Seduction Meals is about food + romance and the premise that everyone should learn to master one dish that is their signature dish—a Seduction Meal, to enchant and captivate that special someone in your life...
Ever dream of becoming a chef? Running your own restaurant? Or perhaps becoming a contestant on Iron Chef competing against Mr. Batali himself. I had the pleasure of dining with chefs in training at the Northhampton Community College student run restaurant--Hampton Winds. Each student performs all functions of operating a restaurant and preparing the finest quality gourmet meals.
Their were five of us and each and every meal was meet with praise. The dinner was splendid; the service impeccable. Take a look at this slide show for inspiring ideas for your next Seduction Meal.
Hampton Winds Dinner is $30 Pre Fixe - Select one item from each meal Reservations can be made by calling 610-861-4549 between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Grilled Flat Iron Steak, Shoe String Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, Sauce au poivre
Chicken Breast, Spiced Sausage, Northern White Beans with Vegetables, Red Wine Reduction
Seared Tuna Fillet, Eggplant Baba ghanoush, Bok Choy, Sweet Chili Sauce, Crisped Lotus Root
Vegetarian Entrée
Sweet Potato Agnolotti, Sage Cream, Brown Butter, Potato Crisps
Dessert
As a finale to your dining experience at Hampton Winds a dessert cart comes to your table filled with sweet temptations that will please all gourmands in the house. All you have to do is select one--the most difficult part of this wonderful dining experience.
If you are looking for a simple way to boost your sex life, try adding basil to your meals. Reputed to stimulate one's sex drive and increase fertility basil has been favored as an aphrodisiac for centuries. And like Cleopatra and Cassanova, masters of seduction, be sure to set the tone of the night by whispering a tale or two of the amorous affects that basil is known to evoke as you pour each other a glass of white wine and enjoy this simply sumptuous meal. For an added kick - start you evening with an avocado, lobster salad and champagne--all believed to be aphrodisiacs.
penne with basil, tomato and ricotta
1 box of your favorite penne pasta 3 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp oregano
1/8 cup of shredded fresh basil 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup of olive oil 1 pint of cherry tomatoes left whole 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
ricotta cheese, sliced and crumbled red pepper flakes
1. Cook pasta al dente, according to directions on the package. Drain when done and place in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, oregano, Parmesan cheese,and salt and pepper to taste. Be careful not to add too much salt as the cheese can be salty. Tip: Always use fresh parmesan, nothing in a can and not the kind that comes in a pint container grated. You want fresh.
2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet making sure there is enough to cover the bottom. If your skillet is exceptionally large you may need a little more oil. When hot, add the cherry tomatoes and saute for a minute or two. Add the garlic over the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Carefully stir the tomatoes so garlic is mixed in to the oil. In another minute or two, when the tomato skin start to wrinkle, they are almost done--you want to keep them in long enough so the skin starts to slightly char. If you need to, add a bit more olive oil to the pan (you want about 1/8 cup of garlic infused oil to add to the pasta).
3. Remove the tomatoes from the heat. And pour tomatoes/olive oil over the pasta, gently tossing ingredients together.
4. Place the pasta on two plates. Top with the remaining chopped basil, a dash of red pepper flakes, and some fresh grated parmesan cheese.
5. Bring you plates to a table lit with candles. Pour two glasses of red wine. Toast to each other and enjoy!
When you are looking to impress a lover with discerning taste, take cues from Sirio Maccioni the owner of Le Cirque
and his executive chef, Christophe Bellanca--the masterminds behind the
magic of the legendary New York restaurant that has built a reputation
on offering a dining experience filled with opulence and pure
indulgence.
"Le Cirque has always been a place where the worlds
of food, fashion, art and culture collide", says Mr. Maccioni,
who has wined and dined high-society in New York for nearly half a
century.
So with full enthusiasm and ready to surrender to indulgence, I happily open the door to the James Beard House
for a dinner with Christophe Bellanca to pamper my palate. And as you
can see in the slide show below...each dish was bold, beautiful and
done to perfection.
