The Art of Seduction Blog
Posted on September 7, 2015 by Jackie DeKnock No comments
GOURMET LOVE
“Spreading love, one recipe at a time!”
The back-story that inspired the menu that inspired the recipes! Foodie and Love stories combining love, romance, sex and adventure (remember this is all fiction my friends)! Let me take my paintbrush, paint the scene and the mood to take you there…
Inspired Quote to love by: “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, but take the step.” ~ Naeem Callaway
Foodie Dateline: Launch of a Dream
Where: Mount Pleasant Farmhouse
When: December 2011
Mood/Emotion: Happiness, joy, bliss with a large pinch of courage
Food – The Greatest Seducer
Yes, food is the greatest seducer of them all, it nourishes the soul. The art of tempting, enticing, leading someone into your arms is what tonight is all about. If the evening is planned artfully, it can whet ones appetite in the same way that the appetizer prepares your palate for the main course to come. Ahhhh, the main course, the “Talk Dirty to Me” Cheese Fondue a la Diable – Nectar of the Gods (the word Diable used in this recipe translates to ‘you impish little devil’ a cute term of endearment). What could be more enticing than cheese fondue? This recipe comes from the first ever cheese fondue that I artfully made and perfected. No, it wasn’t quite for a romantic dinner for two, it had to be good though, really good! Let me explain…I served it at my (very non-romantic) Gourmet Safari Launch Event to introduce my farmhouse culinary studio and cooking classes to the world (OK the hamlet of Mount Pleasant) years ago. At last the dream of my very own ‘dream’ kitchen and culinary studio came to life after three years of dreaming and planning (that’s a lot dreaming in one sentence)! This day was a dream come true for me as I opened the doors. Despite a huge snowstorm, people came from far and wide (thank goodness as I had made enough food to feed a small army). The Cheese Fondue sat centre stage surrounded by all of the other decadent dishes holding court. As people dipped in to the fondue, they loved the experience and the flavour of the warm ooey, gooey melted cheese and wine blend. It was ‘the’ perfect appetizer for the launch, with rave reviews. I was so glad that I served it. It will work for your purposes too…trust me…hold his gaze as you both dive in! Although a fondue is cliche, the delicious and the interactiveness of it can be work wonders for a date. I’ll leave the rest to you to work your magic…have a great night. Always be love.
FOODIE DATELINE: Cake = Love
Where: Mount Pleasant Farmhouse Culinary Studio
When: Valentines Day 2012
Mood: Love in the air
Emotion: Joy
Cakes Squared
I made the Phyllo Crab Cakes and decadent Chocolate Amaretto Heart Cakes in this Menu for a Valentines Day catering gig…so I know they are great bulletproof seducers (all you have to do is to take one bite). I did hours and hours of research in designing a deliciously seductive menu. My customers loved the dishes and came back asking for recipes (to me that’s always a good sign). The Phyllo Crab Cakes are delicate, simple to make, yet taste as though a lot of time, effort and love went into making them. To me, any dish with crab is always a surefire guarantee for success (yes, I do like crab, who doesn’t…you)? You can always replace the crab filling with a puree of sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. That makes a delicious, simple filling as well to show your phyllo pastry some love. The Chocolate Amaretto Heart Cakes definitely take more time and love to create – but – they are so worth it. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. First step (after you purchase the ingredients), is to pick up heart-shaped cookie cutters (they come in all sorts of shapes ‘n sizes). I chose to work with a larger size, it makes it easier to cut the cakes out. And if you don’t have Amaretto (sweet almond-flavoured Italian liqueur), you can always replace it with whatever liqueur you have on hand. Cooking is ALWAYS from the heart and sometimes baking can be too! In fact I made these cakes for the photo that you see (isn’t it great…don’t lick the screen), with a banana liqueur as I didn’t have Amaretto (I guess I drank it all the last time I made these cakes…oops…all part of the research). Either way, the cakes are oh so good with their layers of flavour, you’ll both love ’em. Bonne chance ce soir…good luck tonight! Love is in the air.
XO
PS Love your food, what comes from the heart touches the heart! Craving isn’t a ‘Bad Word,’ food IS sexy!
PSS I came up with this handy wallet-sized ‘Manly Ranking Scale’ – pull it out when you need it! It’s similar to the Richter Magnitude Scale that measures earthquakes (the idea came to me as I survived a major earthquake in Vegas years ago). I’ll grade each man of my life at the time of my Love Dateline story! Feel free to grade the man of your life, If he’s a +10 (and I hope he is), I’d say go for it!:
Work it, he must be a keeper if you’re going to the effort to make this menu!
SOME MUSIC TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD!
Check out the complete “The Art of Seduction” menu