Sensual Talk - Eating with your hands

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Chicken with Chili Peppers and Beans

Chili pepper is a powerful aphrodisiac. Its spicy and striking and it heats up your body almost immediately. First your lips touch the food prepared with chili peppers and they become warm, pulsating and inviting. Then your heart starts to beat faster and your chest, your neck and face get pleasantly flushed. Your sweat glands produce a dewy glow on your skin, your breath fastens... And that masterfully mimics how your body feels when you are sexually aroused. Your senses are heightened, your body is invigorated and the meal turns into a wild fantasy. The key is to allow yourself to be carried away by the fantasy and to experience it with all five of your senses. 

This dish is a perfect foreplay for your party for two or a party of self-indulgence. Juicy chicken, hearty beans, tomatoes and chorizo, basking in the glorious aroma of chilli peppers, zesty lime juice and exotic notes of ginger. Serve it with toasted bread for another layer of texture. Dip the crispy bread into the sauce and suckle on the flavourful spicy liquid. Feel that unforgettable spicy bite with your lips, let it caress your tongue, the back of your throat and your chest. And see what happens to your body. As your heartbeat fastens, as your skin becomes flushed, let your breath to be taken away and go with the fantasy. But before you go there, turn off your phone. Unless the fantasy is on the other end of the line.

Ingredients:

15 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 large onions, sliced, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 chorizo sausages, sliced in big chunks, 4 red peppers, cut into chunks, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 chicken stock cubes, 1 tsp of chili flakes, 2 tsp. dried oregano, 1 can of red kidney beans, a touch of ginger and juice of 1 lime. 

Method:

Preheat oven to F400. Fry the onions in the oil for 5 minutes until they become soft and start to colour. Add the chorizo and fry for a few minutes more. Stir in the peppers, then pour in the tomatoes, followed by a can of water, the stock cubes, chili and oregano. 

Arrange the chicken thighs on top of the sauce, pushing them under the liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover, then cook in the oven for 40 minutes. Add the beans, stir, then cook for 20 minutes more. Drizzle with lime juice and ginger. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Escargots a la Bourguignonne

Someone once told me a story about the beginnings of the posh little delicacy called escargot. After the French Revolution, two Parisian chefs wanted to introduce something new to their menu that would intrigue tourists and subsequently make extra cash. When translated from French, escargot actually means dirty slimy bag on the ground. French may be sneaky but also incredibly creative. And when enveloped in rich garlicky butter sauce or wrapped in a steaming puff pastry, rich cream, butter and white wine sauce, the dirty slimy bags on the ground, surely transform into blissful mouthfuls of pleasure. The story also goes to say that the original escargots were picked up from the dirty streets of Paris in the rain, at the doorstep of the restaurant where the two chefs worked. They brought them to their kitchen and the rest is history. Whether the story is true or not, good news for us is that we don't have to go snail picking or experiment in order to make them edible. There are so many incredible escargot recipes out there. The only prerequisite is to be adventurous enough to try them in the first place. 

If you are, this recipe will make you fall in love with escargots, unless your love affair with snails has begun a while ago. If that's the case, then expect the spark to be rekindled. Delicate shells of escargots oozing with buttery mixture of garlic, parsley, white wine, shallots and brandy. Spiced with a touch of warm, spicy nutmeg, all immersing the tantalizing, fibrous snail in a warm bath of velvety deliciousness. I like serving it with lemon wedges and slices of baguette. It is that perfect appetizer that will intrigue your guests' taste pallets and get them excited about the next course. Here is the challenge though - try to come up with something even more memorable than your appetizer. If you don't, all your company will talk about is your escargots. On the flip side, one unforgettable dish is a great success and the gift of love (new or rekindled) is priceless. 

Ingredients:

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, 1⁄4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley, 1 tbsp. white wine, 1 tsp. cognac or French brandy, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 shallot, minced, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg, to taste, 24 extra-large snail shells, 24 canned extra-large snails, Rock salt, baguette, for serving.

Method:

In a bowl, whisk together butter, parsley, wine, cognac, garlic, and shallots with a fork. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let the flavours meld.

