Cooking is often seen as a means to an end, like how some people view marriages. We advise you turn up the heat and pour a glass of wine to spice up your relationship (err… what was the topic again?).

But seriously, cooking together helps to strengthen the relationship between couples. Strengthen teamwork with your partner with tasks of chopping, frying and washing up. In between these tasks, take sips (or gulps) of wine and talk, chat or gossip about anything under the sun.

Appetizer: Parma Ham on Rock Melon

There are no rules as to how you should behave in your kitchen (besides rules having to do with safety). Once the appetizer is done, snack and nibble (on the appetizer or on each other) while preparing the rest of the meal. This could be a real benefit to those new in the kitchen and who take ages when preparing a meal. But after one such experience, you may grow to like having a conversation over the stove!

Parma Ham on Rock Melon

50g Parma Ham, thinly sliced

500g rock melon, peeled and deseeded

Cut the melon into cubes, about 2cm by 2cm, and then plate them. Ruffle the Parma ham and place it over the melon.

Main Course: Squid ink pasta

To add a little humour to your date, Squid Ink Pasta is probably your best bet. You two could even take a picture of your stained teeth for memorabilia and have a good laugh about it decades later. But of course, do this only when you are very comfortable with your partner. Then again, why feel so conscious?

Squid ink pasta

200g spaghetti

150g squid

2 sachet of squid ink, or 8g

½ garlic clove, sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

2 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

30ml dry white wine

Grated ricotta salata

Get the greenhorn between the two of you to cook the spaghetti in a pan of salted boiling water until al dente. With some guidance, he or she could also slice the garlic and chopped the tomatoes. Meanwhile, the other person shall clean the squid (cut the tentacles, remove the cartilage and pull off the skin) and slice it into very thin rings. Fry the garlic in the oil until golden then remove from the oil. Add the squid to the pan with the tomatoes, wine, squid ink and some water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with ricotta to serve.

Dessert: Fruit and Limoncello Sorbetto

Fruits:
3 large strawberries

3 blackberries

50g honeydew, peeled and deseeded

50g pineapple flesh

A splash of fresh orange juice

2 mint leaves, sliced to thin ribbons

Limoncello sorbeto:

50ml of lemon juice

35 ml of limoncello

1½ tbsp sugar

For the sorbeto, mix all the ingredients and 50ml water in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a shallow baking tray and freeze till set, using a fork and his muscles to break up the ice crystals every 40 minutes and pop it back into the freezer. Meanwhile, she can chop the fruits into small pieces, place them in a bowl, dress with a small splash of juice and then stir in the mint. Let it stand for a few minutes for the flavours to combine, then serve in bowls topped with sorbetto.

*Pasta and Sorbetto are inspired from Jamie Oliver magazine with some creative variations.