Rejoining us this month is New York City food maven and Pensacola native Brooke Parkhurst, giving us her tips for a romantic dinner for two.

You want to woo your date — not worry him — with a delicious dinner a deux. The key to the evening is to suggest romance, not shout it.
There’s no better way to walk this tight-rope act of love, lust and friendship (in a sexy pair of heels, of course) than to make the dinner together. You’ll both have a blast getting your hands dirty and loosening up with a glass of wine (one for the pot, one for you and him) while sautéing the chicken and putting the finishing touches on the chocolate cake (see recipe page 41).
Present him with a kitchen full of sumptuous ingredients and a nicely laid-out table instead of the finished product.
Here’s a sumptuous way to spend your Valentine’s Day Dinner:

MENU: “Dirty Hands” Dinner a Deux

Shrimp and Scallop Gratin with White Wine Veloute

Ingredients
1/2 lb. Shrimp (peeled and deviened)- use a larger size (16/20 count) this means it takes 16-20 shrimp to make 1 pound
1/4 lb. Scallops — again, look for a larger size (10/20 count), in a pinch you could use bay scallops
1 Spring Onion Bulb, sliced
2 slices of bread* torn into pieces and pulsed in a food processor or blender
2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream remember you need some for dessert too!
And, you’ll need about a cup of that champagne, you better get AT LEAST two bottles
*If you don’t want to make breadcrumbs, buy Panko — a coarse Japanese style bread crumb. Whatever you do, DO NOT use “Italian style.”
On a plate, sprinkle the shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper. Place a stainless pan on the stove over high heat. Add about two teaspoons of vegetable oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil begins to shimmer, place the scallops in the pan, flat side down. Sear until golden on one side (about 1 minute). Flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate. Turn the heat down to med-high, add the sliced onions to the empty pan and cook for 2 minutes. (You may need a little more oil.)
When the onions begins to soften, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side. The shrimp will begin to turn opaque, at this point pour in the champagne, a little over a cup. Simmer until reduced to 2 Tbsp., add the heavy cream and reduce until thickened. Taste and season with salt and
pepper.
Add another little splash of champagne (just in case — you can't have too much).
Divide the shrimp, scallops, and sauce between two bowls and top with the bread crumbs. Slide into oven under the broiler until well browned and bubbly on the sides. Carefully remove from the oven and enjoy immediately.
That's it! Short and sweet.

Best-ever Parisian Lemon Roast Chicken

1 good, preferably organic, free range chicken - about 5 pounds
2 lemons, well scrubbed and cut into quarters vertically
1 bunch of fresh poultry herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
3-4 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter or herb butter (I used garlic herb butter from Whole Foods)

Preheat the oven to 425'
Rinse the chicken thoroughly, pat dry, and season the cavity with kosher salt and pepper.
Place the giblets in the cavity
Tie the poultry herbs into a bouquet garni and place in the cavity.
Place the lemon quarters in the bird as well (it's a tight fit!)
Generously rub the entire bird with the herb butter and truss.

Lay the bird on its SIDE in the roasting rack and roast for 20 minutes
Turn the bird on its other side and roast for 20 minutes more
Turn the bird breast side up and roast for 20 minutes

Turn the heat down to 375, and roast the bird on its back back side UP with its head pointing down and the butt in the air so all the juices run under the breast for another 15 minutes.

Take the bird out of the oven and place on an oven proof platter with the rear end resting against the edge of a plate to keep it at an angle, cover with foil and let it rest in the oven with the heat off and the door ajar for at LEAST 10 minutes and up to 30.

Remove everything from the bird and squeeze every last drop of juice from the lemons and save. Discard everything else.

Pour off the grease from the pan drippings and deglaze the pan on the stove with 1/4 cup of COLD water. Hot water will turn it cloudy. Pour in the juices from the serving platter and add the lemon juice. Stir at low heat (simmer) until it thickens a bit - about 5 minutes. It makes kind of a truc or au juis as opposed to a true gravy. If you wanted to make a gravy, I suppose you could add a little flour, but I liked it the way it was.

