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Recipe ritual to cook together as a couple

Cooking together is one of the oldest ways of caring for each other: sharing the warmth of the home, the smells and the time. In everyday routine, the kitchen often becomes just another chore done in a hurry and in turns. This ritual turns a new recipe into a small moment of teamwork: you choose the dish together, split the steps and celebrate the result, whether it turns out perfect or not.

By the Cardaluna editorial team · Updated

In short: Cooking together is one of the oldest ways of caring for each other: sharing the warmth of the home, the smells and the time. You need 5 simple items and 5 steps. When: On a Friday or Sunday evening, when you have no rush and nothing planned afterwards.

When to do it

On a Friday or Sunday evening, when you have no rush and nothing planned afterwards. The waxing moon is a traditional phase for starting new habits as a couple. Only do it if you both feel like it.

What you need

  • A recipe neither of you has cooked before
  • The ingredients for the recipe
  • A recipe card or piece of card and a pen
  • A table candle in a sturdy holder
  • Two aprons or tea towels

Step by step

  1. Choose the recipe together a few days ahead and write the shopping list between you. Make it a simple dish you both fancy.
  2. Before you start, put on your aprons and split the tasks: who chops, who stirs, who keeps an eye on the timing. Say: "tonight we cook as a team".
  3. While you cook, leave your phones in another room and tell each other something good about your week. If something goes wrong, laugh and find the fix together.
  4. Set the table, place the candle in its holder on a surface that can't burn, away from napkins and curtains, and light it as you sit down to eat.
  5. When you finish, write on the card the name of the dish, the date and one sentence from each of you about the evening. Put the candle out with a snuffer rather than blowing it.

Safety first

Never leave a lit candle unattended. Place it in a stable, heat-resistant holder away from curtains, paper, children and pets, and put it out with a snuffer.

These rituals are symbolic. Do not ingest herbs or oils, ventilate the room when burning incense or herbs, and never perform a ritual to harm or control anyone.

To finish

Keep the card in a box or an envelope: over time it will become your couple's recipe book. Repeat it once a month with a new dish. Keep each other's allergies and intolerances in mind, take care with knives and the hob, and never leave the candle burning unattended or within reach of children or pets. To keep nurturing your bond, pair it with the shared chocolate ritual or the blanket ritual.