Hot, Sweet and Delicious!

Welcome Renee Luke who's here to share a sinfully delicious recipe, definitely wonderfully sinful suggestions of what to do with the dessert and an equally sinful excerpt from her new book, Sweet Spot! WARNING: You'll be drooling... believe me!

(Original recipe from Women’s Day)

It's pie, it's ice cream, it's fruit and it's chocolate.

This could be the best all-around dessert ever!

Who wouldn't like it?

Ingredients:

Crust
12 to 15 whole chocolate graham crackers
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1⁄4 cup sugar

Filling
1 container (14 to 16 oz) vanilla ice cream
1 pint raspberry sorbet
1 container (14 to 16 oz) chocolate ice cream
1 pint red raspberries
1 tub (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Garnish (Optional)
chocolate curls or chocolate sauce

Directions:
Evenly coat a 9-in. pie plate with nonstick spray.
Crust: Pulse crackers in food processor until fine crumbs form.
Add butter and sugar; pulse until crumbs are moistened.
Press firmly over bottom and up sides of pie plate.
Freeze 30 minutes.
Place vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to slightly soften.
Pack into crust with an ice cream spade or large spoon; spread evenly.
Freeze 15 minutes or until firm.
Slightly soften sorbet as above; spread on vanilla ice cream.
Freeze until firm.
Slightly softening chocolate ice cream.
Spread evenly on sorbet. Freeze at least 3 hours, or wrap airtight and freeze up to 1 week.
Top pie with 1⁄2 pt raspberries.
Drop spoonfuls of whipped topping on berries; spread evenly.
Top with remaining berries; garnish with chocolate curls or sauce. NOTE: To make chocolate curls, firmly pull a swivel-blade vegetable peeler across a bar or block of room temperature chocolate. 


Doesn’t this recipe for ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate, and berry pie look delicious? When I look at each of the ingredients for the filling, I see something tempting and yummy, but something sexy, erotic, and sensual all in one.

To turn this recipe up a notch, bring your honey into the kitchen with you, or bring the dessert into the bedroom with your honey… imagine all of the ways you could share this dessert… I see all sorts of erotic ways to turn this dessert into an afternoon of lovemaking…and who cares about the mess.

First, the chocolate and vanilla ice creams…I can imagine taking a spoonful and spreading it across my man’s skin… maybe low on his abdomen so that his body heat would make the ice cream slowly melt onto his skin, sliding lower and following those sexy chiseled lines that lead down to his…well, to my joystick!

Yes, the cream would be cold. For a minute. But I’d reward his attempt at remaining still by following the trail of ice cream with heat of my tongue… he’d taste like chocolate, vanilla, sugar… and arousal… yum…

Let’s move onto the whipped cream… not quite as sweet or cold as the ice cream, so it can go directly on this joystick flesh, all hard and ready for my tongue to lick him there, too. Take your fingers and dip into the bowl of whipped cream, then wrap around him and slide down to his base…you can’t leave your man a white sticky mess, now can you? No, now put your lips around him and suck all that cream off.

The raspberry sorbet and the fresh plump raspberries, I’d use together… I’d move to his mouth, take a fresh berry and squeeze the flesh so red, sweet juice drops onto his lips…and then I’d clean the fruity nectar with a kiss… and the raspberry sorbet? I’d use my fingers to make a trail of cold frozen fruit down his next, then again, I’d clean it with my tongue…nipping and teasing just to make sure I didn’t leave any bits of fruit behind…

Dessert can be so much more than an after dinner treat, as you can see, it can be the main dish…

There are so many ways to enjoy desserts with your honey, and that’s exactly what Ellie and Derek did in this snippet of Sweet Spot. 

Excerpt:

“Ellie?”

“Hmm?” She turned toward him, her lips wet and stained with strawberry juice. She’d been sampling the fruit again, and god help him, he was about to.

He bit back a groan. “I didn’t invite you over for this.” He angled his head toward the counter behind her, littered with sweets and treats.

Her eyes widened. Went glossy, but she didn’t look away. Her lips trembled slightly, before she tucked the bottom one between her teeth. She sighed, releasing the plump tempting flesh. “I know.”

Two words, two simple words, yet they were filled with understanding. Acceptance. She knew why she was at his place, for exactly the same reason he wanted her there.

Sex.

“I told you, I meant to have you again.” And again. And again. And again. As often as he could. As long as she would give it up.

“I know,” she repeated, backing up until she was greeted by the counter’s edge.

“And you came, knowing I want you.” His heart thumped heavily in his chest, the tempo echoing in the pounding of his dick.

