BMF'S FOOD COLUMN

07 October 2009

Love is in the air at Pepsi U but we all know the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach. Pepa seduced Silvia with Jabugo ham, king prawns as well as friquito friquito vino and I think it’s safe to say her meal was a success. If words are not your strong point, then this seductive menu will be sure to romance the pants off that special someone in your life. I have incorporated so many aphrodisiacs in to this menu, that Aphrodite herself would be proud. On a more serious note, please do not hold me responsible for you actions after eating this....

Starter
Chilli crab cakes
The body's reaction to eating chilli is similar to the feelings you experience when.... (You know what), such as an increased heart rate and circulation and sweating. They also contain capsaicin which gives the body a temporary high.

Ingredients
15g (½ oz) butter

15g (½ oz) flour

125ml (4fl oz) milk

340g (12½ oz) mixed crabmeat, fresh or defrosted

1 lemongrass, finely chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped

1tbsp fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

115g (4½ oz) fresh breadcrumbs

1 medium egg, beaten

Sunflower oil, for frying

Salt and black pepper
For the red chilli garnish: 1-2 medium red chillies, deseeded and finely shredded

4 spring onions, finely shredded

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to the heat and cook for 2-3 mins until mixture thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the crabmeat, lemongrass, chilli, ginger, salt, pepper and 30g of breadcrumbs. Mix together and leave to cool.

Using wet hands (no dirty thoughts allowed), shape the crab mixture into 10 cakes. Dip the crab cakes in the beaten egg and coat in the remaining breadcrumbs. Cover and chill for 20 mins. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Lightly cook the cakes for 3-5 mins on each side or until golden brown.

Serve the crab cakes alongside lime wedges and topped with shredded red chillies and spring onion

Main
Honeyed duck
Its sweetness and stickiness makes honey a very sensual food. This recipe also contains ginger which is supposed to be a sexual stimulant and it also warms up the body and increases the heart rate. Garlic improves blood circulation which boosts sexual performance and makes erogenous zones more sensitive.

Ingredients
2 medium duck breasts, trimmed

2tbsp sunflower oil

½ tbsp Chinese Five Spice

1tbsp acacia honey

1 inch /Alex Pina’s penis size piece of ginger, peeled and cut in to matchsticks

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

1 spring onion, trimmed and sliced in strips (how I would like to see “el gordo”)

225g (8oz) pak choy

Trimmed Coriander sprigs for decoration.
1. Brush duck breasts with 1tbsp oil, then rub with Chinese Five Spice.

Heat ½ tbsp oil in a non-stick pan and cook duck skin-side down first until crisp and golden.. About 4 mins. Turn over and cook the other side the same. With the skin side up, place in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas 6 for 10 mins, or until cooked to preference, drizzling with honey for the last 5 mins of cooking.

Heat the remaining oil in the duck pan and fry ginger, garlic and spring onions. Add to duck in roasting pan. Meanwhile cook pak choy in salted boiling water until just tender. Drain.

Spoon ginger and garlic mix onto four warmed serving plates and put duck breasts on top. Serve with pak choy and decorate with coriander sprigs.

Dessert
Strawberry and vanilla cream sponge
Described as fruit nipples in erotic literature, strawberries are the symbol of passion, they're perfect for sharing, rich in Vitamin C and delicious!

Ingredients
175g unsalted butter

175g golden caster sugar

1tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs 175g self-raising flour
4 tbsp strawberry jam

284ml carton double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and base line two 18cm sandwich tins. Beat all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Divide between the tins and level out. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are well risen and spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a rack and peel away the paper. Cool completely.
Spread the jam onto the base of one sponge. Lightly whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds and spread half of it over the top of the jam. Sandwich the other sponge on top. Spread the remaining cream over the top with a palette knife.