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Set the scene for a special night in with cushions on the floor around a low table, finger bowls, Champagne and music in the background
Ishay Govender-Ypma asked four local personalities to set the scene for a romantic dinner at home
BERNADETTE LE ROUX
FRED FAUCHEUX
Head chef at Nobu Possibly the ultimate feast for seduction are oysters packed carefully on ice with a bottle of crisp Sauvignon Blanc, your beloved’s favourite flowers and soft instrumental music.
JACKIE CAMERON
Chef at Hartford House A private dinner is perfect if your partner shies away from public displays of affection. Serve a feast of aphrodisiacs with flair. Play it safe with red, candles and chocolates.
On the menu Chilli prawns with lemon grass and creamy cucumber ribbons (his wife’s favourite salad), panfried sole with chilli salsa and grilled asparagus, chocolate fondant with meringue and vanilla ice cream.
FRED’S KITCHEN TIPS 1. Write down the menu and the ingredients you need to shop for. 2. Start with more timeconsuming dishes and leave the easier ones for the end. 3. Clean up as you go along instead of after the meal.
On the menu Fresh asparagus, fig-and-almond salad, smokedsalmon rosettes with an avocado Caprese salad, and chunks of chocolate with fresh fruit, cream, honey and lavender flowers. JACKIE’S KITCHEN TIPS 1. Keep it simple and avoid heavy foods. Opt for light, fresh options. 2. Use aphrodisiac ingredients: cocoa, figs, oysters, chocolate, asparagus and lavender. 3. Don’t skimp on the bubbly.
Lust list A trip to France, chocolate and a bottle of Bordeaux.
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juice February 2013
www.flymango.com
Lust list She isn’t telling!
On the menu Strawberry and Méthode Cap Classique soup, gin cream, green peppercorns and mint, crayfish, asparagus, basil and red pepper gazpacho, and tiramisu with peaches, white chocolate and hazelnuts. RICHARD’S KITCHEN TIPS 1. Shop ahead of time so you aren’t in a rush on the day. 2. Prepare as much as possible the night before. 3. Puff pastry and good ice cream can be outsourced to save time. Lust list Any cookbook on his wish list.
On the menu Medium oysters, roasted quails with chicoryleaf salad and herby dipping sauce, and chocolate beetroot cake. BERNADETTE’S KITCHEN TIPS 1. Keep it simple with food that requires little preparation. 2. If you choose oysters, order them to be shucked and delivered on the day. 3. Dessert must be stress-free and involve chocolate. Timestrapped? Rather buy good truffles or chocolate mousse. Lust list A first-edition Elizabeth David cookbook with a love note inside.
Photography: Courtesy images
RICHARD CARSTENs
Chef at Tokara Richard, who prepares some of SA’s most refined cuisine at Tokara, prefers seafood in a healthy Asian style for a home dinner. Oysters paired with good local bubbly are also a perfect romantic combination. Otherwise try a gin and tonic made with Hendrick’s Gin, cucumber and mint. Set the mood with ambient lighting, your beloved’s favourite music and blooms floating in glass vases.
Editor, cookbook author and co-owner of Café Roux Bernadette is happily seduced by breakfast in bed – a Bloody Mary and a boiled egg topped with caviar and served with brioche soldiers. For a romantic dinner at home, she recommends food for sharing and a typical Valentine’s Day drink like Kir Royale. Set the scene for a special night in with cushions on the floor around a low table, finger bowls, Champagne and music playing softly in the background.