A Couple Cooks: 4 Expert Tips for Creating Romance in the Kitchen

The 411: If you and your SO lack culinary chemistry, there’s no better duo to turn to than Sonja and Alex Overhiser, who’ve been dishing out recipes and tips on ACoupleCooks.com for five years. 

Cooking is never as easy as it looks on TV, especially when there’s two people in the kitchen, but that’s where Sonja and Alex Overhiser come in!

Having been together for 14 years, Sonja and Alex know exactly what it takes for couples to make delicious meals without wanting to kill each other, and they share those secrets on ACoupleCooks.com, their extremely well-written and visually-impressive blog.

“What makes our site stand out is that we do cook together and develop all the recipes together,” Sonja said. “It is so much fun to cook together! Of course, there are times that it’s difficult, when you have differing opinions or tastes about a recipe, but we’ve learned to work through these issues.”

So if you’re ready to flambé, saute and brûlée your way to better meals and a better relationship, follow Sonja and Alex’s expert advice.

On A Couple Cooks, Sonja and Alex focus on healthy, whole foods, and while that may sound intimidating and expensive to some people, don’t believe the rumors.

By using local and seasonal ingredients, as well as shopping at farmers markets AND produce stands, they’re able to make tasty and inexpensive meals. No need to harvest white truffles in the forests of Northern Italyor pick Yubari King melons in hills of Japan here!

Sonja and Alex Overhiser, founders of ACoupleCooks.com, cook healthy, whole foods.

Still need proof? Just check out their recipes for artisan pizza, which Sonja said is one of the most romantic foods to cook  — just think of all the flour, olive oil and kneading!

“Another romantic thing we made lately is our custom Valentine’s Day meal,” she said. “Each year we dream up a meal to cook as a couple and post it on our blog. This year’s is so much fun!”

This duo always challenges themselves to come up with unique recipes.

While Sonja and Alex are passionate about cooking with real ingredients, they’re also passionate about challenging themselves and their readers to come up with new and unique recipes that are also good for you.

Not only does this creative process make for more enjoyable meals, but it also makes their relationship stronger.

“Gosh, cooking together has helped our relationship in every way!” she said. “We’ve learned to be a better team, how to work our strengths and how to have constructive disagreements.”

Of course, one of the most difficult parts of cooking together can be when things don’t go according to plan. Did your first cheese souffle fall flat? Do you love mushrooms but your boo hates them? Remember there’s always a way to solve it!

“This is a big issue for us since we are constantly developing new recipes, and we may or may not agree on the approach,” Sonja said. “We’ve learned to listen to each other’s opinions and then decide how to move forward, knowing there is the potential for failure and giving each other grace if something doesn’t work out.

Do you love mushrooms but your boo hates them? Remember there’s always a way to solve it!

Sonja and Alex have also learned to balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen and in the relationship.

“I become emotional if a recipe that I invested lots of time and energy in fails. On the other hand, Alex is an eternal optimist and is over it almost before it happens,” she said. “He’s learned to give me time to grieve, and I’ve learned to take what I can from a failure and move on.”

“Put on some music and make an event of it!” Sonja said.

Whether it’s something as simple as herb butter popcorn or as elevated as a mushroom and kale risotto, Sonja and Alex always recommend that you plan your recipes and shop for ingredients when you’re not to the point of getting hangry.

And remember to have fun with it!

“Make sure to have some snacks to nibble on and your beverage of choice while you cook,” she said. “Put on some music, and make an event of it!”

Besides constantly cooking up unique and delicious meals, Sonja and Alex are also trying to cook up a different kind of bun in the oven.

“We’re working on starting a family, so that’s what will be next for us!” Sonja said. “As far as A Couple Cooks, we’re constantly evolving as artists and recipe developers, so our content is constantly changing and refining.”

To learn more about Sonja and Alex Overhiser, visit ACoupleCooks.com.