Heat oven to 400°. Spoon about 1⁄2 tsp. of butter mixture into each snail shell. Push a snail into each shell; fill shells with remaining butter mixture. Cover bottom of a baking pan with a layer of rock salt. Arrange snail shells butter side up on bed of salt and bake until butter sizzles, 10–12 minutes.

Maple Salmon Pâté with Blue Cheese and Fire Roasted Peppers

As a food journalist I have attended many dinner parties and gatherings. I cooked and dined with the most talented chefs from India, France, Japan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Iran and many other parts of the world that have incredible cuisines. I ate with my hands and with silver spoons. I sat and ate on the floor and at the most meticulously set tables where "haute cuisine" was served. But here is something interesting that I have noticed. There is nothing that excites people more than Hors d'Oeuvres. Food unites people and Hors d'Oeuvres break the ice. May it be a simple a cracker topped with some cheese or a sophisticated artistic creation. People love that first bite they have before sitting down to have the main meal. And if the wine is served to go along with Hors d'Oeuvres... Well, the party is elevated to the next level. 

My Maple Salmon Pâté is a great party starter. It can be served assembled on a piece of baguette or in a bowl with slices of baguette on the side. A good chardonnay or champagne are perfect pairings to go with this starter. Holidays are fast approaching. Serve it at your holiday gathering and watch how quickly compliments to the chef turn into great conversations filled with laughter and cheer. And here is a party favour idea: print this recipe for each of your guests, roll it up and secure it with some ribbon. Let each of your guests take one before they leave your house. Trust me, they will ask you for the recipe the next day. Now they won't have to. 

Ingredients:

3 salmon fillets, 1 fire roasted marinated red pepper (available in a jar), 2 tbsp. maple syrup, 1 tbsp. capers, 1/4 cup of blue cheese, 1/4 tsp. herbes du Provence, pinch of red pepper flakes, splash of lemon juice, 3 tbsp, crème fraiche (or sour cream). 

Method:

Boil your salmon for 6 minutes and let it sit until cool enough to handle. Break it up into small pieces with your hands and set aside.

In the food processor combine the fire-roasted red pepper, maple syrup, blue cheese, capers. herbes du provence and crème fraiche. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and some lemon juice. Pulse until combined. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Empty the contents of the food processor into a bowl and add your shredded salmon. Mix and chill overnight. Check for the seasoning and serve with toasted baguette or crackers. 

Strawberry and Cream Meringue Cake

My friend Nada Rajic and I go way back. When we met, I was in my first year of university and she was the one who invited me to my very first formal dinner party. There was something magical about that evening. It was definitely very different from all the parties I attended in my freshman year of journalism school. The guests were served a three course meal, there were exquisite centerpieces on the table, plenty of wine to go around and lots of stimulating conversations. And then there was the Dessert! A spectacular, airy walnut meringue cake with strawberry and cream filling. It's been many years since that evening at Nada's. Since then I attended dozens of dinner parties and had plenty of mouth-watering sweet endings but I never forgot the cake that Nada served that night. It truly was life changing. It was like that first love or that first kiss that you never forget. Everything that comes after is great but it does not come close to that very first sensual experience. And then you spend your life wondering if you will ever go through anything like this again. 

First your dessert fork breaks up a crispy meringue filled with toasted walnuts, perfumed with essence of almond extract. It is crunchy and airy, nutty and light. Then your fork reaches sweet, ripe strawberries, enveloped by fresh, sweetened cream. It's like digging into a celestial cloud of pleasure. And then comes another layer of that perfect nutty meringue. Again, crispy, airy and delicate. And then as your eyes devour this iconic piece of heaven on your plate, your fork finally snatches a piece and you are ready to put it in your mouth. The contrasts of the cake's consistency create the bite that is impossible to forget. Plump, fleshy berries, soft cream and the crunchy crust. Have I mentioned heaven? Nada was kind enough to share this recipe with me and I couldn't be more grateful. I can go back to that wonderful sweet experience anytime I want and now you can experience it for yourself. But be prepared. You may have to scratch out your favourite dessert from the list of your guilty pleasures. This cake might become "the one." 

