The Sensuality of Food

Forget flowers, chocolates and teddy bears; a simple, delicious meal, thoughtfully prepared can be one of the most memorable and sensual gifts you could ever give a lover. There's a saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach...well I happen to believe this to be true for men and women! (I know it works for me!)

Regardless of your sex, food is something we all need; because it's a necessity, we can sometimes overlook taste for nutrition or convenience. But, when you prepare food for a lover, you're saying "I want you to be sated." Sated...how much more sensual can you get?! You wouldn't present your lover with a bouquet of half-wilted roses or a teddy bear missing one eye, would you? Well, I certainly hope not. So why oh why would you prepare a meal that is, for lack of a better word, half-assed?

Perhaps you lack the motivation to learn techniques or put your creativity to use. Many people feel preparing a meal is a daunting task that must be stressful and chore-like...funny, many people feel that way about sex, too. Do you think they're the same people? I digress. If you can utilize a little organization, preparation and foresight, you can prepare a delicious, nutritious, satisfying meal for your lover and enjoy every step of the process. (Plus, the look of appreciation on their face is a truly wonderful reward.)

#1 Plan your special feast at least a week in advance. This will give you time to make changes according to what you can find at the grocery store. Don't count on a product being available today just because it was there three weeks ago--especially produce. Most produce will stay fresh at home for up to a week, if stored properly. Also, stock up on any non-perishables now so that you have them readily available on cooking day.

#2 Create a time line. Some of your foods will take more time to cook than others--if you start everything at the same time, there's a good chance your side dish will be done before your entree or even the appetizer. So, create a time line! Calculate how much time is needed for each dish to be prepared (and prepare as much as possible in advance, that way you are prepping when you should be cooking!) and write on your time line when you're doing which task.

#3 Check, double check and triple check your supplies! If you're cooking a three-course meal and suddenly realize you're out of a key ingredient, you have no time to run to the store--so make sure you've got EVERYTHING before you begin.

#4 Don't forget the beverages. Whether it's wine, beer or a fine liqueur, do not forget the beverages! Again, this is something that can go undetected in your meal radar, but a fabulous meal is a heavenly meal when paired with the appropriate beverage. And do I even need to point out that alcohol always increases sensuality? I didn't think so.

#5 Develop good foresight. This may not come easily to you right away, and that's okay. The more meals you prepare, the more foresight you develop. What is foresight? Being prepared for disasters, mistakes or unexpected circumstances. What if you burn the Alfredo sauce? Do you have a plan B for your pasta? Perhaps toss the pasta with olive oil, sliced garlic and grated Parmesan. You don't need to necessarily have a Plan B written into your menu outline, but just store this information in the back of your head so that you can quickly access it if the need arises. The point--if something goes wrong, don't panic! There's always a way to fix it.

Now that the task of preparing a mind-blowing culinary adventure is less daunting, let's discuss why food is sensual. A meal can sate many aspects of your lover's desires: taste, beauty, nutrition, surprise, etc. The act of eating is an intimate action in and of itself, but when the food dances across the tongue, wraps your head in a heavenly aroma and induces a soft moan--you have sensuality. Man, food is so sexy. And the type of food that you feed your lover can cause (lucky you) increased sensuality--these foods are known as aphrodisiacs. We all know the old stand-bys like dark chocolate, oysters and truffles; but did you know that everyday foods like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes can induce sexual desire? (Are you thinking what I'm thinking? It's a salad--exactly! And didn't I just explain in a previous post how important daily salads are to our bodies? Well it looks like there's an extra perk, if ya know what I mean.) Have a look at this list of aphrodisiac foods that you could easily use in a special meal for your lover.

While some foods are only thought to be aphrodisiacs, others have been proven to change hormone levels in our bodies that affect the "feel good" portion of our brains. As I mentioned before, chocolate is a wonderfully sensual food, not only can you eat it off of your lover but the chemical theobromine helps the brain to produce serotonin (the happy hormone; it's the same thing that is pumping through our veins during a "runner's high"). As another example, oysters are high in zinc which helps to raise sperm and testosterone production levels. And while these foods are proven to physiologically increase our sexuality, other foods toy with our brains and inspire our imaginations. For instance, bananas--very phallic. Or avocados? The tree was known as the "testicle tree" by the Aztecs. As for beverages, red wine is hands down the sexiest. The color red is a beautiful symbol of love, sexuality and warmth. Red wine also has a wonderful property called mouth feel (the term itself is sexy)--it coats your tongue and feels like a blanket of bliss in your mouth. Finally, and most obvious, alcohol crushes shyness and allows us to relax with our lovers (as long as you don't drink too much, too often because excessive alcohol can cause impotence in men and a decreased sexual desire in women).

So if I wanted to prepared a sensual, memorable meal for my lover, what would I prepare? Well, here you go. Oh, and I would pair this meal with a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot if you were wondering.

Appetizer
Spinach salad with almonds & raspberries
Bruschetta with avocado & red onion

Entree
Crown roast of lamb with truffles
Lemon asparagus with sauteed arugula
Mashed red potatoes with truffles, topped with gravy (roast drippings & red wine, reduced)

Dessert
Chocolate mousse topped with strawberries & fresh whipped cream
(Wine does not pair very well with chocolate, so wait until the dessert is finished to drink again. Or, because beer pairs very well with chocolate, you could pair your dessert with lambic or fruit beer.)

Everything in this menu is very easy to make as long as you have the right tools and the right ingredients. Do your research, practice if you need to, and prepare a stimulating, sensual and romantic dinner for your lover. Think about these things as you plan for and prepare your meal: Visual appeal--does each dish look beautiful? Taste--can you taste each ingredient and do your ingredients taste of themselves? Aroma--when you smell the food, does your mouth water? Texture--how does the food feel in your mouth, is it cooked properly? Sound--do crunchy foods crunch?

Valentine's Day comes but once a year, right? Well, I challenge you to utilize all 365 days of the year to be romantic and let the lazy people show their affection only on February 14th. Of course you don't need to prepare meals like the one above everyday (you would both be 400lbs before next V-day!) but make an attempt to show the one you love that you still think he or she is as sexy today as the day you met (whether it's a verbal compliment, coy smile or a just-because-I-love-you gift).

So lovers, light some candles, put on some music, and sit down for a little culinary foreplay tonight.

Be sated,

Sarah