Conference turris::cooks

    
    Judie, I know this isn't what you wanted to see, but I'm
    surprised you're asking this.  I was reading through 401 and
    saw a reply I agreed with and then saw it was written by you!
    The gist was that the food doesn't matter as much as the atmosphere,
    etc.  
    I agree.  A bowl of Frankenberry would be romantic with the right
    person, a couple of candles, and a few bottles of good wine.
    
    Is there something in the choice of food that makes it "romantic"?
    I'm not sure I understand how one could classify foods in that
    way.  Can you give us an example of what you DON'T want to see
    suggested?
    
    I'm not trying to be difficult - would just like a little
    clarification, if you can provide it.
    
    Thanks, Diane
    

  For what it's worth, some foods have the reputation of stimulating
  amorous sentiments. I don't know what "Spanish fly" is, and personally
  don't get turned on by the thought of something which sounds like it
  might be (or resemble) an insect, but there are other foods which
  might tickle one's fancy.

  Oysters are said to. Also pastis (French anise-flavored liquor), or at
  least it used to before they outlawed absinthe from the list of
  ingredients. Julia Child, on a recent TV talk show ("Attitudes", I
  think it was) said that "everyone knows that watermelon is an
  aphrodisiac". That was news to me. For myself, Italian white truffles
  will do the trick. They come to market right around the time of my
  birthday. How convenient.

  Some other possibilities are saffron (well, some people claim to get
  off on it), foie gras (hmmm, wonder what he's up to in that other
  note), french black truffles, champagne (only good stuff, though), and
  probably a few others.

  Is that the sort of info you were looking for? :-)



  As for us, a romantic dinner at home would be one where my parents
  took the kids to live with them for a couple of days. Hamburger would
  be plenty good enough (as long as the wine's good).

�  <<< Note 2895.2 by ENABLE::GLANTZ "Mike 227-4299 DECtp TAY Littleton MA" >>>

�  For what it's worth, some foods have the reputation of stimulating
�  amorous sentiments. I don't know what "Spanish fly" is, and personally
�  don't get turned on by the thought of something which sounds like it
�  might be (or resemble) an insect, but there are other foods which

Mike,

At the moment I can't remember what the name of the 'drug' is in spanish 
fly, but it's a pretty good call on your part :).  Spanish fly is crushed 
beetles (don't have the kind handy).  They contain a chemical which acts on 
your nervous system.  A low dosage stimulates the nerve endings and makes 
them highly reactive to any stimulae (see where the aphrodisiac reputation 
might come from?).  As I recall, higher dosages could end up being fatal.

    As my husband is working the 9pm to 5 am shift on Valentine's day, we
    will be doing a romantic dinner tommorrow (Wed) :^(.  I have a meal
    plan from the February First Magazine. If you've never seen it, it is a
    wonderful way to get recipes.  
    
    Their meal consists of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Prosciutto Butter, 
    Fillet Steaks with Scallion and Red-Wine Sauce, Green Beans with
    Orange Butter and Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes with Raspberry-Poached 
    Pears with Two Sauces for dessert. To me the best part of this menu is 
    that all the recipes serves two. But I will probably change something.
    
    A bottle of champagne, candles - atmosphere is EVERYTHING.
    
    Have a great one!
    
    Jennifer

  Addendum to aphrodisiacs: my wife reminded me last night that
  "everyone knows that black olives are an aphrodisiac".

By request, here is the recipe for Prosciutto Butter

1 oz. prosciutto, about 2 thin slices
2 Tbs. room temperature butter

Mince prosciutto. Combine with butter. Put on plastic wrap, form into a 
log, wrap and chill until firm.  Slice and serve with breadsticks.

Per serving: CAL. 127 Pro. 3g
Fat 13g Sod. 312mg Carb. 0g
Chol. 39mg

Work time 15 min
Total time 15 min

Enjoy

Jennifer

    I would like to know WHERE "Spanish fly" come from... could you be
    specific as the real origin, and the type of beetles used in that
    potion? I have a feeling that geography has been a bit ignored here,
    I've heard about it in the US, but it's totally unknown in Europe
    including Spain, any more info on that? and also, do people REALLY
    try those nauseating things to try to improve... performance?
    
    to .5... your wife heard right... black olives are mediterranean fare
    and everybody has heard of "Latin Lovers" right?  By the way, over
    there, black olives is peasant food, not exotic at all, just common
    everyday snack served along with wine while the meal comes...
    