Carve the bird into pieces and drizzle with the lemon juice sauce. Juiciest chicken ever.

I cut up some fingerling potatoes and tossed them into the roasting pan about halfway through the process so they got all crispy and brown, and served this with some braised red cabbage with goat cheese, hazlenuts and balsamic vinegar.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3-5 sweet potatoes [1]
1⁄2-1 cup of heavy cream
Salt
Spice [2]

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice thinly. No more than a quarter inch thickness. This is best done by halving each potato then placing the cut side down, halving again and then slicing thinly.

Place the thinly slices potatoes into a pan large enough to hold them. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the potatoes. Add enough cream to come just under half way up the potatoes. They will not be covered. Do not use regular milk because it will curdle.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat, season with salt and spice of choice and mash until smooth.

For a smoother creamier puree, put into the food processor and pulse just until smooth.

Serve.

[1] This calls for sweet potatoes. Orange fleshed with a dark reddish-range skin. Not the lighter yams.

[2] I have tried a lot of variations in this but I tend to like a sprinkle of cinnamon, though nutmeg, thyme is also very good. But if you are feeling particularly adventurous add a single chipotle pepper in some adobo sauce. The smoky chipotle plays off the sweetness of the potatoes beautifully. The result is a mildly spicy puree with an irresistible smoky-sweet flavor.

White Chocolate Vanilla Cake with Bourbon Cherry Syrup

4 tbsp butter, unsalted
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/2 vanilla bean, or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp flour, all-purpose
1/2 cup bourbon
1/3 cup dried cherries
powdered sugar for dusting

Gently melt butter in the microwave in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Be careful so the butter does not separate.

Add the white chocolate and microwave an additional 30 seconds. Remove and stir until the mixture is completely melted. Let rest for 3 or 4 minutes. If it separates or looks broken, discard and start over.

Whip eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons sugar on high speed for 8 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and the flour, whip on high for 4 to 6 minutes more. This can now rest for up to 2 days. (If storing, let it return to room temperature before baking.

Butter or grease six 4-ounce ramekins. Divide the cake mixture among the ramekins and place on a baking tray and bake at 425°F until the cake tops are light golden and puffy, about ten minutes. (The cakes will still be runny in the middle.

While cakes are baking, put 1/2 cup sugar, bourbon, and cherries in a small pan over medium heat. Don't stir. Reduce in half or until syrupy, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. It will thicken slightly as it sits.

When cakes are done, immediately remove them from the oven and place each ramekin on a plate, or invert cakes onto plates. Spoon bourbon-soaked cherries into the middle of each cake, and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar. Serve warm.

BROOKE’S TIPS FOR A ROMANTIC DINNER

Ever-so-nicely hint a day or two before the dinner that he should bring the wine (if he hasn’t already offered). Elaborate and suggest that a nice one to go with your menu would be an Oregon Pinot Noir or a White Burgundy. Remember, ladies — men are clueless, you’ve got to tell them exactly what you want (I could extrapolate here, but I won’t).
Wear a simple yet sexy dress (i.e. Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress, brightly colored cashmere sweater dress) — not a man killer ensemble of short skirt, décolletage-bearing blouse and sky-high stilettos. Pamela Anderson did that, and look at the men she ended up with.
Earlier in the day — we’ll assume this is a Saturday to give you plenty of chill and prep time — peel the shrimp and sweet potatoes, chop the leeks, stuff the chicken breasts and get your ingredients measured and organized.
You’re more interested in assembling dishes with your date than sweating it out over the stove. Work him harder next time you have him over
Your Ipod shuffle is key: think Brazilian (Astrud Gilberto) and Spanish (Bebo Valdes) jazz and American classics (Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James). The music will insinuate the mood — slow, sensual, playful — without taking center stage. And, since many of the lyrics will be in different languages, you don’t have to worry about hearing his off-key tenor!
Candles, candles, candles. Understood? You want a few votives scattered around the kitchen, on the window sill and, of course, in the center of table. Aside from the votives, buy eight to ten ivory-colored candles of varying heights and widths and place them on your favorite wooden or silver tray in the middle of the table. Your skin has never looked better.
In the end, you set the mood. The more casual you act, the more you smile, the lighter the conversation the more he’ll want to see you — and cook with you —again.

