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tandem cooking:  a summer  menu for two | 1 2 3

My baby brother’s in town for a visit and when he tells me he’s perfectly happy doing nothing on this vacation, I know he means it. This, after all, is what relaxation is all about in my family. Forget about sightseeing, roadtripping and the like, when it comes down to it, what we really love are the simple luxuries in life. Sleep. Veg. Eat. And eat some more.

Actually, my baby brother’s not so much a baby anymore. When he tells me how he spent spring break back home learning how to cook mom’s beef with broccoli and da lou mien, I’m impressed that at 19, he’s already getting so comfortable in the kitchen. So as a break from his long hard days of napping, reading Harry Potter, and watching rented DVDs, I suggest that we spend an evening cooking up a nice meal together. And because there’s nothing in the edible world that my brother loves more than shrimp, I figure my spicy shrimp dish is the way to go.

Now, anyone that’s ever been over to my place for dinner knows that I’m a very selfish cook by nature. That area between the stove and the refrigerator – that’s my domain. But with a little bit of planning ahead, sharing the kitchen with my brother proves to be not only a great timesaver, but a lot of fun as well. Looking to share meal duties with your sibling, your best friend, your sweetie-pie maybe? Check out this tasty summer menu, complete with step-by-step directions that make it easy for two cooks to work side-by-side in the kitchen, chaos-free.

the menu

Jicama and Orange Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette*
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Peppers*
Coconut Rice*
Bananas Foster served with ice cream*

*Individual recipes are for 4 people. To make a dinner for two, follow the tandem cooking instructions in this article, which divides all quantities by half.

this way for tandem cooking instructions

---------------------------> lounge . nourish . host . laze . home.