Polenta Medallions with Mushroom, Pancetta and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
  
• 1 jar of Bertolli Arrabiatta Sauce (spicy tomato sauce)
• 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 10 oz Button Mushrooms, cut into 1/4" slices
• 6 oz Portobello Mushrooms, cut into 1/4" slices
• 6 ox Shitake Mushrooms
• Polenta: Homemade or Pre-packaged roll (easily found in supermarkets)
  
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, julienne
• garnish with flat leaf parsley
  

Directions

1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When hot add onions and pancetta - cook until golden brown for abut 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
   
2. Add tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Lower heat to medium and let cook while preparing the rest of the recipe.
   
3. In a separate skillet, add butter and olive oil. When hot, add mushrooms and cook for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove mushrooms and place in a covered bowl; set aside
4. Cook the Polenta as per directions--grilled, saute or bake. I used a prepared polenta roll.
   
5. Slice Polenta roll into 1-inch rounds. Saute or grill per directions

Plating the Dish

1. Place a spoonful of tomato sauce on each plate
2. Add 2-3 polenta rounds
   
3. Top with Mushrooms, julienned sun-dried tomatoes and ricotta cheese
4. Top with a touch of Tomato sauce. 
5. Add parsley. Serve immediately
   

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Seduction Meals was recently invited to participate in a private Cooking Session with Bertolli's Chef Sarah and three amazing bloggers: Friends Family and Food, No Recipes and Zen Can Cook. We were invited to come up with a recipe using a sauce from their new Famiglia Line. I chose to work with the Arrabiatta, or spicy red sauce. Here is the recipe I created for the  event--Lobster Fra Diablo.

This is a super easy recipe to whip up in less than an hour, and if you enjoy lobster, a spicy tomato sauce wiht a bit of a "kick",  and Italian cooking--this is the dish for you! Serve this with a nice bottle of dry red. Enjoy!

Lobster Fra Diablo
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb tagliatelle, linguine or spaghetti
  
• 4 Lobster Tails, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large or two small shallots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 jar Bertolli Arrabiatta Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup clam juice
• 1/4 cup of clams from same jar
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper to taste
• garnish: Fresh Basil leaves

Directions:

1. Heat up olive oil in deep large skillet over medium high heat
2. Add shallots and cook until translucent, lower heat to medium
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add red wine, parsley, clam juice and clams,- cook for five minutes
   
5. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Add salt & pepper to taste
6. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes
7. Cook pasta according to directions, al dente
8. While the pasta is cooking, take a pair of scissors and cut vertically from the belly (underside of the hard shell) of each lobster from the top center to the bottom tail, and loosen a bit to make it easier to pull out the lobster meat when you are ready to serve and it is too hot to easily handle
9. When sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, add the lobster tails, shell side down
10. Spoon generous amounts of sauce over each lobster and cover to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat
11. The pasta should be just about ready. Drain and set aside

Plating the Dish
Place a serving portion of pasta on  a plate, add one lobster over the pasta, or naturally curved along side the pasta and top with spicy tomato sauce. Add a pinch of chopped parsley and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately with your favorite glass of dry, red wine.

"Disclaimer: Ogilvy Public Relations extended an invitation to the Bertolli Cooking Session on behalf of their client Bertolli. I was not provided monetary compensation nor was I required to post about the event or products upon accepting the invitation. These opinions are my own."

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Help End Childhood Hunger with Premium food & wine Event: Taste of the Nation NYC

Taste of the Nation NYC is back for its 22nd year and brings together Manhattan's top chefs and mixologists to serve sumptuous dishes and sling stunning cocktails, all with a single purpose: To End Childhood Hunger in America.

Save the Date: May 17, 2010
Grand Hyatt New York
109 East 42nd Street
Park Avenue @ Grand Central Terminal
New York, NY 10017

 RSVP now to meet and greet the city's top culinary talent and enjoy an evening of exquisite dining and imbibing, showcasing a silent auction of luxury, epicurean, and travel packages and book signings with top food writers.

100% of ticket sales supports Share Our Strength's efforts to end childhood hunger.

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A deliciously healthy weekend lunch that is fast and easy to prepare. Broiled salmon, thinly sliced cucumbers, artichoke hearts, lima beans, and quartered hard-boiled eggs, served over red leaf lettuce and tossed with a simple salad dressing. Serve with a crusty white bread and your favorite bottle of white wine.

