“Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate." —Alan D. Wolfelt

What better way to express your love toward your spouse than through food, glorious food? Especially on your wedding anniversary to celebrate the journey that you have taken with this special person.

But here’s the twist.

Instead of being served fine cuisine in a fancy restaurant (nothing wrong with that though), why not the both of you roll up your sleeves, don your aprons and whip up your own cuisine in your kitchen together?

Some may leap for joy at the idea, others cringe at the sheer thought of holding a knife. Whatever it may be, cooking as a couple has its many benefits; not only do you both get to acquire skills, regardless of your level of expertise, you will be in constant communication with each other. Teamwork 101—effective communication is essential to getting things done, isn’t it? Best of all, both of you will focus on each other (and your bubbling pot) throughout. No distracting TVs or mobile phones.

To maximise the time spent together cooking up a storm, here are some tips you can keep in mind:

  • Don’t be overly-ambitious. If you’re new to this, start with simple dishes. You wouldn’t want a stressful time poring over some complex recipes that need Google translations.
  • Avoid starting hungry. Simply, a hungry man (or woman) is an angry man (or woman).
  • Delegate. Split up the work, assign specific tasks. This way, you save time and boost the camaraderie as the both of you work toward a common goal—your meal.
  • Clean up as you go. Piled-up dirty dishes, gravy-filled tablecloth and cluttered tabletop are definitely not good cooking companions.
  • Importantly, just enjoy the process and have fun!

To help you kick-start your cooking adventure together, you can check out some of these recipes.

For those who prefer a chef’s guidance, you can consider some of these cookery classes.

So, why not make this wedding anniversary celebration meaningful with a special recipe of 3 heaping cups of love, 1 cup of memories, ½ cup of care and 5 tablespoons of laughter?