Living in Shadow Plantain Fritters

I love Jackie Ashenden's books. I love that many are set somewhere other than the United States. This one, for example, is set in New Zealand. I love that her characters are messed up and often kinda kinky, but that the two things are not directly related. And her characters never eat, which leaves me free to do pretty much exactly what I want when it comes to pairing her books with recipes.

Living in Shadow is an erotic romance featuring an older heroine and a younger hero, who is actually her student. I'll just be up front here and say that this book is dark, intense and contains some light BDSM so if edgy is not your thing, this might not be the one for you. Likewise, this book contains rape triggers, though no actual rape takes place during the timeline of the book.

The heroine, Eleanor, is a university professor. She is a submissive who had a relationship with a Dominant in the past, but he seriously abused her trust. Ever since, she has distanced herself from her desires and from men in general. Hero Luc has a dark past involving his childhood in the Ivory Coast. At the beginning of the story, we know that he was orphaned and raised by his grandparents, but very early on, it becomes clear that this isn't his entire story. In typical big man on campus fashion, he has several women trailing after him, but after weeks of sitting in Eleanor's lectures, he has decided it's her that he wants.

The interaction between these two is so tentative at first. Partially because the relationship is taboo, but also because both Eleanor and Luc have emotional blocks. Eleanor needs to learn to trust again and Luc has to forgive himself for his past. But when they do get together, their chemistry is off the charts. It's not just about the sex though. Each of them needs something and coming together seems the only way for each of them to get it.

What I loved best about this book is what I always love about erotic romance done right. Luc is exceptionally tender with Eleanor, teaching her to trust him and eventually to trust herself again. Though he is somewhat new to the concept of dominance, it comes easily to him, a fact that worries him as much as Eleanor finds it encouraging. Watching these characters help each other tap their potential throughout Living in Shadow was just a joy. That might seem strange considering the intensity of the relationship and the fact of their dark pasts, but this book just made me happy. Despite their rocky start, you can't help but feel that these two are in it for the long haul.

A definite five star read for me. If I gave six stars, I'd give them to this one. I loved it that much. I'm also giving away an ebook copy of Living in Shadow below so scroll down and wait for the Rafflecopter widget to pop up to enter!

I'm being deliberately cagey about Luc's past, but suffice to say, he did grow up in the Ivory Coast. I've never had West African food and wasn't sure what to expect when I had the idea to explore Ivorian cuisine for this review. The Wikipedia page, with it's enormous, palm-sized snail, was hardly encouraging. Luckily, I stumbled across the defunct blog Global Grazers, which showcased some traditional recipes as well as gave some insight into the local food scene in Abidjan.

The recipe I found for a traditional pepper sauce for plantain fritters ended up being so intensely spicy that I had to give it away to some more adventurous friends. However, the plantain fritters by themselves were a little one-dimensional so I decided to keep to the same general idea, but tone down the spice. Therefore this sauce isn't precisely traditional, but it had the advantage of being edible. If you're into CRAZY spicy food, by all means try out the original. I wanted to die with just the amount on the tip of my pinky finger, but don't let me dissuade you.

The bouillon cubes used in this recipe are a Spanish-made brand called Jumbo that is apparently commonly found in West Africa. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where it's possible to track down such things thanks to our large population of immigrants and diplomatic staff, but if you're not in a major city, any basic bouillon cube will probably work. I didn't notice any particularly distinctive flavor imparted by the traditional brand.

The fritters themselves are incredibly filling. We ended up splitting a batch the first night I made them and that was dinner that night despite the plan to finish up some other leftovers we had. When we split them four ways (5-6 fritters each), it was a much more reasonably-sized appetizer.

I'm far from becoming any kind of expert on West African cuisine, but working through this recipe did make me wish for lots more books with diverse characters. Diverse characters make for fun with diverse food!

