6 jayplay
FOOD TO SET THE MOOD BY BRAN
Whether you have your food in the bedroom or your sex in the kitchen,sex and food have long been linked. Aphrodisiacs, named for the Greek love goddess, Aphrodite, are believed to stimulate a person's sex drive.
For centuries people have associated fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices with fertility, stamina and lust. Foods such as bananas and asparagus are phallic foods. Their aphrodisiac quality resonates from their resemblance to the male body. Artichokes, on the other hand, are vulvic and their quality comes from the idea of deflowering. Hopkins says.
Hopkins and co-author Randall Lockridge wrote InterCourses in 1996. They researched by sending recipes out to couples around the country and having each couple choose which recipes made them hungry for each other. Wine-soaked cherries and pears poured over pound cake was one winner. In the book Hopkins and Lockridge say cherries and pears have an abundance of aphrodisical qualities.
But some researchers say aphrodisiacs have no physiological link to sex drive. Many believe it is the way the food conjures ideas of sex that motivates the act while or after eating. "The strongest aphrodisiac is your mind," Martha Hopkins, coauthor of InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook, says. She says the act of cooking for or with your mate is sensual and is a strong aphrodisiac when combined with the sensual nature of food.
Wine-soaked cherries and pears over pound cake
1/2 cup red wine (the better the wine,
the better the dish)
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 pound cherries, pitted
2 pears, peeled and sliced
2 thick slices pound cake
softened butter to taste
BY BRANDI GARVIN
whipped cream for topping
Combine the sugar, wine and lemon rind in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the cherries and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the pears and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Spread the pound cake with butter and toast to a golden brown. Generously spoon fruit and juices over the cake and serve warm, topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
Here are some other foods that are thought to make you hungry for your mate:
Many have claimed alcohol as an aphrodisiac, but alcohol is actually a depressant. Rather than get you in the mood, alcohol actually lessens inhibitions when you're already in the mood.
- Truffles contain a chemical that is similar to the male pig sex hormone. The chemical in truffles is also similar to a human male sex hormone, which gives truffles their romantic reputation.
- Coffee drinkers reportedly are more sexually active than non-coffee drinkers. (ivillage.com)
- Oysters are supposed to enhance your enjoyment of sex. Oysters have an allure to them that simply says "lusty romance." (romantic-couples.com)
Honey, one of the ultimate love foods, is sweet and perfect for dipping or spreading. Some cultures spread a little honey on the palms of the bride and groom and have them lick it off each other to ensure a sweet life together.
Chocolate contains more than 400 different chemicals, some of which scientists believe arouse the same feelings we experience when we are in love. (cookingcouple.com)
Brandi Garvin, Jayplay writer, can be reached at bgarvin@kansan.com.
thursday, November 20. 2003