Whether its football, basketball or baseball, most guys dedicate several days of the week to watching sports. As a celebrity host and one of People magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors, Dave Lieberman recommends making up for too much guy time by preparing a special date-night menu for two.
"Any guy can take a woman to a restaurant and slap down his credit card. If you really want to impress a date, you should cook for her," says Dave. "My secrets to creating a romantic meal include pulling in recipes that use the flavors of the season and having the right tools for a laid-back kitchen that cooks. I also recommend streamlining kitchen tasks to not only maximize time with your special someone, but also be more energy
Three Essentials to Planning a Romantic Meal
• Don't Stress to Impress: To avoid food catastrophes while entertaining, stick to what you know and don't try to over do it with unfamiliar recipes. If you want to try something new, have a "rehearsal dinner" the week before.
• Top-Notch Tools: When cooking and entertaining, it's always nice to have tools that make the job easier. With the Frigidaire® Precision Set¨ Surface Controls, which enable precise and accurate temperature control, and the Frigidaire® Favorite & Keep Warm Settings, which will digitally recall baking settings and hold the oven temperature at 170ˇF so you can keep your food warm until .your guest arrives, entertaining is a breeze. Both appliance features are available at Lowe's.
• Planet Friendly Pointer: To save time and energy in the kitchen, take out all of your refrigerated ingredients at the same time. Spread them out in an organized fashion, which helps to make the cooking process more streamlined. Plus, it minimizes the number of times you open your refrigerator door. Every time the door opens, refrigerator energy consumption increases by 10 percent.
Duo of Bruschettas
Toasty Tomato, Mozzarella and Olive
Spinach, Pine Nuts and Raisins
Serves: 4 for appetizers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Bruschetta
1 large loaf French bread
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 450ˇF. Slice bread into small slices Ń no more than a 1/2 inch thick. Place on two baking sheets.
In small bowl, combine garlic and olive oil. Place in microwave 30 seconds to meld flavors.
Brush garlic and olive oil mixture onto top of each bread slice. Heat in oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until bread begins to brown and toast. Meanwhile make toppings.
Toasty Tomato, Mozzarella
and Olive Topping
15 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into
small cubes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup diced pitted black or pitted
kalamata olives
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine and mix all ingredients in bowl and set aside. Top half of bread slices (one sheet pan) with mixture and return to 450ˇF oven about 4 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
