Hunger for good food leaves me clutching for my wallet

She looked at me and asked, "Can you cook?". It was a question I expected, but not this soon. The day before, a male friend advised me that Chinese women love it when a man cooks for them.

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I'd replied.

Here I was on a first date and I had to confess an awkward truth. Yes, I can cook... but I haven't for months. My workplace has a canteen, so I rely on that for dinner and buy lunch from a nearby shop.