5 recipes every guy should know?!
mine (in no particular order).
home made pasta with bolognese sauce
home made pizza (including the crust, it always impresses girls when you toss it around)
caramelized fruits, with a yogurt or pudding beneath them
RIBS.... need i say more?
and... hot chocolate.
pasta is a dish that i love. i could cook it a million times, and it could taste differently every time. it just depends on what you want. it also has a certain appeal to it, when somebody hears "pasta", half the time they think of pouring noodles out of a box, and pouring some sauce out of a jar, and cooking everything for about ten minutes. but once you start making eveything from scratch, it can turn into a real treat. its one of the tastiest dishes in the world, and with a bit of practice, its also one of the easiest to make. if you really want to make an impression, try singing "la donna E mobile" while you make it.
the pizza i always great for interacting and cooking at the same time. you can argue over what you want on it, and you can act like an idiot when you put the toppings on. you usually get a couple good laughs out of the cooking process, and in the end, it is delicious.
caramelized fuitsis sooooo easy to make, and it is also very tasty. it impresses people when its really not impressive at all. it take a few minutes to make, and even fewer ingredients. on top of its simplicity, you can caramelize almost anything, not that you would want to.
the ribs take a bit more prep than the others, but the fact that you can leave them in the oven for hours worry free, and have plenty of time to do other things while they cook, are one of the reasons these made the list.
the hot chocolate is one of those special little recipes that everybody forgot about. your mom used to make it for you when you were a kid when it was gloomy outside, but since than you decided that coronation hot chocolate packs were "easier" to make. however, when you have a special girl over, homemade hot chocolate can make a very good impression. its easy to make, but almost everybody has forgotten about it. plus, it puts people at ease.
so... my question to you is this-
what are your top five guy recipes? also, for the women, what are yours?
Answers:
I agree with pasta & meat sauce being at the top of list.
I tell people to start with Mac'n'Cheese from scratch.
Then try Alfredo sauce & add shrimp or chicken breast.
Ribs are another biggee, with many variables in the sauce.
I once had a date ask for my recipe for the ribs I served.
Stupidly, I actually took 3 pages to write it out fully.
Another favourite of mine is beef stew in a crock-pot.
I've made a date version called veal blanquette.
Cubed veal instead of beef, (hard to get now).
Baby pearl onions, a white sauce with wine.
Served in a ring of mashed potato piped around plate.
Another standard is China Syndrome Chili.
Use cubed stewing beef, instead of ground round.
Add flat beer for the liquid, lots of garlic, peppers for heat.
This is more of a guy dish, for stag weekends.
Speaking of beer, the whole chicken on a beer can is good.
For female palates, use a lemon & onion inside instead.
Put herbs like rosemary under the skin before roasting.
My most requested receipes from family and friends are:
-Tuna Casserole
-Meatballs (homemade served with sauce)
-Tortellini Stew
-Greek Pasta Salad
-Spinach Dip
-Avacado Salad
if your making paste get the long noodles and share a plate more romantic
ribs are a bit messy and are more suitable for men because if u see a women chowing down on a rib it looks a bit scary
1. baked chicken
chili
It sounds like youre an experienced cook (at least to some extent), but even for single guys who can hardly boil water, theres a few "core" recipes they should be able to pull off, and I dont count ramen noodles as one of em. For me, I recommend two approaches, everyone should have a "go to" recipe or method for the following main ingredients - Chicken, Steak, Ground Beef, Pork, and Pasta. That said, its also nice if a guy (or anyone really) can dabble in a sort of "tour around the world" style of cooking. This means a classic Italian dish, Mexican, good ole American, etc. I cook for a living and studying the culinary arts in Europe, so I have been blessed with exposure to many amazing foods. That said, my style is usually this - comforting, simple, home cooked foods with a subtle gourmet flair. This means that when I make roast beef and mashed potatoes (which everyone loves, right) - its the best darn roast youll ever taste. I prepare every day meals and I make them the best I can. I find people like traditional foods with simple ingredients better than the like "what is this???" kind of dinner that you sometimes find in gourmet restaurants. You have to admit, a well grilled steak and a baked potato really satisfies, right. Any chance youd rather have the braised cucumber soup, the calamari frutti, and the cous cous with north african aioli - I doubt it! So there you have it, focus on a few "never miss with this one" recipes and make them to die for. Keep honing your skills until the meal is sheer perfection with each bite. You do that, and the lady of your dreams will be shining your shoes with her panties. We ladies love to be wined and dined and if you cook for us...all the better. Very sexy!!
I'm in my 50's, and most of the men I've dated and had relationships with in my life don't know how to cook, or can only cook a couple of things, so this is impressive. I'd find a guy that could toss a pizza very entertaining indeed. I think a special Italian dish made with pasta and meat, an exotic dish I've never tried like Indian curry, a great seafood dinner, and dish from my locale like fried chicken would make it complete. Oh, and I LOVE a man that knows how to cook on an outside grill--ribs, chicken, beef, anything is so good when grilled!