Culinary Tips for the Ultimate Valentine’s Day

You’ve survived 2021, and 2022 looks so, so promising. Valentine’s Day is soon upon us, and you’re wondering how you might make it the flirtatious feast it could be? Whether you have a significant other of 20 years, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or someone of interest, you have more options than ever this Valentine’s Day. 

Culinary Tip #1: Prepare a romantic dinner with super-charged ingredients.

Prepare a menu with ingredients the world has long considered aphrodisiacs! You can court their taste buds and set the stage for romance and memorable times using your own culinary powers. Cooking is a tool, perhaps the most powerful tool for romance, when wielded properly. When coupled with ingredients that contain powerful aphrodisiacs, entice your significant other, and cook up some romance!

Chocolate, champagne, and oysters have long been considered great seduction foods for revving up the libido, but you would be surprised at the vegetables, fruits, and spices that have been used to help evolve the hedonistic experiences in different cultures over the centuries. Some of these foods can be served up on their own. Many can be added to quicker dishes, like a stir-fry. Alternatively, recipes can be found quickly via a simple search for each ingredient on the internet.

From the book Food As Foreplay by Ellen and Michael Albertson, here is a short list of provisions you might want to pick up for your passionate repast:

Artichokes

The simple act of stripping an artichoke of its leaves, dipping it into butter, and scraping off the tender flesh with your teeth is a very sensual experience. Cut off the artichoke’s thorny tips; snap off the tough leaves; slice off the stem, and rub with lemon juice. Steam until tender, about 30 to 60 minutes. Try dipping artichokes into curried mayonnaise, lemon or herb butter or vinaigrette. 

Rice

Rice is a symbol of fertility and a staple food in Asia. In some cultures, if a man and woman eat out of the same rice bowl, it is a declaration of their engagement. 

Fennel

The Greeks and Hindus considered fennel to be a potent sexual stimulant. In the Mediterranean, fennel soup is thought to increase desire. 

Figs

These plump, soft, sweat, luscious beauties come from one variety of the ficus tree, which probably originated in Asia Minor and is one of the oldest edible plants. Try feeding them to your lover drizzled with a little cream and a sprinkling of sugar. Alternatively, serve with sliced melon or pears and prosciutto as an appetizer. 

Pomegranate

This deep red fruit is recommended in the Karma Sutra (an Indian love-making manual) as an erotic aid. 

Quince

Due to its color, fragrance, and many seeds, the quince was dedicated to Aphrodite (the Greek Goddess of love) and Venus (the Roman Goddess of love). Quince is eaten at some weddings to ensure a sweet life for the newly married couple. 

Basil

This flavorful herb is used in Voodoo love ceremonies in Haiti.

Nutmeg

This fragrant spice has been prized by Arabs, Greeks, Hindus, and Romans as an aphrodisiac. 

Saffron

This expensive spice has been reputed to work like a sex hormone and make erogenous zones even more sensitive. Saffron is made from the dried stigmas of a type of crocus. 

Beef

After a high-protein meal, your blood stream is flooded with the amino acid tyrosine. The chemicals made from tyrosine, dopamine, and norepinephrine trigger brain cells that enhance mental alertness and concentration. 

Unagi

Unagi, or raw sea eel, is a popular Japanese aphrodisiac. It’s also a popular item on sushi menus. 

Culinary Tip #2: Prepare a dish or two at home and supplement with takeout.

COVID be darned! Plan to prepare one or two dishes yourself; then supplement your dinner with one of many restaurants that now offer delivery and/or pickup. They are not just any restaurants­—they are some of the finest in the metro. The establishments sampled here offer smaller plates, perfect for sharing:

El Five (TripAdvisor 4.5/5; Opentable: 4.7/5; Yelp: 4/5)

This restaurant offers Mediterranean food, tapas style.

Sushi Sasa (TripAdvisor 4.5/5; Opentable: 4.6/5; Yelp: 4/5)

This fancy, calm little sushi restaurant has some of the best Japanese food. The menu is full of rolls, sashimi, and nigiri, and the fish is super fresh.

SOL Mexican Cocina.–Denver 

(TripAdvisor 4/5; Opentable: 4.4/5; Yelp: 4/5)

This upscale Mexican spot has a menu of specialty tacos. Diners can sample tacos here that they cannot find anywhere else.