She nodded. Wet her lips again. Her nipples grew tighter beneath her shirt. She let out a sigh, a berry stained breath that washed like springtime across the narrow space separating them. “I came because I want you, too.”

Damn, that’s all he could take. He moved forward, closing the distance between them, drawn to her like a bear to honey, the allure a temptation he was unable to resist. He bent, touching his lips to hers, the kiss light, a mere mingling of breaths.

His hands moved to her waist, lower, he settled his palms on her hips, then lifted her onto the cool slab of black marble behind her.

She trembled, her mouth opening as she gasped in surprise. He took it as an invitation. Deepening the kiss, he touched his tongue to her lips, tasting the tart-sweetness of the strawberries and the honey of her mouth.

Now, go make this ice cream, whipped cream, berry dessert and enjoy your honey while you’re at it!

To read more from Renee Luke, check out her book list on her site at www.reneeluke.net

Or buy Sweet Spot here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Spot-Deliciously-Sexy-ebook/dp/B00C0MOQP6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365617093&sr=1-1

Foodie Friday--Finn and Tasha

I hope you enjoy the following short story, a sort of epilogue to my Ellora's Cave book, Arctic Destiny, giving a peek into the lives of Finn MacEwan and Tasha Watson after the end of the book. And I also hope you'll try the recipe that follows, a family favorite and traditional Sunday dinner side dish back home.

Rewriting the Destiny

Finn MacEwan stood in his studio and stared at the hunk of marble on the workbench in front of him. Instead of a vision appearing to him in the stone—a shape latent beneath the rough exterior—it remained just a formless block. Worse was the sensation of no longer really knowing what to do, as though not only his artistic sense had vanished, but had taken the muscle memory that made his sculpting possible too.

Slowly putting down his tools, he tried to regulate his suddenly rough breathing and quiet the pounding of his heart. Although the drizzly autumn day was cool, a sheen of perspiration coated his brow and he wiped at it as he strode to the dormer window and stood staring out at the quiet Toronto street below. Frustration at his restlessness and inability to concentrate made his teeth clench.

He’d done well since leaving the north and coming to the city with Tasha. His career was growing in leaps and bounds, and God knew he’d never been happier than he’d been over the last three years. There was nowhere else he’d rather be—no one who could fulfill him, heart and soul, like Tasha. He just couldn’t understand why his ability to sculpt, even the need to do it, had suddenly deserted him. If he were being brutally honest with himself, and now he forced himself to be exactly and precisely that, the loss of the one thing he’d clung to all those years of being trapped was frightening.

Bone-deep, soul-witheringly frightening.

And he had no idea what to do about it.

“Finn?” Tasha’s voice floated up from downstairs, and even after all their time together it made his heart leap with joy. “Dinner’s ready.”

Taking a deep breath, forcing the tense muscles of his face to relax, he called back. “Coming, love.”

As he headed for the staircase, he tried to push the fear and anger aside. Tasha knew there was something wrong—it was almost impossible to keep anything from her—but he’d tried to minimize the extent of the problem. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry.

Getting to the bottom of the steps, he paused, surprised. Rather than the island/bar top where they usually ate, she’d set the dining table with her best china and cutlery and adorned it with candles and fresh flowers. For a moment he mentally scrambled to see if he’d forgotten a birthday or anniversary, but nothing came to him.

Tasha turned and grinned at him from the kitchen, and he couldn’t help smiling back, the weight of his fear lessening. She was so beautiful, her smile so full of love he could feel it reach across the room.

And she was his. What did anything else matter in the face of that?

“Sit down.” She picked up a platter from the counter and walked around the island into the dining area. “I hope you’re hungry.”

It was only then he took a good look at the food, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Tasha’d cooked what he thought of as one of her special occasion meals. She had eclectic tastes in food, picked and chose from various cultures to create some of the most interesting meals he’d ever had. Tonight it was a pork roast redolent with rosemary and thyme, scalloped potatoes done in the oven, steamed broccoli and carrots, and Jamaican-style Rice and Peas.

“What a feast.” He pulled out her chair, bending to capture her mouth for a sweet, lingering kiss. Her lips softened beneath his, and for a long moment he forgot everything—food, art, anxiety—in the wonder of her.

Tasha put a hand on his chest, right over his heart, and eased their bodies apart. She was still smiling, but her eyes had grown languid and her breathing was ragged. The low, delicious tenor of her voice sent his libido soaring, as she said, “Food first. Then we can pick this up where we left off.”

Teasing the corner of her mouth with his lips, he whispered, “I look forward to it.” And he couldn’t help smiling at her little shiver.

