Seduction By Food, For Beginners: Even If You Can’t Cook, The Kitchen Can Be The Most Seductive Room In The House

The cliché, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” ignores the fact that it works equally for women. There’s little a woman finds sexier than a man who is considerate enough to cook for her. Whatever the gender, people who have no interest in the culinary arts would do well to include food in their romantic repertoire.

(PRWEB) January 19, 2006 -- The cliché, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” ignores the fact that it works equally for women. There’s little a woman finds sexier than a man who is considerate enough to cook for her. Whatever the gender, people who have no interest in the culinary arts would do well to include food in their romantic repertoire.

Food is a non-threatening way to initiate intimacy in a private setting. Who wouldn’t want to help you bake cookies for a charity fundraiser? Just think of the settings where it’s natural to discuss food, and offer to do the cooking: Wouldn’t sharing a healthy salad appeal to the person on the next treadmill at the health club? If the idea of cooking a full-course meal is intimidating, or seems premature for an introductory date, suggesting appetizers before a movie or dessert after is much more manageable.

“It is time for nice guys to start finishing first,” says Gwen Hall, author of Kiss My Palate. “Men who can cook are getting the woman who wants to be romanced.” Size doesn’t matter when it comes to kitchen, she says, as long as even a tiny kitchen is adequately equipped—“There is nothing romantic about drinking wine from a beer mug or eating soup out of matching margarine containers,” Hall cautions.

Beginners needn’t master a wide spectrum of culinary skills; get confident with a few simple recipes that leave you time to prepare and clean up in advance, Hall recommends. Simple pasta dishes tossed with sautéed shrimp or scallops take only minutes and have the added benefit of going well with wine, always an icebreaker. Grilled tomatoes with cheese and breadcrumbs or a simple salad with an interesting extra ingredient such as blue cheese or walnuts is all you need to round out an easy meal.

Easy but interesting desserts are another category well worth mastering in terms of romantic benefits. Few women can resist chocolate, though it’s wise not to force women into choosing between you and their diets. An easy-to-assemble of meltable chocolate, fruit, liquor and ice cream offers plenty of options: dip fruit in the chocolate, serve the fruit and chocolate over ice cream, or serve the fruit with a bit of liqueur for a perception of fewer calories (with chocolate to nibble discreetly on the side).

For a pre-date appetizer that even the culinarily-challenged can master, Hall suggests poking holes in Brie with a knife and filling the holes with strawberry jam. Heat for a few minutes in the microwave and serve with crusty bread to create an impression of mastery that’s well beyond reality.

“Men who include romantic cooking in their backpack of skills tell us they do it for several reasons,” says Hall. “In order of importance, they are: Control the environment, lower a woman’s resistance, save money, and impress the unimpressable woman.” Having at least part of a date in your home, she says, is an opportunity to learn more about the person across from you at the table; not only do you not want to spend it fussing in the kitchen, but you shouldn’t—and with some simple recipes, you don’t need to.

For a review copy of Men Only: Kiss My Palate, by Gwen Hall (R&R Publications, 2005; 176 pp. hardcover, $20), or to interview the author, contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223.

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