By Carol Brock
If you want to add a bit of romance to your life, and there are few who would object, peruse “The Passionate Palate” (Ballantine Books, 1999, $10). It's a slim, 100-page pocket-size paperback book. The title is “hot,” but the text is romantically old-fashioned family values.
Ailene Eberhard, who ran a bed and breakfast in upstate New York and now lives with her husband in Arizona where she operates an art gallery, is the author. The premise: there are many ways to say “I love you” and sharing a meal with someone you love or someone you've had your eye on for a while can be a deliciously seductive experience.
To that end, Eberhard provides a dozen dinner menus with 60 recipes to “stir the senses.” Eberhard, who is also known for her elaborate parties, fund-raising dinners and cooking classes, tailors the menus to the season, with philosophical garnishment: spring (roads that seemed closed begin to open and every part of life is renewed); summer (contemplation runs strong along with long daylight hours); fall (autumn of the heart); winter (warming spirits)
Not caring to leave it all to culinary wooing, Eberhard adds a list of “aphrodisiacs to enhance your life” from artichokes, to oysters and rosemary. And should all go smoothly, a list of perfect proposals follows: a T-shirt with a picture of the two of you and a ring box in the T-shirt pocket. To propose on Valentine's Day, put a ring box in a box of chocolates or in a bouquet of flowers.
And presumably, if you continue to woo him with romantic dinners after the ceremony, you will need the list of “anniversary ideas for romance and rapture:” Dress up in your fanciest clothes, open a bottle of champagne and celebrate your vows by watching your wedding tape or looking at your wedding pictures together.
Here, from the winter menus, select a dinner to serve by candlelight on Valentine's Day. To tailor it to today's frenetic lifestyle (and he might be preparing it for her), make the soup ahead of time. Flavor improves when you let the soup stand in the refrigerator a day or two. Buy a packaged wild rice mix but don't confess. One non-cook years ago, enthralled her vegetarian beau with store-bought quiche.
Cheese straws, the bigger the better, may be substituted for popovers (for the uninitiated, they resemble breadsticks made of cheese). But if you have the time and inclination, go for the popovers. They're seductive.
For dessert, a chocolate cake finale (and chocolate is an aphrodisiac) is simplicity itself.
Our favorites: from :The Passionate Palate” include potato leek soup, orange chicken, green chili corn, wild rice casserole, cheddar cheese popovers and Incredibly Decadent chocolate raspberry cake.
Potato Leek Soup
Begin by buying six stalks of fresh leeks and one bunch of fresh chives. Leeks are especially good for women because they keep hormone levels healthy. The nutritional value is great, plus our men will love the taste. It almost seems to balance their levels, too, because inexplicably, whenever I serve this dish, my husband and I have the most romantic evenings after dinner.
2 fresh stalks of leek
one cube of chicken bouillon
1/2 bunch of chives
2 medium potatoes
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon canola margarine
sprinkle of salt
one teaspoon pepper
one large tablespoon flour
Cut leeks and chives into medium-sized pieces and soak them for 10 minutes. They need to be well cleaned because dirt collects especially between the leek leaves. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Once they have been cleaned and cut, place leeks, bouillon cube, chives, and potatoes in a medium-sized pot with a little more than just enough water to cover. Cover pot and heat until it boils, then simmer for 1 1/2 hours. While the pot is still on the heat, add milk, margarine, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended. Add flour a little at a time, stirring with a large spoon quickly for the flour to dissolve. Serve with some homemade bread for an incredible meal!
Orange Chicken
1 chicken, whole or cut up
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces frozen orange juice, nondiluted
Preheat oven to 425. Wash chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Place chicken in pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper, inside and out. Cover chicken with orange juice. Cook for 1 1/2 hours, basting often.
Green Chili Corn
3 to 5 ears corn
1 small can green chili peppers, diced
1 tablespoon canola margarine Dash of pepper
Remove kernels from ears of corn and put in pan with other ingredients. Steam in margarine for 10 minutes and serve.
Wild Rice Casserole
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1/2 cup canola margarine
1/2 cup mushroom tops, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons minced green pepper
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth Pepper to taste (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 F. Wash rice and soak overnight, then cook rice in hot steamy water for 1 hour. Melt margarine and add mushrooms, chives, green pepper, and garlic. Cook 7 minutes, stirring often. Drain rice and add to mushroom mixture. Add broth and pepper. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and continue baking 25 minutes more or until ail the liquid is absorbed.
Cheddar Cheese Popovers
2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup canola margarine
Heat oven to 425 F. Put a muffin tin in oven and heat the tin for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk and water, then mix. Beat in eggs. Fold in cheese. Place 1 tablespoon margarine in each of the muffin circles and place back in oven for 4 minutes, until margarine melts. Now turn oven down to 375 F. and fill cups half full with batter. Bake until brown, so they won't deflate, about 40 minutes. Serve with your favorite meal.
Incredibly Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cake
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup salted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs, blended
Ganache (see below)
With rack in center of oven, preheat oven to 325 F. Melt chocolate with butter in top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir until smooth. Whisk in sugar. Continue to whisk for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk in eggs, then pour into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until the tester, which can be inserted into the center, comes out almost dry (approximately 1 1/4 hours). Cool, then spread top with Ganache.
Ganache (Topping)
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 pint raspberries
Melt chocolate with half-and-half in top of double boiler, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Let ganache stand at room temperature until cool. Spread with a knife around the sides of the cake. Invert pan onto platter and remove bottom. Spread three quarters of the ganache on top and sides of cake, using the rest to decorate. Sprinkle raspberries on top. This dessert really is for 10 to 20 people, so you'll have great cake for a week if you're only a few people. Cutting down this recipe is too difficult, so enjoy it!