The meal was wonderful, and Finn realized she’d made some of his all-time favorites. Although she’d made a sinfully rich gravy, the soft texture of the Rice and Peas made it almost a shame to put any on it. The side dish had quickly become one he looked forward to seeing her cook.

While savoring the meal Finn still couldn’t help feeling he’d missed something. ‘Special occasions demand special food’, she always said, and this was definitely, deliciously special. And food was one of the ways Tasha dealt with problems or comforted others, not as a panacea but as a way to show she cared. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore, and had to ask.

“What’s the occasion, Tash?”

She didn’t pretend not to understand, but immediately put down her fork and levelled a serious look on him. “I thought we should have a really nice meal, something I won’t be able to cook while we’re away.”

Surprised she’d make plans without asking for his input, he put down his utensils too. “You didn’t mention anything about a vacation. Where are we supposed to be going? And when?”

Her gaze slid away from his for a moment, then came resolutely back to snag his again. “I took a sabbatical and we’re going to Churchill in two days. Everything is booked.”

Taken aback didn’t begin to describe his feelings. Stunned would be better, and even that didn’t cover it adequately. Leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, he tried to marshal his thoughts, but she rushed into speech before he could find his tongue.

“Darling, the north was a major part of your life for so long, it’s unreasonable to believe you can just walk away from it and not have that affect you.”

Finn opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. His knee-jerk reaction was to say she was wrong. That he’d spent a hundred and twenty-five years trapped by the north, unable to leave for longer than a few months at a time, and if he never saw the Arctic again, he’d be happy. And yet…

If he closed his eyes, he could see the distinctive landscape, so beautiful in its stark majesty. At night sometimes he dreamed of spring in the Taiga or the wild beauty of winter when the polar bears, his brothers, roamed as lords of the ice. A part of him still yearned for it, and it had taken his wonderful wife to recognize that.

“It’ll refresh you. And I’m looking forward to going back to where it all really started.”

She tried for a touch of humor, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice and he realized he’d zoned out, leaving her wondering what he was thinking.

Rising, he circled the table and held out his hand. Even though he hadn’t said anything she got up, slipping right into his arms. Tilting her head back, she smiled at him, and he held her tight, so full of love and desire and thankfulness he could hardly breathe.

“Yes,” he said, letting his hands slide down her back until he cupped her ass and pulled her even closer, letting her feel his arousal. “Back to the beginning, and the future.”

Like Tasha I celebrate with food, and no celebration in our house is complete without Rice & Peas. Variations of this dish can be found in the cuisine of most Caribbean islands, some made with red kidney beans, others with pigeon peas. On some islands salted meat adds flavor, on others coconut provides it.

The recipe here is my quick-and-easy version of the Jamaican style, which utilizes coconut milk. Back home, if you’re doing it ‘right’, you’d make the coconut milk yourself, cracking open a dry coconut, extracting the hard flesh, grating it or liquidizing it in a blender or food processor with a little water, and squeezing the “milk” out by hand. It’s a time-consuming job, so I use pre-packaged blocks of dehydrated coconut milk. If that’s not available, use canned or frozen coconut milk. I’ve made it with canned coconut cream, but the flavor is quite different, so for a more authentic taste, make sure the product you use says coconut milk, rather than cream.

Quick and Easy Jamaican Rice-and-Peas

½ block dehydrated coconut milk or 1 can coconut milk

1 regular size can red kidney beans OR pigeon peas

Water

Long grain or par-boiled rice

1 stalk scallion, chopped fine (spring onion)

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves OR 1 teaspoon fresh

Salt

Pepper

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Method:

Either add ½ block dehydrated coconut milk to approximately 4 cups of water and bring to a boil OR mix the can of coconut milk with enough water to make about 4 cups of liquid and bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium. Boil water and coconut for ten minutes (watch the pot so it doesn’t boil over) then add the canned peas, including the liquid.

While the ratio of rice:water usually is 1:2, for rice and peas I like slightly more water, so that the end result is slightly soft, rather than grainy, but that’s a personal preference. I can eyeball the amount of rice, but that’s after years of practice! My mother never could, so here is her method for calculating the amount of rice needed.

Carefully strain the contents of the pot into another pot. Return the peas to the original pot, and then measure the amount of liquid, returning it to the pot too. In my experience, you will probably find it is just about the 4 cup mark again, but sometimes it’s more or less, so measuring is a good idea! Bring the peas and coconut, etc. back to the boil. Add the appropriate amount of rice, following the prescribed 1 cup rice to 2 cups liquid for shelly rice, or ¾ cups rice to 2 cups liquid for softer consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as chopped scallion, thyme and allspice. Bring back to a boil, then cover, turning down the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 20 minutes, until rice is properly cooked. Stir to evenly distribute peas, and serve.