    I had a (platonic) friend who swears that chicken gizzards are an
    aphrodisiac.
    
    I have a recipe for a chocolate sponge cake with chocolate moousse
    "frosting" that my fiance "loves".  Unfortunately, with 6 eggs in
    the sponge cake, it's not something I'm inclined to make very often.
    
    Sandy

>I would like to know WHERE "Spanish fly" come from.

 Spanish fly is the name of an aphrodisiac made from the bodies of the european
blister beetle. The beetle exoskeletons evidently have some sort of chemical
in them which irritates certain mucous membranes leading to spontaneous
if uncomfortable erections in both males and females. Most good encyclopedias
can offer more in depth information should you be interested. :-)

 the Doctah

>                     <<< Note 2895.7 by MR4DEC::MAHONEY >>>
>                        -< Who drinks "beetle juice"? >-
>    [...] over
>    there, black olives is peasant food, not exotic at all [...]

  ... and over here they're exotic?

  Not to digress too much more, but maybe this topic should be renamed
  to reflect the discussion of alleged aphrodisiacs. Sorry about that
  :-)

    Actually, it may only be one component of the meal that makes it
    romantic.  Maybe serve the same wine that you had while on a special
    vacation or at a special dinner.  Or a certain desert, or a certain
    dish.  You can always start a new tradition this year.
    
    Last year I think we had chicken keiv (all steve had in his
    refridgerator was thinly slice chicken breast and butter!), some spiced
    rice, corn, and I had made that chocolate sponge cake for the
    first time.  With wine and music, it made a very romantic evening. 
    This year we'll have some other entree, but I'll make the cake again,
    and we'll have our favorite wine with it.  Since Valentines day is on a
    weekday, dinner won't be labor intensive (I want to still have energy
    after dinner!)  If it's cold out, maybe beef burgandy with saffron (!)
    rice, a black olive salad....
    
    Sandy

  ... don't forget those oysters rockefeller ...

RE: .9

It's also worth noting that the stuff for which you see ads in men's magazines
is always "spurious Spanish Fly", that is, a placebo and not the real thing.
Real Spanish Fly is banned by the FDA and therefore cannot be sold in the U.S.

--PSW

    I knew it had to be something like that... a placebo...
    

    Does anyone have any recipes?  Like Judie, I too need some recipes for
    a romantic dinner for two.  Sandy's dinner sounded great ... how about
    the recipes for those of us without your magazine?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Robin

    
    I think we are going to have:
    
    crabmeat stuffed mushroom caps
    pasta with spicy tomato sauce, shrimp, and italian sausage
    garlic bread
    dessert, i might use the recipe for strawberry mousse that is
    in this file, but I don't remember the number.
    
    
    Donna
    

    I would just get a good size cut of prime rib for the grill, cheese 
    tortellini's topped with a lemon & cream sauce, (get fresh Contadina
    tortellini's or any other fresh tortellini's you can find), bottle of \
    black tower wine, and a caesar salad. For desert.......cheesecake topped 
    with strawberries.
    
    If you need the recipe for the lemon & cream sauce let me know and i'll
    post it.
    
    sandy
    

    
    Yes, please post the lemon and cream sauce.

 I'm thinking of having chicken ballotines (Julia Child's _The Way to Cook_),
steamed broccoli, and sliced red potatoes sauteed in butter with onions and
fresh parsely. Served with a bottle of Georges DuBoeuf Pouilly Fuiss� or
Chardonnay. Followed by something sinful for dessert. And a baby sitter. :-)

 Chicken Ballotines are made by taking a whole chicken breast and cutting the
meat off the bone, being careful to keep the skin intact. You then have two 
breasts held together by the skin. You fill the breasts with stuffing, then
sort of roll them into a sausage shape (trussing them up to keep them together).
I've made them before and they are wonderful, especially with Julia's sweet
sausage stuffing. Mmmmm.

