When preparing your Seduction Meal have a little fun with your creativity, specifically in how you plate the dish. Think of contrasting colors, architectural treatments (adding height), positive and negative space, mixing textures, and enhancing the dish with garnishes and sauces. For inspiration pay special attention to how chefs present the dishes served at your favorite restaurants. And take a look a the various styles and techniques of "plating" as seen on TV food shows and in the pages your favorite food magazines like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Saveur.

I have prepared a brunch for two: a simple smoked salmon dish served with creme fraiche potatoes garnished with capers and diced cornichons; and I have plated the dish using two different presentation styles.



For added color, and the opportunity to serve up a playful finger food, add a bowl of ripe juicy strawberries to your table or breakfast try. For added effect take advantage of this lovely time of year and move to an outdoor setting such as a patio, a luscious green lawn surrounded by flowers, or a boat moored in a remote location--what better way to enjoy a romantic meal for two?

Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche Potatoes recipe
recipe from 86 San Francisco (with some minor modifications)
Restaurant 231 Ellsworth

Creme Fraiche Potatoes
The potatoes are delicious on their own and can be served as a side dish to accompany many main dishes.

8 baby yukon potatoes
1 cup creme fraiche
2 diced cornichons
1 tbsp chervil, minced
1 tbsp chives, minced
1 tbsp parsley, minced
2 finely diced shallots (optional)
1 lemon, juice and zested
salt and pepper to taste

Smoked Salmon
1/2 lb smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Garnish
capers
finely diced or snipped parsley and/or dill

Preparing the Potatoes and Salmon
Add potatoes to a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to boil and then lower heat, simmering until done. Drain and let cool until you can handle them. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the creme fraiche-potato ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Next, cover the middle of 2 large plates with thin slices of smoked salmon. Exactly how you arrange the slices is up to you and your preferred presentation. Set aside until ready to serve.

Mixing the Potatoes
When cool, peel the potatoes (it is easier while they are slightly warm). Slice or cut them based on how you choose to present this dish. When you are ready to serve, place the potatoes in a large bowl with creme fraiche mix and carefully combine until the potatoes are covered in the creme fraiche.

Plating the dish
Take the salmon plates and place a portion of the potatoes on top of, or on the side of the salmon. Again, this will depend upon how you prefer to plate your dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper and a good squeeze of fresh lemon on top of the salmon. Garnish with capers and snipped parsley and/or dill  Serve with toast points or sliced baguettes.

Post a Comment

For your Seduction Meal arsenal, it's a good idea to learn a few simple yet flavorful dishes that you can serve up for a refreshing "quickie" or as a side to a main dish. A simple Greek salad, this recipe is from the cookbook New Greek Cuisine from Jim Botsacos, the Chef of Molyvos Restaurant in NYC. Jim brings the vegetables from his garden to the table and prepares this dish with room temperature ingredients to maximize all flavors. Botsacos explains that in Greece greens are often not added to summer salads, except for perhaps a Romaine salad.

For a full meal, try serving this salad with Grilled Lamb Chops with roasted tomatoes, and end the night with this delightful dessert--panna cotta with balsamic flavored strawberries.


Ingredients

3 beefsteak tomatoes
1 hothouse cucumber, seeded (I like my seeds), scored and quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 small red onion
20 kalamata olives, pitted, and thinly sliced (I prefer mine left whole)
1 cup diced feta cheese
1 Tbsp well-drained capers
Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce  (if you like)

Red Wine Vinaigrette
makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

Combine the vinegar with the garlic and the oregano in a small mixing bowl. Add the oil and using a wire whisk, beat constantly until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.

Preparing the Salad.
Core the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half crosswise, then cut each half into 5 pieces.Place the pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the cucumber.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then slice each half lengthwise into thin julienne. Add the onion to the bowl.

Add the olives, cheese and capers. Take the red wine vinaigrette and briefly whisk ingredients . Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Taste and season with oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

Plating the Dish
Place an equal portion of the lettuce (if you choose to add this ingredient) on a salad plate or bowl. Top with equal portion of the tomato salad/mixture. Sprinkle lightly with oregano and serve immediately.

Post a Comment

Heat up the flames of passion with this wonderful Greek classic--saganaki. When saganaki is served in a Greek restaurant, often the waiter or chef brings the dish to the table and pours an ouzo-based sauce over the grilled cheese then ignites the dish for a dazzling effect. As you bask in the fiery glow, the waiter and patrons give a festive shout out --OPA, a Greek word used to express joy or approval. A real show stopper, this recipe is sure to win the heart of that special someone.

I fell in love with this dish while dining at Molyvos in NYC. I had to buy the cookbook to learn how to make this classic dish with a twist: the added seduction of a butter lemon sauce poured over the cheese doused in ouzo.

Saganaki can be served as an appetizer or as part of a mix of meze or tapas dishes. Or better yet, as a main dish for a sexy midnight snack for two. Now that will definitely set the tone of what's to follow.



