FOOD smile and act nice: Behind the Apron: Beth Pav

Welcome to
BEHIND THE APRON,
our new series showcasing fabulous female chefs. They'll share their favorites and we'll help you make them with easy-to-follow recipes, tips, and equipment lists.

This month, in honor of Valentine's Day, Chef Beth Pav spotlights aphrodisiac edibles.

Click here for a profile of Chef Beth.

by Chef Beth Vlasich Pav

Illustrations by Nikol Lohr

Oyster Trivia

In the United States, you'll find three different types of oysters: Pacific, Eastern and Olympia. Pacific oysters (also knows as Japanese) can grow up to a foot long. Olympia oysters are not usually larger than 1 1/2 inches and stem from the Puget Sound area. Eastern are those most commonly used as they are considered culinarily superior to the rest.

Though you should always exercise caution when consuming raw oysters, the best time to do so is generally during the winter and fall months. In the summer months the oysters spawn and are much more fatty.

When selecting oysters, choose those with tightly-closed shells. (The reverse is true if you cook them--discard any that have not opened after the specified cooking time.) And ask your grocer to bag them with ice as an extra precaution. I recommend buying oysters the same day you plan on eating them, but they can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with a damp towel for up to three days.

Freshly shucked oysters should be plump and uniform in size. Above all, they should smell FRESH. This is very important--discard immediately if you detect a foul odor.

Growing up in Texas I thought oysters always came from the Gulf and you had to hide the taste with a "red sauce." Then I moved to the the East coast. There is nothing better than an ice cold oyster from the salty waters of the Atlantic ocean. One of my French instructors in culinary school looked straight at me as he slurped down a fresh shucked briny Atlantic oyster and said, "This is better than sex." Enough said!

Iced Sea Oysters on the Half Shell
with Rice Wine Vinegar

12 oysters (Moonstone are one of my favorite oyster choices)
decorative seaweed
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced

Shuck each oyster and place the oyster half shell on a plate of crushed ice. Arrange seaweed decoratively around oysters. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar and shallot together. Place bowl on plate of oysters with a small spoon. Place a small amount of vinegar onto each oyster. Pick up oyster and slurp down with glorious abandon. Repeat last two steps until oysters are gone.

Yield: 6 servings

Equipment List:


bowl	whisk	serving plate

Tip:
If you store your oysters in the freezer for about an hour before, this makes them much easier to shuck.

There is no way around chocolate at Valentine's. It is perceived as being one of the greatest aphrodisiacs of our culture. One of my favorite ways to eat and share chocolate is in the form of a truffle. The texture of a truffle is soft, light and dense all at the same time. When I bite into one of these luscious dark morsels my knees go weak and I can't speak for about a minute.

Frozen Black and White Truffles

2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup whole whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon mint extract
1 teaspoon Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
cocoa powder
powdered sugar

In a double boiler melt chocolates, cream and butter, stirring continually. When melted, pour half of chocolate into a small bowl and the other half into another bowl. In the first bowl, mix in mint extract. In the second bowl, mix in chocolate liqueur. Place each bowl in the refrigerator. Refrigerate until chocolate is soft but can be formed into balls.

Take a small melon-baller, scoop the chocolate truffle and portion out onto a sheet pan. Do not let the truffles touch. Between each scoop you may want to quickly dip the mellon-baller into warm water to prevent the truffle from sticking. Roll each truffle into a ball. Roll minted truffles in powdered sugar and coat lightly. Place the Godiva chocolate truffles in the cocoa powder and lightly coat.

For easy storage place each truffle in a single mini muffin tin on a mini muffin pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Take out as you are ready to eat. Get ready to touch a bit of heaven.

Yields: 1-2 dozen

Equipment List:


plastic wrap	serving plate

double boiler	whisk	mini muffin pans

bowls	melon baller*	cookie sheet
*an ice cream scoop works also, or just use a spoon

Tips:
If you add more cream than called for, the truffle batter will instead turn to chocolate mousse--try that on another occasion.
If you have time, store the dough in the refrigerator overnight. It will solidify, but can easily be brought to room temperature. The truffles will taste even better.
Since truffles are primarily made of chocolate, don't be stingy. Get the good stuff.

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