by Larissa Ione
Dinner had been fun. No, he hadn’t planned on it being a family affair... he’d wanted to seduce Serena with every bite, to feed her oysters with his own hand and then play Lady and the Tramp with the linguini. But the bonding they’d done as a family had been even better.
Wraith had grown up without love. His father had been absent, but the guy had been a monster, so that was no loss. His mother had tortured him and kept him in a cage. But eventually he’d escaped and had been found by his brothers, who had taught him what family was.
It was because of Shade and Eidolon that Wraith had been able to accept Serena into his life, and it was because of Serena that he could be a father.
So, no, she hadn’t given birth to Stewie, but she’d still made him a dad.
Shade liked to say that life often threw curve balls.
Pretty cool that Wraith had finally learned to catch them.
* * * *
Wraith, along with his brothers Eidolon and Shade, are the foundation characters on which my Demonica series was based. Wraith plays a prominent role in Pleasure Unbound and Desire Unchained, books 1 and 2 of the Demonica series, and he finds his mate, Serena, in book 3, Passion Unleashed, so if you’re curious about the origins of the family you just read about, any of those books will be a good place to start. Enjoy!
Romantic/Sexy Food
Grilled Oysters with Spicy Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 dozen fresh oysters
1/4 cup fresh horseradish
1/2 cup chopped chives
In a small saucepan over low heat, add the butter, lemon juice, garlic, horseradish, salt and pepper and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Shuck the oysters and spoon 1 teaspoon of sauce in each oyster. Place oysters on direct heat of a preheated 400 degree grill, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the edges of oysters curl slightly. Remove from grill and top with chives and more sauce if desired.
Quick Tip: If you are unable to shuck oysters because they are tightly closed, simply place them on the preheated grill and close lid for 1 minute. Remove with an oven mitt and shuck. The short time on the grill will allow them to open slightly so that a shucking knife is easy to use.
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Seafood Linguine
1 (16 ounce) box linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound (21-30) count shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound sea scallops
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
1 bunch parsley, chopped, for garnish
Cook linguine per package directions. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add oil, butter, onion, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low and add in tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the seafood and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink. Serve over cooked linguine and garnish with parsley.
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Stuffed Flank Steak
2 pounds flank steak, butterflied
3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the steak on a cutting board and cover the top with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound meat to an even ½ inch thickness. In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients except for olive oil. Spread mixture over the entire surface of flank steak. Roll the steak up into a pinwheel and tie with butcher’s twine in 4 places down the length of the steak. Place in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and rub the entire surface with olive oil. Add additional salt and pepper to the outside. Bake for 40 minutes, then turn on broiler and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
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Red Devil’s Food Cake
1 box Devil’s Food Cake
1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
Chocolate Icing (Click here for recipe.)
Cream Cheese Icing (Click here for recipe.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs and food coloring until blended. Pour into three greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from cake pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the icing. When the cakes are cooled, spread a thin layer of Chocolate Icing on 2 of the cake layers. Using a piping bag, pipe the Cream Cheese Icing on top of the Chocolate Icing. Stack the cake starting with the 2 chocolate layers and ending with the third. Ice the cake on all sides with the Cream Cheese Icing and smooth with a knife.
Cream Cheese Icing
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, combine butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until blended. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until all 3 cups are blended.
Chocolate Icing
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir in cocoa. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, mixing to a spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed.
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Steak Bruschetta with Onion Jam
1 sirloin steak (1-2 pounds)
1 French loaf
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
2 cups Onion Jam (Click here for recipe.)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the steak with steak seasoning and grill on medium heat until cooked to your preference. Set steak aside to rest. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil and garlic together. Slice the French loaf in half lengthwise and brush half of the oil mixture onto each side of the bread. Place the bread on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. While the bread is baking, slice the steak very thinly. Remove bread from oven and layer the thinly sliced steak onto your bread. Top with Onion Jam, blue cheese and about half of the remaining oil mixture. Return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. Slice loaf halves into 2 inch thick pieces and serve with remaining sauce for dipping.
Onion Jam
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the oil and onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle sugar over onions. Add in vinegar and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ser
ve immediately or place in Mason jars for future use. It will keep for 6 weeks refrigerated.
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Bananas Foster Crème Brulee
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
Preheat oven to 275. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks. Add to 6 greased ramekins and place in a large pan filled with 1 inch of water. Bake for 60 minutes and remove from oven. Instead of adding sugar to torch, the Bananas Foster will be added. (Click here for recipe.)
Bananas Foster
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 bananas, sliced in small rounds
3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (or rum)
6 teaspoons white sugar
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. Add bananas and turn the heat up to high. Add the hazelnut liqueur. Shake the pan a little bit, then flip each banana. Once the liqueur has reduced, turn off the heat. Arrange the bananas over the custard and sprinkle with a teaspoon of white sugar. Use a torch to burn the top and get a caramelized topping.
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Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Glaze
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a pocket about 3/4 of the way through on the thickest side of each breast, being careful not to cut all the way. Season chicken with salt, pepper, dried basil and dried oregano. Fill each pocket with 2 slices fresh tomato, 1 slice mozzarella cheese and 2 basil leaves. Seal with 3-4 toothpicks diagonally to keep the filling inside during cooking. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat a tablespoon of oil, then add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden. While the chicken is cooking, mix together the garlic, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the pan around the chicken; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the glaze has slightly thickened (about 2-3 minutes). Place pan in the oven and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks before serving.
