Romancing the Kitchen: Aphrodisiac Foods Mini-Course
Two Soups, One Bowl
Black Beans and Red Peppers
It was around 400 A.D. when Saint Jerome, a Father of the Latin Church, first told his nuns “No” to black beans. No touching, no eating, no pureeing, no refrying them. For a nun avowed to celibacy, black beans were forbidden. Lore has it that black beans increase fertility. Red Peppers are the color of the devil, of passion, of desire and lust. Combining the two items, side-by-side in the same bowl is just what the church may have feared!
Cocoa Mole Shrimp
Chocolate
The Aztecs and Mayans were the first to recognize the potency of chocolate, celebrating the harvest of the cacao bean with wild festivals. Seventeenth-century church officials deemed it sinful to partake of chocolate. Casanova, the infamous 18th century lover, believed in the power of chocolate by drinking 30 cups a day! Obviously a staple food for lovers, chocolate now has backing from the scientific community. Besides the jolt of caffeine served up by a piece of chocolate, this candy also contains PEA, or phenylethylamine, the very same molecule that courses through the veins of the one who is in love.
Valentines Day Scallops
Scallops
Scallops have long been associated with fertility. Medieval pilgrims traveled great distances to pay homage to St. James, wearing scallop shells on their clothing or hats to identify themselves as followers. Many paintings of Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, also picture her with a scallop shell. This further strengthens the lore of fertility and scallops
Honey Balsamic Strawberry Salad
Strawberries
Strawberries are the fruit of sensuality. Their feminine, natural heart shape speaks of love. The green stem located perfectly to hold as you feed to a loved one. Strawberries are difficult to grow, and occur in short seasons, making them rare and increasing their ancient lore of aphrodisiac qualities. If you combine this fruit with three other aphrodisiac foods, you have a powerhouse salad of love!
Oysters Casino
Oysters
No discussion of foods with aphrodisiac qualities can be complete without oysters. Supposedly the greatest of all aphrodisiacs, the oyster is low in fat, high in complex sugars and proteins, and is loaded with zinc, a key ingredient to testosterone production. Maybe oysters have long been considered an aphrodisiac food because of their rarity or appearance, but scientists have found that the body’s reaction to an oyster is similar to that of someone in love.
Adult Hot Cocoa
Alcohol
Everyone knows chocolate is sinful, that it excites the senses.
Add chocolate to your favorite liqueur and you have a romantic warm drink for those cold nights in front of the fireplace.
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