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Canning From the Ground Up
Setting the Table for Romance
Men and women have used food to aid in romance since the beginning of time; of course a caveman set his rock a little differently than a modern man would set the table!
This is something that women seem to know instinctively, while for men it can be a major problem.
A romantic meal can be any type of meal, from a picnic on the beach, (watch out for the sand) to a candle light dinner at home, choose wisely, it can set the tone for the entire relationship!
Perhaps your partner likes to be out doors? If so the picnic can be a wonderful idea, if it is at the beach, plan a bonfire (make sure this is legal) in the evening when there are less people around, the beach can be very romantic on a moon lit night.
A picnic at a favorite spot in the country can also be very romantic, just be prepared for any contingency, remember the saying the best laid plans of mice and men.
The weather can be the biggest problem when it comes to picnics, have a backup plan in case of rain. Assuming the relationship has gone from dinner and a movie, to dinner at your house, how do I get ready for that?
Being able to cook is a really good beginning, even though there are many places that you can buy food, and take it home.
Whatever direction you take, make sure it is food that your partner would like to eat.
While hamburgers or fried chicken are great, they arent necessarily the most romantic of foods! However, atmosphere, including candlelight, music and real dishes (instead of paper plates) can make any meal romantic.
Use your imagination, be aware of your partners likes and dislikes, make a plan, and be prepared to change that plan if necessary.
Your romantic dinner for two can be a great way to take the relationship to the next level.
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Tender Ribs
One of the favorite foods at most cook outs are ribs and tenderness is a major part of the enjoyment!
No one likes to bite into a rib and have to chew and chew just to get it off the bone, this recipe works for either pork or beef ribs, and everyone will want to know how you made them so tender.
To make ribs that are fall of the bone tender, boil them first in beer, or if you have a problem cooking with alcohol, use water with a couple of teaspoons of yeast, the yeast breaks down the meat, causing the tenderness.
I found out about this secret when I had ribs at a friends cookout one year, they were by far the best ribs I had ever eaten, I asked her the secret and she told me to boil them in beer first.
Cooking in alcohol removes the alcoholic content, but some people still have a problem with the idea of using alcohol to cook with, so yeast works just as well. (It is after all the yeast in the beer that does the trick!)
Boil the ribs in the beer or yeast water for about two hours, then place in a baking pan, cover with bar-b-que sauce and refrigerate until ready for use.
You can also prepare these in the oven or even in an electric skillet. In the oven, broil them approximately 10 minutes, coating with sauce and turning after 5 minutes, since they are already cooked, it is just a process of flavoring them with the sauce.
To cook in an electric skillet, turn the skillet to simmer, put ribs in pan and cover, do not open the vent, this allows them to cook in their own steam.
Cook for a couple of hours turning after the first hour, coat with sauce after you turn them. |
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Microwave Cooking
Outdoor Cooking
One of the most difficult things to learn about outdoor cooking is timing and heat control, this usually takes years of experience.
However, the beginner can use the counting method as a learning tool. After the briquettes have turned gray, (this is ash) then arrange the coals in the grill. Knock the gray off the briquettes,
it acts as insulation and the fire isnt as hot as it should be. Hold your hand over the coals at the same distance as the food you are going to cook, slowly count 1 barbecue 2 barbecue and so on, until you have to remove your hand, a count of three is medium heat.
To reduce the heat, remove some briquettes or cook the food further away from the coals, adding briquettes or moving the food closer to the fire will increase the heat.
Remember to tap the ash off the briquettes often to maintain your heat.
Other considerations in cooking your food are:
*Temperature:Cool temperatures and wind cool the food and slow cooking time.
*Humidity: charcoal absorbs moisture from the air and cooks slower on a damp day.
*Food temperature: colder food slows the cooking time.
Even the most experienced outdoor chef has to deal with flame-ups, as meat cooks the fats drip onto the coals causing flame ups.
To minimize this, trim as much fat off the meat as possible prior to cooking. A small spray bottle will help put these out, but dont drench the coals; it slows your cooking time, just spray enough to put out the flames.
Be sure to remove the meat before you spray the flames with water!
To get that great smoked taste, soak hickory wood chips in water, place the chips around the edges of the fire so they smoke rather than burn.
If they start to burn, remove them and soak again in water. If you like a heavy smoke flavor, reduce the heat and cook food longer, place the lid on the barbecue if it has one.
A little trick I learned about cleanup is to wad up aluminum foil and scrub the grill with it, this works great if you dont have the proper tools for cleaning.
Enjoy your barbecue along with friends and family, cookouts are fun for many occasions.
Related Topics: Cooking For Two,
Leftovers, What Now, Fundraising Cookbooks
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