Long before everything was blogged, print ruled the sentences. Here’s the culinary history of Avanti & the musing of Chef Mark Cleveland in culinary fun stuff from before any #face had been #book-ed

Toujours L’amour!

The affiliation of cuisine and sensuality is never more apparent than when the notion to prepare an aphrodisialicious Valentine’s meal strikes the amorous among us. The shapes, colors and fragrances of food can warm the coolest hearts. The musk of the mushroom, the voluptuous pear, the smooth flesh of the avocado beckon our touch. Yes, the art of love and the joy of a succulent meal are intertwined, as are body and soul.

Whether your intention is to seduce, bewitch or concoct a tribute to the apple of your desire’s eye, you would do well to begin with a trip to the bookstore or library and treat yourself to Isabel Allende’s Aphrodite, A Memoir of the Senses. This true love’s treat regales the reader with all things from the realms of romance and aphrodisia. The recipes for this month’s column are all my original and healthy creations inspired by those amorously presented in Aphrodite.

For an enchanting romantic dinner for one or more of your intendeds, consider not just the shape of the ingredients, but the texture of the evening. Symmetry itself is aphrodisiac in its melodic harmony. So we begin and end this meal with pears and a whisper of brandy. I’ve retooled a classic sauce from the sierra of Peru and Bolivia, reducing the dairy to just the fragrant whiteness of goat cheese. Served with crisp pears and yielding avocado, the magic of seduction begins. To provide stamina for later on, we’ll bring forth a celebration of the earth in a mushroom soup perfumed with truffle oil and brandy. Cupid then sets his arrow with the first bite of a fresh citrus white fish, shrimp and scallop seviche. And a hint of the exotic and exquisite luxury that awaits appears in the form of royal saffron pears with brandied crema.

Now light the candelabra, begin the feast and encourage the sirens to sing and play.

Huancaina Sauce w/ Avocado & Pear

Recipe By: Mark Cleveland

Serving Size: 8

Preparation Time: 0:30

Categories: Sauces

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method

1/2 cup goat cheese

1/2 cup silken tofu

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot minced

1/2 cup rice dream®

1 small serrano pepper

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon peanut butter

salt and pepper

2 cups avocado sliced

3 cups pears quartered

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Blend everything together and serve over pear & avocado slices.

Notes: This sauce orginates in the Peruvian and Bolivian sierra. Try it with roasted soy butter in place of the peanuts for a soyful variation.

Per serving: 274 Calories; 21g Fat (64% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 7mg Cholesterol; 47mg Sodium

Huancaina Salad w/ Avocado & Pear

Infallible aphrodisiac wild mushroom soup w/ truffle oil

Recipe By: Mark Cleveland

Serving Size: 4

Preparation Time: 1:00

Categories: Soups

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method

1 cup portobello mushrooms chopped

1 cup shiitake mushrooms chopped

1 cup crimini mushrooms chopped

1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms soaked then chopped

2 cups water

2 cloves garlic

1 medium shallot

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce

black pepper

3 cups fenugreek tea or herbal broth

1/3 cup brandy

2 tablespoons brown rice miso

1 tablespoon black truffle oil

4 tablespoons crema

Soak the porchini in the water for several hours. Strain, wash and chop the mushrooms reserving the liquid. Mince garlic and shallot then saute in olive oil with black pepper until just fragrant, about 3 mins. Add all the chopped mushrooms and mushroom soy and saute until tender, about 5 mins. Add broth and porchini liquid and bring to a simmer. Blend brandy with brown rice miso and add to soup. Reduce heat to very low and return to just under a simmer. Taste & adjust seasonings. Remove from heat, stir in black truffle oil and serve garnished with crema

Notes: The preparation alone perfumes the air with impending romance.

Per serving: 239 Calories; 9g Fat (39% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 3mg Cholesterol; 487mg Sodium

Seviche de Peru

Recipe By: Mark Cleveland

Serving Size: 6

Preparation Time: 1:00

Categories: Sea Food

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method

1 pound whitefish fillet

1/2 pound shrimp

1/2 pound scallops

3/4 cup white onions thinly sliced

2/3 cup scallion thinly sliced

1 whole serrano pepper thinly sliced

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup lime juice

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lime zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

4 whole radicchio leaves

6 small purple potato

oil spray

salt

Cube the fish removing any skin or bones. Peel, clean and soak the shrimp in salted water for 10 mins. Cut shrimp and scallops into pieces the size of the fish cubes. Toss onions, scallions, serrano, fish, shrimp and scallops in a large glass bowl. Add juices, salt and pepper and zests. Cover and refrigerate at least six hours tossing every hour or so. Before serving, slice purple potatoes in half potato, spray with oil, sprinkle with salt and roast at 400 until tender. Serve seviche on radicchio leaves with warm purple potato on the side.

Notes: Use your favorite whitefish, halibut, escolar, sea bass, etc.

Per serving: 429 Calories; 6g Fat (12% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 62g Carbohydrate; 115mg Cholesterol; 354mg Sodium

Royal Saffron Pears

Recipe By: Mark Cleveland

Serving Size: 4

Preparation Time: 1:00

Categories: Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method

1/4 cup saki

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup tangerine juice

1 pinch saffron threads 3 to 5 threads

3 cups pears

1 tablespoon brandy

1/2 cup crema

Heat sake, honey, tangerine juice and saffron until simmering and just slightly reduced. About 5 mins. Peel and quarter the pears and add to the syrup. Simmer another five mins. Turn off heat and let the pears cool another 5 mins in the syrup. Whip crema slightly with brandy and 2 tablespoons of the syrup. Serve pears garnished first with a spoonful of syrup and topped with a spoonful of the whipped crema.

Notes: Use firm, slightly under ripe pears. One pear is about one cup of quartered fruit.

Per serving: 322 Calories; 1g Fat (3% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 76g Carbohydrate; 2mg Cholesterol; 23mg Sodium

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

Our successful restaurant Avanti Café was located on 17^th St in Costa Mesa from 2005 through 2014. Follow us on social media to see what is new and in store for Avanti in our culinary futures.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy; you can Eat Well & Live Well

We are Whole Foods Experts It’s time to take Avanti Natural to restaurant menus & kitchens everywhere.

Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages. Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs. We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

www.avantinatural.com

Important Avanti Natural Links

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/avanti-natural-lifestyle-media/

https://www.pinterest.com/avantinatural/

Youtube

Avanti Natural

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Q6ljhrJ56QXRF3vR4snMQ

Avanti Café

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYaIGYey-BCf7gIh1-DcSQA

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/avanti.natural?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avanti-Natural/665626266871334?ref=hl