Another wonderful treat would be to take the crusty white bread, sliced 3/4" thick and grill with Gruyere cheese--a nice complement to this simple salad. If you are planning an outdoor excursion like a picnic, a day of boating or a rooftop soiree, this salad travels well. In this case prepare the salad dressing, pour in a jar with a screw top lid.  Mix prepared vegetables and greens together on location and mix together with dressing just before serving.

To whip this dish up quickly I used canned Lima Beans and Artichoke Hearts, which tasted just fine; however if you want to prepare this recipe using fresh ingredients, you can prepare the artichoke hearts and beans the day before. Consider lima,  fava, cannelli, or Tuscan white beans.

Salmon Cucumber Lima Bean and Artichoke Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon, with skin*
  
• 1 tsp olive oil
  
• 1 tsp dried chevril
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 cup of salad per person
  
• 1/4 large red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 1 can lima beans (or 1 cup of cooked, fresh beans of your choice)
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs, quartered
• Optional Garnish: 1/4 cup julienned strips of fresh basil (try to find large basil leaves)
  

* Salmon with the skin on will be easier to handle and won't fall apart as easily. The salmon easily pulls from the skin after broiling.

Directions:

1. Turn on the broiler to get hot
2. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with chevril, coriander and a pinch of salt, set aside
3. Wash the salad and set aside to dry
4. Slice the onions and cucumbers, set aside
5. Broiling the Salmon: Cover your grill pan in aluminum foil and place the salmon skin side down in the broiler, four to five inches from broiler.  Cooking time depending on the thickness of the salmon. A general rule of thumb for broiling salmon is ten minutes for every inch of thickness; a thinner piece of fish takes less time. Check the fish before the prescribed time to be sure you do not overcook. The fish is done when it changes from pink translucent color to opaque with a little golden brown along the top.
6. Boil the Eggs: While the salmon is cooking, boil the eggs.
7. Prepare the salad dressing. Put the oil, garlic, vinegar and chives in a bowl and whisk together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
   
8. Add the beans, artichokes, onions and cucumbers to the bowl and mix together. Add salad and lightly toss together. Set aside. If you will travel with the dish--do not add olive oil until you are ready to serve.
   
9. When the salmon is done, immediately remove from the grill. Let cook for a few minutes. With a spatula or knife, cut salmon into bite size pieces, gently sliding the meat from the skin.
   

Plating the Dish

1. Place 1-2 cups of the salad, vegetable mixture on each plate
2. Add salmon on top of the salad.
3. Place 2-3 quartered egg slices on each plate
   
4. Garnish with basil slices
   
5. Serve with bread and wine. Enjoy!
   

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When your sweet tooth kicks in, there is nothing like a soft, chewy cookie to satisfy your desire. With the perfect combo of peanut butter and chocolate--these cookies have always been a favorite in my home. So easy to make and best eaten right out of the oven (after they cool down for a few minutes).

Peanut Butter Kisses
Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter or shortening, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 48 Hershey Kisses® chocolate candies, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter or shortening and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract; beat well.
5. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into creamed mixture until well mixed.
6. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
7. Place balls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie (cookie will crack around edges).
9. Remove from cookie sheet and let cookies cool on wire cooling racks.

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When you are dating a southern gal or guy, it is a nice gesture to master a dish to make them feel truly at home. For some good old southern cookin' try this easy to make Lamb Creole Gumbo. And let the good times roll - or as the say in N'Awlins: "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"!

Savory Lamb Creole Gumbo
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound American Lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen sliced okra, defrosted
• 1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Coat lamb with flour.  
2. In large pan with cover, heat oil over medium-hot heat.  Add lamb and brown.  
3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, wine, parsley, lemon, salt, thyme, bay leaf and garlic.
4. Simmer, covered, 1-1/2 hours.  
5. Add okra and black-eyed peas.  Cook 10 to 15 additional minutes.  
6. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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If you are a fan of Goldfrapp, only this time throw in a touch of Abba and Olivia Newton John, then this new album will  provide plenty of seductive tunes for your music playlist.

Head First is Goldfrapp's most powerful trip to date, a speedy rush of synth optimism, euphoria, fantasy and romance. With life affirming lyrics and stellar production it lifts off at full tilt and takes us on a journey to the heart of 2010. Fizzy with inspiration, the brand new single `Rocket' is a goose-bump brilliant tune destined to float out of radios across the land. The diversity, ambition and direction of the new album highlights Goldfrapp as true agenda-setters and modern British musical icons.