Ingredients: 

5 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, few drops of almond extract, 1 tbsp of flour, 1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 500ml of whipping cream (35%), 2 tsp. powdered sugar, 1 large basket of strawberries, 1/2 tsp. cream tartar (optional). 

Method: 

To make 2 meringue crusts: Beat 5 egg whites with 1 cup of sugar, few drops of almond extract and some cream tartar (optional). 

In a separate bowl mix 1 tbsp. flour with chopped walnuts and 1 tsp. cornstarch. 

Mix your wet and dry ingredients together. 

Grease 2 spring form pans and lightly dust with flour. Divide the batter evenly and bake at 350F for 35-40 min. Turn off the heat and let it dry for another 30 minutes without opening the oven. 

To make the filling: Cut the strawberries in big chunks. Whip your whipping cream with 2 tbsp. powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Fold in the strawberries. 

Assembly: Place one of the meringues on a serving stand and top with berry and cream mixture. Place another meringue on top and dust with powdered sugar. Do not assembly too early in advance to avoid soggy crusts.

Vegetarian Spaghetti with Black Bean and Honey Sauce

Sophia Loren once said, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." As an impressionable teenager, I was a big fan of Cinema Italiano and Sophia Loren so I figured, she knew what she is talking about. I ate spaghetti as if it was going out of style. Let's be honest, too much of a good thing may not do wonders for your figure but it makes you happy. It's fun to eat spaghetti. You have to wrap it around your fork, you can slurp it and it has that distinctive texture that everybody loves. And then you add cheese, sauce, some basil and... you feel euphorically satisfied. It is that comfortable feeling that is synonymous with happiness. And as tacky as that sounds, this is where beauty begins! Sophia Lauren knew what she was talking about after all. 

My family loves pasta. Even my 1.5-year-old daughter Sandrine eats pasta with no disputes or mini temper tantrums. Therefore, I always look for new ways to make it. This recipe has some Asian flavours and is probably like no pasta you have ever tried. It is also a vegetarian pasta dish so if you want to introduce a weekly "no meat dinner" policy, this is a good way to do it. Deep, rich black bean and garlic sauce meets the sweetness of honey and acidity of white balsamic vinegar. This is your sauce. As soon as it hits sizzling, roasted vegetables and al-dente pasta, it releases even more of its aromatic properties and essence. To this you add some buttery white beans, crispy snow peas and a handful of cilantro. And there it is - the most satisfying, appetizing, steamy, slurpy goodness in a bowl. I like adding some chopped peanuts over this pasta. It is unusual but it gives your dish even more textural interest and appeal. And at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is happiness. And how you achieve it in your own kitchen is nobody's business but yours. 

Ingredients:

500 gr. spaghetti, 1 zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small package of cherry tomatoes, hand full of snow peas, 1 can of white beans, Chinese five spice. For the sauce: 3 tbsp. black bean and garlic sauce, 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp. honey, cilantro.

Method:

Chop up your zucchini, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and arrange in a roasting pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and sprinkle with Chinese five spice. Bake at 375F for 30 min.

In a bowl whisk black bean and garlic sauce with vinegar, olive oil and honey. 

Once your pasta is al dente, drain it and add roasted vegetables, white beans, snow peas, cilantro and the dressing. Mix and serve.

Raspberry Macaroons

Your teeth sink into a crispy shell of a small round meringue and there is a pleasant surprise when you realize that on the inside it is actually soft and chewy. Then your tongue gets a taste of invigorating raspberry jam nestled in the middle of your macaroon. It's sweet and tangy. It is that ideal bite that reminds you of carefree days of your childhood. Eating freshly picked raspberries with your muddy hands or having a peanut butter and jam sandwich after playing outside in the sun. Remember how good that raspberry tasted as it caressed your curious tongue and how tasty that sandwich was because you were hungry? What happened to tasting something for the very first time and really being in the moment? Appreciating all the nuances of textures, flavours and aromas? What happened to taking time to enjoy food? Macaroon is that distinct combination of flavours and textures that could be the beginning of your new relationship with food. The relationship that is more satisfying, more nourishing and more sensual than you ever thought your relationship with food could be. 