Hors d'Oeuvre
Lamb Roulades
Chicken Satay
Lobster Tarts
Branzino Tartare
Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
Dinner
Tuna Tataki with Marinated Vegetables, Miso Gelée, and Celeriac Blancmange Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric-Emile Riesling 2001
Foie Gras Ravioli with Green Cabbage Marmalade and Black Truffle Emulsion Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric-Emile Riesling 2001
Langoustine with Mixed Asian Vegetables and Coconut-Lemongrass Jus Newton Red Label Chardonnay 2005
Chilean Sea Bass with Osetra Caviar, Leeks, Honshimeji Mushrooms, and Champagne Sauce Newton Red Label Chardonnay 2005
Walnut-Crusted Squab Breast and Squab Leg Confit with Lentil Ragoût and Prune Beignet Rocca di Frassinello Le Sughere di Frassinello 2004
Crêpes Suzette Il Pollenza Pius IX Mastai 2004 Château Suduiraut Sauternes 1995
Le Cirque is located at the Courtyard of One Beacon Court 151 East 58th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenue 212.644.0202
There are certain moments in history when America has proven itself to the world: Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon; the US Men's Hockey team beating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics, and this year Michael Phelps winning 8 gold medals. One such moment; however, never got the recognition it deserved. In 1976, a small American winery bested the exalted French wines of the time and sent the wine industry into a tizzy--putting California wines on the map for good. Since its premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Bottle Shock has won the hearts of critics and festival audiences alike. Based on a true story, Bottle Shock chronicles the events leading up to the famous "Judgment of Paris" tastings, told through the lives of father and son, Jim and Bo Barett. A former real estate attorney and novice vinter, Jim Barrett (Bill Pulman) sacrificed everything to realize his dream of creating the perfect hand-crafted chardonnay. Meanwhile in Paris, struggling wine seller Steven Spurrier came up with an idea for a publicity stunt to help his floundering shop. Little did Spurrier and Barrett realize they were about to change the history of wine forever.
Enter Steven Spurrier (Rickman), a British expatriate trolling Napa in
search of bottles for his upcoming wine tasting event arranged to take place
in France, pitting his favorite French wines against up-and-coming vintages from California. His goal: to promote the diversity of offerings in his
failing Paris wine shop. Spurrier is surprised by the quality of the
wines he encounters, among them Barrett's Chardonnay. But Barrett, put
off by Spurrier's snobbish attitude, refuses to participate in the
contest. Against his father's wishes, Bo delivers two bottles of
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay to Spurrier for the contest, just as the
wine salesman is about to board a plane back to Paris.
The move angers the elder Barrett, but he is far more devastated when he discovers that his entire vintage, though exceptional in taste, has mysteriously turned brown. It's the last straw for Barrett, who decides to have the discolored wine hauled away, quit the business and beg for his old job back. But when Sam looks up a viniculturist who explains that the discoloration is a rare but temporary condition--a result of the Montelena winemaker's perfectionism--the race is on for Bo and Sam to tell Barrett the good news before the wine gets dumped and Chateau Montelena falls into the hands of its creditors.
"Wine lovers won't just sip but guzzle a lot of this down." Robert Koehler, Variety
"Be on the lookout for "Bottle Shock," a hugely entertaining movie fresh out of Sundance and the film festival circuit. It's a winner". Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Magazine
"Bottle Shock is more than the story. It is also about people who love their work, care about it with passion and talk about it with knowledge" Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Judgment of Paris TIME June 7, 1976
Americans abroad have been boasting for years about California wines, only to be greeted in most cases by polite disbelief - or worse. Among the few fervent and respected admirers of le vin de Californie in France is a transplanted Englishman, Steven Spurrier, 34, who owns the Cave de la Madeleine wine shop, one of the best in Paris, and the Academie du Vin, a wine school whose six-week courses are attended by the French Restaurant Association's chefs and sommeliers. Last week in Paris, at a formal wine tasting organized by Spurrier, the unthinkable happened: California defeated all Gaul.
The contest was as strictly controlled as the production of a Chateau Lafite. The nine French judges, drawn from an oenophile's Who's Who, included such high priests as Pierre Tari, secretary-general of the Association des Grands Crus Classes, and Raymond Oliver, owner of Le Grand Vefour restaurant and doyen of French culinary writers. The wines tasted were transatlantic cousins - four white Burgundies against six California Pinot Chardonnays and four Grands Crus Chateaux reds from Bordeaux against six California Cabernet Sauvignons.
Gallic Gems. As they swirled, sniffed, sipped and spat, some judges were instantly able to separate an imported upstart from an aristocrat. More often, the panel was confused. "Ah, back to France!" exclaimed Oliver after sipping a 1972 Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. "That is definitely California. It has no nose," said another judge - after downing a Batard Montrachet '73. Other comments included such Gallic gems as "this is nervous and agreeable," "a good nose, but not too much in the mouth," and "this soars out of the ordinary."
