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Days
from today, red roses, chocolates, red wines and
proposals to dine will be a-buzzing as birds and bees
pollinating flowers! So, it’s time to speak about
aphrodisiac dishes once again. And who cares if oysters,
honey, balut really get the job done or not… they’re
delicious!
APHRODISIAC foods are part fantasy and part culinary.
Most ingredients and dishes considered to be so are
regarded for their exotic appeal, body-heat building
nutrients, and their appeal to the senses: aromatic,
sexy in shape, smooth in texture and mouthfeel,
suggestive of romantic sounds when imbibed, and killer-umami
in taste. This is why oysters, steak, beef broth,
caviar, eggs and duck meat, among others, are some of
the Valentine food favorites. Perhaps they have most of
the qualities in the making of foods for love.
Beefcake-savory or honey-sweet, ideal aphrodisiac foods
must be quick to get into the bloodstream. Therefore,
love potions are best and they are usually taken in sips
or gulps. Ginseng syrup (ginseng root, simmered in water
and vodka), Bone Marrow Jelly (or a real strong beef
broth with dry white wine), Peking Elixir (pork and
chicken broth with ginger, sugar, sherry and soy sauce),
Chocolate Benedictine (brown sugar, chocolate and water,
egg yolks, allspice, black coffee, Benedictine and
cream) are a few of the “secret” potions of lovers. One
such recipe is easy enough to make: a chilled drink
involving quail eggs.
 QUAIL
EGG NECTAR
10 quail
eggs
½ c
honey
1 tsp
sesame oil
2 tsp
sake
With a
wire, whip all ingredients, except sake, till frothy.
Pour into chilled glasses and distribute the sake into
the glasses. Drink immediately. This potion is
protein-rich and gets right into the blood system. It is
a good dish for breaking the fast or curing a hangover.
It will certainly wake up the whole body.
SENSOUS
MOUTHFEELS
SEAFOODS
are the most popular foods for love because these are
from another world. Most seafoods have a sensual
mouthfeel and delicate flavor. Almost all shellfish are
desirable, and the winner is the raw oyster. Next comes
baked lobster including the coral found in the head,
along with other shellfish like clams, mussels and
scallops. Exotic fishes like eel, fresh anchovies, black
lapu-lapu and swordfish or salmon belly, and other
marine food like caviar, coral, snails and sea urchin (uni)
are also wanted.
Then
come the meats which have an umami taste like beef
steaks, beef broth, lamb, duckling, game meats and pork
belly, and most of these would be cooked in spices and
herbs. Try the Carpetbagger—a surf ‘n’ turf that
combines oysters and mushroom with beef tenderloin. On
the side, in a weaker aphrodisiac degree, are vegetables
and fungi. Truffles would be an expensive come-on and so
is asparagus. As to fruit: peaches, grapes, fresh figs
and apricots have more appeal than the others.
From
simple to hard-to-get, here are some more aphrodisiacs
within reach: chocolates, exotic coffee, nuts, edible
flowers, wines, liqueurs, butter, half-and-half cream,
and my favorite: soft boiled eggs and select cheeses.
Try this
simple dessert for a loved one. It’s easy to do but it
looks like a labor of impassioned love.
POACHED
APRICOTS IN RED
2 ripe
apricots, peeled, scoop out the seed center
sugar to
taste
2 cups
red wine
pinch of
cinnamon (good for diabetes)
pinch of
salt (to enhance fruitiness)
2-3
whole peppercorn (to add a surprise kick)
Bring to
a boil fruit, wine and seasonings, then lower to a
simmer. Poach for 10 minutes, then remove fruit. Reduce
the liquid till syrupy, then cool.
To
serve:
Get your best kesong puti or ricotta or cottage
cheese or feta cheese. Pour syrup on fruit, then scoop
in crumbled cheese on the fruit. |
