Cook to impress.
Recipes, menus and kitchen know-how for anyone who shows love with food. Tell us the occasion and we'll plan the whole dinner for two, down to the minute.
20 recipes for two, 13 guides, 5 free planning tools.
On the menu
See all 20 recipesYour next occasion
Valentine's Day is coming. Plan the menu two weeks ahead and practise the dessert once.
See celebration menusRather have someone else cook?
Private chef at home, a couples cooking class, or a custom menu built around your partner's favorite foods. Tell us the date and city and we'll reply with options within 24 hours. Free, no obligation.
- Private chefs from about $90 a person
- Couples classes from about $70 a person
- Proposal and anniversary dinners
Plan it properly
All tools- Date-Night Menu BuilderA complete menu for your occasion, diet, skill and budget, with a shopping list and timeline.
- Dinner Timeline PlannerPick your dishes and serving time. Get a minute-by-minute plan so every course lands hot.
- Drink Pairing FinderWine, beer and zero-proof matches for whatever you're cooking.
- What Kind of Cook-to-Impress Host Are You?Eight quick questions, one host profile, and the recipes that suit you best.
- Kitchen Converter & Doneness ChartCups to grams, Fahrenheit to Celsius, recipe scaling and steak temperatures.
Read before you cook
All guides- CultureWhat Is a Gastrosexual? The Rise of Cooking to ImpressWhere the word 'gastrosexual' came from, what the original research found, and why cooking has become one of the most attractive skills you can learn.
- Date nightHow to Cook a First-Date Dinner at Home (Without the Stress)A practical playbook for cooking for someone new: what to make, what to avoid, how to time it and how to keep the evening relaxed.
- TechniqueThe Reverse Timeline: How to Get Every Course on the Table at OnceProfessional kitchens plan backwards from service time. Here's how to do the same at home so every course arrives hot and you stay calm.
- TechniquePlate Like a Chef: 9 Rules for Restaurant-Worthy PresentationSimple, repeatable plating techniques that make home cooking look like it came from a restaurant kitchen.
Watch the technique
All videosJoin in
This month's contest: Bistro classics at homeCook it, plate it, send us a photo. Prizes include a $100 cookware gift card.
Support the kitchenReader support funds recipe testing, contests and new contributors.
Cook, shoot or write with usWe hire freelance recipe developers, photographers and video creators.