Plantain Fritters with Red Pepper Sauce
adapted from Global Grazers and Taste of Home
Makes: 4 servings as an appetizer (5-6 fritters each)
Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes (Hand on: 35 minutes)

Sauce
1 medium onion, halved
5 Roma tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 head garlic, top third sliced off
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bouillon cube (Jumbo, if available)
pinch of black pepper
salt to taste

Fritters
2 very ripe yellow plantains, peeled
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
Canola oil (or other high heat oil) for frying

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, place halved onion, whole red peppers, whole tomatoes, whole scotch bonnet pepper and garlic and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, shaking to coat. Cover with foil.

2. Roast vegetables for 1 hour or until garlic is soft. Remove and let sit until cool enough to handle. Place tomatoes and peppers in a zip-top bag while cooling to assist with removal of skins.

3. Remove skins and seeds from peppers and tomatoes. Remove skins from onion and garlic (hint: you can just squeeze out the garlic like toothpaste). Add bouillon cube and pepper. Puree in food processor until combined.

4. Add mixture to a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water. Heat over medium heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender in the pan or returned to food processor, puree until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.

5. You're going to have to wash your food processor now. Sorry.

6. Place plantains in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, onion, salt and pepper. Process until blended. Batter will be the consistency of banana bread batter.

7. In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 inch of canola oil to 375 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter, 5 or 6 at a time, into the hot oil. Cook for approximately 1 minute on each side or until golden brown and puffy. Drain on paper towels.

8. Plate fritters with a drizzle of sauce and extra on the side, if desired.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of Living in Shadow from NetGalley and Jackie Ashenden and I follow each other on Twitter.

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Ruby Sea Scallops Three Ways

Ruby by Jeffe Kennedy* is just one of those books that I wish I could dive into and paddle around in for a while. It seems oh-so-appropriate to set a BDSM-flavored erotic romance in the town that has everything to teach the rest of the United States about the meaning of true debauchery. This wickedly hot story is set in New Orleans in the lead-up to Mardi Gras and features an up-tight fashion editor and a kinky chef. This is not the mindless, tawdry gluttony of Las Vegas buffets and strip clubs, but the languid, sultry elegance of the Old South.

The heroine of Ruby, Danielle Sosna, is primed and ready for someone like Bobby. She is wound unbearably tight, skirting the edges of satisfaction in both her professional and personal lives. Her work as an assistant editor for a fashion magazine has brought her to New Orleans, the culinary capital of the United States, and while she's curious about the food, she can't get past the limitations she has imposed on herself with her diet. She orders sauce on the side, changes preparations, and completely guts the vision of the dish she orders. We've all known people like her. I felt sorry for her even as I wanted to shake her.

So does the hero. Bobby Prejean owns the restaurant where she has ordered this sad imitation of a meal. Upon hearing of her order, well, he kind of loses it. Though as the book progresses, it becomes clear that he's got the heart of a marshmallow, he also has a Cajun temper. Romance heroes typically smell like pine trees, fresh grass, cigars, whiskey and MAN. Bobby smells of butter and garlic. If at first I wanted to shake Dani, I wanted to lick Bobby.

When they meet up again by chance later that day, Dani agrees to an evening of pleasure with Bobby, but only if she's willing to play by his rules. The only hard limit she sets is maintaining her anonymity through the use of a pseudonym: Ruby Tuesday. This sets the stage for trip to a kink club, a testing of Dani's sexual boundaries, the ruination of her diet and, eventually, a happy ending that brings both hero and heroine some much needed peace of mind.

There are a couple things I loved about Kennedy's Facets of Passion series, which also includes the edgier Sapphire and the unusual Platinum. First, the characters are sexually kinky because they're sexually kinky. They don't have psychological wounds or mental illnesses that they're trying to heal by beating or being beaten. Second, the Doms in the relationships are not only strict and demanding, they're also nurturing and caring. They behave like real human beings rather than Dominant romance robots. Bobby in particular is heart-breakingly sweet and sensitive despite how controlling and adventurous he is in the bedroom.

I can't recommend these books highly enough. Even if you're normally not attracted to BDSM relationships in romance you might give these a try. They're hot, they're tender and Kennedy makes sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're romantic.

