VALENTINE'S DAY SIZZLES WITH SEDUCTIVE FARE.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Want to spice up your Valentine? Surprise your love with an irresistible breakfast in bed.

Serve Lobster Eggs Benedict, a seductive masterpiece, on a tray with a side of spicy, homey home fries, a pot of coffee and a glass of fresh orange juice or a mimosa. Add a grapefruit half, if desired, to cleanse the palate.

``Your bedmate will never want to leave,'' says Jacqui Malouf, author of the recently released ``Booty Food: A Date-By-Date, Course-By-Course, Nibble-By-Nibble Guide to Cultivating Love and Passion Through Food,'' with Liz Gumbinner (Bloomsbury; $24.95).

Malouf, of Studio City, considers her Lobster Eggs Benedict the mother of all morning meals.

``Some of you may think this is an insane undertaking, but I tell you, it's completely worthwhile. ... Lobster Eggs Benedict says, 'Let's have a really hot ongoing relationship.' ''

If lobster doesn't appeal or suit your pocketbook, substitute Canadian bacon, spinach, smoked salmon or whatever else strikes your fancy.

To streamline the recipe, use frozen lobster-tail meat, thawed, instead of live lobsters and packaged hollandaise sauce in place of making your own. It's good, easy and will get you back in bed faster, says Malouf.

If you're attempting the entire breakfast, Malouf offers these timing tips: First, make the mimosas (sip while you cook), then boil the egg-poaching water, make the home fries (keep warm in a low oven) and toast the muffins (put in the oven, too). Then set up the breakfast tray, make the champagne butter sauce and add the presteamed lobster, poach the eggs, prepare the hollandaise sauce and, finally, assemble the eggs Benedict and other go-alongs - and breakfast is ready.

Later in the day, offer some seductive, intriguing starters or nibbles of various colors, textures and flavors from ``Hot, Sweet & Sticky: 12 Romantic Feasts to Tempt Your Lover,'' by Doreen Garrett (Prima Publishing; $18).

Put your heart into preparing and presenting Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles or Beef Crostini - and then woo and win with these enticing creations. The book is also filled with lamb and lobster, salmon and oysters, chocolate, red fruits - all foods that one normally associates with the exotic and erotic, says Garrett, who splits her time between Napa and New York City.

``Booty Food'' is a relationship manifesto with food, says Malouf, a comedian, television personality and former co-host of the Food Network's ``Hot Off the Grill With Bobby Flay.'' She is featured along with her husband, Jimmy, a comedic actor, in many of the book's photos.

She describes booty food as ``any food that causes weak knees, accelerated heartbeat, tingly body parts and other symptoms traditionally associated with falling in love.''

The book, a culinary road map for making your relationship your priority, is much more than a run-of-the-mill aphrodisiac cookbook. It has been tested on two husbands, five live-ins and 17 boyfriends, says Malouf, laughing, adding that much of the varied material came from five years of her stand-up comedy act,

``Food is a litmus test for relationship potential. Basically, how someone behaves in the kitchen and around food gives you a clue about how he or she is going to behave in the bedroom and in life.''

Along with creative, sexy and fun tips and social advice, Malouf offers playful help for every relationship milestone - from finding someone through food (a cooking class, wine-tasting seminar) to wooing him or her through food (picnic, first-date eating, the home-cooked meal) through the marathon of lust to combining your lives, passion, pantries and kitchens and keeping a long-term relationship hot and satisfying.

The 75 recipes range from Pomegranate Margaritas to Bistecca Alla Fiorentina and White-Truffle Mac and Cheese to Fresh Fettuccine With Mozzarella, Basil and Heirloom Tomatoes, the Ultimate Chocolate Milk Shake and the Burger to Cure All Ills.

Jacqui Malouf will be signing books at 7 tonight at Borders, 14651 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. She'll also be appearing and signing books from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Cheese Store, 419 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

LOBSTER EGGS BENEDICT

LOBSTER:

1 to 1 1/2-pounds live lobster (see Note)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 cups champagne OR sparkling wine

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch dry mustard OR cayenne pepper

POACHED EGGS:

1 teaspoon vinegar, any type

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

ASSEMBLY:

2 English muffins, split, lightly toasted and warm

Small bunch of rinsed arugula 

Caviar and/or chives for garnish (optional)

For Lobster, bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large covered pot. Plunge lobster into pot, cover, allow water to return to a boil, and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lobster, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from shells.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, then add champagne, and simmer 1 minute. Turn off heat, add lobster and let stand while you prepare the rest of the meal.

For Hollandaise Sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in microwave. Do not let it brown. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and dry mustard in a blender. Pulse and drizzle in butter. The mixture will begin to thicken. If sauce is too thick, add a few drops of warm water. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer sauce to a container nesting in a bowl of hot water to keep warm while you continue.

