The Date Night Cookbook

Ned and Ariel Fulmer, hosts of the YouTube cooking show Date Night, share delicious moments from a decade of dates and dishes with over 75 charming recipes that prove “there’s no better way to get to know a person you’re dating than through a home-cooked meal.” Organized by the “stages of a relationship” (attraction, dating, disappointment, stability, and commitment), the doable dishes celebrate culinary moments from meetup to married life. Blind Date Teriyaki Salmon and Night-in Chocolate Bark are laced with early dating memories of the couple’s Netflix binges, while Kiss and Make Up Flourless Chocolate Cake recalls the trying times of their relationship (“What could be a more decadent canvas to say ‘I’m sorry’ than... chocolate cake?”). In “Commitment,” Ned locks things down with Nonno’s Lamb Ragu, his Italian grandfather’s specialty. Meanwhile, fun cocktails, such as fizzy rosé paloma, and mash-ups, including strawberry tahini blondies or halloumi fajitas, are perfect for “try[ing] new things together.” The book’s rom-com vibe—while a bit saccharine at times—is enhanced by amusing tips for successful dating (“embrace your partner’s weirdness!”), dialogues, and photos from the couple’s courtship. The result offers some delectable ways to heat things up in the kitchen. Agent: Jessica Felleman, Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. (Sept.)