There is something about food that brings people together. It is comforting and rewarding to sit down and enjoy something delicious with the people you care about. There is even something even more special when you cook with your significant other.
My boyfriend and I try to cook together once a week. We have this thing called "The List," and it is just ever growing with recipes we find online that leaves our mouths watering. We split the cost of groceries and enjoy each other's company when prepping and cooking. It is both calming, a way to understand each other better, and an easy way to poke fun at each other. We sometimes play music and dance as we cook. In the end, we get to enjoy a nice meal and watch a movie to complete yet another ever-growing list.
Something about cooking is so intimate.
Whether it is a meatball sandwich or chicken parmesan, the time you get to spend together is something unforgettable. You get to learn more about each other on a deeper level. You learn what they are good at and can appreciate that about them more.
Also, being able to work together is really important. Trying to cook a full meal in a tiny apartment can be difficult, but good teamwork and communication make all the difference. This teamwork can transcend the kitchen and allow you and your significant other excel in so many other areas of your relationship.
It gives you time for actual communicate with each other. No phones, no memes, just each other bring laughter and enjoyment. It strengthens your trust in each other and allows healthy critiques of each other (maybe their knife skills are just not that great, maybe you can pull that Patrick Swayze scene from "Ghost"). Our generation relies so much on technology communication we sometimes forget to just talk to each other.
While cooking will not completely fix a broken relationship, it can make a budding new relationship or those who have been together for what seems like years, a new experience to enjoy with each other for days to come. I know my boyfriend and I are always looking forward to the next meal we make with each other. Maybe it is time to start a list of your own, letting it grow just like your love for them grows.