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Harvester and Reaver
“I can’t believe we’re going to be on TV.” Harvester, whose given angelic name was actually Verrine, grinned at Reaver as they waited for their cue to join Suzanne on the set of her cooking show, Angel in the Kitchen.
“I can’t either,” he muttered. “The producers of this show must be insane.”
Harvester blinked at him, but her wide-eyed innocence was as fake as the fruit in the bowl next to them. “I don’t know what you mean.”
She knew exactly what he meant, but he played her game and explained. “Viewers think the people on this show are human actors playing characters. So if one of us, for example, you, goes off script, it could put not just the show, but all of Heaven’s carefully laid plans, in jeopardy.”
“You worry too much.” She reached up and gave him a playful love tap on the nose. “You’re so not the angel I fell in love with all those thousands of years ago.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Her voice went low and smoky, a tone she usually reserved for the bedroom. Or for when they were in public and he couldn’t do anything about the arousal she stirred up in him.
“Oh, no,” she purred. “I love what you turned into even more.”
They’d had a long, hard road to get to where they were, but every agony they’d been through had been worth it. And there had been a lot of agony, some of it at each others’ hands.
Most of it, actually. Like back when she was evil and she’d collapsed a mountain on top of him. Or the time she’d kept him chained and drugged after sawing off his wings. Or when he’d tried to kill her once or a dozen times. But really, who was counting?
A lighted sign came on, indicating that filming was about to commence. Everyone hushed as Suzanne greeted the audience and introduced her first guest, Harvester.
This was going to be interesting. The hold-your-breath-in-anticipation-of-disaster kind of interesting.
Harvester, dressed in a sleek black pantsuit with a peek-a-boo red bra and matching high heels, strode onto the kitchen set, and after a little introductory banter, she and Suzanne settled into the business of cooking.
“So, before we get started,” Suzanne said, “I’d like to ask about your own background in the kitchen.”
Harvester smiled. “I don’t have much. My mate does most of the cooking. Honestly, I don’t even understand that. We can eat out anywhere in the world, after all. Why spend time in the kitchen?”
“So you aren’t one for a personal touch, then?”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand me,” Harvester said brightly. “I’ve made revenge food. That’s very personal.”
Suzanne’s eyes narrowed. “Is that why you asked for this episode to feature spicy food?”
Harvester’s smile turned as black as her hair. She might be a fully-restored Heavenly angel, but eons spent in hell had given her a wicked sense of humor. “Absolutely.”
“Well, we can do that.” Suzanne turned to the camera. “Today we’re going to spice up your life with a little sweet, a little salty, and a whole lot of spicy.”
Reaver stood back, watching as Suzanne and Harvester prepared dark chocolate chipotle brownies. Harvester wanted to add more spice in the form of Diablo Claw peppers from one of Sheoul’s arid agricultural regions, but Suzanne insisted that underworlders could make the substitution in their own kitchens. Which sounded reasonable, given that when cooked, the gas released by Diablo Claw peppers could melt human eyeballs, and several crew members wouldn’t appreciated being blinded by brownies.
After the brownies came out of the oven, Harvester tasted one and moaned. “It’s incredible. Reminds me of a dessert I had in New Orleans once.”
“I love New Orleans. There’s so much great food there. So,” Suzanne said, “what’s your opinion of beignets?”
“Bidets?” Harvester reached for the glass of wine Suzanne had poured a few minutes earlier. “Life changing.”
Suzanne laughed. “No, not bidets. Beignets.”
“Oh. Well, I like those too. But bidets? So refreshing.”
“Yes, I’m sure—”
“And after sex?” Harvester made a sound of pure pleasure, familiar enough to Reaver to make him wish they were near a bed. Or a wall. Or... well, anything would do. “Oh. My. God. Like I said, life changing.”
“I...ah...” Suzanne swallowed, clearly flustered. “I don’t think bidets are exactly a cooking show topic...”
“Hmph. Then they shouldn’t make ‘em so great. And seriously, bidets are a forbidden subject? You’ve had demons on your show.” Harvester shrugged. “But sure, you wanted to talk about beignets?”
Suzanne breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, please.”
“Little pillows of fried dough?” Harvester made another, smaller, moan of pleasure. “You eat enough of those and you’ll be happy you have a bidet, let me tell you.”
Delicate blooms of pink colored Suzanne’s cheeks, and the mischievous twinkle in Harvester’s eyes had Reaver deciding it was time to rescue poor Suzanne. He signaled to the producer, who nodded vehemently.
He joined Suzanne and Harvester, and fortunately, the talk turned almost exclusively to food, and by the time the show was over, he’d gotten his fill of brownies, Spicy Sticky Ribs, and something called
Salsa with a Vengeance, which Harvester thought needed a lot more “vengeance.” The Diablo Claw peppers came up again, and naturally, so did bidets.
Ah, well. Inappropriateness was part of Harvester’s charm. She certainly kept things interesting, which she proved when the show ended and she dragged him into the green room for some post-taping fun.
It was only as they were readjusting their clothes that a sudden suspicion came over him. He couldn’t even say why. Harvester wasn’t behaving strangely at all. And maybe that was the problem. She’d actually been on her best behavior for days.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as he unlocked the green room door.
She frowned. “Of course. Why?”
“Because you’re being extra normal.”
Her eyes shot wide in mock horror. “Oh, no. Maybe I should see a doctor.”
“I wouldn’t put any doctor through that. Not even Eidolon.” He actually considered the demon doctor and his ex-employer to be one of his best friends, but it was fun to torment the guy now and then. “Seriously...is there anything you want to talk about?”
“As a matter of fact, there is,” she said. “We need to discuss a baby shower gift for Cara and Ares.”