Better-sex diet

When you think “romantic dinner for two,” granola and peanuts probably don’t come to mind.

But those foods will boost your libido better than traditional Valentine’s Day fare, such as steak, wine and chocolate, experts say.

Throw your sex drive into overdrive by adding the following to your daily diet:

• Omega-3 fatty acids, which improves the circulation needed for erectile response. Salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds contains these fatty acids.
• L-Arginine, which also improves circulation. Garlic, green vegetables, peanuts and granola contain L-Arginine.
• Soy, which binds estrogen receptors, lubricating the vagina.
• Vitamin B, which increases testosterone production. Honey and bananas are rich in this vitamin.
• Zinc, which is required for testosterone production. Oysters contain this mineral.

Sources: Forbes.com and Women’s Health magazine.

Two former café owners are serving up their from-scratch secrets in a new cookbook, “Juliet’s World Café Cookbook.”

Here, co-author Maricarmen “Mari” Josephs dishes about her cookbook, how she became a foodie, how she got started in the restaurant business and why she considers herself a purist. Also, she shares some cooking rules she lives by.

 Q. Does cooking come naturally to you?

A. “Yes. It’s almost like a compulsion. I love to cook; I have to cook. I was in Spain for two months this summer, and I was traveling so I didn’t have a kitchen to cook in. It almost drove me crazy. One of the best attributes I have to offer when it comes to cooking is my palate. I know good food, how it should taste and what the texture should be like. I use my palate to critique and improve my own cooking. I’d be lost without it. And cooks, just like artists, have visions. We know what flavors go well together, so we can cook an imaginary dish in our head and then bring it to life. This is part of the creative process.”

 Q. What were your favorite foods when you were a child?

A. “When my sisters and I were children, we didn’t tend to eat my mothers food. Being a caterer, she was often too busy to make home-cooked meals just for us, and at that time we just weren’t into gourmet cuisine. I still remember the time she tried to pass off fried squid for fried fish. She didn’t get anything past us. So we ate the usual junk: Kraft mac and cheese, Spaghetti O’s, Cheerios, fish sticks, pizza and a whole lot of Burger King. To her credit, I do have to say that she made us very healthy packed lunches for school: hard boiled eggs with our name and a flower drawn on the shell; carrot cutouts in the shapes of diamonds, stars and hearts; saltine crackers filled with peanut butter; apple slices bathed in fresh squeezed lemon juice, etc. Sweets were always a big no-no, which is probably why I don’t really like to make desserts today. I don’t much care for sweets, and I like to cook what I am going to eat.”

 Q. What made you start to appreciate your mother’s dishes? And how

long ago?

A. “I started to appreciate my mother’s food about the same time I started cooking, somewhere around the age of 15 – although I started baking cake mixes, making pancakes, mixing banana milkshakes and frying french fries when I was about 12. I was always a very temperamental eater; I wanted to eat what I wanted to eat, when I wanted to eat it. My mother was often too busy to cook on my demand, so I had to have her teach me how to make my favorites. My first dishes were real Italian style fettuccine Alfredo, chicken almandine, dill green beans and Vigo yellow rice. By the time I was in high school I was definitely loving her food. I would take Tupperware containers to school filled with pasta with roasted peppers, basil and fresh bay shrimp while my friends were stuck eating pizza and fries for lunch.”