Ingredients
Three 8-oz pieces of Haloumi Cheese
1 cup cornstarch
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
about 1/2 cup blended olive oil
6 Tbsp Ouzo

2 cups Chicken Stock
Juice of 2 lemons
Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking the Cheese
Start by cutting each piece of cheese with a serrated knife in equal size slices (3 per serving). Place the cornstarch on a shallow dish. Lightly coat each piece of cheese on all sides. Set aside.

Place the oils to a depth of 1/4" in a large skillet and heat over very high heat until very hot but not smoking.

Add the coated cheese slices without crowding the skillet. You may have to do this in batches. Fry for about 2 minutes or until golden. Turn and fry the other side for another minute or two until golden brown.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cheese to a double layer of paper towels to drain. Prepare the lemon sauce.

Lemon Sauce - Makes about 2 cups
2 cups Chicken Stock
Juice of 2 lemons
Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place the stock in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to boil, Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until reduced by half

Add lemon juice along with a pinch of salt. When hot, begin whisking in the butter a few pices at a time.

When the butter has been completely incorporated and the sauce is emulsified cover, reserve, and keep warm. When ready to serve, fold in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plating the Dish / Fire it Up!
Heat up the lemon sauce again to get it hot. Turn the flame off. Place 3 pieces of cheese in a HOT saganaki (or other heat proof) dish. Plate both dishes in this manner. The key to getting a good flame is that the dish is hot. Take the dishes to the table and spoon a tablespoon of ouzo over each one. Be sure there is nothing above or near the dish that will catch fire.  Using a fireplace match oro a long butane lighter, ignite the ouzo, allowing it to burn out.

Pour the hot lemon sauce over the top and enjoy the spectacle. Repeat with your second dish.  Pour yourself a really good bottle of Greek white wine, toast and give a good shout- OPA!

Post a Comment

Happy Valentines Day!

This dish is always a culinary seduction meal hit - and a beautiful way to deliver an edible rose of love. Black Cod is one of my favorites and as long as your fish is fresh, all you really need to do is grill or broil the fish with some olive oil, salt and pepper and the sublime taste of this mild white fish will shine through.

To add variety and to please the most discerning of gourmands, try this Mediterranean variation. The fish is pan seared, served over a bed of garlic infused tomatoes, kalamata olives, sauted leeks, and garnished with a roasted artichoke heart, and topped with toasted pinoli nuts. Just divine!


Roasted Potatoes (start this 45 minutes before serving time)
1 lb of fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
fresh rosemary
1/8 cup of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Place fingerling potatoes and rosemary in a small roasting pan. Add olive oil and using your hands, mix all ingredients together. Roast potatoes for 35-45 mintues until you can easily slip a fork into the center of the potato. I take one out and taste if to be sure it's the preferred texture and doneness. If need be, place potatoes on paper towels if you need to soak up excess olive oil before serving.

Black Cod
2 - 4 cod fillets, you can use black cod (preferred) or any type of cod, or any fresh mild white fish, at least 1" thick
3 tbsp grapeseed oil
1/4 cup of flour, with a dash of salt and pepper

Sauted Vegetables
1 cup of leeks, sliced in circular 1/4" rings, thoroughly washed and drained
1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup of pitted calamata olives sliced in half
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
garnish - 1 roasted artichoke heart (can be bought from specialty food stores)
Toasted pinoli nuts
*I don't use salt or pepper for this dish as the olives are a bit salty

Starting with the vegetables, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and heat over high heat, when the oil is hot, turn to medium high and add the leeks; saute for about 5 minutes. Next add the olives and tomatoes. Saute over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Make a space in the center of the skillet and add garlic slices. After a few minutes,.mix together with all vegetables, and add two artichokes in the center to warm. Keep skillet warm over super low heat while preparing the rest of the meal..

Now the fish. Add a dash of salt and pepper to flour and mix together. Dust the fish with flour and coat all sides, top and bottom. Add grapeseed oil to a heat separate cast iron skillet, heating until hot over high heat. Place the fish in the center of the skillet, skin side down if there is skin on the fish. Lower the heat to medium and saute for about 1 minute, slightly pressing the fish down into the pan. Shake the fish while cooking so it does not stick to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until the fish opague and flaky. Remove the fish and cover to keep warm.

GARNISH: Cilantro Puree and toasted Pinoli Nuts
1 cup of cilantro
1 cup of grapeseed oil
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 clove of garlic
salt to taste

Blanch the cilantro for 10 seconds in boiling water, drain and place in a bowl of ice water. Chop the cilantro and place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Just before serving, in a hot frying pan, dry and clean (no oil or butter) quickly toast pinoli nuts (just to warm and soften). This will bring out the flavor. Be sure to do this quickly as they tend to brown/blacken pretty fast

Plating the dish: Place a mound of the sauted tomatoes, olives and leeks in a dish, top with a piece of fish. Drizzle the cilantro puree on top of the cod. Place a roasted artichoke in the center of the fish and fan out to make the artichoke look like a rose. Garnish with toasted pinoli nuts.  Serve the roasted potatoes in a separate dish. Pure magic! 

