It is often said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  I don’t know how true that is but food is a powerful lure and for any woman, who possesses the skill to prepare great food it can definitely earn her brownie points, no pun intended, with her potential suitor!

Look we’re not taking a walk down memory lane and the use of “suitor” is no indication that we should be operating in accordance to the “courting rituals” of the18th Century, it’s just a fact that men like to eat (yeah women too) and find it a bonus if they can land a woman who is adept in the kitchen.

I wonder if that’s also true for women. Landing a man who can cook? Hummm???

Unfortunately today women are working as hard and in some cases harder than men and to think that your lady will be zipping around the kitchen making the ultimate dream meal is just unrealistic.

There’s no secret that today women make their own money, buy their own condos and manage to do what they want, when they want; but some women find the idea of preparing a meal to impress a man a tad bit antiquated. Honestly it really matters not if you have the culinary prowess of Julia Child or sensual grace of Nigella Lawson, being able to prepare a few exceptional recipes is good for both men and women. Right?

I recently saw Eat Pray Love and although I had to admit, the movie lacked divine wisdom, insight and a flawless storyline (I’m a hopeless romantic) the part I was most interested in was the food. Why not? Can you honestly go to Italy and remain carbless. Movies, all movies that are centered on food in some way have an innate fascination because food is what binds us together as humans no matter where we are on the planet.

Ask anyone about some of the best times they’ve ever had and there is probably food involved in some fashion, drinks included. Confucius said the three most powerful desires known to mankind, food, sex and more food. The longer I live the more I realize Confucius was onto something; food being mentioned twice.

It’s no surprise eating is a spiritual experience for which we more than not should give thanks to God and/or the Cook in the presence of the people and/or pets that experience our dining pleasure.

Each and everyday we Eat Pray Love, just not in the traditional sense. Have you ever sat down to a meal with family or friends and the food was so good you said, “Have Mercy,” or “Oh My God?” Okay, maybe not, but did your toe start to tap or your knee shake? “Having a relationship with your food?” Yep, that’s what happened.

Look this is just from the perspective of how we relate to our food, and as much as we don’t want to admit it, all of us have, and have had a relationship with food that transcends the normal.

Soon we’ll all be indulging in the fall/winter holidays and food will most definitely be involved; you will eat, pray, praise the cook and love the opulent meal you are about to consume along with, possibly some of the family/friends gathered around your table (I didn’t say you needed to love the company). The bottom line is even if your don’t like the book or the movie, you have to admit the title is right on point!

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Have you ever wondered what is in that fluffy mound of frosting that sits atop those delicious cupcakes?

The truth is some bakers use real butter, but more than not it is a product made up of soybean oil, fully hydrogenated palm oil, partially hydrogenated palm and soybean oils, mono and digycerides, THBQ (TBHQ an anti-oxidant that keeps fats from going rancid),  and citric acid aka vegetable shortening.

So with that said what is buttercream frosting? It is the amalgamation of substances that may or may not include butter and/or cream depending on who is making it.

I have a real problem eating a spoonful of vegetable shortening, no matter that it is blended with sugar and flavorings. Recently one of the baking message boards addressed the issue of what to use instead of vegetable shortening (VS) and the conversation went from nothing, since VS is the best product for buttercream frosting to butter, plain old fashioned butter, then I think someone else suggested an Italian product called strutto, a melted animal fat (sorta like lard), free of all meat particles and preserved in soft form, not sold in the U.S.

I started to look up some alternatives to using vegetable shortening and found some other ways of making buttercream, but they would probably be more expensive for most bakers and less stable, meaning they would not withstand sitting on a table waiting on the guest for an extended length of time.

There is Italian Buttercream made with simple syrup and eggs whites,  and the usual ingredient, cooked of course.

French Buttercream made with egg yolks, whole eggs and the usual, also cooked of course.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream, again cooked and makde with egg whites.

German Buttercream made with pastry cream, confectioners’ sugar and butter, but not cooked!

Last but not least, Cream Cheese Buttercream also not cooked.

With all these options why on earth would anyone ever want to us vegetable shortening in their buttercream frosting, have you ever tasted the stuff?

Is it “hellified” hot any where else in the country? I’m sitting here in Dallas, Georgia thinking about the time I went to Louisiana and my grandmother had these lovely plump figs falling off her fig tree. I had never tasted a fresh fig off the tree and it was amazing. She talked about fig jam and the like. My daughter turned up her nose, but what do children really know, their delicate little palates are just so under developed.

Soon figs will be at the farmers market and I’m treating myself to some good old fashioned fig ice cream from a recipe I located in this little cookbook titled Favorite New Orleans Recipes I purchased in New Orleans more than 25 years ago.

Here is my modified version of Fig Ice Cream Recipe for those who can already get figs!

If you are not familiar with making homemade ice cream, tread slowly.

4 cups fresh whole figs, peeled

1 cup superfine sugar (don’t use granulated)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 large egg yolks

2 cups whole milk, scalded (don’t substitute anything else)

2 cups whipping cream or heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla, (Ronald Reginald is best)

In a large bowl beat the sugar, salt and egg yolks until light yellow.

In a double boiler, pour in the egg mixture and slowly add the milk, beating with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the double boiler pot from the water and cool for about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture.

Add heavy cream and vanilla.

Carefully fold in the peeled fig pulp, keep it as whole as possible.

Freeze using a 2 quart hand turned ice cream freezer or electric ice cream freezer.

You should get just under 2 quarts of ice cream.

Want to learn more about figs? click here

Recently a LinkedIn member asked what cookbook would you recommend to a friend if you had the opportunity? I thought about it for a second and could only come up with one, namely Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book. Okay, can you tell I’m a baby boomer.

Look, it’s one of the few books that has tried and true recipes and foods I’m  relatively familiar with. I have come to the conclusion that many of the cookbooks that are out today are just garbage. There I said it! Yep, garbage.

Celebs are in business to make money, not provide deliciously divine recipes so they really don’t count. Think about it, it takes days, sometime weeks to perfect a recipe and then all of a sudden one of those Food TV Network celebs has not only come out with a cookbook but a magazine filled with more recipes. Really? I guess if I had a slew of CIA grads busy trying this or that I could do it too.

No jealousy here, just wondering what it’s all for? You know, the pretty pictures of food that makes your want to drool, digital photography and a good food stylist can do wonders.

So if you would recommend a book to your BFF what would it be?