What's the best thing to cook for a girl on the first date ?

Ask her what she likes. Different women like different things. A lot of women love chicken, but I only want chicken once in a while. I vastly prefer beef or pork.

Another thing to consider is what you're good at cooking. Most women will appreciate the fact that a man is actually trying to cook for them, and it's a heck of a lot more romantic than going to a restaurant.

If you are decent at cooking pasta, then it's pretty easy to do a spaghetti dinner.

1 jar of pasta sauce (I like Ragu)

About 1 pound of ground meat (beef and or pork) (sausage can be part or all of this)

1 small jar of mushrooms

1 small or 1/2 large onion, chopped

About the same amount of bell pepper, chopped

Cook the meat and vegetables in the same pan, with some olive or corn oil if needed. Break the meat up as it cooks. If you are using Italian sausage, then remove the casing! You can also use that breakfast sausage that comes in chubs, and a 12 ounce chub will be enough. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the meat is no longer pink. Remove from pan, drain the grease, return to pan. Dump the spaghetti sauce on top, add about 1/4 jar of water to the jar, shake well, and add. Stir. Lower the heat and let simmer while you cook the pasta.

Cook pasta according to directions. I usually use vermicelli, which is like spaghetti only thinner, so it cooks quickly.

Now, as to the bread, if you want it. There are tubes of refrigerated bread dough in the supermarket, and the French bread seems to be better than the Italian. I forget how long they take to bake, but you will need to allow time for the oven to preheat, and then for the bread to bake. These make better bread than the ordinary supermarket "French" or "Italian" loaves. To make garlic spread, soften a stick of butter. You can add some olive oil, if you want. Then add some garlic powder. Not garlic salt, garlic powder. Or add Mrs. Dash's garlic and herb seasoning. I also add some parsley and Parmesan cheese. You'll have to spread a bit of this on a cracker to see if it's enough or too much, or on a piece of ordinary bread. Try to have the bread done just when you start the spaghetti, and while the pasta is boiling, slice the bread thickly and spread it with the garlic butter.

Note that you can start the bread and sauce before she shows up. For that matter, you can make the sauce the day before, and it will only improve, because the flavors have a chance to blend. I think that making a meat sauce is better than meatballs, because it's easier to tell when the meat is done, and because meatballs usually come out lopsided.

It's a nice touch to have the table already set, and to have some music playing. Flowers on the table are nice but not essential. And cheap flowers usually look quite as nice as more expensive flowers do.

Bless you -- just that fact that you're taking the time to prepare a meal for her will (should!) impress the daylights out of her.

I wouldn't worry about being too exotic -- after all, you want to be able to relax and not be too worried about the menu. I don't know your tastes, or the young lady's, so I hesitate to suggest specific dishes. However, if you will permit a, shall we say, mature gal to offer up some general advice...

(1) Since it's your first dinner date, pick dishes with which you're familiar. If you chose to try something new, do a practice run -- very, very bad idea to break in a new recipe during a special occasion.

(2) Ask her about her preferences ahead of time (e.g. it would be a shame to prepare a nice steak only to find out that she's a strict vegetarian). If the home-cooked meal is meant to be a surprise, you could phrase your question so that she thinks you're asking about her restaurant preferences and steer the topic toward favourite dishes.

(3) Are you planning to have everything prepared ahead of time, or is she likely to be present during the preparation? Chatting while cooking can be a great ice breaker; if she shows an interest in helping, let her. Even if you're a fairly strict cook (one of those fellows that has every step planned just so, lol) there surely will be some task you can give her. If she herself doesn't cook, she might be quite keen on learning (an opportunity for a future date ;) ).

(4) Re: dessert... you will seldom go wrong with chocolate. :D

Hope you have a lovely evening. All the best.

Fainche

A roasted chicken is inexpensive (you can buy whole birds on the cheap), requires minimal skill and won't be heavy (pasta is a great idea but sauces can sometimes end up on one's shirt) and can be seasoned with sea salt, fresh-ground black pepper; maybe some crushed garlic and a sprig of thyme or rosemary in the cavity. Add some oven-roasted red potatoes coated in olive oil and salt/pepper is remarkably simple (a few red potatoes should do the trick- figure 2-3 pp) and a salad and you're pretty well sorted. A sorbet with a sprig of mint makes a lovely dessert.