Head First follows the critically acclaimed Seventh Tree, which saw the NME describe Goldfrapp as `having done the seemingly impossible and become even more fantasy fabulous' and as `sublime, anthemic pop' by The Independent. Head First is the latest in a brilliantly consistent body of work - from the captivating electronic balladry of Mercury nominated debut Felt Mountain and its distorted-dancefloor follow-up, Black Cherry to the glitterball glamour of Supernature which came out in summer 2005 and went on to sell more than a million copies worldwide.

Head First Track listing:
   1. "Rocket" - 3:51
   2. "Believer" - 3:43
   3. "Alive" - 3:28
   4. "Dreaming" - 5:07
   5. "Head First" - 4:30
   6. "Hunt" - 4:34
   7. "Shiny and Warm" - 3:58
   8. "I Wanna Life" - 4:13
   9. "Voicething" - 4:44

Gotta Have it? Buy Now

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A tempting sweet that you can finger feed each other for your next Seduction Meal, Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Squares.  "Satisfy your cheesecake craving with these bite-sized treats. Dipped in chocolate, these sweet, creamy delights are party favorites. But be warned...you won't be able to eat just one".

This recipe is courtesy of A Taste of Home a wonderful online resource, as well as America's #1 cooking magazine both of which features authentic family-favorite recipes

Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Squares
49 Servings
Prep: 1 hour Bake: 35 min. + freezing

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling::

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) Kraft Philadelphia® - Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• /2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coating:

• 24 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons shortening

Directions

1. Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust.
3. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. Freeze overnight.
4. In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
5. Using foil, lift cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut into 49 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip.
6. Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; spoon about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping.) Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Yield: 49 squares.

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Known for their sultry sounds of love, Sade has enjoyed phenomenal success throughout the span of their  twenty-five year career. The highly anticipated new body of work is ready for your listening pleasures and will provide sexy tunes to add to your romantic music playlist: Sade's Soldier of Love.

Soldier is sumptuously melancholy, exquisitely beautiful R&B, perfect for crying on a very expensive sofa....she works in the same style: the hushed, voluptuous tones of heartbreak, reduced to a sexy-librarian whisper, with a very British sense of reserve--Rolling Stone Magazine

It begins with a mournful guitar melody. The notes float over strings and waves of ambient tones. A high-pitched keyboard whistle is delicately brushed into the soundscape. The bass dips and locks into a deep, slowly undulating rhythm. Then, that unmistakable voice peers through, like amber piercing midnight blue. The song is "The Moon and the Sky" and the voice belongs to Sade Adu.-- PopMatters.com

Soldier of Love is only the sixth studio album the band Sade have released during their 25 year career, and the first since Lover's Rock in 2000. For Sade herself, as the lynchpin of the group's songwriting effort, it's a simple matter of integrity and authenticity. "I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I'm not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand."

The call went out in 2008 for the group to re-convene at Peter Gabriel's Real World studio, near Sade's home in the countryside of south west England. It was the first time the four principals had met up since the Lover's Rock tour wrapped in 2001. Bassist Paul Denman de-camped from Los Angeles, where he had been managing his teenage son's punk band, Orange. Guitarist and sax player Stuart Matthewman interrupted his film soundtrack work in New York, and keyboardist Andrew Hale gave up his A&R consultancy.

In a series of fortnightly sessions at Real World, Sade sketched out the material for a new album which, they all felt, was probably their most ambitious to date. In particular, the sonic layering and martial beats of the title track, Soldier Of Love, sounded quite different from anything they had previously recorded. According to Andrew Hale: "The big question for all of us at the beginning was, did we still want to do this and could we still get along as friends?" The answer soon came back as a passionate affirmative.

The album was completed in the summer of 2009, mainly at Real World. The feel of the music this time had moved away from the old country soul styling of Lover's Rock and assumed a more eclectic identity. At times the band sounded like the original Sade, with Matthewman back blowing soft sax on In Another Time and the vocal on Long Hard Road hymning. But with songs such as the joyously quirky reggae chant Babyfather, and the dramatically arranged album opener The Moon and the Sky, Sade were exploring new territory. "I never want to repeat myself," Sade herself says. "And that becomes a more interesting challenge for us the longer we carry on together."  (Amazon.com)

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