When the ballots were cast, the top-soaring red was Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' '72 from the Napa Valley, followed by Mouton-Rothschild '70, Haut-Brion '70 and Montrose '70. The four winning whites were, in order, Chateau Montelena '73 from Napa, French Meursault-Charmes '73 and two other Californians, Chalone '74 from Monterey County and Napa's Spring Mountain '73. The U.S. winners are little known to wine lovers, since they are in short supply even in California and rather expensive ($6 plus). Jim Barrett, Montelena's general manager and part owner, said: "Not bad for kids from the sticks"
Jack is an occasional restaurant that it is only occasionally in existence. Recommended by a friend and run by a fellow food blogger, I took a ride to Brooklyn to support and explore this interesting concept restaurant. I love the idea of restaurants, clubs, and bars that move from place to place or come and go as they please. You have to "know someone" to find out where these hot spots are. This is one to check out.
Run by Danielle and Dave, I asked this highly creative culinary couple why the name Jack? "We spent a while thinking about names before settling on simply naming it "Jack". Being "jacks of all trades" ourselves; you need Jacks. We are the elements of change that lets the world happen. For us, Jack is just another expression of that --doing as much as we can and keeping ourselves active and interested in what we do. And a nod to the fairy tale archetype. Also, it happens to have been Dave's grandfather's name."
Lawyer by day--food blogger by night. Danielle got into blogging a little over two years ago when she started Habeas Brulee. "I was reading a lot of food blogs at the time and just itching to create my own and take part in the community and teh discourse about food and cooking that was starting to develop. The name of my blog comes from habeas corpus, a legal term used primarily in criminal defense law meaning "you should have the body", and creme brulee, the creamy custard dessert with the crunchy burnt sugar on top".
Danielle is an attorney with a general practice (http://www.sucherlaw.com) and while she loves her legal practice, it is not the only way she likes to spend her time. Her co-chef and fiancé Dave is programmer and feels the same about his work. They spend a lot of time cooking and experimenting in the kitchen together. "We love feeding people and have always loved serving elaborate multi-course meals for friends and family. Running the restaurant sounded like fun, a way to push ourselves to constantly experiment with food and reach out to share it with more people".
the menu
Amuse Bouche fava beans, seaweed pop rocks
Ramp Udon Soup bacon consommé, asparagus tempura
Roasted Marrow Bone radish watercress salad, toast
Pan-Seared Red Snapper soupy saffron rice, braised leeks with hazelnuts and balsamic vinegar
Jack is open for one seating per night at 7 pm on Saturday nights, once a month or so at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope. Check out their web site for details. They serve a fixed multi-course tasting menu changes that changes each time. Menus are posted in advance on this site, BYOB, and reservations are absolutely required. You can find the complete list of dates when Jack will be open in 2008 on their web site.
The cuisine is eclectic, innovative, and very tasty. The service impeccable. The ambiance...100% theatrical, I felt as though I was dining on a stage. The food delicous and wildly creative.
Rosé wines are getting more and more consideration from American drinkers then ever before. Regarded as somewhat feminine drinks 5 to 8 years ago, wine lovers from all horizons and genders have realized how pleasing rose wines can be and how versatile they actually are when it comes to food pairing.
It is often heard from would be rosé-drinkers that the style of wine they enjoy most is one that is "not too sweet". Nowadays, rosés are indeed made on the dry side, far, far away from the "blush" white zinfandels and their cloying sweetness. Rosés are now for the most part, lively summery wines, elegant, and of course a touch "feminine," and pair well with various kinds of dishes from seafood to risotto, nicoise salads to roasted chicken with herbs and paella.
Today we will take a look at one of the most respected wine regions that produces some of the best Rosé in France--the Provence region. Located in southeastern France on the Mediterranean sea, la Provence is know for its warm climate, sun-drenched fields, and savory dishes. A food lover's heaven, Provence is known for its unforgettable flavors. Dishes are cooked with love using the best indigenous ingredients such as olives, olive oil, fish (some of the best being Loup and Rouget), lamb, as well as local fruits such as peaches, apricots and melons, and of course its wines. La Provence is indeed home of the best expressions of some of the fuller bodied and driest French Rosés.
When selecting the rosé of your choice it is important to understand the difference between "sweet" and "dry". A wine can be dry, as opposed to sweet, if it contains a very small amount of diluted sugar, so small it is not perceptible by our senses. But this is not the only reason one can feel some sweetness to a wine. It is also important to understand that two identical wines with the same amount of residual sugar can taste more or less dry depending on their acidity level. Indeed, the higher the acid, the driest the wine. Example: when mixing water and sugar, the result is a very sweet, almost undrinkable liquid. Here the acidity of the drink is very low. Add some lime juice to the mix. By boosting the acidity of the drink, the sweetness becomes much less perceptible.
