Valentine’s Day brings out the hopeless romantic in all of us. The one time of year when both men and women are encouraged to show their love with physical affirmations—boxes of chocolates, heart-shaped cards, bouquets of flowers, naughty nurse outfits, and tiny chalk-like candies with almost unreadable messages proclaiming one’s love for another.
It’s this time of year when we think of food as more than just simple sustenance or a pleasant night out. We struggle to find the finest chocolates, the most aromatic roses, and the rarest bottles of wine, all of which are meant to express our love and passion, and arouse our lover’s deep primal lust. We imagine an evening filled with passionate and erotic love fueled by the natural libido enhancers in the foods we feed our mates.
For thousands of years kings and mystics alike, to stimulate sexual inspiration and enhance fertility, have promoted these edible libido enhancers. There is the chocolate of the Aztecs; the Romans prized the oyster, the self-contained sexual innuendo. Ancient Egyptians believed in the stimulating properties of honey, while many Europeans set the mood with decadent and seductively rare truffles, whose potential sexual powers were neither confirmed nor denied by 18th century gastronome Brillat-Savarin: “The truffle is not a positive aphrodisiac; but it can, in certain situations, make women tenderer and men more agreeable.” Not a rousing endorsement of its sacred love-making powers, but in the end aren’t these the results we are all after, “to make women tenderer and men more agreeable?” Ultimately it comes down to setting the mood and allowing oneself to suspend logical and scientific thought and to be engulfed in the ultimate human experience of love and lust.
The visual symbolism of aphrodisiacs is central to their sensual powers. I chose to use the power of symbolism to create a visually stimulating dish with some lesser-known aphrodisiacs. It is an afternoon delight for an afternoon of delights—lemon-basil sorbet and pine nut and almond tuiles, with candied rose petals and shaved white chocolate. A little symbolic suggestion in form, a potent combination of aphrodisiacs in basil, pine nuts and almonds are all believed to entice and arouse, as well as a twist on the classic and always seductive rose petal. You can serve as a sweet brunch treat or as a light dessert, before devouring the object of your affection. It is a Valentine treat that can, if not chemically enhance your partner’s desire, will certainly aid in your effort to express your amorous excitement, convincing them that you may really love them.
Lemon Basil Sorbet
Ingredients
* 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn (Said to stimulate the sex drive and boost fertility)
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 2 pounds lemons)
Preparation
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Turn down heat to medium and steep basil in simple syrup. Remove from heat; chill. Strain basil mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing basil with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard basil. Combine sugar mixture and juice.
Once cooled, spin in an ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions. Store in freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Remove sorbet from freezer 10 minutes before serving
Pine Nut and Almond Tuile
* 3 tablespoons sliced almonds (A symbol of fertility throughout the ages, the aroma is thought to induce passion in a female.)
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts (Used to stimulate the libido as far back as medieval times, pine nuts are rich in zinc, a key mineral necessary to maintain male potency.)
* 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/2 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise (The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust)
* 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/3-cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1 large egg white
* Pinch salt
* 3/4 teaspoon Demerara sugar (natural cane sugar, is normally brown, sometimes known as turbinado sugar)
Special equipment: a small offset spatula; a 1 1/2- to 2-inch diameter rolling pin or wooden dowel.
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Coarsely chop almonds and pine nuts together; set aside.
Combine butter and vanilla bean in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod and stir into butter; discard pod.
Transfer butter to a large bowl; add flour, confectioners’ sugar, egg white and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold together batter just until well combined.
Drop mounds (generous 1/2 tablespoon per mound) of batter about 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon dipped in tepid water, spread each mound into a 2-inch round. Sprinkle rounds with nut mixture and Demerara sugar.
Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until edges of cookies are dark brown, about 4 minutes. Let cookies stand on baking sheet for 20 seconds (just long enough to allow them to firm up slightly), then transfer with offset spatula to rolling pin (stabilized on a cooling rack), draping them diagonally and wiping spatula clean before transferring next cookie. (If cookies become too crisp to drape, return to oven for a few seconds to soften.)
Candied Flowers
1 egg white (use powdered egg whites to avoid salmonella)
100 proof vodka
Superfine granulated sugar
Thin artist's paintbrush
Rose petals, violets, pansies, Johnny-jump-ups, lilac, borage, pea, pinks, scented geraniums
Wire rack
Beat egg whites until frothy. Add a couple of drops of vodka to help the flowers dry quicker. Using fresh picked flowers, paint each flower individually with beaten egg white using the artist's paintbrush. When thoroughly coated, sprinkle with fine sugar and place on the wire rack to dry. Flowers are completely dry when stiff and brittle to the touch. They can be stored in an airtight container and put in the freezer for up to a year.