What would an Aphrodisiac Menu be without oysters?
In Love bites: Create the ultimate valentine's meal sensuous oyster recipes (The Independent, February 13), Mark Hix tells us how after 8 years of offering recipes for Valentine's Day, he decided in 2010 to be all about oysters.
I found his Oysters with Chorizo interesting, here it is:
sausage. These little Spanish cooking chorizos are perfect for spicing up
your oysters a bit and they can be bought from Spanish delis and some
supermarkets. You can serve the chorizos whole or cut them into little
pieces once cooked and scatter them over the oysters.
6 oysters, shucked
6 mini cooking chorizo
Cook the chorizos in a frying pan or under the grill for 4-5 minutes, turning
them as they are cooking. You will not need any fat in the pan, as they
release a fair bit during cooking."
Would you enchant your partner if you could put your hands on Willapa Bay–Hawk’s Points about which Rowan Jacobsen rasps poetic on his Oyster Guide (January 8):
damned delicious flavor. Not a hint of bitterness or algae, as you
sometimes get with Pacifics. Let’s hope more Willapas soon make it to
half-shell service. In the meantime, look for Oysterville Selects, Willapa, Shigoku, or Hawk’s Point–all Willapas by any other name."
Rowan Jacobsen is the author of A Geography of Oysters (from the US and Canada).
I would be curious to know where Robb Walsh, author of Sex, Death and Oysters would take his lady beyond the Texas borders and which of the oyster belles he would share with her.
Kian Lam Kho in Aw Schucks! Oysters for Valentine's Day (Red Cook, January 28) offers his recipe for Steamed Oysters with Tangerine Peel Sauce (pictured below, from his piece).
Looks tempting and it brings us back to Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day sharing the day, February 14.
In a different and oyster less register Brandi Quinn, Executive Chef for Café Surfas demonstrated earlier today a 4 course Aphrodisiac Menu in Culver City, California.
Delice de Bourgogne Cheese with Truffle Honey and Toasted Crostini
2ND Course:
Baby
Arugula with Sliced Strawberries, Toasted Almonds, Roasted Leeks,
Ricotta Salata Cheese all tossed with a Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrete
3RD Course:
Coco Braised Osso Bucco with Sautéed Greens and Vanilla Scented Sweet Potatoes
4TH Course
Chocolate Fondue with Bananas, Figs and Strawberries
If nothing else, I hope this opened your appetite for dinner for two.