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What is an Aphrodisiac? "An aphrodisiac is an edible food or drink that imparts amorous qualities and eating or drinking these foods stimulates you and gets you in the mood for love". Some of the aphrodisiac foods that have been written since ancient times are: apples, artichokes, aspagarus, almonds, figs, bananas, strawberries, honey, ginger, saffron, apricots, cherries, coconut, dates, grapes, mangoes, papayas, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates and raspberries and of course chocolate.

Aphrodisiacs were first sought out as a remedy for various sexual anxieties including fears of inadequate performance as well as a need to increase fertility.  Procreation was an important moral and religious issue and aphrodisiacs were sought to insure both male and female potency. 

Drinks for Getting into the Mood  

Vanilla Aphrodisiac Smoothie

1 cup Milk
15 Whole Cloves
15 Cardamom pods
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 Vanilla pod, split
1 cup Vanilla frozen Yogurt
Honey to taste

Place milk, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Scrape in vanilla seeds from pod. Heat milk but do not boil. Remove from heat and allow it to cool, then refrigerate until chilled. Strain milk into a blender goblet and discard spices. Add frozen yogurt and honey to taste. Blend until smooth and frothy. Delicious!

Lovers Salad — Insalata Degli Innamorati

1 Avocado
300 gms shelled, boiled Shrimp, fresh or frozen
2 Celery hearts diced
4 Walnuts, shelled
Mayonnaise
Tomato ketchup
Cream

Halve the skin, remove the pit stone and dice the pulp of the avocado into small pieces. Drop the shrimp into boiling water for 30 seconds and cool. Put the avocado in a bowl with the shrimp, the celery, and the chopped walnuts. Dress with a pink sauce obtained by mixing 4 tbsp. of lemon mayonnaise with one tbsp each of ketchup and cream. Fill the avocado halves with the mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Crispy Artichokes
JANE
New York City
Chef Glenn Harris
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 large globe artichokes
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pistachios
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 egg yolks
1/8 cup lemon juice
3 cups olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Frisée salad
Small piece of parmigiano reggiano

Trim off the top of the artichoke leaves. Cut the artichokes into eighths. Remove and discard the fuzzy choke and set aside the artichoke pieces in water with lemon juice.

For the aioli, put the pistachios, garlic and egg yolk into a food processor. While the machine is running, add 1/2 of the oil slowly, then the lemon juice. Add the rest of the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a pan to 325° F. Remove artichokes from water, pat dry and place in the oil. Fry until artichokes are dark golden brown and leaves are crispy. Remove from oil and lay out on paper towels.

To serve place frisée on a plate. Place 2 Tablespoons of aioli in the center of the plate with eight artichoke pieces around. Shave parmigiano reggiano over the salad.

Aphrodisiac Facts

Ajwain: or Bishop’s Weed (Trachyspermum ammi) is a shrub, occurring from Egypt to India, and which has been used for medical purposes for several thousand years. The seeds are rich in thymol and are considered an effective aphrodisiac. The seeds should be crushed and fried in ghee (clarified butter), normal butter or olive oil together with an equal quantity of crushed tamarind seeds. A teaspoon of this fried product, taken together with honey and milk before bed, increases virility and cures premature ejaculation, according to traditional Indian herbal medicine.

Almonds
Almonds were regarded as fertility symbols throughout antiquity. Nuts in general are held to have fertility powers. The aroma of almond supposedly arouses passion in females. Alexander Dumas dined on almond soup every night before meeting his mistress, and Samson wooed Delilah with them.

Asafetida - Indian dried, powder herb used as a sexual stimulant in Ayurvedic medicine.  The herb has a very strong, garlicy flavor.

Avocado

Aside from their voluptuous, feminine shape, avocados have also been associated with male sexuality. The Aztecs called the avocado tree "Ahuacuatl," or "testicle tree." The ancients thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled the male's testicles. The Spanish, in fact, found avocados so obscenely sexy, that Catholic priests forbade them to their parishioners.

Cardamom is a sensual spice considered to have aphrodisiac properties. With a peculiar nature; it cools the body when it is hot, and warms it when it is cold. Cleopatra uses to take baths in cardamom. Powdered cardamom seeds, boiled with milk, produce a remedy against impotence and premature ejaculation, when taken together with honey in the evening. At least according to traditional Indian herbal medicine; but be careful as excessive use might lead to impotency, according to the same sources.

Cardamom is a stimulant especially if added to coffee. Its essential oil has an erotic effect.

Cayenne Pepper - stimulant, irritant, fresh or dried fruits eaten. It heats the sexual drive. It has irritating effects on membranes and urogenital area. Contains acrid substance capsicum and a lot of vitamin C. Avoid over dosage.

Cayenne  is also known as capsicum and plays a very large role in blood circulation. When cayenne is ingested, it dilates blood vessels. This allows increased blood flow throughout the body, especially in the major organs. The male penis benefits greatly from the ingestion of cayenne. It is a widely held belief that cayenne aids in longer lasting erections, with stronger ejaculations and more intense orgasms.

Coriander - The book of The Arabian nights tells a tale of a merchant who had been childless for 40 years and but was cured by a concoction that included coriander.  That book is over 1000 years old so the history of coriander as an aphrodisiac dates back far into history. Cilantro was also know to be used as an "appetite" stimulant.

Garlic - The 'heat' in garlic is said to stir sexual desires.  Make sure you and your partner share it together.  Garlic has been used for centuries to cure everything from the common cold to heart ailments. This is a good time for moderation. Enjoy a pasta with a lightly garlicky sauce and it and lead up to something spicy in the bedroom later.

Ginger  root raw, cooked or crystallized is a stimulant to the circulatory system. Perhaps a stir-fry with freshly grated ginger can stir something spicy up in the bedroom later.

Honey - Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence.

Mustard - Believed to stimulate the sexual glands and increase desire. Prepare a tenderloin roast (filet mignon) for two with a mustard and peppercorn sauce.

Nutmeg - was highly prized by Chinese women as an aphrodisiac.  In quantity nutmeg can produce a hallucinogenic effect.  A light sprinkling of the spice in a warm pumpkin soup can help spice up your evening.

Oysters - These succulent mollusks are the classic aphrodisiac. And, there's research to support it: raw oysters are very high in zinc, which raises sperm and testosterone production, thus increasing libido. Oysters are also a source of dopamine. Casanova is said to have eaten 50 raw oysters every day .

Pineapple --Ananas cosmosus-- diuretic, invigoration! Has a great digestive effect, a purifying effect. Use fresh fruit juice. For aphrodisiac effects to work-- eat pineapple with chili powder or mixed with honey and rum. A small glass taken daily promotes energies of love.

Pomegranate tree --Punica granatum-- Mediterranean, Asia Minor- invigorator! The fruits are eaten-- the fruit is sacred to Aphrodite. The rinds are rich in tannins.

Saffron, a rare and exotic herb, has been used through ages in rituals of beauty and love

Natural Fertility Support for Men and Women from the ayurvedic point of view>>