Authenticity, history, and tradition.  Those three words define Mary Ann Esposito and the signature cooking style that has made her one of America's best-known and most loved television chefs.  In her latest book, Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites, Esposito, best known for her authentic and inspired take on rustic Italian cooking, has taken a crack at the ubiquitous quick/easy genre offering 75 recipes that focus on five main ingredients.

Here we share one of Mary Ann's delicious recipes. Turn meatballs into a gourmet treat with very little extra effort, then sit back and enjoy the meal and the compliments!

Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs
Makes 8 Meatballs
Recipe Courtesy of Mary Ann Esposito

"Can you make a better tasting meatball? Absolutely! Just stuff them with a creamy, melting cheese like Fontina! This may be a little unconventional way to make them, but the taste elevates meatballs to elegant and they can be served alone or in tomato sauce. Achieve great flavor by using a combination of ground chuck and ground sirloin because the fat in ground chuck is essential for moistness, while the sirloin provides great texture" -- Chef Esposito

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup good quality bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup heavy cream or half/half
• 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 1/2 pound ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• Grinding coarse black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound Fontina or mozzarella cheese cut into 8 small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Put the bread crumbs in a medium size bowl and pour the cream over them. Mix with a fork; the mixture will not be soupy.
3. Add the ground chuck, sirloin, and salt and pepper. Mix just to combine the ingredients. Divide the mixture into 8 equal pieces and roll each in the palm of your hand to make compact 2 1/2-inch balls.
4. Insert your thumb into the middle of each meatball and push in a piece of cheese. Close the meatball encasing the cheese and smooth the top.
5. Place the meatballs on a rimmed, nonstick baking sheet. Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are nicely browned. Serve hot as is or put them in tomato sauce and serve with pasta or as a second course.
   

Variation: make the meatballs miniature size and bake them for 10-12 minutes. Serve as an antipasto. Leftovers make great sandwich filling too!

Cook's Secret: If you wet your hands between making each meatball, the meat mixture will not stick to your hands.

Ciao Italia : Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary by Ann Esposito

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When preparing your Valentine's Day romantic meal for two, be sure to spend the time needed to get all the details just right. Select a menu you will both enjoy. Pair your dishes with luscious drinks, champagne, or wine to perfectly complement each course . Next pay attention to the ambiance: the lighting, the music you select, the presentation per course, and the table setting--it all adds up to create the perfect magic you strive for on this special occasion.


We begin this romantic meal for two with a sparkling champagne cocktail called Love in the Afternoon, created by Champagne expert and author Marcia Hunt.  Select the perfect appetizer to complement this course, but save plenty of room for the main course, a delicious recipe from Dean & DeLuca: Beef Tenderloin with White Peppercorn Sauce.

Love in the Afternoon / Makes 1 cocktail.

• 2 ounces fresh tangerine juice
• 1/2 ounce rose water
• 2 fresh mint leaves
• 4 ounces dry (slightly sweet) champagne

Add the tangerine juice and rose water to a champagne flute. Twist the mint leaves with your fingers and drop them in the glass. Fill the glass with champagne.  From The Bubbly Bar: Champagne & Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion by Maria C. Hunt

MAIN COURSE
Beef Tenderloin with White Peppercorn Sauce
DESSERT
Petit Fours or Heart Chocolates
Petit Fours
These delicious treats can be ordered online at Dean & Deluca: Valerie Confections turned the finest ingredients into elegant and modern interpretations of the classic confection. Four delicious flavors can be found under the bittersweet chocolate that enrobes them all:

• Lemon cake layered with tart lemon ganache and topped with candied lemon peel
• Ginger cake layered with white chocolate ganache and topped with candied ginger
• Bittersweet Chocolate cake layered with creamy milk chocolate ganache
• Almond cake layered with bittersweet chocolate ganache and topped with a roasted almond

For the Love of Chocolate Collection- $30
Say "I Love You" with our rich chocolate Valentine's collection. A collection of our red raspberry hearts, rich chocolate ganache blended with sweet red raspberries in a shimmery shell.

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You can't go wrong with grilled steak and a delicious salad served with a full bodied red wine--such a simple seduction meal that is always a hit. Here we have grilled rib eye steak lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and minced garlic, grilled medium-rare, sliced and topped with two pats of black truffle butter. To accompany this dish we prepared a Mediterranean Salad of mixed greens, artichokes, black olives, cherry tomatoes,  onions, olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon.

