My friends have pretty high standards when it comes to dates - creativity is key. So last night, when one of them mentioned how smitten she is with her newest prospect, I knew he came with his A-game.

And I was right; he had signed them up for a cooking class which ended up being a lot of fun and eliminated any type of awkward first date tension - while retaining just the perfect amount of sexual tension. All that chopping, kneading and tasting [1] loosened them both up, she told me and allowed her to get to know him in a no-pressure type of atmosphere.

Yes, cooking for your man can be a sure-fire way to guarantee satisfaction, but can learning to whip up something together actually nurture a new relationship? Real Simple [2] seems to think so - they even suggest cookingschools.com [3] to find a class near you.