How to Spice Up Your Relationship With Food

From sustenance to aphrodisiacs, food has an essential role in human life.  It can be nutritional, social, even sexual.  Here are some great ways to spice up your relationship with food.

Tip #5: Cook a Meal Together

We are social animals, and one the first ways our caveman ancestors connected was by sharing food.  Food signifies compassion and provision for one another – food was the first gifts ever given.  Preparing meals opens opportunities for communication, laughter and bonding.

If you don’t know how to cook, start with a simple recipe like pasta or a salad.  Learning should be part of the fun!

Tip #4: Prepare a Romantic Dinner

Candles, light music, red wine and a plate of Chicken Madeira.  I don’t know a better way of showing your loved one that you care for them.  Need I say more?

Tip #3: Explore New Cuisines

Traveling around South America and Africa has been one of the highlights of my life.  Exploring new cultures, mindsets, philosophies and ways of life has opened my eyes to whole different worlds.  I will never forget the emotions I experienced while talking to a myriad of individuals, nor could I forget the taste of the hundreds of exotic meals I’ve had to opportunity to eat.  From sweet papaya dishes straight from a tropical jungle, to drinking homemade grain beer out of an Oxen’s horn, I could only wish everyone had the chance to explore the countries I’ve walked through.

A country’s food tells a lot about their community.  For example, Koreans eat a lot of spicy food to keep them warm through cold winters.  This has integrated a specific flavor in their diet. One of the most famous dishes in the Korean cuisine is Kimchi – a fermented spicy cabbage in the same family as sauerkraut of Germany or Pickles in the United States.

Eating new cuisines with your partner is like exploring the world.  You can make it more fun by learning a bit about the foods you are trying.  Visit a local Middle Eastern store or an Indian food market, pick a random item you’ve never seen before and try making a meal based on it.  This is one of my favorite date ideas because even if the food doesn’t turn out right, you expand your horizons by learning about the cuisines of the different regions of the world.

Tip #2: Get Playful… or Naughty

Food doesn’t always have to be serious.  Have a lighthearted date by preparing a fun and messy meal.  Homemade pizza and cookies is my favorite combination.  It’s a lot easier to make than most people think, plus you can get creative with toppings.  I’ve had artichoke and salmon pizza with gummy-bear sugar cookies.  As you can tell, sometimes the end product doesn’t taste so good…. it’s all about having fun and laughing with your date as you prepare it.

If you want to get a little more naughty, you can take things a step further and get some whipped cream and assortment of fruits and some chocolate dip.  Use each other as a canvas and let your imagination take care of the rest.

Note: Don’t get too carried away if you have expensive furnishings or share a rented home… it’s no fun scrubbing honey off a plasma screen TV or a down feather pillow the next day.  Having a food fight sounds like great fun at first, but trust me – few things are more humiliating than walking into to the dry cleaners holding a sticky pillow.

Tip #1: Set a Schedule

Food is vital to our existence and our health.  No matter how busy you are, everyone needs to eat.  You should try to cook and eat together at least once a week.  This way, you always have time for each other.  Statistically, couples that eat together are happier and healthier than those who don’t.  One of the easiest ways to strengthen your relationship is to routinely share a meal with your partner.  So grab your cookbook, and get stuck in!