As a foodie and aspiring chef, I pay a lot of attention to food. And in my life I’ve found that there are three kinds of cooks in the world:

1. Those who turn anything edible into sheer brilliance just from their touch.

2. Those who can follow directions pretty well and make things that taste OK.

3. Those who are absolutely hopeless and are seriously challenged by even our “Intro to Cooking” series.

It’s you guys in the last category that I’m targeting with this post. That’s right! If you want to pull out some culinary skills for your sweetheart and totally wow him/her on V-Day but can’t seem to even make a box of mac and cheese without burning down the house, you can still make this fondue recipe. Really – it’s that easy. Plus, it’s chocolate. You can’t go wrong.

This recipe will make enough fondue for two people, with some left over (to do whatever you want with….) Read More »

So, it’s the beginning of a new school year, and you’ve got a hot prospect. How can you woo him (or her, as the case may be) and get those googly eyes to focus only on you?

Easy.

It’s like your mom always said: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Even if you aren’t exactly Julia Child, you can still follow instructions, and that’s all you need to do to bust out a romantic dinner that’ll have him drooling for your food and bolting with you to the bedroom.

Trust me, it’s way better to make food for your dude than take him out. Anyone can whip out a credit card, but it makes you look extra-special if you can whip out a spatula and use it like you’re supposed to. Plus, it’s obviously sweeter to make dinner than to buy it, and it gives you the opportunity to tailor what you make to what your guy really likes. (And it might even inspire him to cook for you . . . swoon!)

Before you get carried away, don’t go all Bridget Jones and try to make super-fancy recipes for multiple courses. Keep it simple, especially if you don’t have a ton of cooking experience. Odds are, your guy loves the classics: what meat-eating man would deny a nicely grilled steak or a plate of spaghetti just like his mom used to make?

So set out that tablecloth, light those candles, put on some tunes, and give these two tried-and-true recipes a whirl. Read More »