Thursday, July 2, 2015

Chef Mark Cleveland :: Vintage Post :: Whole Life Times :: L'Amour

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.

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