Emily Parnell: What’s in a name? These recipes take food to new levels

Some say presentation enhances enjoyment of food. I’d argue that what it’s called, and how it’s described, is every bit as important and can be the difference that elevates the dish to a whole new level of indulgent decadence.

I recently chose a couple of recipes based entirely on their names. The resulting dessert was a decadent temptation far beyond their normal reach.

I’m a word girl, a lover of language, and a recipe named with come-hither allure attracts me like an ant to spilled chocolate sauce. Certain recipes — even those I’ve never tried — can hover in my consciousness for years, calling to me, whispering my name.

The household birthday boy had requested frosting-less brownies rather than cake.

“No frosting?” I asked, worrying that a brownie on a plate would seem rather demure.

He stared dreamily into the distance.

“Well, maybe some chocolate sauce.”

Saucy brownies sound soft and soggy, but I knew that if I served dressed up brownies with ice cream and special sauce, I could call them brownie sundaes. Then they’d be saucy — in a cheeky kind of way.

I needed to find a brownie recipe with va-va-voom power. Pastries to please. How to choose from the bazillions of brownies out there? It was a no-brainer — all in the name.

A while back, the Internet was abuzz with talk of “slutty brownies.” Without knowing anything other than their name, I knew they’d be cheap. They’d be easy. They’d whip necks and draw fans. Sanctimonious health-food fanatics and food snobs might gasp in dismay, but these were the brownies for celebrations marked by gastronomic promiscuity. They’d flaunt their stuff, calories and gluten and carbs in all the right places. The bawdy brownies would be oh so bad, but sumputous.

A Slutty Brownie would need to be drenched in a sauce as illicit as the brownie itself. A friend of mine serves her guests “chocolate dope,” a homemade goo — not too sweet, not too rich and pretty darned addictive. A perfect topping.

As I served my guests, I whispered to them the names of the desserts, being sure the kids were out of earshot. I wanted my guests to appreciate their indulgence — throw care to the wind and just enjoy.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Emily Parnell: What’s in a name? These recipes take food to new levels."