Make-out Food

A friend of mine calls this type of meal “Make-out Food,” and she is so right! I was first introduced to this dining custom by my foodie roommate in Newport, Rhode Island. We would buy a baguette, cheese and accoutrements for a casual dinner in front of the TV with wine. When Chris and I were dating these were fancy, easy “dinners” I could throw together after a full day of seeing patients. We would feed each other and he loved being introduced to this new picnic-type meal with foods he wasn’t accustomed to like dates or goat cheeses. My friend refers to this as make-out food because it totally intimate, decadent, playful and always leads to some romance!

Why it’s intimate.

• You’re sharing from one plate
• It’s a sensory exploration of textures and flavors-you’re using your fingers, feeding each other and mixing so many rich flavors and textures
• It’s slow food
• It’s so stress-free and it’s easy to replenish
• You can eat at the coffee table, on the floor or even in bed-a very sensual lesbian friend of mine would lavish in what she called “bed picnics” with her partner

Make-out Food

Fruits

• Medjool dates
• apricots (dried or fresh)
• blueberries
• raspberries

Meats

• hard salami
• prosciutto

Cheeses

• A soft: brie, goat
• A hard: parmesan
• A medium: cheddar

Breads

• baguette
• Ok Mak crackers
• rice cracker rounds

Nuts

• almonds (all kinds of roasted flavored ones out there-I love plain, raw and organic)
• pictured are organic walnuts with drizzled honey
• cashews

Arrange on a cutting board using small bowls or ramekins to separate some items and pair with some wine.

Make-out food doesn’t give you the best breath…but I promise you won’t notice!

What else would you add to this make-out meal?