Voyager Classics

Reading is not just an enjoyable pastime, but a rewarding and self-enriching hobby as well. A person who likes to read various publications and books across a range of subjects can easily carry on a conversation regarding different interests. Reading stimulates the mind, exposes your thinking to different philosophies and perspectives, and also challenges the mind to translate words into mental images and illustrations, unlike film or television which already feed the images to the brain.

In recent years, reading has experienced a major upheaval as the Internet age has given rise to digitized books, or e-books, and a plethora of different ways people now consume reading material. Bookstores are reporting decreased sales of paperbacks and hardbound books, while e-book readers such as the Kindle and Nook have become successful as consumers shift to e-books. Not surprisingly, tablets, smartphones and notebook computers also work with e-books.

Almost all newspapers today have an online edition as readers prefer to read their news on the Internet instead of the traditional morning paper. Also, online news editions can be updated regularly especially during coverage of a breaking news story, which is one major advantage for online news. Magazines typically have Web editions also.

It really should not be surprising that reading habits and trends have shifted towards online consumption. As the Internet has permeated daily transactions, business processes, and even forms of learning like language tutorials, cooking courses or the best online guitar lessons, the convenience and mobility offered by e-books was inevitable. You can have an entire library of various books fit in your digital reader for easy access while on a plane or sitting by the beach.

Many traditionalists have lamented the digitization of reading, and blame the Internet on less reading habits among the youth today. However, others contend that the youth’s quick adoption of anything Web-related or tech-savvy can actually be a catalyst for popularizing reading as a hobby again. When online users read news articles or research online, they are still reading and consuming information, even though it is not in printed form. E-books can be used to get today’s generation to develop a love for reading, if used the right way.

If you enjoy the traditional ingredients associated with southern food, and you enjoy barbecued chicken, this recipe is a great combination of the two. My BBQ chicken recipe requires several seasonings that are commonly found in southern food dishes. If you’re not ready to experience a little sweet heat, decrease the amount of hot seasoning agents to suit your taste.

Southern BBQ Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

• Cut-up fryer
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ cup molasses
• 1/3 cup Louisiana hot sauce
• ¼ cup prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Rinse chicken parts and pat dry. Combine brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, paprika, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Rub mixture on chicken, getting some underneath skin. Place rubbed chicken pieces in a pan or dish and cover. Leave in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place chicken on foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. Combine ketchup, molasses, hot sauce, mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small pot. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer sauce for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, pour liquid off baking pan. Dip each piece of chicken in barbecue sauce and return to pan. Increase oven temperature to 400 and continue cooking chicken until juices run clear.