the Grocery Store...

You probably already know that grocery stores are great places to pick up women, but also men. There are not only plenty to choose from, but a grocery store offers many ways to find that special someone without ever letting them know what you are doing. Meeting women at a grocery stores and supermarkets can be daunting for me, cause i am not used to approaching women at the super market, or anywhere for that matter! However after a few approaches I lighten up and realize it’s actually quite easy and fun to do, sure some approaches may not go down so well however when it comes to meeting that special someone it all comes down to a numbers game in the end.

there are a few ways to approach this task....

A man can easily act helpless in the grocery store, but in today's society it is not uncommon for both men and woman not able to navigate there way around the aisles. Just approach a woman that you are interested in and ask her which type of fruit, vegetable, cereal or even detergent to pick out. Most women will be willing to help you out. Try to use this starting point to strike up a conversation. You may want to ask her what kind of recipe you can try with whatever you are looking at, or perhaps you can just be honest with her and tell her that you do not actually need help, but you thought she was so cute that you had to approach her. If you aren't willing to be that bold, then try to move the conversation away from food or products and ask her questions about her life. She will get the hint that you are interested in her very quickly.

another way, and my favorite... is to simply follow her up and down some of the same aisles and as an off handed conversation say, "we must stop meeting like this." She may laugh and a conversation can start. You may even want to help her out when she is looking at a particular fruit. Just simply approach her and give her your hints on how to pick out the right produce.

Or an approached that worked ONCE, by fluke, while doing my normal shopping, grabbing odds and ends for my day off. I normally don't go down the aisles when shopping but i was hankering for some ice cream, meandered on down the frozen food section and, spotted a very attractive girl, i looked into her basket, which is a good determination if she can handle her self in the kitchen, and noticed only frozen foods, and TV dinners. I strike up a conversation and, found out she was new in town and worked to much to cook, i invited her to a weekly pot luck dinner that me and a group of us have on Sundays and told her to join us... now here was the the hard part, getting all my friends together for a Sunday dinner and make them know that they have to at least look that we had done this once or twice before. I ended up cooking every ones dishes and then when the "date" arrived i admitted to her that is was a way to get to see her again, she was smitten, and we are still friends to this day.

A grocery store is typically no different then picking up a woman in any other place. As long as you can hold a conversation and come off charming and sweet, she will probably at least engage you in conversation. However, a grocery store just gives you more options on how to strike up that conversation. So, instead of heading to a local bar, try heading to your local grocery store and see what happens. Enjoy yourself, relax and have fun. If you walk around like you’re on a mission to pickup fellow shoppers they will sense this and be creeped out. If you’re walking around shopping, smiling and talk to everyone people will assume you’re just a very sociable guy. So the point is to be seen socializing not just with hot women but the store staff, guys, the counter staff etc as it’ll look much better as opposed to just talking to the hot women.

Braciole

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/3 cup grated provolone
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 1/4 cups store-bought marinara sauce i mean you are already i a grocery store!
  

Directions

Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

photo from huffington post.com and recipe from d Giadia www.foodtv.com

why cook at home?

Once upon a time in a land called college, I spent freshman weekend nights spooning only my pillow. My keg cup runneth over from sexually frustrated tears. Being in culinary school you would think that cooking at home would be very prevalent but it wasn’t. So one night while working on a group project, A study break was sorely needed so I fixed up this ridiculous Mac & Cheese from random dorm store ingredients. This hottie, who hadn't even asked where I was from, was suddenly smitten with a freshman. I would love to tell you she used me for my body. She did. But really she used me for my prowess, my culinary prowess. We got a C on our project in baking and pastry 101, and it could have been on how “100 years in solitude changed my life and narrowed the focus on human society,during the fall of the roman empire” for all that mattered, we were cooking together nearly every night, the project was last on our minds. My GPA did suffer, but my game rose to a 4.0. Being a Bachelor in the kitchen has served me, an average dude, well ever since. Man or woman, gay or straight, married or single, all should Cook. Here are 5 Reason why!

#1 Cheaper than a restaurant
Dating is hard enough on the ego; spare your poor wallet. I know that when courting a woman we as men shell out quite the bit of cash from time to time, and hell We’re in a recession, damn it! A more perfect excuse to skip Chez Bleu Boule there could not be. Do you really want to mortgage a kidney to pay for a meal when the waiter reciting the specials is really talking smack to your face in French, and or slipping your date his number. This has happened, damn you Laurent, sorry i digress...

#2 You’re already home
Your date begins and ends (after breakfast hopefully) in your house of iniquity. I say this in my used car sales man voice, “WORRY no more about awkward cliché post-date nightcap invitations.” You have all the time in the world to build a connection in the comfort of your own home. The best part is the bedroom is close. It’s even closer if you live in a studio, among the few benefits of living in that over priced of a shoebox. Just make sure the roommate is not around if this is a first attempt at cooking at home for that special someone.

#3 Connection through Collaboration
The object of any date is to build a connection. Whether you seek a soul mate or booty call, you need that spark. Involve your date in the cooking process, all from asking favorite foods, meals, childhood memories about ice cream, find out a few details. Get them emotionally invested in the meal, not helps your game out when you pull out his or her favorite recipe or your adaption of it. Together you create something beautiful while stirring a pot over a hot stove, I mean that is pretty hot in its self. This way your date will be comfortable with your presence when you bust a move.

#4 let there be WINE
I read somewhere that the more alcohol you drink, the less clothing you wear. I’m still running field tests so stay tuned. What I do know is that drinks, especially fine wines, can turn a swanky meal into a raw deal. Being a bachelor in the kitchen puts the power into your hands. You decide what pairs best with your grub and how much you both care to indulge. Have fun with this… find a specialty cocktail to start, then get into the wine and maybe a great French Press coffee drink to end, you are the mix master, or skip all that and just drink an ultra light beer.

#5 You’re DESSERT
This should be self-explanatory. It’s the culmination of the meal you slaved over. At this point, you have established yourself as a “keeper.” No doubt you were a charming host that titillated your date’s senses. all of them… Pounce, tiger, pounce! If that didn’t work the chocolate cake recipe at the end will work and is super simple!

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.

3.Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. Frost how you like it, you can buy some great premade frosting, and then maybe dress it up with a few fresh berries, i mean just an idea