Seduction Made Simple

Written by Sarah Cox
Photography by Karl Phillips

You will lure without permission. Without acknowledgement or knowledge. The object of your desire will not even realize your forward movement, as you capture a heart with the purest form of seduction: food. Not a thing to be taken lightly, this is sustenance in its highest form. Food created and presented for temptation nourishes the soul and the heart.

Do you want romance to lead to wantonness? Of course you do. This won’t take a $100 bottle of pinot noir, a finely perfected rack of lamb, haricot verts nor the thinly-crusted crème brûlée. No, no, my pretty—sit, relax, listen. This formula is as simple as attitude and a bit of flair.

Those of you who are scared by thoughts of separating eggs and don’t appreciate the difference between salted and unsalted butter, read on—I’m here to tell you there is hope for the culinary-challenged. You must employ all the senses, be acutely aware that lighting them and sustaining their fire is essential. Sweetly scented candles, a perfect piece of jazz, dimmed light, the soft roll of wine across the tongue like silk on the skin…Don’t give everything at once; just the sidelong glance, a half-turn of the shoulder, a secret smile as you uncork the wine.

As those virginal pledges slowly crumble, mention softly that tonight the two of you will throw all caution (and diets) to the wind. Your menu may feature strawberries dipped in chocolate, tender bites of beef, or a smear of Humboldt Fog chevre on a piece of cracker. See how effortless it can be?

But first, long before lover’s arrival:

Clean the setting of seduction. Get out the vacuum, the furniture polish, and the torn tee-shirt-turned-to-dust cloth. Plump the cushions and pick up the magazines and hide particular ones; put your clothes away, or stuff them in the hamper if you must.

Grab your shopping bag and set out to purchase your weapons of wantonness. What do you desire? Consider the pinot noir: a sensitive grape, but so is your task ahead. It has been described as intense, full-bodied, rich but not heavy, with spiciness reminiscent of cinnamon and sassafras and fragrances of ripe tomato and mushroom. As a non-intimidating first course, pair your pinot with a few wedges of gourmet cheeses; there are several wine and cheese shops in the Valley that can help you match-make.

For the main course, I suggest the simple and hard-to-screw-up flank steak. It is non-threatening on your partner’s plate. It will not overwhelm the scent of that sandalwood candle the way grilled fish would. The day before, buy a piece with the assistance of a knowledgeable butcher, get out your pepper grinder, mince up a couple of cloves of garlic and some shallots or onion (onion is fine, calm down), pour out a dollop of olive oil, and uncork a bottle of dry red table wine (not your prized pinot). Mix all this together, and consider adding a sprinkle of thyme leaves, then pour it over the steak and place it in the fridge.

Just before dinner, take the steak out, let it come to room temperature, and preheat your oven’s broiler. All you have to do is broil the steak four minutes per side for medium rare, and then thinly slice it on the diagonal, arranging several pieces on a plate.

Accoutrements, peut-être? But of course. And this will be as follows: small potatoes—you can find little net bags of these darlings that are simply panting to be cooked in the produce section of any grocery store—and steamed broccoli. Scrub the potatoes under running water, rub them with olive oil, cut them into quarters and toss them in a baking dish with a heavy grinding of pepper, some salt, and a palm full of chopped rosemary. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cook for about 45 minutes to perfect doneness. (They should be soft enough that the side of your fork eases through them with little effort—but it’s a good idea to test them 30 minutes in to make sure they’re not getting too dry. Take them out early if this is the case). And if you screw up your timing—a classic mistake of the novice cook—worry not. You can easily reheat the potatoes by sticking them back in the over at 300 degrees for 5 or more minutes.

Meanwhile, take your broccoli and cut the bottom part of the stem off. Slice the florets vertically off the stem so that you have a nice handful of long pieces of broccoli—you should serve two to three per person. If you have a steaming basket, then we’ll go with that: put some water in the bottom of a pot, fit your steamer into it, and place the broccoli in the steamer. Put the lid on and, about five minutes before you put the steak under the broiler (the potatoes will be done, resting on the counter with a piece of foil over the dish), turn the burner on high and let the steam go forth. If you don’t have a steamer, you can boil the broccoli. In either case, make sure you don’t end up with limp pieces (definitely a no-no on Valentine’s Day), but rather “al dente,” which means a little resistance to the bite. Test a piece after approximately three minutes of steaming/boiling. Strain, and finish them off with a pat of butter, a grinding of pepper and a dash of salt.