Conclusion: when a wine is drier than another it does not mean that it contains less sugar. Its acidity might simply be higher. Provence wines tend to ally the best of both worlds: low residual sugar and high acid, for a very dry style of wine.
So what Rosé would I suggest for your Seduction meal? Try the 2007 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé
The Commanderie de Peyrassol is located in the heart of Provence, near routes traveled by Crusaders in the early Middle Ages. It was founded by the Knights of Templar who were dedicated to protecting the Crusaders en route to, and in, the Holy Land. The first recorded harvest took place in 1256 and wine-making has continued uninterrupted throughout the centuries. The current proprietor, Francoise Rigord, has been making the wines at Peyrassol since 1981 and has now been joined by her son, Francois. The estate is surrounded by 165 hectares of Mediterranean forest with 65 hectares of vineyards being cultivated on this dry, rocky clay and limestone based soil. No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides are used in the vineyards.
The 2007 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé is made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. A pale watermelon-pink color, the nose exhibits aromas of orange peel, lime and dried flowers. The wine is full bodied on the palate, dry, well balanced with flavors of tangerine and strawberries. Acidity is high. The wine finishes on notes of caramel. It is a definitely very good showing and a great value as well.
So for your next Seduction Meal pair your 2007 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé with your favorite Bouillabaisse, Salad Nicoise, Ham or Proscuitto, Roast Chicken, or Mezze Vegetable dishes.
Cost: About $16 a bottle.
Where to find it? Contact importer Neal Rosenthal 800.910.1990 nfo@madrose.com
Next time you want to celebrate in style, try this captivating Carribbean lobster dish made with an equally enticing rum butter dipping sauce. Perfect for a first time date you want to truly impress, an anniversary celebration, or for a gourmet feast.
caribbean lobster with rum-jerk butter recipe by Mount Gay® Rum
two to three 1-2 lb lobsters (or tails) halved and cleaned 1 tbsp melted butter ½ cup chopped onion 1 tbsp jerk seasoning ½ cup chopped sweet pepper ¼ cup Mount Gay Eclipse Rum 2-3 tbsp butter ¼ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup chives and parsley chopped ½ cup tomato concasse* for garnish
* tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded (seeds and membranes removed), and diced in small chunks
1. Parboil the lobster until bright red, then put into a 300 F oven with a little melted butter until the sauce below is done. 2. Sauté onion, jerk seasoning and sweet pepper in remaining melted butter and cook until onion turns translucent. 3. Removing from heat pour in the rum and add butter stirring until it has melted evenly and turns creamy. 4. Add lime juice and herbs, stirring together
plating the dish
Take each lobster tail and cut in half keeping shell in place. Pull all lobster meat from the rest of the lobster. Keep the body shell for plating your dishes.
Place a bed of greens on each plate. Next place a hollowed lobster shell on each plate (as seen above) on top of the greens. Add lobster meat in a mound next to shell opening and place lobster tails on plate. Pour sauce over lobster and serve the rest in dipping bowls. Garnish with chopped tomato concasse.
You can add grilled asparagus to this meal --it will work well with the dipping rum butter sauce or served plain with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of sea salt.
For an elegant simple dish that offers a creamy texture with a slight salty bite under a golden crisp crust, saganaki is a wonderful choice for a midnight snack, a starter for your Seduction Meal, or a simple lunch. The word saganaki is a diminutive of saganiki, a frying pan with two handles, (a mini version of the paella pan of Spain), which comes from the Turkish word sahan. Serve this grilled cheese dish with a light Greek white wine or a glass of ouzo, a side of taramasalata and warm pita bread. OPA!
halloumi® saganaki courtesy of chef Michael Psilakis and CheeseEU serves 4-6
6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin Greek olive oil 8 oz Halloumi®, sliced into six 1⁄2-inch thick rectangles Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 1⁄2 tablespoons) plus 1 lemon, sliced sea salt and black pepper to taste 1 head frisée, trimmed and torn into pieces (about 2 cups) 1 cup arugula 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick pan over moderate heat until hot.
Add halloumi® and sauté until browned, about 45 seconds a side.
Whisk together lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste and remaining olive oil.
Combine frisée, arugula and oregano, add 6 tablespoons of the dressing and toss well.
Transfer halloumi® slices to salad plates, drizzle with the remaining dressing.
Top each portion with a mound of salad and some lemon slices.
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