 Q. Did she teach you the basics, or did you watch her or the Food Channel as you began to appreciate her cooking?

A. “As a child (and in many ways still today), my mother and I were joined at the hip. We were always best friends, so I think I probably learned a lot by osmosis. She definitely taught me my first few recipes, and then she started pointing me towards cookbooks. My mother and I can’t eat a meal without critiquing it, so I probably learned a lot just from her commentary. You have to know good food in order to cook good food. In college, I started doing more experimentation, reading food magazines and watching the Food Network. Soon enough, I was throwing dinner parties serving frenched rack of lamb, baked cheese grits, roasted asparagus and crème brulee. I became very passionate about food very quickly. My mom was always a phone call away though. I don’t think I cooked a thing for years without calling her first. I still call her to this day, and on occasion, she now calls me for advice. I have to give my father some credit as well. He’s a great cook as well. At the age of seventeen I started spending every summer with him in Spain. He introduced me to Spanish cuisine and taught me how to throw together a meal and make it taste great.”

 Q. When did you join her in the business, and what made you decide you wanted to cater and be in the restaurant business?

A. “I started working for my mom at about the age of 12. I soon discovered I loved to pass canapés. Great food makes for a very popular lady. To this day, I still insist on passing the hors d’ouevres. Who doesn’t like flattery, even if it is just for the food! I continued to work for her in high school and when I was home from college. My mother had always steered me away from catering, claiming that it was too stressful a profession and too hard on the body; I later learned that truth the hard way. I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision to join the food industry; it just sort of happened. In December after 9/11, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s in Spanish and a bachelor’s in journalism. Jobs were hard to come by, so I started working as a waitress, and then I ran off to Spain for three months of summer vacation. While I was in Spain, my mom began communicating with me about the possibility of running a small cafe together. She had been offered a great, fully equipped kitchen and very low rent inside an already existing antique mall. We wouldn’t even have to buy tables and chairs. It was low risk and seemed like too much of a sweetheart deal to turn it down. I stepped off of the plane returning from Spain, and in two weeks we had the place up and running. I don’t think we had any idea how the cafe would grow and just how popular our food would become. We became sort of a secret hot spot. We did very little advertising, we weren’t listed in the phone book and we didn’t even have a sign outside the mall; nevertheless, we were booming with business for a long four hour lunch hour five days a week. It’s true: word of mouth is the best form of advertising.”

 Q. Your mother said you are a purist and that you won't make a coconut cake unless you can actually do it the hard way by cracking open a coconut, not by using extract. Tell me about that.

A. “I think this is what you call hyperbole; I’ve never even tried to make a coconut cake. But it is true that I am quite opposed to the use of almond extract. I think that whenever possible the flavor should come from the true ingredient. Ground almonds just taste nothing like almond extract. Extracts are OK used sparingly in dessert making, but they should never be used in savory dishes. It’s true: I am a purist. I think that a lot of American food is over-seasoned, over-sauced and just overdone. Spanish cuisine is based primarily on the simple preparation of the highest quality ingredients. Food should taste like what it is and should be cooked properly. Pure food uses simple flavorings to enhance the flavor of the food, never to disguise it. I was know at the cafe as the kitchen Nazi; if the fruit or vegetable at hand was not in perfect condition, then chunk it. I only wanted to serve our customers food that I would love to eat, and I am a whole lot pickier than your average customer. I shopped for almost two hours every day to ensure that we were using only the freshest ingredients available. My mom would often get a call early in the morning from me saying, ‘Hey, the fresh corn looks great! How about making corn chowder today.’ We were not very deliberate cooks; we cooked what was in season and according to our whim.”

 Q. Is fresh, home-cooked food a part of your meals when you leave work?

A. “I always cook for myself. I love to eat things like seared filet mignon with roasted butternut squash and fresh green beans. I’ve always believed in spoiling myself, and the best way I can do that is through food.”

