A Dude's Recipe for Impressing Your Babe

"Be excellent in her presence." - Steve of Tao movie.

Turning Japanese

This is a recipe for a simple dinner. Don't wait for a special occasion. The effect will be greater if you try this on an ordinary day. If you can boil water in a pot, you can make this and wow your date, girlfriend or wife. The impessive factor will be inversely related to how often you cook for her.

On scale from 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult, this meal is a 1.5 project. Total cooking time: about 20 minutes.

Things to buy:

• 2 packs of Soba noodles (Trader Joe's has them)
• 1 bottle Soba sauce
• 2 packages of pre-made sushi rolls
• optional: 1 bottle of sake, flowers.
  

Here's what to do:

1. Boil a pot of water, like you're making spaghetti.
   
2. Follow instructions for soba, usually cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes.
3. While the soba's cooking, mix the soba sauce, following the directions on the bottle. About 3 parts water to 1 part sauce into a nice small dipping bowl. Or mix 2 parts water, sauce and add a ice cube.
   
4. Place cooked soba in a strainer. Run cold water for about 30 seconds.
   
5. Separate soba into two portions, place on a nice white plate.
6. Open packages of sushi roll, and present nicely around or side of soba.
7. Set table with chopsticks, small plate for soy sauce, and sake.
   

That's it. Dim the lights. Light some candles.

If you've never eaten soba, here's how you do it: 1. Pick some soba up with chopstick; 2. Dip into sauce; 3. Put in mouth; 4. Enjoy.

Why it works:

Yes, it's not all cooked from scratch (that's one of the Dude's secret, which I will detail in a later post). But there is the thoughtfulness and effort factor that any loving woman will appreciate, knowing that 7.5 guys out of 10 will not do it.

Bonus tip:

Do not, I repeat, do not let her do the dishes. Insist on this.