Summer Days and Tasty Treats

Summer has finally arrived in San Francisco, with a set of heat waves that have occasionally allowed us to sit outside at night without a down jacket. So its time for some delicious summer treats. I recently visited my brother in London, and his daughters served me a delicious British twist on strawberry shortcake, called Eton Mess. It’s a perfect, no hassle, summer dessert. And if you want to feel like you're at Wimbledon, open up a bottle of bubbly to go with it!

 Eton Mess recipe

• Meringues – you can make your own or just buy meringues at the store
• Heavy cream
• Strawberries

Break up the meringues into pieces about a half-inch long, in a large bowl

Whip the heavy cream so its thick. Do not add sugar.

Fold the whipped cream and strawberries into the meringues and voila!  The mix of the sweet and crunchy meringue with the unsweetened, creamy cream and the juicy strawberries in every bite gets everyone asking for more.

“Eton Mess” isn’t in our game GourmetSmarts but it could have been a contender. The story goes that is was invented at Eton, a famous school, in Britain, when a dog sat on a picnic basket, single handedly creating the first version of the dessert. It is now served every June 4th at Eton's annual prize giving ceremony.

Julie's Favorite flourless chocolate cake

Back in my single days, I’d always host a rockin’ Valentine’s party for all my single friends and we’d always have a blast relishing in our freedom and independence and the importance of holding out for the “right” one. Well, I did finally find the right man, and he's not a fan of paying double prices at some restaurant on Valentine’s Day, and I agree. So we like to eat in, where he cooks dinner and I make dessert.

Not only am I pretty darn picky when it comes to men, I also hold out for the right right recipes. While writing ChocolateSmarts, I spent a great deal of time experimenting with various recipes, and here’s one of my favorite Flourless Chocolate Cake recipes. Not only is it a huge hit, it’s also pretty easy to make. (Note: for best results, you’ll want to make this a day in advance – which makes cooking your Valentine’s Day dinner even easier). Read on for recipe >>

Test your sex and chocolate smarts

Try your smarts on this month's trivia questions.

QUESTION 1: Casanova supposedly ate which aphrodisiac every morning?

A … Oysters
B … Chocolate
C … Spanish fly
D … Pickles

QUESTION 2: In the Kama Sutra, women are encouraged to learn the 64 arts of love. Which of the following is not one of them?

A … Rules of cock fighting
B … Painting and decoration
C … Science of aqueducts
D … Domestication of wild bulls

QUESTION 3: The Marquis de Sade once hosted a lusty party where he served chocolate laced with:

A … Cocaine
B … Spanish Fly
C … Rosemary
D … Gold

These are just some questions from SexSmarts and ChocolateSmarts. Pick up a copy to play with friends or your sweetie on Valentine's.

 (Read on for the answers)

WSJ features SmartsCo on page B1!