For Valentine's Day: Aphrodisiacs

Certain foods are said to have aphrodisiac qualities. So, in honor of Valentine's Day, I'll offer a list of my favorite aphrodisiac foods, along with simple serving suggestions.

Chocolate Truffles
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat the cream to just a simmer, over low heat. Then, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it's smooth. Let the mixture cool for about an hour,and then beat until the mixture is creamy and lighter in color. Refrigerate the mixture for at least two hours, until firm.

Pour cocoa power into a shallow plate. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out bite-sized balls of the refrigerated chocolate mixture. Roll the balls in the cocoa platter and place them on a separate serving plate, lined with waxed paper.

The truffles are ready to serve with a fine champagne!

Asparagus
Asparagus doubles as an aphrodisiac AND my favorite vegetable. It also goes well with almost any fish or meat, making it an ideal side dish. No matter what I'm serving my asparagus with, I like to steam the asparagus for 5-7 minutes (testing at 5 minutes), until it is tender yet crisp. Then I rinse it quickly under cold water and let it dry. Sprinkle just a little of your favorite lemon vinaigrette and serve.

Garlic
If you really love somebody, garlic breath doesn't matter. Check out my Decadent Baked Brie recipe on this site. It is the essence of indulgence.
Otherwise, use garlic whenever possible in cooking because not only is it an aphrodisiac, it is also incredibly good for you.

Strawberries and Raspberries
There's a reason you always see images of a strawberry or raspberry floating at the bottom of a champagne glass. They're sexy fruit! They're beautiful to look at, and anyone can look sexy eating a berry. Just pout a little while you're doing it and you're ready for a MySpace layout.

Oysters
Despite all the warnings about the dangers of eating raw shellfish, I love raw oysters on the half-shell. And perhaps because I believe the hype, I DO feel prety sexy when I swallow one of those suckers!
There are a couple of theories about why oysters are considered to be aphrodisiac. First of all, and most famously, oysters resemble the female sex organ. On the scientific side, oysters contain large amounts of zinc, which is directly related to higher progesterone levels. Which could mean higher libido levels for men, since zinc deficiency can result in impotency.

Wine
Need I say more? The Italians say "Drink wine and love longer." Who are you to second-guess the greatest wine drinkers in the world?