For Poached Eggs, heat 2 to 3 inches of water in a deep, small skillet until almost boiling. Add vinegar and salt. Crack eggs into two small cups and carefully slide, one at a time, into simmering water. Reduce heat, if necessary, to keep water just below a simmer. At this point, cover pan or begin to spoon water over tops of eggs. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until white is set and yolk has firmed over. (If an egg sinks to the bottom, wait until it is almost set until you try to dislodge it.) Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and press against a paper towel to drain any excess water.

To assemble, place 2 warm English muffin halves on each of 2 plates. Then, top each with arugula, lobster meat and a poached egg. Top each half with 1/4 of Hollandaise Sauce and garnish with golden or other caviar and/or chopped chives. Makes 2 servings, 2 muffin halves each.

NOTE: If you don't want to steam the lobster yourself, have your fishmonger do it for you or use frozen lobster tails, thawed in the fridge. Also, if desired, use packaged hollandaise sauce (such as Knorr's) instead of making it from scratch.

From ``Booty Food,'' by Jacqui Malouf with Liz Gumbinner.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PUDDING

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, grated

1 ounce white chocolate, grated

Splash Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk together sugar, salt, cocoa, cornstarch and milk in small bowl until it makes a paste. Heat cream in a small saucepan until just before scalding, then add dark and white chocolate, stir, and add cocoa paste. Mix well and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add Chambord and vanilla. When pudding begins to thicken, remove from heat and let rest 2 minutes. Pour into temperature-resistant bowls or ramekins and refrigerate until set (at least 30 minutes). Let cool completely before eating (or using as body paint). Makes about 2 cups.

From ``Booty Food,'' by Jacqui Malouf With Liz Gumbinner.

BEEF CROSTINI

Not surprisingly, given its peppery bite, horseradish is on the aphrodisiac roster.

1/4 pound beef fillet

2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish (bottled is an acceptable substitute)

1/4 cup creme fraiche (optional)

8 slices good-quality baguette

Place fillet on baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 10 minutes, until beef is rare. Do not overcook. After 10 minutes, remove beef from oven and let rest 5 minutes. While beef is cooking, mix horseradish with creme fraiche, if desired.

Heat broiler and place baguette slices on a baking sheet until tops are just lightly browned. Turn and repeat on other side. Spread with horseradish or horseradish cream. Slice meat as thinly as possible, on the diagonal, and place atop crostini. Makes 8 crostini.

From ``Hot, Sweet & Sticky: 12 Romantic Feasts to Tempt Your Lover,'' by Doreen Garrett.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Seduce that special someone with these. Handwrite sentimental or provocative sayings and slip one under each chocolate.

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (the best quality you can find)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup creme fraiche OR sour cream

1/2 cup dark rum

2 tablespoons cocoa powder OR finely chopped candied ginger

10 to 12 paper candy cups, large rose petals, OR other imaginative wrappers

In a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt together chocolate and butter, then add whipping cream, creme fraiche and rum; gently whisk until smooth. Do not allow water in pot to boil. Pour mixture into a shallow metal pan, cover with wax paper and chill thoroughly.

When mixture is firm, put unsweetened cocoa on wax paper. Line up candy cups. Working quickly, roll about a tablespoon of chocolate mixture between your palms to make a ball, then roll truffle in cocoa and place in candy cup. Use a small ice cream scoop instead of your hands to shape the truffles, if desired. Makes 10 to 12 truffles.

From ``Hot, Sweet & Sticky: 12 Romantic Feasts to Tempt Your Lover,'' by Doreen Garrett.

JALAPENO HOME FRIES

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup diced red onion (1/2-inch dice; about 1 large onion)

2 cups diced Idaho OR russet potatoes, skins on (1/2-inch dice; about 2 medium potatoes)

1 cup diced sweet bell peppers (1/2-inch dice; about 1 large pepper)

1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (about 1/2 pepper)

1 small clove garlic, minced

Dash cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet; add red onion and cook over medium heat until it turns translucent. Add potatoes, bell pepper and garlic, stirring constantly. While stirring, add cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until crispy, golden brown and potatoes are cooked through (will take a total of about 30 minutes cooking time from start to finish). Makes 2 servings.

From ``Booty Food,'' by Jacqui Malouf With Liz Gumbinner.

FUNKY MIMOSAS

1/2 bottle (325 milliliters) champagne

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

3 ounces Triple Sec

Orange wedges and sugar

Orange slices for garnish

In a pitcher, combine champagne, orange juice, and Triple Sec. Give it a gentle mix. To serve, wet the rims of two champagne flutes with orange wedges and roll in sugar. Fill each flute with mimosa mixture. Garnish with orange slices. Makes 1 pitcher, 2 servings.

From ``Booty Food,'' by Jacqui Malouf With Liz Gumbinner.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Cupid's cuisine

Recipes for romance

(2 -- color) LOBSTER EGGS BENEDICT

(3 -- color) DOUBLE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PUDDING

Photo by Ben Fink; from ``Booty Foods,'' Bloomsbury