 Q. Why should 20 and 30 year olds buy your cookbook?

A. “This cookbook is really a mix three generations. It is part my grandmother, part my mother and part me. Some of the recipes are Southern, some are Thai or Mexican, and some are just gourmet with our special twist. That makes this cookbook slightly schizophrenic, but all the food tastes great and is impressive. There are old-fashioned desserts, ethnic soups and gourmet sandwiches. The recipes are both traditional and modern. There is really something for everyone, including two special sections that give advice on how to make great soups and great desserts. I think there is a renewed interest in great food made from scratch. The food network and food magazines are more popular than ever, and who doesn’t want to impress their friends or even a date with some amazing cooking. Fresh, homemade, great tasting food is not a thing of the past; it’s the newest trend to ride.”

 Q. What basic rules do you follow?

A. “Unless you’re cooking a curry, there should really only be at most three flavors that predominate in any one dish. Food should always be cooked to the proper doneness, never underdone, never overdone. Extra virgin olive oil is a staple. Be creative and make sure that you have contrasting, yet complementary flavors in a dish or on the plate. I also believe in color. They say each color, whether it be orange, green, red or purple, contains different nutrients. So a colorful plate is a nutrient rich plate; it’s also a pretty one. Onions and garlic are the base for any great soup. Freshness is key. And of course, you’ve always got to put a little bit of love and your own personality into a dish.”

 Q. Do you and your mother have a similar philosophy in the kitchen?

A. “Yes. Stylistically we cook very much the same, I‘m just a little more, well, uptight. We generally have the same likes and dislikes. We both love cooking and use food to make ourselves and others happy. We love ethnic cuisine, especially Spanish, Thai, Mexican and Indian.”

 Q. How do you both achieve the same goals when cooking together if you disagree about certain food preparations?

A. “Well, honestly, I usually win. Almost anyone who has been to the cafe knows that I’m the bossy, controlling one. Unfortunately, I also inherited my father’s stubbornness, which is just a little bit more intense than my mother’s. She says she’s done with being bossy and an uptight perfectionist. She’s been there and done that. I, however, have not outgrown that stage. So, I guess she’s taking the high road.”

Q. Why didn't you study food preparation in college?

A. “I pursued two academic degrees in college, but I did take any and all courses that were available on food. We were very lucky to have a professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that taught an honor seminar on food related topics. In addition to reading a wide variety of texts, we prepared three course gourmet meals weekly under his instruction. Later, I participated in another honors seminar by the same professor hosted in Dijon, France. While we read about the link between the medieval church and food, we learned first hand about the wine, cheese, chocolate, pastries, and overall cuisine of France. We were even treated to meals at some of France’s best restaurants, such as Trois Gros. I considered going to culinary school, but really I’m not very concerned with French technique and sauce making. I’m more concerned with making authentic ethnic food and food that just looks and tastes great.”

Q. What is it about your cooking that particularly pleases you?

A. “I think that my food is fresh, clean food. We have a knack for recreating dishes that taste like someone’s grandmother made them, and we also create food with a wow factor. Taste is foremost for me, and I think our food simply tastes great. We introduce people to foods and flavors they’ve never tried before or we take a common food and prepare in a whole new way. In my mind, food has nothing to do with filling your stomach, and everything to do with putting a smile on your face or giving you a certain sensation. I love to hear people comment that something I have made is so delicious and like nothing they have ever tasted before or that it reminds them of something they used to eat as a child or in their native country.”

 Q. Tell me about the special highlights of your cookbook.

A. “I really think that both the soups and the desserts are recipes that people will really enjoy. You won’t see the same old cream of broccoli or French onion soup recipes in our book. We will include recipes such as Thai Curry-Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk, Mexican Sopa Azteca, and Italian Sausage Soup with Spinach, Pasta and Chick Peas. While a few of the desserts are a little she-she, most of these desserts are truly old-fashioned desserts that people really don’t make anymore.”

