Wilson - Eat to Love: sweet bites for the mouth & heart

EAT TO LOVE..

Sweet Bites for the Mouth & Heart

By W. Kay Wilson

Copyright 2014

Photograph copyright 2014 by JehanDaughertyPhoto

Library of Congress

Wilson, W.Kay

EAT TO LOVE..sweet bites for the mouth and heart/ by W. Kay Wilson

ISBN 978-0-692-23503-4

Summary: 1. Cookery, African American 2. Relationships 3. Wilson, W.Kay Anecdotes

Also by author: Holding On To Somewhere by W. Kay (Shabazz) Wilson-Provided by Publisher Carbon2Diamond Press ISBN: 978-0-615-43567-1 ISBN 10: 061543567X

Publisher website address: www.Carbon2DiamondPress.com

Cover design by: Adriel Harris

DEDICATIONS

This book is dedicated to my lion & my panther; Marcus & Stokley-I pray you success & joy. You were given this life because God knows you are strong enough to LIVE it. I love you. I am so proud and so grateful that God chose me to be your mom. To my bonus kids; Ashely, Karliah, Karlil & grand babes-JaLeah & JaShay thank you for adding to my life. My husband, KP-I adore your strength & your heart for God. K2W for always!

My 10 to win: Julie M, Dorian H, Laura C, Yvonne C, Kaneeka P, Trenia D, Adriel H, Pam L, Tanya L, & Roshanda- Thank you for your encouraging phone calls, spontaneous laughs in the kitchen & your discerning taste buds.

PREHEAT * 1

INGREDIENT DEVIANT * 9

KITCHEN VIXEN * 11

NOURISH A MAN, MARINATE A WOMAN * 15

GOIN FISHIN * 25

DISH ON FISH * 31

WHEN TO SAY WHEN: LEFT OVERS & DO OVERS * 41

SAMMIES & WIENERS * 53

ONE MANS STORY ANOTHER WOMANS STEW * 65

JERKS, CHICKENS, MEATLOAFS & LIMP NOODLES * 71

GOOD INGREDIENTS VS. FANCY PACKAGING * 81

CROCK POT & VEGGIE MEALS * 91

MAN THE KITCHEN THIS LADY BURNS * 137

HOW TO MAKE MENUS * 141

THE FLAVOR OF FAVOR: SWEET & SOUR * 189

Mo BETTA SUBSTITUTES * 197

THE HONEY & THE MONEY * 203

CAKES, SWEETS, THE ULTIMATE COOKIE & GOOD NUTS * 209

MISE EN PLACE : (mi za plas) n Frenc h . (in a professional kitchen) meaning putting in place getting tools & ingredients together

A note to all who are reading this; I love you and I honor you. You didn't do anything wrong. There are times when the best students get the hardest tests. When God has something for you to do -hen He has a gift for you- He will test you to be sure you are ready.

This may feel familiar. You're sitting on your couch, eating one of your favorite comfort snacks, watching television. Suddenly, the leading man is in the midst of a romantic 'I 'm so into you, no one gets to me like you do, you changed me and make me break my own rules ' speech, and you're awe struck. Not able to take another bite, you hang onto his every word. I suppose women in movie audiences or living rooms across the globe get so touched by these wildly improbable scenes because they also feel that what they have is an exception to the rules. I used to be one of those women, even though I knew the odds made it unlikely. It didnt matter how much love I gave or how supportive I was, it takes two people to make a commitment. I couldn't be the exception for someone who wasn't for me. You can't be either.

I take a ridiculous pleasure in what I eat and drink. I find that the table is one of the most intimate places in our lives because you can see how we give ourselves to one another. When we say, Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, how do you like it? We say much more than words express.

People bond over a meal because its tied to the power food has to nourish and sustain our bodies, as well as the way it allows us to make compelling symbolic associations embedded in thoughts of comfort and home. At some level, we all understand the language of food.

There is a magnetism that takes place when people share a meal together. The energy will either repel or connect. In my opinion, this makes it all the more important that the food we serve each other be good, tasty food that will nourish us - body and soul.

My prayer is that this book will help open your heart, your eyes and your taste-buds. The table is set and you're not alone. Use this as a guide to improve a discerning palette for what you have on the table or across the table. There is power in the tongue, with the words we speak and the food we receive.

The mouth holds great command and to a large extent can determine the kind of life that we will create for ourselves. The term when we know better, we do better, should apply to our relationship with ourselves, and with others. You should know you deserve as much love and attention as you would give to anyone else.

Many people are aware that your mood can kill your appetite, trigger food cravings or cause you to overeat. However, were you aware that the food you eat can make or break your mood? This is apparent shortly after you've eaten, but over time, what you eat helps to shape your mental health from the inside out. Good food and exercise can help you reduce stress and help you be nicer to others. I find Zumba and weight training helps me. If you feel better, you're a better partner and you're less vulnerable to stress.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, osteopathic specialist and alternative medicine proponent declared in his 2011 Huffington Post article, "I simply cannot overstate the importance of your food choices when it comes to your mental health. In a very real sense, you have TWO brains-one in your head, and one in your gut-both of which are created from the same tissue during fetal development.

These two systems are connected via your vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria uses to transmit information to your brain."

Relationships and recipes are about putting the right qualities of information together. As an example, think about baking. In general, baking ingredients can be divided into two categories; 'tougheners' or strengtheners, (ex: flour, eggs) and tenderizers or weakeners (ex. Fats, sugars). In order for a recipe to bake with all of the qualities we enjoy, like being tender, fluffy, moist, chewy and tasty, there needs to be the proper balance between the two categories. If one is increased, the other should be decreased, but they need to be mixed in the proper quantities.

Recipes vary by the amounts of each ingredient and the mixing techniques used to combine them. The amount of heat applied and the length of time it needs to cook also affects the final baked product. Each ingredient in a recipe contributes to the taste of the final baked good. Each experience or value system in a person contributes to the way they relate to other people. The combination creates a substance (product or person) that can both change its shape (or perspective) and ability to bounce back.

While making bread the dough can change its shape, but it resists the change and tries to form back to its original shape. I have been a dough girl, often going back to familiar actions, rather than learning from previous errors and making necessary changes for better results. The flour and water forms the network that gives bread its shape. Adding shortening and butter will make the dough more workable, giving the final product moistness and flavor. Our strengthener is our belief system and our tenderizers are the bad past experiences through which weve lived. What we bring into our relationships is a combination of both and we can present ourselves as tasty or sour.

Think of this book as the eggs, which are binders to help hold all of the ingredients together. Egg whites are often used to produce a light airy texture, while yolks contribute to the color, flavor, and texture of baked goods. Let's say you want to make a reduced fat cake. The number of egg whites you choose to use can be adjusted, but too many will make your cake dry. Some of the suggestions and examples will be familiar to you, but how much you take and what you use are up to you.