Pasta can be heavy on the garlic, which could interfere should there be extracurricular activities on offer as a post-dessert apertif.

Hey. I think that is sooo sweet. I think you should make something according to her tastes. How bout Salad, chopped Romaine and Iceberg, Sliced Cucumbers, Julienned Green Peppers and Grape Tomatoes. Finish with a dressing you make by combining 1/4 Salt/1/8Pepper/1/4 Minced Garlic and1/4 c/Balsamic Vinegar and 1/2cOlive Oil, play around with measurements to your liking (or try Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegarette . Very Good)/

Then have Steak. Try 2 Filet Mignon's at 6 oz each. Cook on Med--High for 4 min., then turn lower heat to Med and cook for 4 more min. This will be medium depending on the thickness of your filet.

Sides could be Corn on The Cob, Just Boil a large pot of water (large enough for Corn) then stick Corn in , cover and let sit for 8 min. Should be Tender to touch.

Other side could be Potato Dish. Take 6 new potatoes and cut into small quarters. toss in bowl with about 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley. Place skin side down on cooking sheet. sprinkle 1/4tsp parmasean cheese. Roast for 25 min in 400degrees Oven (mid rack)

You can also have some greens by getting some fresh spinach, juice of whole lemon and 2 cloves of garlic. Brown garlic in 2tbsp olive oil. Then add spinach, juice of lemon and put lid over pot. It will cook in minutes just keep checking every 4 min

GOOD LUCK!!!

do you have a particular dish that you can cook really well? something that you can basically do with your eyes closed and one hand behind your back.

now is not the time to be trying out some new recipe that you have never made. you need to do something that you are very comfortable making. when I cook, I get very distracted while talking to people, especially a date. so I always like to make something that i know like the back of my hand.

for me it generally is some sort of pasta dish. my boyfriend likes to make steak.

the only advice I can offer is to find out if there is anything your date does not like. for example both my bf and I hate seafood. we were set up on a blind date by some friends. they asked us what we liked and not liked.

crock pot meals are also great. unless you want to actually have her either help you or watch you cook.

Ok, so you're REALLY READY for this level of intimacy? All things considered, like food allergies, sensitivities, natural and un-natural disasters, etc., you might be better off going out to dinner and coming back for dessert (if the date goes well, if not, order ice cream at the restaurant and consider yourself lucky to get away alive!). That said, here are some ideas:

Homemade pizza: purchase pre made crusts or pizza dough. Have a variety of toppings, sauces, etc and create one or two together.

Gourmet burgers and fries: make your own burgers using top of the line 80/20 ground beef. Have a variety of seasonings, condiments, and cheeses (such as bleu cheese, asiago, smoked Gouda, havarti, etc. Use brioche or ciabatta buns, brushed with melted butter or olive oil and rubbed with a garlic clove. Season your own steak fries with kosher salt and minced garlic. Enjoy with organic

ketchup and ranch dressing.

Possible desserts might include:

Chocolate lava cakes with vanilla bean ice cream

Cherrys jubilee with vanilla ice cream

Strawberries dipped in chocolate

Ice cream sundaes with warm salted caramel and fudge

Good luck!

I'm going to go with the masses and say a pasta dish. Most are not to complicated and are both filling and romantic. Every few months I make my GF shrimp Alfredo broccoli fettuccine and she LOVES it.

Helpful hint: serve it/eat it by candle light. Works like a charm. If she doesn't like shrimp substitute chicken brest (boneless & skinless, cut into small pieces).

Pasta! But use penne pasta it's easier to eat lol! You won't have to worry about slurping a noodle! Make a nice Italian salad along with!

Pasta - It's simple to make, yet Italian, hence discretely romantic.

Big juicy Ribeye medium-rare, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Steal her heart bro.