It's been said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I have not always found this to be the case, but maybe I've been cooking the wrong foods...
I'm not sure how I got my hands on a Chatelaine recipe (oh wait, from my mother, who quotes Chatelaine for what she considers to be every important topic possible - politics, relationships, hair removal, proof that salt won't eventually kill her, carbs are bad, blah blah), but this particular recipe is from 2007, and at that time, I felt compelled to rip it out of the now long tossed magazine and save it for 'just incase'. This compulsion was born from the claim that the author "uncovers the most seductive sauce on earth", basically guaranteeing that you could find love through a classic Bolognese (and with a man, not just the pasta).
Of course, I lost the recipe along the way (whoops), but discovered it again a few days ago (joy!). I liked the following:
I'm not sure how I got my hands on a Chatelaine recipe (oh wait, from my mother, who quotes Chatelaine for what she considers to be every important topic possible - politics, relationships, hair removal, proof that salt won't eventually kill her, carbs are bad, blah blah), but this particular recipe is from 2007, and at that time, I felt compelled to rip it out of the now long tossed magazine and save it for 'just incase'. This compulsion was born from the claim that the author "uncovers the most seductive sauce on earth", basically guaranteeing that you could find love through a classic Bolognese (and with a man, not just the pasta).
Of course, I lost the recipe along the way (whoops), but discovered it again a few days ago (joy!). I liked the following:
"The fact is that if someone is madly in love with you, you can serve him almost anything and he will lap it up like a cat, purring all the while. And if he isn't, no filet mignon will change his mind".
So true, so true!!
"But what about the man who isn't sure yet, who thinks he might be falling for you but still has one foot on the brakes? He is the one who needs seducing. You want it to occur to him - as if by chance -as if he just happened to think of it himself - that when he's with you, everything tastes a little better; that being with you is like visiting a land where life is brighter, easier, and just a bit exotic, and to which he might want to consider relocating permanently someday. You need to make a meal, in other words, that will leave him hungry not for sex, but for you".
Ok, so there's a lot of man-catering going on here, in a way that makes me feel a tad icky, but I will admit that at the beginning of relationships, when you're trying so hard to impress, food can be tricky. It's stressful making your first date dinner! You can't be too fancy otherwise you're a pretentious princess, but not too casual, or you could move into 'friend' category (sloppy joe's aren't sexy).
I made this sauce of seduction tonight (no more seducing required, but a happy-to-play-along man nonetheless). It was DELICIOUS. And very, very time consuming. Worth it, but better for a rainy Sunday. I'm surprised I can even type this out considering the carb coma I am experiencing now. Mmmmm.
Bolognese SauceThis sauce takes a lot of time - it should simmer for 4-5 hours - but it does not require a lot of skill (ie any dummy can do it!). Once the veggies are chopped, all that's left to do is add ingredients and stir (and drink wine in the meantime). You need:
1 onion
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery
50 grams pancetta
1 pound ground beef (not lean, woohoo)
1 tsp salt
1 pinch of allspice
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound pasta (hearty like penne or rigatoni)
Parm-Reg for grating
Steps:
1: Finely chop onion, carrot, celery (mirepoix, fancy frenchy word!). In saucepan or dutch over on low heat, cook pancetta until it starts to brown. It will smell so so good. Now, add the chopped veggies (fancy french mirepoix), turn it up to medium, stir frequently, wait for onions to go soft and clear.
2: Add ground beef, pinch of salt, pepper, and allspice. Cook until meat is brown.
3: Add milk. Once it simmers, turn to low and wait for milk to mostly boil away (about 30 mins). Then, add your cup of white wine, simmer it, turn down to low and wait for liquid to boil away (about 30 minutes). You see this is a bit of a process...Now, add can of tomatoes, simmer, reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Leave for 2.5-3 hrs.
4: Just before it's done, boil the salted water for your pasta. Drain, mix with a third of the sauce, then serve remaining sauce on top (did you know if you reserve a touch of the water the pasta was boiled in and add it to the sauce, it will help it to stick to the pasta?). Grate your cheese, and serve! Bellissima!
I recommend using a really nice dry white for the sauce, so you can drink the rest of it with your date at dinner. I served Ex-Nihlio Pinot Gris, from Vernon B.C. What an awesome vineyard that is, very rock and roll (they collaborate with the Rolling Stones) and romance. If you see this wine, scoop it up - peaches and pears and apples exploding in your mouth!
Even in the face of a horrific Canucks loss, this sauce still managed to make M extremely happy :)
I'm glad I kept this magazine recipe like a hoarder for all these years, and that I had someone so nice to test it out on. Please share if you have special seduction recipes!
Oh, and apparently soup is the least sexy food to make for a date. Something to keep in mind.
Ciao for now,
Katy xo
