Good call.
btw, when did “turn up naked, bring beer” stop working as the standard way to win the affections of any man?
another btw, for dessert try the 9 1/2 weeks approach - blindfold, honey, strawberries etc. Unfortunately nobody ever tried it on me but I can pretty much guarantee it would work 
Some of us don’t like beer. 
Geez, guys, I love the recipes, but may I say that the approach of many of you has been about as subtle as a steamroller?
Not that I would mind jumping the guy, but for a little historical perspective, we originally started off dating for about 3 weeks, and just when things started getting hot and heavy, he freaked out and backed off, realizing that even though he liked me and felt himself falling in headfirst, he really wasn’t over his ex. (If you want the whole story, I’ve got a couple of threads over the past 2-3 months; I haven’t figured out how to link to them yet, but one is called “Why can’t I like the nice, stable ones, dammit?” and the other is called something like “Adult children of alcoholics, or Why did my guy stand me up?”)
Anyway, I respect his wish not to dive in headfirst, so the naked beer approach, or even the strawberries and cream approach, are probably out of the question with him for a while. And although we are definitely attracted to each other, I’m going for the subtle, platonic-with-intent approach for now. We’re just going to enjoy each other’s company, and after that, que sera, sera.
In the meantime, though, I figure it can’t hurt to have him associate sensory delights with my presence…
Make the chocolate pie, it’s gooooood.
Burundi’s suggestion to try Allende’s mushroom soup is sound. It sure worked for me!
You want something simmering, which makes it difficult for me to make good suggestions: most of my appropriate repertoire involves the oven. Have you considered spanikopita? Like lasagne, it’s a good, warm, sensual dish that’ll leave you too feeling pleasantly stoned and content afterwards. It’s a good way to show off your abilities, too. Quiche can accomplish the same thing.
If you want something stovetop and are willing to be a little bit forward, you can’t go wrong with steamed mussels: they’re an erotic dish if I’ve ever had one. This recipe for them looks damned good. But you may want to wait on mussels until things have progressed.
Since you’re doing apple pie for dessert, you could go for an autumn-themed meal. A mushroom soup, served with homemade crusty bread and a walnut-and-pear-and-blue-cheese salad (use goat cheese if you think blue is nasty), might do the trick.
Good luck – it’s making me hungry just thinking about it!
Daniel
Involve fire for dessert, creame brulee (sp?), cherries jubilee, etc.
Food on fire - very romantic.
Oh, and for the prune pie - There’s a medieval recipe for “Lombardy Pie” which is very similar. Basically, it’s dates, figs, & prunes, diced, then placed in the bottom of a pie crust. Cover with spiced egg custard (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove) and bake. Surprisingly good.
I don’t know about your friend, but anyone who made chicken paprikash and apple pie for me would cause me to immediately forget all of my exes and gain my undivided attention and unwavering affection.
I’ll chime in and vote for something like Chicken / Mushroom Risotto. There’s tons of prep involved, takes a long time to simmer and smells wonderful whilst cooking, causing the aforementioned craving-type ‘can’t wait, must have now’ kinda feeling.
I had a guy cook it for me while I was dating - a guy who I liked, but wasn’t tooooo excited over, but -ahem- eh, well. You get it.
Duck Ragout over gnocchi is beautiful. Very slow cooked and requires some prep, as well. Make the gnocchi by hand, it can easily occupy two hands.
Last week I mashed up some anchovy fillets and mixed them in a half-stick of butter with some lemon juice and put it over asparagus. It was dead fine. During the same meal, I made some little pate a choux and put some raspberry jam in the bottom of each one, and then a little scoop of vanilla ice cream, and topped it off with a bittersweet chocolate sauce. That was beautiful too.
Sorry, I meant four hands there:rolleyes:
Chicken in mole negro. It’s got spices, it’s got chocolate, it’s sensuous and it can simmer for a long time. While it simmers you can make tortillas for a sensual, fun experience.
Make a homemade pizza - including the dough - together.
Trust me on this.
I had something in Belgium called vol au vent, which can be made with escargot or chicken (I had the chicken version) and it’s really rich sort of home-food-- creamy sauce, chicken and mushrooms and puff pastry-- what more can you ask for? It made me miss home and childhood, and I’d never had it before in my life.
I’ve heard that of all the perfumes available men respond most friskily, so to speak , to pumpkin pie, for some reason.
