There is nothing more genuine and caring than offering to cook a meal for your date.  Whether you are male or female, the effort and thought put into the endeavor is sure to pay high dividends in the relationship, if you do it right. The set up to the dinner is almost as important as the food itself. A great dinner starts with great ingredients much in the same way a great relationship starts with great components such as the little things that are the foundation of whatever you are trying to build.  You have a choice to make here as shopping for the ingredients can also be a great relationship experience as well. A stroll through a gourmet food market, complete with a bit of taste testing can be as appealing as the actual dinner and can give you some great dinner date ideas. It’s a good way to figure out what types of foods your date likes, and a walk through a wine and spirits store will also tell you much about your date.  Shopping together works much better when you are already in tune with the gastronomic preferences of your date and you can also test their tolerance for others things; such as if there is a Chinese section of town complete with ducks, chickens and other formerly living creatures waiting for their turn on the butcher’s block. After all, nothing says I love you better than a tank of Carp or Toads destined for your kitchen.