Throwback Thursday: A Cooking Class Date

photo courtesy of  L'Academie de Cuisine

In the early stages of getting to know a potential romantic partner one generally engages in activities to get an idea of how much compatibility there is with the other person. I consider dining one of those activities that can be very telling. In one case, I  suggested attending a cooking class. He thought it was a great idea. I'll call him Myron (of course, that is not his actual name)

We selected a mutually agreed upon date, class topic (Thai cooking), and paid for the class at Sur la Table.   A few days before the class my car malfunctioned. I took the car to a mechanic and picked up a rental car. On the day of the class  I was assigned a  work project with a short deadline. I called Myron and asked if he would drive so I could work on my laptop as we drove to class. He obliged. We were delayed by rush hour traffic, so I called Sur la Table to inform them of our delayed arrival.

We arrived 15 minutes late and ushered into the class where two spaces were waiting for us. The instructor nodded as we entered the room and continued to lecture on the evening's topic. The couple we would be working smiled and returned their focus to the instructor.  Myron began to talk and I put my finger to my lips and pointed to the instructor. His gaze returned to the front of the room.

Quick introductions were made with the other couple at the table and they explained what steps they had already taken  to prepare the meal we would be eating.  From the corner of my eye I saw Myron looking at the ingredients and muttering to himself.  I suggested that we wash our hands and help out.  Midway through cutting up the vegetables for our dish Myron struck up a conversation with one of the class volunteers.  She chatted for a few seconds and tried to move on to the next group. Myron didn't seem to notice; the volunteer looked a bit uncomfortable and the couple at the table looked anxiously at the unchopped vegetables.  I slid the board in front of me and finished chopping the vegetables. Myron looked at me and asked what the rush was, the volunteer made a quiet exit to the next group, and the couple looked relieved.

Once the dish was cooking and covered the instructor began to lecture about the next dish we would prepare. I was studying the recipe and following along with the instructor's discussion. The instructor stopped mid-sentence. I looked up from the recipe. The instructor attempted to mask his annoyance as he asked, "Is everything alright?".  The question was directed at Myron who was  sword fighting with his knife. Myron chuckled, "I'm fine. This knife is nice and lightweight". The other members of the class looked and Myron and then at me. I felt flush with embarrassment as I leaned over and whispered to Myron to put the knife down. He  looked at me with mock confusion, placed the knife back on the cutting board and replied, "Boy, everyone is so serious here. I thought this was supposed to be fun."

As we pulled into the driveway after driving from class, Myron looked at me and grinned. "That was fun! We should do that again", he exclaimed.  I replied, '"I'll have to check the calendar", I replied knowing full well this would not be an activity I would suggest again.

I've moved on with my life as has Myron;  I still attend cooking classes, but I've not suggested one as a date activity since my outing with Myron. 


Be well,

Technicolor girl