It was impossible to pick one spot where food became an important element of this story. Bobby's desire for sexual control is possibly only subsumed by his desire to feed people, particularly the calorie-phobic Danielle. Which brings me to the very best part of Ruby. Sure, the sex is epic-level hot and the characters are adorable together, but what made this book the stand-out of the series was Kennedy's sensual descriptions of Bobby's food. Honestly, I sensed a kindred spirit because the man just cannot stop cooking. It's almost compulsive. Blueberry muffins, truffle omelets and crepes for breakfast; cranberry and brie sandwiches for lunch; steak, scallops, souffles, oysters and who only knows what else for dinner. If you're not hungry by the end of this book, there's something wrong with your soul.

This dish comes from a scene in the middle of the book where Bobby brings Danielle to his restaurant and feeds her several small plates. My version of his scallop dish includes a cilantro-lime crema with a Greek yogurt base, a peppered mango curry with a coconut milk base and a spiced chocolate with a tomato base. If you're cooking for more than four people, just buy more scallops. Unless you're trying to feed 12, there will be plenty of sauce if you resist the temptation to heap sauce on the plate. And you should. My guests thought even half a tablespoon was borderline too much.

While it can be tough to reproduce the variety enabled by a walk-in fridge and a small army of sous chefs at home, these sea scallops are totally doable. For starters, this dish is not nearly as difficult as it looks. If you can operate a blender, you can make these sauces. Though if you've got a lover to impress, this fancy-looking dish should do it. And since the sauces should be made ahead and chilled for a few hours, and it only takes 4 minutes to sear the scallops, it won't even distract you from your other evening's activities for very long.

Plus if you're looking to introduce a little spice to your sex life, mangoes, chiles and chocolate are said to be aphrodisiacs. Just sayin'.

Seared Sea Scallops Three Ways
Makes: 4 servings as an appetizer or small plate
Time: 1 hour

Spiced Cocoa Sauce

4 tsps unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch of mace

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsps tomato sauce

3 tbsps water

1/2 tbsp molasses

2 tsp olive oil

1) In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, mace and brown sugar and whisk to combine. In a different small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, water and molasses.

2) Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until it is shimmering and fragrant. Add the spice mixture and cook for 1 minute.

3) Add the liquid, scraping up any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the pan. Whisking constantly, simmer for 3 minutes. Remove to small dish and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Cilantro Lime Crema

1/4 cup minced cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp Greek yogurt

1/2 tbsp lime juice

1) Combine all ingredients except lime juice in a blender or small food processor. Pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

2) When ready to serve, whisk in lime juice.

Peppered Mango Curry

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 onion (1/3 cup)

1/4 orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped

1/2 garlic clove

1/2 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp yellow curry powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsps brown sugar

1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 can full fat coconut milk

1/2 mango, peeled and chopped

1) Heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.

2) Add bell pepper, garlic and ginger. Cook for an additional minute.

3) Add curry, cumin, cayenne and brown sugar. Cook for an additional minute.

4) Add cider vinegar, coconut milk and mango. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

5) Add sauce to blender and puree until smooth. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

Sea Scallops

12 sea scallops

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons oil with high smoke point like grapeseed oil (not olive oil)

Minced cilantro, curry powder and grated dark chocolate for garnish (optional)

1) Plate sauces by adding 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of each sauce to a plate. If desired, add garnishes: a pinch of cilantro, curry and dark chocolate shavings for the appropriate sauce.

2) Thoroughly rinse and dry scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3) Heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

4) Add scallops to the pan and cook two minutes on each side.

5) Remove to a plate and let cool one minute. Plate scallops over each sauce and serve immediately.

*Jeffe Kennedy did a lovely, lyrical post on her blog a couple of weeks ago while I was testing the recipes for this review. It was also very flattering of my efforts here at Cooking Up Romance. That said, I had already written the review part of this post and you know I only write about the  books I liked, right? So consider this my disclosure.