 Q. Why should the general public that hasn't eaten at your restaurant or tried your foods buy a cookbook?

A. “At Juliet’s World Café, we always wanted to provide people with original food that tasted great and could not be found anywhere else in town. We love to cook and try new things. Anyone who buys this cookbook will suddenly be privy to recipes that we have long held under lock and key. Our recipes are part of who we are, and our choice to share them is the best way that we can thank those who supported us over the years.”

 Q. What were your particular selections that you've included in the book?

A. “I have provided some soup recipes, many of the recipes for the sandwiches and a few desserts. I also have written a section that gives a formula and great advice for making delicious soup. My quiche, typically made with yellow squash, sweet bell pepper and corn, was one of the best sellers at the cafe, and of course, the recipe will be included.”

 Q. What are your plans after the cookbook?

A. “I’m really not sure yet. I’d really like to combine my journalism degree with my food interest. My goal behind getting a journalism degree in the first place was so that I could write about or possibly photograph food. I have a lot of respect for food magazines and have always had in interest in working for one. It would be amazing if somehow I could incorporate my Spanish language skills and my love of Spanish food into my future career as well.”

Lure your lover with some tasty treats.
Dot’s Chocolate Decadence Cake, “Blushing” Biscuit Tortoni and Strawberries and Cream Cake are three easy-to-make examples. They are from “Juliet’s World Café Cookbook,” a new cookbook that is available at about 10 Pensacola Bay Area locations, including Luciano’s in Cordova Mall; Artesana, 242 W. Garden St.; and Celebrations the Florist, 717 N. 12th Ave.

Dot’s Chocolate Decadence Cake

“This recipe is super easy, super rich and, of course, decadent,” said Pensacola resident Maricarmen “Mari” Josephs, co-author of the cookbook.

12 oz. chocolate chips
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
5 large or jumbo eggs
1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, puréed
1 cup heavy cream, whipped with sugar and vanilla, or orange liqueur

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a medium bowl in microwave (3-4 minutes). Add sugar and mix well.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time (whisk is fine).
5. Grease and flour an 8-inch or 9-inch spring-form pan (heart shaped, if you like) and
pour in batter.
6. Place pan on cookie sheet (in case it leaks) and bake about 30-40 minutes or until the crust cracks and it seems firm to the touch.
7. Cool at room temperature or in refrigerator.
8. Unmold and serve with raspberry puree and whipped cream.
Raspberry Purée

1. Purée 1 1/2 cups unsweetened frozen raspberries in the blender with 1/4 cup granulated sugar or 2 Tbsp. of orange liqueur or some of both. The sweetness is a matter of taste.
2. Strain the purée through a medium mesh sieve if you want the seeds completely removed.
3. Place the chocolate heart on a white plate; dust it lightly with confectioner’s sugar; drizzle the purée around the edges of the plate. Serve the remainder in a small white bowl.

Whipped Cream

Whip one cup heavy cream with 1 tsp. sugar or 2 tsp. orange liqueur until stiff enough to hold its shape on a spoon. If you use the sugar, add 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla.
If you use the liqueur, you might add the zest from one small orange.

Wine and dine your valentine

Culinary queen Maricarmen “Mari” Josephs tells you how:
Before dinner, cozy up on the couch with an appetizer. Josephs recommends Manchego cheese with olives and Marcona almonds.
Serve a variation of Kir Royal (splash of cassis or Chambord and two-thirds champagne) before the meal.
Multiple courses are romantic, but opt for something out of the ordinary, such as Cornish hen or rack of lamb. Something different doesn’t have to be difficult; you don’t want to spend most of Valentine’s Day – or night – in the kitchen.
During the meal, alternate red and white plates. For example, serve the salad on a red plate, and then serve the dinner on a white plate – or vice versa.
If you don’t have a date, invite your single girlfriends over for dinner. If most of your girlfriends are hitched, have the dinner party on Feb. 13 so everyone can have fun.

- SLOANE STEPHENS COX