Elixirs of Love--do you have a culinary seduction story to share? Please email it to me or post it in comments below. 

Years ago I attended a party in Midtown Manhattan filled with glamorous people, wonderful food and free flowing champagne. The arresting, surreal part of this setting was the 50 foot wall lined with trophy heads of animals from around the world gazing over this NY scene. To top off the night an announcement was made. The host, a worldly hunter, just returned from a highly successful jaunt and invited everyone to join him for a celebratory cocktail mixed with Rhino Tusk. Everyone happily sauntered over to the bar and lustily imbibed. I was one of the few who curiously observed (today I would happily knock one back). But really...could a phallic shaped animal part really enhance your libido and turn you into a rock star lover? Do aphrodisiacs really work? Regardless, I had my eye on the door in case everyone suddenly turned into a "pack of dogs in heat". Luckily this never happened.

 Myth of fact? Throughout the centuries aphrodisiacs--and there are many, have been attributed to increased sexual desire, fertility, and the ability to ignite wild lust and passion in us all. Who are we to argue? If you believe, anything is possible. As I've said before, a little culinary alchemy never hurt anyone (except that poor rhino!)

 
When serving Elixirs of Love to enhance your Seduction Meal--not necessarily rhino tusk but perhaps oysters, avocado, honey or chocolate, be creative with your music selection to get the mood going in the right direction. Have a little fun, maybe mix in a little voodoo magic with your romantic tunes:

Music Play List: Elixirs of Love #1

1. I Put a Spell on You - Screaming Jay Hawkins
2. Love Potion #9  - The Clovers
3. Old Black Magic - Frank Sinatra
4. Black Magic Woman - Santana
5. Please make suggestions for more.....

 

Post a Comment

I am enjoying a new love affair with another Australian culinary hit. First Donna Hay (to me a queen of seduction meals), and now delicious. magazine. As per their site,  "delicious. celebrates food and the people who produce it, from celebrity chefs to passionate foodies from around Australia and the rest of the world. So whether you want a simple but scrumptious midweek meal or an impressive dinner-party menu, we've got the recipes you need."

In Volume 4 Issue 7 you will find the recipe for Kickass Barbeque Sauce. I chose to try this recipe because it uses a mix of spices that I wanted to explore: coriander, cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper. The resut was truly kickass as I used way too much cayanne pepper the first go around--having missread 1/2 teaspoon as 1 teaspoon. Let me tell you, tears were shed...but the taste was awesome. Not to worry, the measurement below is the right recipe, although I did increase the ketchup from 1/3 to 1/2 cup.

delicious. kickass barbecue sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tspn ground coriander

1 tspn ground cumin

1 tspn ground allspice

1/2 tspn cayenne pepper

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup of water

2 sprigs of onions, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

Another Seduction Meal submitted by Stefan, NYC

"Cooked with rosemary, garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds, this side dish is a pure mix of aromatic pleasures and is sure to seduce the palette. You can serve this as a side dish for lunch or dinner, or serve it up with your favorite eggs for breakfast".

Rosemary Parmesan Potatoes

1.5 lbs mixed small red potatoes, mini Yukon's, fingerlings

olive oil

1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped

12 whole garlic cloves

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp Vege-Sal, vegetized seasoning salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

coarse sea salt to taste

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

Get ready for some serious sighs of satisfaction! When choosing a steak my preferences is rib eye and always medium rare. Serve this juicy grilled steak with the Tomato Blue Cheese salad (see salad recipes) or Roasted Rosemary Parmesan Potatoes (next post to come). Add a nice Bordeaux and you're good to go! One tip when cooking steak, it is best to let the steak stand at room temperature for 1/2 - 1 hour before cooking.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Sherry Mushrooms

Steak: Choose one large Rib Eye Steak for two, at least 1 inch think

cracked pepper and coarse salt, to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of crushed garlic

2 tbsp of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Pappy's Sauce for Sissies)

garnish with a tarragon leaves

Mushrooms: This recipe can be used in many ways; Pile mushrooms on top of thinly sliced, toasted baguette and serve as an appetizer. Serve over grilled steak, poultry, pork chops or with eggs. It is delicious on its own and can be served as a side dish to complement most main dishes.

