Champagne Farotto with Maple-Chili Seared Scallops and Asparagus

Warm, creamy, sweet, and then so spicy... This delicate champagne "farotto" uses my favorite Italian grain, farro, instead of arborio rice. The glaze on the scallops is simply tantilizing, as it teases your palate first with a natural, sugary sweet, then finishes with a swift flash of chili spice.

Champagne: The effervence of champagne gets to the bloodstream more quickly than wine, making the whole body feel the warm glow of this most celebrated aphrodisiac. It is also said that the scent of dry Champagnes are similar to the aromas of female pheromones.

Cheese: Again, cheese contains a large amount of PEA, phenyl ethylamine, which releases the same such of hormones that is experienced during sex. This dish is loaded with creamy fromage.

Asparagus: The aphrodisiac quality of asparagus is almost purely in its long, phallic shape. But in addition, this healthy vegetable contains lots of nutrients that are necessary for the production of healthy hormones.

Scallops: Scallops were first associated with aphrodesiac powers in ancient Greece, as myth claims that Aprhodite floated on the sea to earth on the shell of a scallop. Recent studies have shown that scallops and other bivalvles may have the ability to raise the levels of sex hormones in both men and women.

Maple Syrup: Like honey, the thick viscosity of this woody nectar is what makes it so sensual. Though maple syrup specifically does not have any documented aphrodisiac powers, its incredible sweetness is the perfect contrast to the piquante chile.

Chile: Chile peppers increase heart rate, release endorphines, and cause a feeling of energy to wave over the entire body. These effects of this spicy pepper are exceedingly familiar to the act that will inevitably follow this sweet, yet spicy, entree.

Champagne Farotto with Maple-Chile Seared Scallops and Asparagus

Serves 2

For the Maple-Chile Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp Mustard Powder
1/4 Paprika
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Chili-infused Olive Oil (if none available, replace with olive oil)

For the risotto:
2 cups Fish Stock
2 cups Chicken stock
1 cup water
Olive oil
1 Shallot, thinly sliced

1 cup Farro (or Arborio Rice)

3 champagne flutes Champagne, plus one reserved

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Fresh Diver Scallops, portioned as desired

6-10 spears fresh Asparagus

Whisk together ingredients for glaze in a large, shallow ramekin. Add scallops and set aside while risotto is cooking to allow glaze to infuse with spices.

In a small pot, heat stocks and water to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. This will be used to cook the rice by keeping it at a steady temperature.

Heat a medium saucepan on high. Add olive oil and shallots, sauté until almost transparent. Add rice and reduce to medium heat. Sauté rice to toast, about 3 minutes. Add champange, and allow liquid to become absorbed by the rice. Add a ladle-full of warm broth mixture to rice, stir, and allow to absorb. Continue this process until rice releases its gluten and becomes thick, 30-40 minutes. When rice is soft, add last flute of champagne. When champagne has been mostly absorbed, add cheese, and fold together. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

In between ladling when rice is nearly done, begin work on the scallops. Heat a large sauté pan on high, add a drizzle of olive oil to coat entire bottom of pan. Add scallops, and sear on both sides, about 1-2 minutes each side. Remove from pan and place on a warm plate near stove to finish cooking through.

Blanch asparagus in a boiling pot of water. Remove after 1-3 minutes.

To plate, add a mound of risotto to a shallow bowl. Arrange asparagus to rest at an angle, and place desired amount of scallops on top. Drizzle a fragrant olive oil over dish and serve immediately.

Enjoy with your lover and a bottle of full-bodied Condrieu.

Red Vegetable and Arugula Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

After a week of holiday feasting, I found myself craving a simple, fresh salad -- but I had no time to make and enjoy one. In the New Years' rush to get back to the city, I had resigned myself to bringing a portable meal of apples and trail mix to share with Conor on the train. But ever the resourceful gourmet, Conor surprised me with a perfect salad of tangy, fresh arugula, which we shared en route, clanking forks as we took hungry bites from the same tupperware container.

This salad is a perfect concoction that is as satisfying for its simplicity as it is for its variety of flavors. Starting with a base of arugula, Conor then added roasted beets, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, parmesan cheese, which the then dressed in a light dijon vinaigrette.

This is a great salad packed with vitamins and nutrients to kick off a healthy new year. Though it looks like a lettuce, arugula is actually a cruciferous vegetable in the cabbage and mustard family. Arugula is rich in phytonutrients, which may reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer, such as breast, stomach and colon cancers. Beets are healthy little powerhouses loaded with vitamins A and C, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and iron. Red beets are pigmented by betacynin, which is a powerful agent that fights cancer. Red bell peppers are full of color, which makes it a rich source of antioxidant vitamins A and C. Tomatoes too are loaded with vitamin C, and have gained attention for their high concentration of lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Olive oil contains healthy, essential fatty acids, as well as high levels of vitamin E, which helps delay aging and also protects the ova to improve sexual health.

The salad is extremely simple to assemble, but I've over-complicated the recipe to teach techniques for roasting and "sun-drying" at home.



RED VEGETABLE AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Serves 2

For the salad:
2 generous Handfuls of fresh baby Arugula
2 Red or Golden beets
1 Red Bell Pepper
12 Roma tomatoes
Mixed herbs (such as Herbes de Provence)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 Tbsp White Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450-degrees. Place beets with skin in a roasting pan, and roast in the oven for 45mins to 1hr. Remove beets, immediately place in an ice water bath. This will help pull the beet away from its skin. Peel skin and set beets aside.

While beets are roasting, cut Roma tomatoes in half, length-wise. On a small plate, mix together about 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp herbs, and salt and pepper, to taste. Rub all sides of tomato halves in oil mixture, and place flat side down on a baking tray. Roast in oven with beets for 10-15mins, until soft and deflated. Take out tray and turn all tomatoes over to flat side up and continue to roast for another 10-15mins, until flat. Place under broiler* at 450-degrees for an additional 5 mins on either side, until tomatoes are flat and shriveled, but not burnt. Take out and set aside.

Once beets are done roasting, turn on broiler to 450-degrees. (*This is a good time to put the tomatoes under the broiler.) Place roasted red pepper in a cast-iron pan or roasting pan, and position under broiler. Broil pepper until charred and mostly black, turning after each side chars to expose all sides to the broiler. Remove, immediately place in a ice water bath. Remove skin, and remove seeds from interior, being careful to retain the juice of the pepper in a mason jar.

All of the roasted vegetables can be stored in mason jars in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Peppers should be stored with their juices; tomatoes should be stored in olive oil; beets can be stored dry or in olive oil.


Combine all ingredients for the dressing and mix together in a small bowl or cruet.

Toss together arugula, slices of beets, bits of tomatoes, and bite-size strips of pepper in the dressing. Portion the vegetables to your taste. Shave curls of parmesan cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Bon appétit!