person.)
Read for fun. Try not to make it the same old thing all of the time. Have a movie you like that's actually romantic. Be kind to animals. Give simple little gifts, even if it's something like picking a sprig of lilac on the way over or something you made.
Buddy, over 26 years of marriage I’ve done the majority of cooking because I find it continually challenging and interesting. My wife still turns into a gooey mess when I offer up something new that’s awesome! Usually we see it on a cooking show and I say “ Imma make that shit!”
Where’s that tweet that’s like “For years, men have convinced themselves that women will love them if they just learned how to cook… and they were right.”
I cook for my wife and daughter almost every night. It's more work after being at work all day, but I can put a little love in each meal and I know they're eating well. Or ok at least!
This one right here. I've been married for 20 years but as an older teen/young 20-something cooking was these best way to look cool. Get good at a recipe that involves flambe-ing something for even more wow factor.
My partner was a line cook, I was a bartender. He's funny. We have moved on to other careers now, but if he knows that I am having a rough day, he makes fries, and says "hey beautiful, I see table 4 was being shitty, so I made you fries". We haven't worked in restaurants in 4 years. And it helps.
My husband baked me gluten free blueberry muffins on our first date at the zoo, because I mentioned at the time I was on an elimination diet for diagnostic reasons and the zoo had shitty GF options.
I think the big reason I have my current girlfriend is that I am a competent cook who likes learning new things (she's a culinary major) and that I paint tiny evil army men in great detail
I had someone openly consider un-breaking it off with me because I was in the middle of cooking what turned out to be amazing bulgogi when they did it and they liked the food
If a man ever cooked me a meal on par with the ones I do... I don't think I could say in public what I would be willing to do because it would be very NSFW. 😅
Me and my wife on our third date spent the time cooking a meal together
It was intimate, it showed we both could communicate well and work as a team, and it allowed us time to just be together without anything distracting us
Highly recommend if you're thinking someone is cool to be with forever
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*hand hovers over the really spicy chilli bottle and assorted pickled halapenos and fresh peppers*
30 years later, he still does. *mwah*
That was the reason I learned to cook in the first place, but I wound up liking cooking for its own sake. So much so that I cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for any friends who didn’t have local family for ~20 years.
Not saying women don't appreciate a guy that can cook, but it hasn't been my experience.
Lots of hobbies require a big spend with a dedicated space and equipment but with cooking you probably already have everything you need.
See also learning how to get dressed
The less she feels like she is being your parent the happier you both will be
He’s also impeccably clean, interesting, funny, smart as fuck and doesn’t need to be babied, has hobbies.
If you’re a man who doesn’t need to be told what to do, you’re in the top 1%
https://www.youtube.com/@LoveYourFood
You get on a 3rd or 4th date and nonchalantly make their favorite nigiri in front of them. Yeah, that works.
14 years together. It works, bros. Be thoughtful!
It was intimate, it showed we both could communicate well and work as a team, and it allowed us time to just be together without anything distracting us
Highly recommend if you're thinking someone is cool to be with forever