1lb of button mushrooms, cut in quarters

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1/3 cup of sherry

2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

2 tablespoons of cream, or half and half

salt and pepper to taste

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

Whenever you can--always buy FRESH. August and September are THE months to experience the true flavor of tomatoes and this salad is the perfect end-of-the summer treat. I am a big fan of Bon Appetit Magazine. A few years ago I discovered this recipe in the magazine and have been serving it up ever since--never without praise. I make it with or without the garlic toasted bread and I typically serve it with a grilled rib eye steak. (See next week's Grilled Rib Eye Recipe). You can find the original tomato salad recipe at Epicurous.com).

Tomato Blue Cheese Salad
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes or halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions

10 medium heirloom tomatoes of assorted colors, cored, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
3 celery stalks, sliced thin on diagonal
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled blue cheese

Combine 1/3 cup oil, cherry or grape tomatoes, and green onions in medium bowl; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Overlap tomato slices in concentric circles on platter, alternating colors. Scatter onion and celery slices over tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon tomato and green onion mixture over. Sprinkle with crumbled cheese.

Post a Comment

The James Beard Foundation does it again. Artistically prepared, seductive Mexcican food paired with assorted mezcal all night long..now that's a Seduction Meal!

Sean Yontz, recognized as one of Denver's top chef's with a passion for Latin influenced cuisine, and Chris Douglas, known for artfully combining his experience and love of fine dining with the flavors and flair of central Mexico; togetgher hosted the Contemporary Mexican Celebration at the James Beard Foundation creating one artistic culinary masterpiece after the other.

They were joined by Ron Cooper, founder of New Mexico based Del Maguey whose prized mezcals are produced in small quantities which may help explain their prices: $40 to $200 per bottle. Here's a link to some of Ron's Mescal recipes: you've got to love names like "Fire Between the Thighs" and "The Xiuhtecuhtli O (The Fire God)" or "Chocolate and Mezcal Volcano Cakes".

Hors d'Oeuvres Tastings

Butter Poached Spiny Lobster with Crisp Potato Cakes

Foie Gras Torchon with Carmelized Plaintains and Onion Salsa

Tuna Nachos with Guacamole and Fresno Peppers

Huitlachoche Quesadillas with Smoked Jalapeno Salsa (looked more like empanadas to me)

Smokin' Marg > Del Maguey Blanco Mezcal with Orange and Lime Juices and Cointreau or,

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

I am very excited to have participated in the Super Soup Challenge hosted by Tami of Runing with Tweezers. You have check out her wonderful blog, and if you love soup you'll thoroughly enjoy the exquisite collection of recipes submitted by people from around the world. I entered this chilled summer soup--one of my favorites.

This simple yet tasty soup is filled with a mix of flavors that will flirtatiously seduce your palate. The chilled lime avocado base is deliciously enhanced by the cilantro and corn. I like to top this soup with a warm mix of seared crab, shrimp and scallops.

Chilled Avocado Seafood Soup

3 ripe Haas avocados

1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

6 cups of chicken stock, remove any floating fat

Kernels from 2 ears of corn on the cob

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and olive oil

salt and pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 heaping tablespoons of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lb mix of shrimp and scallops (peel and de-vein the shrimp)

1 6-oz can of high quality crab meat, drained

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

Tortilla Chips

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

This recipe was submitted by the seductress Virginia of NYC.

This recipe was given to me by the chef of the Kitchen Witch--one of the finest restaurants located in Greenwich Village in the early '80's, which sadly enough has since closed. It was one of our favorite choices on the menu. I was very fortunate to have seduced the chef Stanley with my wit and appreciation and pry the recipe from him. Curried carrot bisque has never failed to seduce and tame anyone who has tried it; that includes man, woman, child and the occasional four legged furry gourmand dog lucky enough to taste it.

curried carrot bisque

2 1-lb bags of peeled baby carrots

2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth 

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 tablespoons of curry powder

1/2 point of light cream or half and half

pinch of Cayenne pepper

creme fraiche

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Continue Reading / Post a Comment

This is a variation on the famous Turkish dish, Imam Bayildi which literally means "The Iman Fainted". They say a certain Imam who tasted this dish after observing a holy day and ending a long fast was so taken with the aroma of this dish, he actually fainted. May you be so lucky to witness this same reaction!

The original dish does not include the lamb, so feel free to remove this ingredient and skip the first 5 ingredients and step 1. Either way, its delicious! This is a stove top dish that I consider easy to prepare, although there is a bit of preparation. This can be served as a main dish or as a side dish.

Continue Reading / Post a Comment