by Chef Brian Henry
www.thespiceco.ca www.chefbrianhenry.com
Kickin’ Recipes
DES ERTS M A D E W I T H
LOVE Chef Brian Henry has been a Chef for 35 years. He is the owner of Angle Iron Kitchens and The Spice Co.
A s Valentine’s Day approaches many people are ordering flowers, buying chocolates and
making dinner reservations in pursuit of romance. For some, romance means sex and what we eat on Valentine’s Day can ruin the mood. Eroticism and foods have long been paired together, even before pairing food with wine.
Numerous foods are considered to be aphrodisiacs, something that increases sexual desires which historically people believed foods that resemble genitalia were the best catalyst for arousing desires. This saw people consuming clams, oysters, bananas, asparagus, eggs, avocados and caviar in pursuit of increased sexual drives. Others choose foods based upon texture, for which I will forgo discussing and leave this to your . imagination. Sharing a meal is like a slow seduction, anticipation builds upon seeing a particularly inviting meal. It can cause us to salivate, our eyes widen, and our pulse quickens, just like a sexual response. Modern day science has been able to determine that it isn’t so much the food but what is in the food that gets us going. Oysters contain zinc and amino acids that trigger production of sex hormones, chili peppers stimulate endorphins which quicken your heart rate and make you sweaty, chocolate
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increases our dopamine levels, bananas contain bromelain triggering testosterone production, strawberries are loaded with Vitamin C which improves blood flow to all body parts, Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium which helps raise testosterone levels, watermelon contains similar ingredients as Viagra increasing blood flow and your libido and vanilla for its sensual scent and exotic taste. Trying to combine all of these foods into a meal could see you leaving the table and heading to the bedroom for the nap and nothing else. So I developed the following recipe to include as many sensual ingredients in a manner that is mutually satisfying and falls under #foodporn. Aphrodite Ganache Tart Ingredients: For the crust 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds, chopped fine 1/4 cup butter at room temperature 2 tbsp. Humble Pie, from The Spice Co. naturally Method: Combine crumbs, chopped seeds, butter, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and mix until evenly incorporated. Press the crust mixture
