Seductive Salad Seduce the unwitting with the hidden powers of goat cheese Contributed by Aaron Lipman

Any time you add goat cheese to anything, you’ve just upped the ‘Q’ value of the recipe by an order of magnitude. Don’t be cynical and think that I’m saying that just because I’m from California and I’m putting on a whole act. I am DEFINITELY putting on an act, but it has nothing to do with being from California. It’s about seducing women - something that most guys have to work hard at. This salad makes your job much easier, fellas, because if you cook with goat cheese, you will have women chasing you.

When a woman tastes this salad for the first time, she's so busy trying to unpack the different flavors - pungent leeks, sweet pears, and nutty walnuts - that her defenses are down. Put a little Coltrane or Jamiroquai’s “Traveling Without Moving” CD in the player to boot, and she won't know what hit her.

• 2 ripe pears - Bartlett, Bosc, whatever, but no Asian pear-apples, and Bartlett is usually best because sometimes other pears are too chalky.
• 3 large leeks - cut off the green tops, you only need the white bottoms. Wash them well because leeks have a way of holding a lot of sandy grit.
• 3/4 cup or so of walnuts. More if you like, less if you don’t.
• Goat cheese to taste. A few ounces is good.
• Fresh mixed greens.

1. Cut the pears up into slices and caramelize them in a frying pan: coat a pan with a little oil, and fry up the pears at medium heat until the sugar in the pears has caramelized and the pear slices have turned clear brown.
2. Chop up the leeks and sauté them until they are VERY soft and well-cooked. Be sure to salt them to taste as you cook them.
3. Roast the walnuts in the oven and chop them up.
4. On a large plate, or several smaller individual plates, start with a small bed of field greens, and then pile the leeks, pears, and walnuts on top. Cover the whole thing with crumbled goat cheese. Dress the salad - my recommendation is raspberry vinaigrette. If you can’t find any, take some balsamic vinegar and get creative with that.

Try it now and thank me later. If you get some lovin’ out of it, thank me twice.

Movies for inspiration: Benny and Joon (1993)
Joon: Some cultures are defined by their relationship to cheese.

Great-Grandma Frittata California Brunch Soufflé Contributed by Aaron Lipman

Frittata soufflé combines eggs, cheese, and vegetables in a light fluffy presentation worthy of admiration by the thronging masses - or at least by the one you're trying to seduce, assuming she hasn't succumbed to the pear-leek-walnut salad. The best part is that you can fill it with almost any kind of vegetable/cheese combo you can think of. It's not as sure a seduction food as the PLW salad, but you can make up a nice sentimental story about it that will get you extra points.

For example, I took my inspiration for this recipe from a small cookbook compiled from my great-grandmother’s recipes, a reflection of her Spanish-Jewish heritage. A small but determined woman, she was a source of inspiration to many, and I like to feel like I keep a small but determined part of her treasured memory alive when I cook this dish. Weep. Sniff. Did I sucker you in yet? (Eds.: Hold me....)

• 6 eggs - don’t scream and yell about cholesterol; this will serve several people.
• milk, 1/4 cup or so, maybe more or less, just eyeball it, I’ll tell you how.
• exciting veggies - roasted peppers, sautéed spinach, mushrooms and garlic, sautéed zucchini... be creative.
• exotic cheeses - goat cheese goes well with roasted peppers; mozzarella or Swiss with spinach, and of course, plenty of Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. Be very generous with the cheese.

1. Beat the six eggs together in a bowl, and add some milk - more than a splash but not a whole lot, just enough to "milk it up a bit."
2. Pour some olive oil into a small saucepan for which you have a lid. A saucepan, not a regular frying pan, because we want the frittata to rise up like the California sun over the Pacific Ocean, on a clear morning (or on a morning when the smog count is less than 12).
3. Throw in your veggies and turn the fire to medium. Pour the egg mixture on top, and then sprinkle on the cheese. (Remember, be generous.)
4. Cover it with the lid, and cook it until the VERY TOP of the frittata is set - this means that all the egg is cooked, and there is no runny egg on top. You should not have to flip this; just keep it covered and check it often. When it is done, put a plate over the saucepan, and flip the saucepan over so that the frittata falls onto the plate. If you oiled the pan well, it should slide right out with no problem.

Pear/Leek/Walnut Salad + Frittata Soufflé = Brunch Heaven. You don’t even have to be a Californian to enjoy the two together. Serve them with a nice crusty loaf of bread, and perhaps some white wine if you feel up to it. If you're having more than one guest, save the seduction discussed previously for later.

Stains: Oil
Pour some baby powder on the oily spot, rub it in, then beat it out. It will absorb the oil.

Movies for inspiration: Superman(1978)
Lex Luthor: We all have our little faults. Mine's in California