Table for Two

Ingredients: One down-on-his-luck chef struggling to make it in his hometown. One nomadic bartender allergic to putting down roots. A hot and heavy night in the Big Easy that neither of them can stop thinking about. Directions: Pour ingredients into the chef's final hope, a queer-friendly gastropub in New Orleans. Set a timer for how long the bartender is willing to lend his skills. Let ingredients meld as they build a concept for their community, share drinks and menus, and learn to expand their horizons from right at home. Stir until the two can no longer be separated and love is guaranteed.

Ingredients: One surly, tattooed chef on the brink of losing it all, including his sense of taste. One sexy, bespectacled doctor who jumps at the chance to dine with his foodie idol. A cross-country culinary adventure, from picnics to dive bars to fine dining and home-cooked meals. Directions: Combine ingredients in one plane, in one hotel room, in each other's company for ten days over Christmas and New Year's.