With Valentine’s Day approaching (February 14th), here are three questions that might need answering:
Are any foods actually aphrodisiacs?
Which “loving” foods should grace your menu if you prepare your own Valentine’s Day meal?
What are some of the most romantic restaurants in Costa Rica to take her/him to?
APHRODISIACS: Remember that the primary human sexual organ is the brain. Aphrodisiacs are those things physical or mental, real or imagined, that heighten sexual desire, excitement, performance, energy, sustainability or pleasure. Let’s categorize them.
1) Chemical Stimulants. Caffeine in coffee, tea and chocolate increase heart rate, awareness and metabolism, but only in moderation. If you need medicine for nasal allergies or an untimely head cold, avoid a remedy that contains only antihistamine without the pep-restoring pseudo-ephedrine component or you may fall asleep before dessert.
2) Genital look-alikes. Know your partner. If he or she is repulsed by the “boorishness” of genital facsimiles, skip to number three. If the contrary is true, consider asparagus, bananas, carrots, ginseng, oysters, scoops of ice cream or melon adorned with crystal ginger, strawberry or chocolate covered coffee bean nipples.
3) Heat producers. For some, warm skin and moisture, even to the extreme of a glistening wet body dripping with perspiration, can be extremely sensual. Eating hot spicy foods, wasabi (Japanese horse radish), hot mustard, ginger, curry, chilies and pepper do the trick.
4) Relaxers. A back rub, a massage, a little alcohol and even chocolate can reduce inhibitions. Playful is better than serious.
5) Sweet smells. Scented candles and flowers and understated perfumes or colognes are nice. Vanilla is very sexy as are scented body oils, perfect for gentle application. Truffles have a musky aroma, which some women find exciting.
6) Touch and taste exciters. Try to touch with fingers, lips and tongue as lightly as possible and very slowly. You’ll be amazed how less is much more. Patience. Dab on and lick off small amounts of butterscotch pudding, flan, chocolate mousse etc., a little warm or at room temperature. Feed each other grapes or berries by hand one at a time. Eat melting ice cream with a warm sauce without utensils. Lick off each other’s fingers or lips.
7) Rare exotics and animal parts. Beluga caviar, royal honey, shark fin, rhino horn, antler velvet, turtle eggs and fugu have been called “aphrodisiacs” forever, primarily because of their rarity. They are not true aphrodisiacs! Please don’t contribute to the horrible practice of endangering species because of false mythology.
8) Fertility symbols. Seeds and eggs ring the fertility bell. Caviar, quail eggs and even giant ostrich eggs have folkloric power. Foods high in zinc (pine nuts, oysters) are thought to improve sperm counts in some instances.
DINNER AT HOME: Show that you care. Display a loving mindset. Let mood music, the scent of flowers and flickering candlelight reflect your wishes. Avoid critical comments, vestiges of past anger or shared information about death and disease, all of which can undo the magic instantly.
Appeal to all of the senses. Appearance is important. How about cooking in only an apron, sweet smelling skin and minty fresh breath? Mint is a supposed aphrodisiac and bitter breath extinguishes all fervor. Have a flute of champagne poured, perhaps with a vanilla bean standing in it to add to the aromatic delight. A little champagne (or wine or any alcohol) diminishes inhibition, but too much diminishes desire, performance and the ability to stay awake.
Oysters on the half shell over ice with a dash of lime juice or a drop of rice vinegar are my ambrosia. If you aren’t very good at opening them and choose to go to a restaurant to have them opened for you, change out of your apron first. There are no demonstrable libido enhancing chemicals in oysters that aren’t common to a large number of other seafood’s, but the gentle aroma, taste of the sea, silky smooth texture, milky essence and genital appearance all caress the sexual mind. Choose the foods based on your knowledge of your partner.
Sample Menu: For dinner a deux, (all purported aphrodisiacs are highlighted in italics) consider oysters dressed with a wine-cilantro-wasabi sauce, a salad of arugula, avocado, mushroom, camembert and figs in a honey - ginger vinaigrette topped with shaved truffles and toasted pine nuts, a main course of seared sea scallops, asparagus spears and parsley roasted potatoes. For dessert, poached pears with chocolate sauce, followed by marzipan (almonds are seeds and have a lust-inducing aroma) in suggestive shapes of your choosing and anise cookies with a demitasse of Arabic coffee (with cardamom). Consider Champagne with a vanilla bean first and a little Port or Sauterne after, avoiding the depressing effect of excess alcohol. Bottoms up!
SOME ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS: Alphabetical listing of my personal choices: Bacchus, Citrus, Doris Metropolitan, El Grano de Oro, Ginger, Jurgen’s, Kalu, La Focaccia Di Martino, La Luz,, Le Chandelier, MYA, Nectar, Park Café, Saga, Sunspot Grill, Sushi Kai, he Muse, Xandari.
The other day I stopped at Sushi Kai for a quick lunch. Tomo greeted me warmly per usual and William presented me with a fusion appetizer I had never tasted before called Tunacho. Despite a name that conjures up an image of Tex-Mex glop, this perfectly prepared thin crispy wafer was topped with soft as silk chopped raw tuna dressed in rich brown sauce spackled in shaved greens and dusted with white sesame seeds. The sauce was just piquant enough to tingle taste buds. Contrasting textures, layered flavors and visual titillation combined to make a perfect appetizer for Valentine’s day. They also serve oysters on the half shell.
Cerutti isn’t included because it has closed.
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