Recipe for Romance

 Hi I’m chef Eric and here is what’s on my plate for Valentine's Day:

Eating is one of our great pleasures in life. Food stimulates all of our senses. And all of our senses are aroused by food.

But what of this promise of romance through food?

The elegant presentation of caviar, succulent Pate de Fois Gras, lobster tail, Chateaubriand or a decadent dessert for two are said to stimulate our senses and create an aura of romance. However, there is no scientific proof connecting what we eat for dinner with any promise of romance afterwards.

These "romantic" foods are merely suggestive and do not cause a specific reaction. It is the presentation and the ritual of the evening that creates an atmosphere of romance.

If you are going to splurge for that special loved one in your life, it is important to set the mood. Do not rely on food that is fabled to stimulate your libido.

What you can expect food to do is stimulate our senses and entice our imaginations. Ingredient selection and presentation can create a sense of suggestion and romantic innuendo.  It's not so much what you serve, but what you call it and how it's presented on the plate.

If you want to add more ambience, play soft music, adjust the lighting and open your favorite bottle of wine. 

Remember, keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum, too much will defeat the purpose of the evening.

If you're feeling ambitious create a romantic picnic for two by laying out a blanket. Dine on the floor in the living room or in front of the fireplace.

Here's a simple menu you can create quickly. 
 
Spicy Shrimp with Creamy Green Onion
Romance recommendation: Dip your shrimp in the cream and feed it to your mate

6 each – large shrimp peeled and cleaned
1 Tbsp – olive oil
1 tea – Cajon seasoning (more if you Like)
¼ tea – salt and pepper
¼ cup – sour cream
2 clove – garlic, mashed
2 each – scallions very thinly sliced
1 Tbsp – parsley, fresh, minced
½ tea – lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
 
Toss the shrimp with olive oil Cajon seasoning salt and pepper. Combine sour cream, garlic, scallions, parsley and lemon juice season with salt and pepper.  Keep refrigerated until needed.  Just before serving. Preheat oven to 450’F.  Place shrimp in an oven proof dish and bake for 6 minutes until they start to curl slightly.  Attractively arrange on a platter and place the green onion cream in the middle

Luscious Rack of Lamb
Romance Recommendation: Eat off the bone –Ben Franklin was fond of saying, “We all agree the nearer the bone the sweeter the meat.”
1 each  - 8 bone lamb rack, cut into chops
½ cup – plain yogurt
2 Tbsp – Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp – lemon juice
1 Tbsp - ginger, grated
4 cloves – garlic, minced
2 tbsp – curry powder
½ tsp – rosemary, crushed
1 tsp – cayenne pepper
1 tsp – salt and pepper
 
Combine yogurt, mustard, lemon, ginger, garlic, curry, rosemary cayenne salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Arrange lamb chops in a dish and cover with yogurt mix.  Allow to marinate at least 2 hours, over night would be best. Remove chops form marinade and allow to rest at room temperature.  Pre-heat the broiler.  Place chops on a broiler pan and cook close to the heat source.  Broil chops 6 minutes on one side and turn them over and cook 4 minutes on the other for medium rare.  Brush the chops with some of the reserved marinade. Serve at once

Slender Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Romance Recommendation: Garlic is good for our circulation and if you’re both eating it; why not go for it?

12 oz – Asparagus, washed, ends snapped off
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
coarse sea salt, to taste
 
Preheat oven to 450’F.
Place the asparagus in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with garlic drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast uncovered 12 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through cook time. Serves 2.
 
Baked Red Bliss with Camembert Cream
Romance Recommendation: Tiny red potatoes packed full of hot steam covered in a rich creamy cheese sauce, enough said.

Red Potatoes
6 to 8 – small red bliss potatoes, washed and dried
2 tsp – olive oil
½  tsp – kosher salt
¼ tsp – black pepper

Preheat oven to 450’F.
Drizzle potatoes with olive oil salt and pepper.  Toss well to coat place in an oven proff dish and bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Camembert Cream Sauce
½ cup – heavy cream
2 tbsp – onion, minced
3 oz - camembert cheese, rough chopped
1 tsp – chive, chopped
to taste - salt and pepper

In a heavy bottom pot bring cream to a boil add the onions and reduce the heat and simmer until cream begins to thicken.  Add the cheese and stir constantly until melted remove from the heat  add the chives and season with salt and pepper.  Pour Camembert Cream over the roasted potatoes.  Serve at once
 
Gooey Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce
I like to make these in muffin tins.  It makes individual ones and I freeze what we don’t need. Makes about 9.
 
1 ½ cup – half and half (skim milk if you must but richer is better)
3 eggs – large
3 cups – French bread, day old, torn into small pieces
½ cup – brown sugar
3 each – bananas, ripe, mashed
¾ cup – chocolate morsels
2 tsp – cinnamon
1 tsp - vanilla extract
 
Preheat oven to 350’F.  Lightly coat muffin tins with butter.  Combine half and half with eggs and blend well. Add all the remaining ingredients and toss well to combine.  Divide mixture into prepared muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes until the custard is set.  Remove and let cool.  To serve: place on serving plate heat in microwave for 30 seconds to warm through.  Top with hard sauce and garnish with red raspberries.