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Say Hello to Jell-O
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.
See Also:
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Cooking For the Holidays
The Basics of Spices
Dried seeds (caraway and celery), fruits (allspice and chilies), roots (sassafras, angelica, sarsaparilla, licorice and horseradish) and barks (cinnamon) make up the family called Spices.
Used in small quantities they are used as food additives or more specifically flavoring for foods.
Spices are usually ground into a powder, unlike herbs which are the leafy part of a plant, which can be used fresh or dried, like basil or oregano.
Certain of the spices serve multiple purposes, such as turmeric which is also a preservative; licorice and garlic which are also used medicinally and garlic which is also used as a vegetable.
Some spices are used in religious rituals, burning sage is used by the Native Americans in many of their rituals for cleansing; however, sage is actually an herb.
Cinnamon is used as a base for many perfumes, including Tabu by Cody.Spices have been around sin the beginning of human history, and were some of the most valuable trade items in the world in ancient times.
Joseph was sold to spice merchants and the male speaker in the Song of Solomon refers to his love as many types of spices.
Explorers including Vasco Da Gama, who sailed to India from Portugal, and Christopher Columbus, both were either in search of spices, or used the find of new spices to peak the interest of investors in their travels.
Spices have been used for centuries to excite the senses and defend against illness. Cinnamon not only tastes good, but has been show to reduce the growth of bacteria that may cause food poisoning, this includes only 1 teaspoon in bottled apple juice.
Garlic, sage and clove assist in keeping cooked hamburger from spoiling by cutting down on food contamination. Using spices on your outdoor cooking could keep a picnic from being ruined by food poisoning.
Spices are an amazing part of cooking, increasing not only the aroma and flavor of food, but as a serious part of remaining healthy. |
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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: About Beef Jerky,
Fried Rice is Nice, Homemade Baby Foods
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