Grilled Steak with Black Truffle Butter Buttons
Serves Two

Ingredients:

• 2 Ribeye Steaks without the bone
  
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• Black Truffle oil
• Black Truffle butter

Directions:

1. Remove steaks from refrigerator and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature
2. Heat up the Grill -- high heat
3. Season steaks with salt and pepper, add a bit of black truffle oil to one side, and top with minced garlic clove, spreading evenly over the steak using your fingers. 
4. Place steaks on the grill and reduce heat to medium-high
5. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steaks and how you enjoy them (rare, medium-rare, or well)
6. Slice the steak, arrange on a serving plate and top with black truffle butter. Serve Immediately
   

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Try a new and healthy take on this classic French preparation using lean and succulent buffalo ribeye steaks instead of beef. These steaks are best prepared using a lower temperature than you would use for beef. Cook rare to medium rare for best texture and flavor. Serve with home-made crispy fried and a bottle of your favorite full-bodied red wine. Just delicious!

Buffalo Ribeye Steak au Poivre
Recipe courtesy of D'Artagnan - Serves Two

Ingredients

• 2 - 8 oz Buffalo Ribeye or Beef Ribeye Steaks

• 4 Tbs. cracked black peppercorn
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 3 oz Armagnac
• 6.5 oz Duck and Veal Demi-Glace 
• 2 Tbs.green peppercorn
• 2 Tbs. fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
• 6 oz heavy cream
• Regular salt to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F
2. Use cracked peppercorns. If you have whole peppercorns, you can crack them by placing them in wax paper with all sides sealed/folded over. Use the flat side of a large knife blade and smack the peppercorns to crack.
3. Season steaks on both sides with salt. Press the cracked black peppercorns into both sides of the steak. I use the flat side of large knife blade and hit the steaks to embed the peppercorns.
4. Heat vegetable oil in oven-proof skillet over high-flame until smoking.
5. Sear steaks until brown and crusted on both sides.
6. Put skillet into oven, cook for 4 minutes until medium-rare.
7. Remove steaks from skillet and reserve.
8. Over medium-high heat deglaze skillet with Armagnac, add demi-glace and reduce by half.
9. Add green peppercorns, heavy cream, tarragon and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
10. Season to taste with salt.
11. Remove skillet from heat, add steaks and any drippings. Coat the steaks with sauce.
12. Serve with home-made french fries or your favorite potato recipes.

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From its origins in 19th-century Russia, Beef Stroganoff has become popular in much of Iran, Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil, with considerable variation in the actual recipe. The dish is named after the Stroganov family, a distinguished Russian family involved in the settlement of Siberia, although the exact history of the name is unknown. (from wikipedia)

This variation of Beef Stroganoff is made with braised sirloin steak, mushrooms, leeks, egg noodles, a touch of red wine used for de-glazing, all held together with a light sour cream sauce.

Beef Stronganoff
Recipe serves four

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 oz portabello mushrooms, sliced into chunks
• 12 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 leek, thoroughly cleaned, sliced into1/4" rings
• 1/4 cup red wine to deglaze the pan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb sirloin steak, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper
• another 1/4 cup red wine for deglazing pan
• 1 can beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• Parpadelle or Egg noodles
• Garnish Parsley

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I am a true fan of a juicy rib eye steak or a filet mignon that is dipped in a flavored sauce such a port based sauce or a cognac cream sauce. I haven't worked with a flank steak in years and wanted to try this recipe as created.

Best known for its use in recipes for London Broil, flank steak is a lean, full flavored cut of beef. Many flank steak recipes suggest marinating for hours or overnight to tenderize the meat. The steak is tenderized by the acids found in marindate ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and/or ginger. Grilling or broiling gives this thin cut the best results and cutting against the grain into thin slices will ensure tenderness.


Adobe Flank Steak with Corn and Tomato Relish
recipe from Cooking Light / can be found on MyRecipes.com
5 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/2 cup relish)

Steak:
1  teaspoon  black peppercorns
1  teaspoon  cumin seeds
2  whole cloves
1  (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2  tablespoons  sherry vinegar
1  tablespoon  fresh thyme leaves
2  teaspoons  brown sugar
3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
1  garlic clove, peeled
1  (1 1/4-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray

Relish:
2  cups  fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1  cup  chopped seeded tomato
1/4  cup  chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers (I passed on this ingredient)
2  tablespoons  sherry vinegar
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation

To prepare steak, cook the first 3 ingredients in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat for 45 seconds or until toasted. Place the peppercorn mixture in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground.

Remove 1 chile from can; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Place peppercorn mixture, chile, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and the next 4 ingredients (vinegar through garlic) in a blender; process until smooth, scraping sides occasionally.

