How to Cook Together and Not Kill Each Other

Some couples love to cook, but they risk serious emotional (and sometimes bodily) harm when they try to share a kitchen together. Here are some ways to avoid a real-life food fight and have fun cooking together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A big kitchen
• Elbow pads (only kidding)
• A love of the creative culinary arts
• Courtesy and patience

1. Plenty of space helps keep the peace Seriously, a big, roomy kitchen helps a lot. It can cut down on climbing over each other to get to the stove and sink. Most kitchen wars start because one person hogs (or is accused of hogging) all the space. (That's why the elbow pads come in so handy!) Remember, it is never a good idea to get into a disagreement in a place with sharp knives.
2. Make sure there's lots of counter space.
3. Clear cut responsibilities. Maybe one of you works the grill or preps and cooks the meat, while the other is the veggie boss.
4. Offer no advice, unless requested. Sometimes the best part about cooking is the experimental side of it all. Some flop, and some are great successes. This is half the fun. Leave each other alone to experiment.
5. Keep your wooden spoon out of each other's pots! If it needs stirring, the one in charge will do it--or ask. Otherwise, mind your own business, or you just might get whacked by a spoon.
6. Put on some nice, mutually acceptable music. To me, there is only one thing more fun than cooking with my lady, and that's dancing with her in the kitchen to Van Morrison or Sinatra while the pasta is boiling. (If you're lucky, dinner just may get left to burn on the stove!)
7. Consider taking turns being head chef. One week, one of you is in charge and the other is the sous (or under) chef. The next week, switch.

Tips & Warnings

• Lighten up and have fun.