Hi everyone! So, this week I’m gonna date a woman that I met online. She’s from the neighboring city and she accepted to come to my house for our first date. I like cooking although I don’t do it often but I think that cooking will impress every woman. I planned everything besides what food to cook. It’s gonna be a quiet atmosphere, with piano music and candles. Advise me, please. What would you like to eat or what food will impress you at your first date? We’re not young, I’m 57.
Ashot, -what, no flowers?
At my first glance at your post i thought you were planning a seduction rather than a meal. I wanted to give you my recipes for Lady Chatterly’s Chowder plus Scampi in Love as your main.
Here’s my observations, you appear to be thinking more about yourself than your guest, often a fatal flaw in relationship building. Why ask we strangers to plan your menu and not your guest? Does she have any dietary restrictions? What foods does she particularly enjoy? Why not ask?
Do you care?
And what does age have to do with this meal? Is this more about you?
May i suggest you two agree in advance on something that she likes and you feel competent cooking. Incompetence isn’t impressive. Pick something that can be prepared in advance. Nothing too labour intensive, so she gets more of your attention than your stove. Chose sides that can be made in advance too. Consider making just the main course and buying everything else. If you are comfortable she likely will be too. She’s coming to meet you, not for a culinary extravaganza.
I get the sense you don’t entertain often. That’s OK, you just need to do some extra planning. Start by making a detailed Things-to-Do list. Everything goes on the list, like get rid of all clutter, thoroughly clean the bathroom and everywhere she might see, particularly the kitchen. Set the table with everything that might be needed so you are not jumping up and down during the meal. Heat the plates that will have hot food, chill the plates that will have cold food.
Plan everything, keep it simple, and enjoy.
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Personally I wouldn’t Sous Vide. You’ve got the sights and sounds covered, now you need the scents to cover all the senses. Assuming your guest is a meat eater, a long slow braise in a dutch oven, maybe lamb shanks, osso buco or beef bourguignon, will fill your home with a an appealing aroma while you can sit back and enjoy each others company with a glass of wine. You can pre-make a sweet potato mash to warm up in the oven and serve both with an easy side salad. Enjoy…….
Be yourself! that will matter much more than your cooking skills
This is my favourite slow cooker lamb recipe (tried to replicate it with the sous vide - nope!)
I like to pair it with a nice merlot or cab (I know, the Aussie’s and Kiwi’s would opt for a Shiraz, but I overdid the peppery wines) 
You could always make up some small creme brûlée (ala mason jar) in advance - if you have a torch to burn the sugar that is. :). (just remember to let the jars come up to temp before bringing that torch anywhere near - shocking them will result in some shattered glass) 
StillAqua makes a good point, walking in and smelling the food would make for a good first impression. I would avoid anything potentially messy like pasta or soup. One of my go-to recipes to impress guests is Ratatouille confit biyaldi which gained a lot of popularity after the Pixar movie. It takes a little prep time but it’s visually impressive and easy to pull off. Here’s a video on it.
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Chris, that’s a conventional braising recipe that will require adjustments to make it suitable for your SV technique.
Try this;
- season and brown meat, cool in refrigerator
- sauté aromatics, add tomato paste and herbs, cook til lightly browned,
- add remainder of braising ingredients and simmer for a few hours til reduced and almost syrupy.
- Strain base through a mesh strainer and discard residual produce.
- bag meat and add flavour base. Seal bag using water displacement method.
- SV cook using preferred time and temperature.
I use this SV formula for beef short ribs, veal Osso Bucco, and lamb shanks.
Ashot, you should be aware that some people have an aversion to lamb.
I don’t understand it either.
Ashot, feedback please.
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