 The Doctah

    No time to make a special dinner, but I will be making
    him an "Italian Rum Cake" from scratch. :-)
    
    Lynne

    Hi Judie!
    
    I've convinced my husband to take me out for Valentine's Day
    (since it is also our wedding anniversary) but here's what
    we had for our at home Romantic Dinner on New Year's Eve...
    
    First I made sure the table was set with our best china and
    crystal wine glasses, fresh flowers, best linen table cloth,
    you get the picture.
    
    For starters, I made a zesty cheddar cheese spread served
    with crackers and cabernet sauvignon...to munch on while
    we were waiting for our 14 month old son to wind down and 
    go to sleep.
    
    French Onion Soup gratinee
    gourmet cut Sirloin Steak (cooked out on the grill)
    Lobster casserole  
    Delmonico Potatoes
    fresh asparagus
    
    ...and I don't remember dessert, but I think we crossed it off
       the menu because there was so much other food.
    
    there were lots of leftovers and we got to treat ourselves 
    later in the week to another delicious surf and turf meal
    (but served on paper plates!)
    
    Enjoy!
    Linda

    Re .22
    
    Can you post your recipe for the Delmonico potatoes?  I've always
    wanted to know how to make those.
    
    Thanks,
    

Can you  post the italian rum cake recipe?  Is this the one that uses fresh 
whipped cream and fruit??

    I got the recipe for Delmonico potatoes from note 1926.1.
    I omitted the rice, but it didn't seem to make any difference.
    They were delicious!  It's a great make ahead dish, they taste
    even better as leftovers the next day.
    
    enjoy...I think I'll make some this weekend!
    
    Linda

    My intent on this note was that Valentines Day is a work day.  Given
    there is time constraint in cooking after work and having it be
    something that is considered special were what I had in mind.
    
    And yes, the candles, fire and table setting are assumed.  Also,
    we have 2-3 teenagers underfoot most of the time.
    
    So far the menus I have seen here look good.  Let's see the recipes.
    
    Judie
    
    
    

  Re St Valentine's Day being a workday, in my book, limited time to
  prepare is incompatible with romantic dinner. My wife and I not too
  long ago prepared a "romantic dinner" (no special occasion) for a
  Saturday night. I took off work on *Friday* so we could do shopping
  and preparation. And some of the stuff had already been done days
  before!

  Teenagers underfoot is also, in my book, incompatible with romantic
  dinner.

  Unless you can address these two problems, no amount of recipe
  suggestions (which abound all over this notesfile) is going to deliver
  a romantic Valentine's dinner.

    Well, there is something you can make for a romantic Valentine's
    dinner:
    
    RESERVATIONS
    
    And V Day is one of the biggest nights of the year for resautants
    so do make reservations.
    
    ed

    Romantic atmostphere doesn't need to take days in advance to prepare...
    all it is needed is lots of love to the person you're with, a large
    candle, a nice glass of wine or better champagne (I love it) and some
    simple but good food, some flowers and... voila! It would not take more
    than an hour or two, but the most important ingredient, in my personal
    opinion, is "lots of love..."
    To those who have young kids... wait till they go to bed, then, sit
    down and relax, then prepare and enjoy dinner! romanticism should be in
    the heart first, then "transferred" to whatever surroundings we are
    in...
    
    Menu:  Nice set table (flowers, candle and wine, plus linen)
    
    Caesar salad,
    broiled sirloin steak with mushroom sauce, served over thin toast
       (takes just a few minutes to make)
    fresh julienne fried potatoes
       (they get done while the meat is cooking)
    Swiss chocolate mousse
       (that can be done in the morning, the day before, or when there is
    	time, it needs no cooking and it is deliciious!)
    I'd have a Rioja wine with the meat, but will also have champagne with
    

    I saw a picture in the paper of a heartshaped meatloaf w/ tomatoe sauce
    over the top of it, placed on a platter w/ mashed potatoes piped around
    it. (the mashed potatoes looked like they were put thru a pastry bag.)
    It really looked nice.  Meatloaf is not something I ever would have
    thought of for a romatic dinner, but my husband loves it, it's
    relatively inexpensive, and I know he'd love it.
    