Cue Miles Davis, serve your sweetie and then yourself, and sit down to enjoy a gorgeous, and nearly-effortless, meal. You don’t have to talk a lot, but don’t be boring. Boring is the kiss of death, which translates into you won’t get any kisses tonight. Tell your partner why he/she deserves such a sinful meal, toss around candidates for the top ten most romantic songs of all time. Don’t focus on yourself, your latently discovered culinary genius, or your strenuous ab work-out. Let that be discovered later, honey.

And this will lead up to dessert and champagne. Forget the tired old roses; strawberries dipped in chocolate make the “bouquet.” Here’s how to make them: buy a package of wooden skewers at the grocery store, along with a box of strawberries, a bag of semisweet chocolate chips, and a small can of shortening (Crisco). Wash the berries, then skewer them at the green-topped ends and set aside. After you have melted one and a half cups of semisweet chocolate chips along with one tablespoon vegetable shortening in a small pan over low heat on the stove, dip the other end of the strawberry into the chocolate. Lay the strawberry “flowers” on a tray lined with waxed paper (it prevents sticking), and put them in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set and harden. Find a tall vase, insert tissue paper, and arrange the bouquet.

Just after you’ve offered the bouquet, pop the bottle of champagne and feast your eyes on that bit of chocolate that lingers on your lover’s lips.

And the rest, darling?

Why, I can’t hold your hand all the way to the bedroom. That’s up to you.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and best of luck.

Seduction Made Simple:
The Fool-Proof Formula

Ingredient List:

To Set the Mood
Music: Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue (alternative: anything by Al Green)
Setting: white tablecloth, sprinkled with rose petals, set with clean and matching dishes
White candles—everywhere! but especially on the table

First Course—to whet the appetite, grrrrrr
A bottle of pinot noir (two lovelies that won’t break the bank are Laetitia, at about $25-$30, and Smoking Loon at only $10 to $12)
Plate of cheese (place three or four different wedges on an attractive plate. Fill in the empty space with some nice, plump grapes)

Main Course
The day before, prepare marinade according to instructions below and pour over steaks. Place in fridge. Remove from fridge and begin cooking about 10 minutes before eating.
flank steak
1 ½-2 tbsp of olive oil
Generous pinch of salt
Generous pinch of thyme
Fresh ground pepper to taste
3–4 cloves of garlic, chopped into small pieces
1–2 shallots, chopped the same OR, 1 medium onion, chopped into pieces (about half the size of the tip of your pinky finger)
1/3 bottle or so of dry red wine (not your special pinot)

Pair with
1 bunch broccoli
Large pat butter (about a tbsp worth)
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Small potatoes (at 45 minutes, these take the longest to bake, so start on them first), 10-12 or 5-6 per person
Olive oil (about a tsp per potato, for rubbing)
About a tbsp of rosemary, chopped or whole

Dessert—to seal the deal
Champagne (two good and reasonably priced bets are Seaview Brut at $10 to $12 a bottle and Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut at $12 to $14 a bottle)
Strawberry “bouquet” (prepare that morning or afternoon so they are ready when your darling arrives; stash away until the time is right)
1 box skewers
1 box ripe strawberries (select a box of strawberries that still have some green leafage on end of berries)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

Posted: February 1st, 2007 under Taste of the City.
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~Sarah Cox loves to eat and write about food—probably in that order. She believes that most good cooking is the result of excellent ingredients, a dollop of wine and some Miles Davis in the background. This is while her daughter emails her from UVA with a grammar question, and her son’s drum tempo shakes the floor, thus helping reduce the red sauce. Sarah has eaten in working men’s cafes in Tehran, coffee shops in Salzburg, beer halls in Munich, and train stations in Copenhagen, but she likes her mom’s cherry pie best of all. She is a graduate of The University of Virginia and the Hollins Masters program in Writing. She can be contacted in care of City Magazine at 540.345.6300 or contact@citymagazineonline.com.