Also, I’d second the beer brewing idea-- it would be fun and a way to have a project together
It won’t really show off any cooking skills (or maybe it will - you can get pretty damn creative with this meal) but how about Raclette? Here;s a description I found quickly, with a link to someplace that sells them, but to be honest, I don’t quite make it the way it says: http://www.jill.net/recipes/recipes/raclette.html
Get cheese and potatoes, and you’re welcome to get the rest of the stuff they mention, but add to it, too. My family sometimes gets shrimp, or slices of beef or chicken (just cut up a steak or chicken breast) and we’ve even gone so far as to cook bacon on the machine. My brother used his for a time to make grilled cheese. He had it in his living room, and he always had a loaf of bread and Kraft singles on the table…plug it in, and cook!
Ok, so grilled cheese aren’t that romantic, but the point is, as two AMAZING cooks, the two of you should be able to make never-before-seen combinations of food onto the thing.
I think the website says that the melted cheese is poured over other foods - we don’t do that. We put cheese directly on the grill, or in the little “shovels” along with other food. We cook the chicken completely on the grill. Basically, the thing to remember about Raclette is that THERE ARE NO RULES! Do whatever you want!
The upside is, its a long meal, as you cook while you eat, so there is a lot of conversation that can happen. It is a lot of fun with a big group of people, but I can see it being romantic too. The down sides - the food tends to be a bit fatty (the cheese at least) and its annoying to clean afterwards, so its not a meal to really have on a regular basis! We have maybe 2 or 3 a year, but its SO GOOD! Especially if its cold and/or rainy or snowing out.
I also am a strong supporter of fondue. Cheese is good, but a Chinese fondue has some of that mix-and-match going for it. And chocolate for dessert is a must!
If you insist on REAL food, how about duck? Duck is yummy (try it with maple syrup - I did that last week and it was FANTASTIC!)
NOTE: I do not cook. I eat what my SO makes for me
::bump::
Well, the Evening of Slow Seduction…ummmm, I mean Slow Simmering…may be postponed either for illness (mine and his), or possibly for motorcycle repairs (don’t ask). So there’s still time to submit!
Anyway, my best guy buddy has suggested that my obsessive cooking phases are actually a means of sublimating my urge for other creative, or procreative, activity, a la Tita in Like Water for Chocolate. Who knows: he may be right. Has anyone else noticed a similar tendency, in themselves or in others? Maybe I should make one of the recipes from that book…perhaps the Chiles en Nogada, although if I remeber corectly, that was the one that made everyone puke at the wedding reception. I guess I really want the Quails in Rose Petal Sauce…
**BLACK BALL! **
I had this dish in Guanajuato, Mexico about a month ago. Most of the food was outstanding, but I avoided anything with the word “mole” after the first try. 
[sup]and I’m not a pickie eater.[/sup]
Well, mole may be an acquired taste for some. Personally, I like it, but I doubt I’ve had anything close to authentic, non-gringoized mole. Hey, come to think of it, there was a terrific mole with tamarind at a place in Ixtapa called La Valentina; I’ve never had anything quite like it, before or since.
If anyone else has a recipe for mole with tamarind, please spill the beans! It was definitely an aphrodisiac on that occasion, and that was after my guts rebelled on me.
Recipe Source has about seven variations of mole, but most of them call for raisins rather than tamarind. I suppose this is because they do taste rather similar, but tamarind has a sharper, more sour flavor. I’d just substitute tamarind paste for the raisins and chuck in a teaspoon of sugar to taste.
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/americas/mexican/index11.html
Cooking together? Mmm-mmmmmm…
That’s as much a recipe for passion as you need!
So long as you play it cool, and avoid stressful recipes, you’ll be set.
Italian food! The two of you can share in the preparation of a meal like: [1] antipasto, [2] italian sausage links in garlic, onion, and peppers, [3] pasta in a rich red wine sauce, [4] garlic bread, [5] chianti, [6] spumoni, [7] strong coffee with a small snifter of sidecar (made with Grand Marnier). The secret is to make small batches of each course, so you don’t spend too much time in the kitchen and also so you won’t be lethargic at the end of the meal. Just the aroma of the red sauce cooking all day will be fantastic. If you decide to extend the evening, don’t forget a nice, cold bottle of asti spumante, maybe with one or two chocolate-covered strawberries. Trust me on this…