Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

There is a lot of really good suggestions here, and maybe this is a cop out, but I decided to go with Willy Wonka and make chocolate truffles. After all, most people love chocolate. I am also bringing peanut butter and jelly cups (like Reese's but with jelly in them as well), chocolate covered strawberries, peanut butter and pretzel marshmallows, so if you are in Friendship Heights on Saturday around two...you might just want to stop into Bloomingdales.

As much as I love Julia Child, and definitely see the relevance, the bulk of her recipes cannot be demonstrated in fifteen minutes with one portable burner and twelve inches of prep space.

I am really surprised no one suggested pastrami on rye from "when harry met sally"--that was my very first thought...

breading for french toast

my first experience with Indian food was an all you can eat buffet when I was about 19. I have been addicted to samosas ever since.

I suppose I have a slightly different perspective than most, as I'm a professional chef. Needless to say, most of the women I attract are far more interested in me cooking for them than cooking for me. That having been said, I've always appreciated the effort, and never critiqued.

My advice to you:

1. Buy quality ingredients--if you can, get your produce from the farmer's market. If you are making pasta, go to the Italian deli and buy the fresh made.

2. If you cook anything heavy with garlic, I would strongly recommend something minty for dessert. After all, you wouldn't want your date refraining from a thank you kiss because his breath reaks.

3. Keep it simple. Anyone is going to be more impressed with a well-cooked simple meal than a poorly cooked complicated one.

4. I vote against the meatloaf--to me that conjures up mom. Personally, I love nothing more than a stir-fry with really fresh vegetables, and a light sauce (not a cloyingly-sweet Kikoman sauce). Or some fresh shrimp (not "thawed for your convenience" shrimp). If you haven't had fresh shrimp (and most people haven't--that stuff at the grocery store is generally previously frozen) they will be a revelation.

5. I also vote against anything with beans or collards or probably even beer too (though I love all three)--there could be awkward consequences. A liquor drink that pairs with the meal or a nice wine adds elegance.

6. Lastly, if you make something seasonal, I think that shows a depth that most home cooks don't have.

I like to grind it up and use it as breading for fried chicken.

This is an interesting question which Ruhlman addresses in his "Reach of a Chef." I think the frustrating part for professionals like myself is that in order for one usually to reach the celebrity status, they generally must forgo that which makes them famous in the first place. This, in turns, leads people to begrudge them their ability to cook. Even Bourdain had to recant and admit that Emeril was an extremely talented young chef who utilized his charisma to establish an empire. I think the real question is: when a chef becomes a celebrity, is he really still a chef? Not to argue semantics, but (and I know most avoid the word because it sounds pedestrian by comparison) shouldn't they really be celebrity cooks or just plain celebrities? After all, aren't Emeril/Bourdain/Colicchio (these days) more of an entertainer than anything else? Particularly Bourdain and Colicchio who don't even cook on tv.