I did not expect my heart to be won by a pizza mix. I appreciate the finer ingredients and my favorite meal is gourmet salad served with French bread dipped in olive oil. Eating a dubious cheese pizza prepared from a boxed mix might seem like a traumatic fall, but my heart had other priorities. A man willing to impress me by making an effort in the kitchen was a huge turn-on, especially since he added personal touches.

I admit to a limited history with men who cook. On special occasions, my father grilled on a hibachi, but never prepared side dishes. I learned to eat whatever he made with a side of pre-sliced bread and love it. When I worked as a chef, the owner cooked for his family almost every evening, but knowing that many of the top chefs were men and many of them also were the primary home cooks didn’t register with me at the time. I believed men in general married to gain a cook.

My man’s willingness to serve a chef pizza from a box made him special. He wasn’t trying to compete with me; sharing was his goal. One shared moment led to food samplings, intimacy and commitment. We might not be considered fully compatible, but his strengths complement mine and I am willing to share my private kitchen with him.

While there are no absolutes, there are a few variables for a sensual dinner that should always be considered.

Create That Sensual Meal

Find out or discover the guest’s favorites and definitely ask about food allergies. If a person is interested, the meal will be secondary, but making note and cooking for special preferences and needs shows attentive listening and that translates to wild appreciation. The man who won my heart adapts meals to my vegetarian tastes.

Food shouldn’t be extremely fussy, but it should look like it took some effort. Pre-made meals arranged on china works just as well as slaving all day in the kitchen. I was impressed with crust that needed to be formed, spread with sauce, covered with cheese and then sprinkled with vegetables before baking. When it came out of the oven, my emotions went all gooey like the cheese.

The menu should include some finger food to allow for sensual feeding. Pizza might not be the best idea for body shots, but when it was a little cooler, dangling a slice over my mouth really did make me feel sexy.

One caveat of any special meal is practice; don’t make a recipe for the first time when you want it to lead to love. The stress of making it and wondering how it will turn out probably won’t be conducive to the necessary mood.

A sensual meal triggers all the senses and focuses on pampering with china, silverware and wine glasses – even if the food is sandwiches and ginger ale. For the right occasion candles and music add another layer to the desire.

The success of any sensual meal is reaching the desired outcome, whether quiet time for two or hot intimacy. Any meal leading to such an ending is successful. The simple act of cooking for someone makes them feel special. Sharing food becomes an intimate preliminary.

The first dessert my man made me was chocolate dipped strawberries. He melted chocolate chips, dipped the strawberries and set them to cool. Perfect. For him I’d eat cardboard dipped in olive oil. Like all his meals, the thought counted more than the skill, and I admit my taste buds have an affinity for any food he makes – because he adds love as his special ingredient.

It’s just a bonus he’s willing to clean up when he’s done.

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