I have been looking for a good macaroon recipe for a while and then when I found this one in the Food and Wine magazine, I knew this was the recipe I have been looking for. It makes a batch of the most luscious sweet treats that are actually quite simple to make. I recommend keeping it in the fridge and then letting it sit at the room temperature for 5 minutes before consumption. Meanwhile, make yourself a cup of your favourite tea, inhale its comforting aroma, find a spot where no one will bother you and sink your teeth into that wonderful meringue. Taste the raspberry jam and get carried away by memories and sensations that make you happy and carefree. Just like you were as a kid, running barefoot, picking raspberries and eating them from your muddy hands. No worries, no judgments and no rush. Just pure flavour and satisfaction.  

Recipe Courtesy: Food And Wine Magazine 

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 cup almond flour, 3 large egg whites, at room temperature, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 2 or 3 drops red food coloring, 1/2 cup raspberry jam.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400° and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large, wide bowl, using a large rubber spatula or a handheld electric mixer, mix the confectioners' sugar and the almond flour with 1 of the egg whites until evenly moistened.

In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with the water and bring to a boil; using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over high heat until the syrup reaches 240° on a candy thermometer.

In another large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the remaining 2 egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer at high speed, carefully drizzle the hot sugar syrup over the whites and beat until firm and glossy. Beat in the food coloring until the meringue is bright pink.

Stir one-fourth of the meringue into the almond mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining meringue. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip; pipe onto the prepared baking sheets in 1 1/2-inch mounds, 1 inch apart. Tap the sheets and let dry for 15 minutes.

Transfer the meringues to the oven and immediately turn off the heat. Bake the meringues for 5 minutes. Turn the oven on to 400° again and bake the meringues for 8 minutes, until they are puffed and the tops are firm and glossy. Transfer the baking sheets to racks and let cool completely. Peel the meringues off of the parchment paper.

Spoon the jam into a small pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip. Alternatively, use a plastic bag and snip off a corner. Pipe the preserves onto the flat sides of half of the meringues. Top with the remaining meringues and serve.

Chicken Sandwich with Jerk and Honey

Living in Toronto means being exposed to all kinds of culinary disciplines. I was fortunate to cook with many chefs and cooks of different cultural backgrounds and they taught me so much about their gastronomic heritages they brought from home. I have also been blessed with incredibly curious taste buds and have never ever turned down anything that I was offered to try. Although my culinary training 

was strictly based on French cookery, I find myself being tremendously influenced by other cuisines that I have been exposed to over the years of adventurous eating. 

This recipe was born in my kitchen on a chilly winter evening. I was craving something hearty, flavourful and soulful. And this dish hit the spot masterfully. I labeled it "my emergency TLC sandwich". Crispy buttered bread sweetened by a touch of honey to balance out perfectly cooked chicken, spiced with jerk sauce. Warm flavours of allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and garlic - all traditionally used to make Jamaican Jerk sauce, caress your tongue with surprisingly sensual bites. It's that sweet torture for your taste palettes. It is spicy yet not overpowering so you can enjoy every single bite. I like to finish this dish in the oven, wrapped in foil paper because it helps to crisp up your bread and for all the flavours in the sandwich to marry together and reach their full tasty potential. Unwrapping it is like opening a present sent to you with love. It is fragrant, satisfying and filled with happiness... 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4 buns of your choice (I prefer Kaiser rolls), 1 bell pepper, some butter, 3 tbsp honey, 2 tsp. Jerk sauce (mild or hot, your choice), 2 tsp. lime juice, 1 tomato, sliced, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, 4 sheets of foil paper. 

Method:

Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Sear in a frying pan for 5 min on each side. Preheat the oven to F400 and bake for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then cut up in strips. 

In the frying pan where you seared the chicken, add julienned bell pepper and sauté for few minutes. To that add your chicken, jerk sauce, 2 tbsp. honey and some lime juice. Finish with some parsley. Turn off the heat.

Cut your bread rolls open and add some butter and a touch of honey to both sides of your bun. Add your chicken/bell pepper mixture and a slice of tomato. Top with the top part of the bun and wrap it tightly in foil paper. 

When ready to eat, preheat your oven to F450 and bake in foil for 10 minutes. Can be made the night before.