    Robyn

    What I'm (seriously) considering:
    
    Set a nice table, (linen, candles, music, china, flowers, wine...) and
    calling pizza hut to deliver a pizza (I wonder if they'd add the
    mushrooms in the shape of a heart?).  Let's face it, after working all
    day, I just don't feel like cooking sometimes.  That way, clean-up can
    wait for the morning!!!
    
    Now, what about desert?
    
    Sandy
    
    

     
    re. 29  Could you please post your recipe for Swiss Chocolate Mousse.
    	    I am cooking an easy but delicious dinner, but am looking
    	    for a really special (but, also fairly easy) dessert.
    
    	    Any ideas?
    
    	    Thanks!
    
    	    Dina

    See note 2904 for the Italian Rum Cake recipe....
    
    Lynne

>    Now, what about desert?

 How patriotic of you, Sandy. Thinking of the troops in Gulf at a time like
this... :-)

 The Doctah

    There are lots of recipes for Mousse in note 1021.
    
    
    Connie
    

  Buy some Pepperidge Farm frozen turnovers (I like the raspberry), and
  a pint of Hoggin-Doss or Benny&Jerry vanilla ice cream, and have a
  ball. Seriously, that's a tough dessert to beat even if you work hard
  at it.

    You could make a roast and vegetables in a crock-pot and have dinner
    all ready when you get home.  
    
    I have not tried this myself yet, but I have been told that roasts
    cooked this way come out very tender.
    
    I wouldn't worry about having a lot of time to prepare - you can make
    any meal romantic.
    
    Mary

    Recipe for Lemon & Cream Sauce.  ...
    
    
    This can be used over tortellini's, luinguine, fettucini (plain
    or spinach pasta) or any kind of pasta.  I always use the 
    fresh pasta it always taste better.
    
    1 large container of Whipping Cream (I don't know off hand how many
                                         ounces the container is but
                                         use the large container in the
                                         market not the small one.
    2 tablespoons of parsley
    1 teaspoon of lemon juice (squeezed from a fresh lemon)
    
    
    1 or 2 containers of Fresh pasta
    ~~2 tablespoons parmasean cheese
    ~~2 tablespoons butter or margarine
    
    Use a non stick skillet, fry pan or whatever you have.
    
    =  Put the Whole container of whipping cream in the fry pan, 
       put the stove on medium, when it comes to a boil turn the
       stove down a little, mix the cream around in the pan every
       so often then add, your lemon & parsley & keep mixing till
       it thickens a little.  (mixture is supposed to be a little
       thick, but so you can pour it.)
    
    =  While this is thickening a little in the fry pan, start boiling
       the water for the pasta.  Mean while keep stirring the cream
       mixture, you can also add a little garlic powder, garlic 
       salt or whatever you want to the cream mixtuer.  When it
       thickens a little more take it off the burner.
    
    =  Drain your pasta, get a large glass bowl, put in the bowl
       about ~~ 2 tablespoons of butter, a ~~couple tablespoons of
       parmasean cheese and then dump in your hot pasta.  Mixing
       the pasta around in the bowl so that the butter and
       parmasean cheese melts around the pasta. (you might even
       want to add a little more of butter or margarine of the
       parmasean cheese whatever you like).
    
    =  Pour the Lemon & Cream sauce in a gravy container and
       let the one who's eating pour their own sauce over the
       pasta mixture.
    
    This really tastes great with a steak & salad.  This recipe
    is plenty for 2 adults.  
    
    ( I usually use 1 package of pasta for 2 adults if I"m making
     something to go with it. Or if we're just eating pasta for the
     nite I'll buy 2 packages of pasta. The cream sauce is really
     enough for 2 packages of pasta.)
    
    Enjoy,
    
    
    P.S. As I said in my earlier note, Get a good steak for the grill
         and maybe you want to get 2 bottles of wine 1 to drink outside
         when the steak's on the grill and 1 for the dinner. 
    
    
    Sandy