Why food matters on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a time for lovers to eat together and focus on each other. Throughout history many people have tried to create dinners with special aphrodisiac herbs and spices to lure their love into the bedroom.

Interestingly, if you look for these aphrodisiac spices and herbs you will find them in the oldest of cuisines: Greek and Chinese. Herbs like garlic, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, mandrake root, lavender, are all considered aphrodisiac foods and are common in ancient Greek and Chinese cuisine. Seems even the ancients understood how important food is to set the mood for love.

>>10 Sexiest Foods

Saint Valentines became a symbol of love because he was a priest in the 3rd Century who deified the emperor and performed marriages in the face of the emperor’s ban on weddings. Even after he was imprisoned, he performed the marriage of the emperor’s daughter and the captain of his guard. For this he was hanged on February 14th.

>>Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day

This year, lure the one you have the hots for with a beautiful and delicious dinner. Whether your seductive Valentine’s Day dinner is at your favorite bistro or at home, remember the greatest of all desire enhancers is delicious food prepared with love and care.

>>Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed Menu

To help set the mood, here are two of my favorite, easy, seductive recipes perfect for a Valentine’s Day meal.

 

“Food is the only thing that one loves from the day you’re born ’till the day you die.”

-George Bernard Shaw

 

Valentine’s Day Poached Pears

Serves 6

Poached pears make a terrific, simple to make dessert for Valentines Day.

Ingredients:

• 6 Bosc pears
• Bottle of red wine (my preference)
• One cup of sugar
• Stick of cinnamon
• 1/2  lemon

Directions:

1. Peel the pears and place in a 9×9 Pyrex glass pan or crock pot
2. Pour the wine over the top of the pears
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and bake at about 350 degrees F for approximately 1hour
4. Check with toothpick to make sure pears are soft all the way through
5. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of cream or mascarpone cheese

Valentine’s Day Asparagus
Wrapped in Prosciutto

Here is a little elegant appetizer for Valentine’s Day

Ingredients:

• 8 asparagus
• 8 slices of prosciutto de parma ham, widely available.
• 1 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Clean asparagus and cut hard part off of the stems.
2. Grill asparagus until slightly charred
3. Wrap each asparagus with a slice of prosciutto and arrange on plate
4. Set aside
5. Reduce the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a pot over medium heat until it becomes a syrup
6. Drizzle over asparagus and serve

These little add-on recipes will make the plainest meal spectacular.

Much Love and Happy Valentines Day!