Foodie Friday with Lena Loneson

I'm really pleased to welcome Lena Loneson, author of God of Ecstasy, who's introducing us to a recipe that sounds truly yummy, as does her book. Enjoy!! And be sure to check out the blurb for God of Ecstasy after the recipe.

Thanks for having me on Foodie Friday, Anya!  I’m a novice cook myself, so I recruited a good friend (also one of my beta readers) for help with a wine-centred recipe: Risotto with Lamb Ragu.

My latest book, God of Ecstasy, is part of the Pricked series and features tattoos, which is what I’ve been talking about in my blog posts lately.  The tattoo part was easy for me–I have two myself, including a large back piece–but where I really needed to do research was with another important part of my book: wine.

My hero is Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, madness, and ecstasy.  He’s cursed by an evil djinn to remain trapped in a wine bottle, I Dream of Jeannie-style, for eternity.  He’s only released to fulfill three sexual fantasies whenever a woman rubs the bottle. 

Before writing God of Ecstasy I knew a lot about beer, but almost nothing about wine.  I was inspired by a winery tour in upstate New York, where I discovered I really enjoyed a good white wine: particularly a dry Riesling or chardonnay.  The next step?  Cooking with it! 

This recipe comes from my friend Garli, and I’ve taste-tested it myself, to much stomach happiness.

Risotto with Lamb Ragu

Ingredients:

Lamb ragu:

½ lb Ground lamb

½ small can tomato paste

1 cup Chicken stock

Butter

Fresh-peeled garlic

Fresh rosemary

Saffron

Salt and pepper if desired

Risotto:

2 cups of arbregio rice

½ cup dry white wine (e.g. Pinot grigio)

1 small diced onion

4-5 cups chicken stock

Butter

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

Crumbled bleu cheese

Grated parmesan cheese

Chopped mint leaves

Have all the ingredients out on the counter, as you’ll be tossing them in different pots as you work.  The main thing you’ll need for this recipe is a good stirring arm and attention span (my own biggest hurdle), as you watch the pots.

Lamb ragu:

Add garlic to a large saucepan on the stove with some olive oil, until it starts to brown.  Add the ground lamb, breaking it up with a spoon.  Add rosemary, salt, and pepper, to taste.   Add half a small can of tomato paste and 1 cup of chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-20 minutes on the back burner.  You can start the risotto as it simmers.

Risotto:

For the risotto, you’ll need a large pot/pan (the heavier the better, helps it to heat evenly) in which to make the risotto.  Also, start a small pot with simmering white wine and a larger pot with 5 cups of simmering chicken stock.  (Note: Do not add cold liquid to the risotto, as it will ruin the texture.) 

The main steps of the recipe involve a lot of mixing, so get your muscles ready!

In the large pot, add butter and chopped onions.  When the onions are transparent, add rice, and mix it up.  It should turn from a dull colour to a brighter white.  Then add ½ - 2/3 cup of simmering wine and a pinch of saffron.  Keep mixing while waiting for the liquid to dissolve.  When it’s dissolved, add 1 cup of the simmering chicken stock to the pot with the rice.  Mix until dissolved.  Repeat, adding 1 more cup of chicken stock each time, stirring until it dissolved, until the texture is as desired.  It should be very creamy but a bit al dente (firm but not hard) in the middle

When it’s done, stir in the rest of the ingredients (pine nuts, mint leaves, cheeses, and a little extra butter) and add the lamb sauce. 

Time to eat:

The risotto can be paired with the rest of the wine you used for cooking, if you’re looking to finish it off, or it goes well with a nice Italian red, such as a chianti.

Hope you enjoy!  Feel free to stop by and say hi at LenaLoneson.com or on Facebook or Twitter.

Lena

God of Ecstasy

Jaime Leighton has had some pretty unremarkable sex in her lifetime. So when she rubs a bottle of wine and a hot, half-naked tattooed man appears in her bathtub, offering three fantasies, he’s pretty hard to resist. Dionysus claims to be the Greek god of ecstasy, wine and madness—and he can breathe underwater. Thus begins the best three nights of Jaime’s life.

They also turn out to be the most dangerous, when the evil djinn who cursed her new sex partner attacks. Now Jaime must come to terms with her growing feelings for the god and break the magic spell inked into his arms before the djinn snatches away both her love and her life.