Gooey Goodness

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" John asked today. I told him that I wanted toasted marshmallows.

Really.

I just love love love a perfectly toasted melty sweet marshmallow just off the fire. Sigh.

Wonderful hubby that he is, within the hour I was perched in front of our fire pit, brand spankin' new marshmallow toasting fork in hand with my sugary supper in progress. John insisted on real food for his dinner, go figure.

If my entire meal is to consist of one item, I want it to be perfectly cooked. What's that, you say? How do you create the perfect toasted marshmallow?

My marshmallow method has been finely tuned over several years of intense research and development. Observe carefully, and you too can be a marshmallow maniac.

First, one must always choose the finest ingredients.

So I'm not going to name names here, people, but for heaven's sake - don't buy the old rubbery marshmallows that have been sitting in some warehouse so long that the entire bag is one big sticky blob. Spring for the genuine marshmallow item.

Second, make sure that safety essentials are close at hand.

Next, prepare the fire. Choose wood that hasn't been treated with chemicals, is dry, and don't add goofy stuff like plastic bags or pop cans or other weird things to the fire. Plastic coated marshmallows are not good for you. They may even cause autoimmune disease, or something.

It's important to accurately assess a fire's readiness to roast said marshmallow. The above fire is mostly flames. Not good for toasting. Patience, grasshopper.......These coals are perfect.

Nestle the raw marshmallows near the glowing embers of the fire. Note this perfectly placed fork:

Now comes the part where an expert eye and sense of timing comes in to play. Pay attention, folks - if the marshmallow begins to puff slightly and begins to just barely smoke - it's time to turn it. If you let your attention wander, you may end up with sad crunchy chunks of charcoal. I know - there are those who claim to enjoy burned marshmallows, but I simply don't believe them. They just haven't perfected their technique.

Remember: Friends don't let friends eat burned marshmallows. Oh, the tragedy of it all.....I can't bear to look.

Now here is an example of toasted perfection:

Ready to stuff that beauty in your mouth? Not so fast, buster. A true marshmallow gourmet knows that one gently slides the marshmallow off the fork.

Note that the fingers remain below the marshmallow. Only an amateur grabs the middle creating premature smooshing.

Aaaaaah. Pop that golden brown toasty treat in your mouth and savor.

Repeat repeatedly.