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I tore out of a magazine a year ago. Unfortunately it did not have the magazine's name on the page. I've made quite a few alterations, the only thing left intact is the Cilantro Puree.

Post a Comment

This dish goes perfectly with the lamb and roasted tomatoes the last post on Seduction Meals.



2 tablespoons butter, divided into 1-tablespoon pieces
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4")
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Butter a 13 x 9" casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange a layer of potato in the baking dish, add a pinch of salt and pepper, a bit of the garlic and ground nutmeg. Add a handful of the cheese evenly over the potatoes. Continue layering potatoes, spices and cheese until you've used up all potatoes and cheese, ending with a layer of potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk the cream with the salt and pepper; pour this over the potatoes. Dot the remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bake for about 1 hour or until the potatoes or cook through. Do not over cook, it will become mushy. The potatoes should be tender and golden brown on top. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to cool down before serving. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary as a garnish and sprinkle with grated Gruyere cheese.

Post a Comment

A reputed aphrodisiac, this delicious vegetable is a Seduction Meal on its own when served to each other dripping in lemon-butter sauce for a sensual, finger-licking treat for two. Given it's phallic shape, asparagus have been often referred to as a libido enhancer but only you can be the judge of that. This easy to prepare, yet tasty side dish complements a wide variety of main meals.




asparagus + lemon butter

one bunch of thin asparagus
2 - 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Juice of 1 lemon
thinly shaved lemon peel
Sea Salt

Wash and trim asparagus spears by cutting off the tough bottoms (1 to 1 1/2 inches)
In a steamer add salt water to the bottom (about 3 inches deep), place asparagus spears in the top strainer and steam until tender but crisp (about 4-5 minutes). Test taste one to be sure. Do not over cook the asparagus otherwise it will be mushy. Individual spears should remain stiff when you hold it--limp asparagus is a turn-off.

Remove spears from the heat and let air dry for a couple of minutes. Next melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave, squeeze in 1/2 of the lemon juice and stir.

Plating the Dish
Arrange the spears on a serving dish. Pour the lemon / butter mixture over the asparagus. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the dish just before serving. Add  a pinch of sea salt. Garnish with lemon peel. This dish should be served right away.

You can also fill a tall shot glass, or similar vessel, with melted lemon-butter sauce to hand dip each asparagus before serving to each other for a more dramatic experience.

Post a Comment

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.

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

A wonderful, savory dish that is sure to enhance any Seduction Meal. This one is all about taste, texture and presentation. I typically serve this with grilled rosemary lamb chops.

First; I hope to spare you the mistake I made the first time I prepared this dish. I never worked with leeks before and had no idea what was to follow. While not complex, this is time consuming process. I painstakingly followed the recipe to a "T". The aroma filled the room; the anticipation was great. I had 6 people over for dinner--everyone  commented on how beautiful the dish looked. We all lifted our forks and savored the moment the food would hit our palette. To my horror, I had an unexpected mixture of mushroom, sherry, leeks and sand in my mouth. It was devastating! Thank goodness it was my family so (to this day) we all laughed it off.

A little bit about leeks. A member of the onion family, leeks are grown in sandy soil. It is very important to thoroughly wash the leeks as dirt and grit can be found in the white section from the base up. Buy fresh, healthy looking leeks--preferably younger ones. The best flavor is the white part of the leek, which has a sublime sweet, earthy flavor, much milder than cooking with onions. When cooking leeks be sure not to overcook or brown them, rather, saute leeks until soft and remove them from the stove.

Mushroom + Leek Beggar's Purse

4 Leeks, washed thoroughly

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lbs of mushrooms (mixed is fine), I used shitake and button mushrooms. You can use chanterelles or criminis too.

Crumbled Gorgonzola blue cheese (optional)

1-2 tablespoons of fresh crushed thyme leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4  cup of sherry or Madeira Wine

6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed in refrigerator

8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter melted

Long stemmed chives (use for ties)

1. To prepare leeks, cut away the blue/green leaves on top and trim the base. Peel away the first layer. Slice the leeks in 1/4" rings from top to bottom. Using your finger, push through each sliced ring and drop into a colander (this results in a bunch of smaller rings--see photo). Take the colander to the sink and rinse with cold running water. Place the colander in a bowl (or better yet use a salad spinner), and fill with cold water. Let stand so sand/grit falls to bottom. Lift colander out of water, throw out sandy water, rinse leeks again in cold running water. I do this process three times. Lastly, shake away any water and set aside to dry for a few minutes.

Continue Reading / Post a Comment