Ned Fulmer - The Date Night Cookbook

The
Date Night
Cookbook

NED & ARIEL FULMER

WITH KIANO MOJU

For our kids,
may you always find love in the kitchen.

Contents

Dating is tough! In todays fast-paced world of Tinder and take-out, what were about to tell you may sound outrageous, but its true: theres no better way to get to know a person youre dating than through a home-cooked meal. Seriously, whether youre serving up a sensational sage and butter roast chicken or a cozy spaghetti and meatball marinara in your pajamas, food can be the cornerstone of any relationship. Take it from us: while you may not remember what you had for breakfast today, you will always remember what you ate on your first date with your partnerthose memories stick with you. Thats certainly been our experience, which is exactly why we compiled a cookbook of our favorite stories, advice, and recipes from our over 10 years of dating.

Were Ned and Ariel Fulmer, stars of the YouTube show Date Night and members of the Try Guys family. Food is a big part of our relationshipand our online personalitiesand as our relationship has grown, so has our appreciation for a good home-cooked meal. Online, we love exploring the differences between home cooking versus the restaurant experience, and weve always dreamed of writing a cookbook filled with beautiful photos. What follows is part storytelling, part cooking advice, part dating advice, and 100 percent woven throughout with love from our kitchen.

Relationships are about putting in the effort and trying new things, and guess what? So is cooking. Mind blown, right? Cooking and relationships go hand in hand. Its all about experimentation and learning. We love the process of exploring new flavors togetherlike the time we went overboard acquiring a pantry of curry paste and rice noodles at the Thai market, or discovering new techniqueslike when we bought a pasta roller on a whim and ate soggy pappardelle for a week. Weve been using the same cast-iron pan that we got for our wedding over 10 years ago, and, like a strong relationship, there is a peace in being able to return to something so dependable and perfectly seasoned.

Cooking together doesnt mean you have to love all the same foods. Dont think your soul mate is sitting across the bar just because they ordered the same ravioli. On the contrary, Ned loves steak and Ariel hasnt eaten red meat since she was 17, but food can be a great equalizer. Having disparate tastes can inspire creativity and introduce you to worlds of flavor that you never knew existed. Food is a way to learn about each other, and making meals together is a great way to show affection and unwind at home. We look forward to spending time cooking together every day because, in the end, food is about being together.

And thats what this book is about: connection through cooking.

Whether youre single AF or so married you have a standing Wednesday date night, these recipes are for you. From first dates to moving in and meeting the parents, we want these recipes to take you through every stage of a relationship, with all its ups and downs. Our hope is that you find inspiration in these pages to put down the Postmates, dust off your oven, and open up your heart and kitchen to find love through cooking.

Organization

The recipes in this book are laid out by the stages of a relationship, starting with first dates and getting to know each other, then moving on to dating exclusively, fighting, meeting family and friends, and finally, commitment. The order of the recipes is based on our own experience and cooking journey, but every relationship is unique and wont follow the same path as ours. Feel free to mix it up and cook with your heart. Theyre all delicious, so skip ahead and get married after the first date if you want!

We have tailored the recipes so that most of the ingredients and techniques are extremely accessible and inexpensive. Most items should be readily available at a local grocery store or farmers market, but there are a couple obscure items, such as certain spice blends or sauces, that may be easier to get online or at a specialty store. For those items, we have tried to use them in multiple recipes to cut down on the number of specialty items to buy. There is also an appendix with recipes of easy homemade options for frequently store-bought items and sauces if youd prefer to do it yourself.

When possible, we recommend fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat over preserved, but, hey, life comes at you fast, and we love pantry staples like dried pasta, rice, and canned food. As much as possible, we have tried to include a variety of dietary options and alcohol-free alternatives, but you may notice that we love pasta and cheese. Especially pasta. OMG, we love pasta. In the current world of low-carb, gluten- and lactose-free options, we realize that may be a bit abnormal, so if youre sensitive, feel free to substitute with an alternative of your choice. And enjoy!

Equipment

First things first: stock your kitchen with some cooking essentials. For kitchen items, its all about quality over quantity, and these are the very basic kitchen items that we think youll need to cook date nightworthy dishes at home (and probably more than we had when we started dating). If you already have a stocked kitchen, you can skip this part, but for those just starting out, read on for the necessities.

Knives and Cutting Boards

We recommend having at least two good knives on hand: a chefs knife and a paring knife (or big knife and small knife, as we like to call them). A sturdy cutting board is a necessity as well for chopping veggies and meats. They come in all sizes and materials, but a heavy wooden one is great because it can double as a serving platter.

Utensils and Measuring

A solid set of kitchen utensils will last you a long time. Our set includes a can opener, vegetable peeler, whisk, metal tongs, stirring spoon, slotted spoon, and spatula. Our personal favorites are silicone spatulas and spoons because they hold up great under heat and wont scratch nonstick pans. Its also good to have a set of measuring cups and spoons for baking as well as a liquid measuring cup. (Yes, there is a difference between dry and liquid measurements!)

Pots and Pans

A medium or 9-inch skillet with a lid and a medium saucepan with a lid are the go-tos in our kitchen. We like stainless steel because they last forever, but non-stick pots and pans are amazingly easy to use and work for pretty much everything. If you can swing it, we also recommend a sturdy, shallow cast-iron frying pan and an enamel dutch oven for meat, soups, and bread because they keep an even temperature for a longer period of time and can go back and forth from stovetop to oven. Lastly, youll need at least one sheet pan and shallow baking dish for veggies and desserts.

Food Prep and Storage

Two large mixing bowls and two large prep bowls should be all you need for a highly functional kitchen. Ours are ceramic with a nonskid bottom, which is incredibly helpful when using a hand mixer. Glass or metal prep bowls are great as wellyou can get them with lids so they double as storage containers. We love glass containers with plastic lids for leftovers because you can see what needs to be eaten. Youll also need a colander or strainer for pasta, rice, and boiled veggies.