Combine vinegar mixture and steak in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 24 hours. Remove from bag; discard marinade. The sherry vinegar gives the relish lots of flavor, so choose a good one.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

To prepare the relish, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add corn; saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in tomato and remaining ingredients except thyme leaves. Place on top of steak. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

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Steak Diane is the perfect choice for the meat lover in your life. With a luscious brandy tinted cream sauce and grilled mushrooms sauteed with a mix of seductive flavoring--this dish is sure to make hearts flutter. You can use any cut of steak--I prefer filet mignon, which I used here, or rib eye. Serve with your favorite bottle of red wine.


For my Seduction Meal I choose to balance this sinfully rich meal with a simple salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes served with toasted bread and goat cheese with herbs. For a heartier meal you can also prepare creamy mashed potatoes or crispy French fries.




Steak Diane
This recipe comes from the always charming, master chef Emeril.
Here is the link to his original Steak Diane recipe as I've made a few minor adjustments

4 (3-ounce) filet mignon medallions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 teaspoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups of white mushroom caps and shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup Cognac or brandy
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 drops hot red pepper sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon minced parsley leaves

Season the beef medallions on both sides with the salt and pepper.
 
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for 45 seconds on the first side. Turn and cook for 30 seconds on the second side, searing both sides to slightly brown. Add the shallots and garlic to the side of the pan and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 2 minutes. Place the meat on a plate and cover to keep warm. Keep cooking the mushroom mixture until mushrooms start to brown/caramelize.
 
Tilt the pan towards you and add the brandy. Tip the pan away from yourself and ignite the brandy with a match. (Alternatively, remove the pan from the heat to ignite, and then return to the heat.) When the flame has burned out, add the mustard and cream, mix thoroughly and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the veal stock and simmer for 1 minute. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn the meat to coat with the sauce.
 
Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions and parsley. Divide the medallions and sauce between 2 large plates, sprinkle with a little bit of chopped parsley and rings of scallions. Serve immediately with a good bottle of red wine.

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Chris Stack of Buenes Aires submitted this recipe to Seduction Meals just in time to make the Valentine's Day list and we are grateful! With a sassy peppery cream sauce and a good tease of brandy flavor we think Steak au Poivre is a perfect choice for your Valentine's romantic meal for two.

Chris served his meal with fresh spinach sauted in minced garlic and olive oil. This can also be served with homemade french fries or potatoes au gratin and sauteed mushrooms if you like. You can start your evening with our favorite Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade and then move on to the Steak and your favorite red wine. A great ending would be a glass of vintage port and  truffles from Romanicos.

 

steak au poivre

2 strip steaks, 1 inch thick, trimmed of exterior gristle

salt. to taste

1 - 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed (you can use mixed peppercorns too)
 

the sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 medium shallot, minced

1 cup of low-sodium beef broth

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp brandy

1 teaspoon juice of lemon or champagne vinegar

salt to taste

mise en place

To save time, crush the peppercorns and trim the steaks while the broth mixture simmers. Place the peppercorns between two sheets of wax paper and crush the whole peppercorns with a saute pan or the back side of a wide carving knife. Mince shallots, measure out the beef and chicken broth, same for the heavy cream, brandy and the lemon juice or vinegar.

Take the steaks out 1 hour before serving the meal - steaks are best when cooked at room temperature. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt. With the flat side of a carving knife, pound 1 tablespoon of crushed peppercorns into 1 side of each steak. Set aside.

the sauce - part 1

Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add the shallot and cook, stirring occassionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and chicken broths, increase heat to high, and boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup--about 8 minutes. Set the reduced broth mixture aside in a bowl.

the steaks

In the same skillet, heat up the skillet over medium heat until hot. Lay the steaks unpeppered-side down in the hot skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, firmly pressing down on the steaks with a firm spatula, until well browned on this side (about 6 minutes). Using tongs, flip the steak, again firmly pressing down to brown this side - 3 minutes for rare, 4 for medium rare, and 5 for medium. Transfer the steaks to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil.

the sauce - part 2

Pour the reduced broth, cream, and 1/4 cup of brandy into the now empty skillet. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits. Simmer until a golden brown and thick enought to heavily coat the back of a metal tablespoon--about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tbsp of butter, one piece at a time, the remaining 1 tbsp of brandy, the lemon juice, and any accumulated meat juices. Salt to taste.

plating the dish

Set the steaks on individual plates, spoon an equal portion of the sauce over each steak. Serve remaining sauce in a sauce boat. Serve with your favorite side dish and a special bottle of red wine.

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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

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