| Fresh Food | Chow for Now with Michele Chandler, |
| Fresh Food | Chow for Now with Michele Chandler, |
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|  ‘Tis the season – from aphrodisiacs to food pornOK, that wonderful day in February is upon us. You know the one - symbolized by flowers, chocolate, hearts and the colour red. But when you get past the basics, what else do we reach for in celebration of St. Valentine? Folklore folly, cultural celebration and good old gossip over the centuries have generated an extensive list of international aphrodisiacs. Even today, we continue to pursue the new virtual aphrodisiac of food porn; but I’d like to set the record straight from the outset – nowhere have any of these items been proven scientifically valid. There are theories, suppositions and some research interpolations which contribute logically to their amorous values, but as long as personal safety is not at risk, what harm in experimenting?  Harry Wedeck, in his 1961 compilation of The Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, described aphrodisiacs as “stimuli of love, involving visual images, olfactory and tactile experiences and physiological operations related to food, drink and drugs inducing arousal.” Wedeck probably used the Marquis de Sade’s lifestyle journal,120 Journees de Sodome, to rationalize his definition. The Marquis’ idea of sexual enhancement included a meal of soup, 20 appetizers, 20 main courses, dessert, fruit, ices, chocolate and wines from Greece, France, Italy and Germany – I don’t think this would add to your love life today.Getting past outrageous gluttony, the French did document some of their preferred amatory foods. Shellfish, animal organs, cooked garlic and Absinthe (a herb-based alcohol whose original recipe is now illegal) have been listed over the centuries. The basic premise of any aphrodisiac is to increase blood flow, resulting in cerebral excitement. It appears that shellfish’s high level of phosphorus contributes to most of the hype about the ubiquitous oyster. Humble arugula, -- brassica eruca -- was described by Virgil the poet as “giving jaded appetite the spur.” A group of monks were told to ingest the green daily, encouraging a good disposition and a positive attitude – maybe too much of a good thing was had, because the monks were subsequently found carousing with the village’s young ladies. Other cultures have encouraged the use of mushrooms, curry, fennel, artichoke, chicken livers, hot spices and rare meat to increase libido. A scientific evaluation of this list points to high vitamin and mineral contents in most of the ingredients and therefore a healthier constitution. Without knowing the scientific rationale, aphrodisiacs historically have represented a nutrionally complete diet, with the added benefit of an enhanced libido. One aphrodisiac that should be taken off the list is Spanish Fly. This drug comes from ground-up beetle wings that produce irritation to the genitalia. However, due to side effects, he powder may kill you before you see any of its arousal benefits. Our newest attraction in the world of aphrodisia is the advent of food porn. Too new a phrase to have a consensual definition, etymologically the words conjure up a “look, but don’t touch” attitude towards cuisine. In fact, at its worst, food porn was  defined by New York Times food writer Molly O’Neill as “less to do with sensual engagement, than it had to do with status and the appearance of living like a sybarite.” But at its best, food porn provides for great verbal and visual stimulation about all things food related.Food bloggers, culinary websites and, of course, the necessary retail components (porcini thong anyone? http//www.cafepress.com) have sprung up all over the web, but I think that we can attribute much of this culinary erotica to foodies like Nigella Lawson. It has only been over the past decade that the ratio in cookbooks of images to text has inverted. It is now two thirds pictures to one third written information. Let’s be honest, there’s nothing sexy about the cover of the Joy of Cooking, but a cookbook called Nigella Bites gets the imagination going. Anthony Bourdain, author of Kitchen Confidential, A Cook's Tour and Les Halles Cookbook, has become an industry guru about the food porn movement. It is his voyeurish observations and complete surrender to another person’s culinary control that has made him a print and media darling. Bourdain brings his fans either to the back-of-the-house of a restaurant, or to the back of a smokehouse in southeast Asia, that they either wouldn’t or couldn’t get access to. O’Neil has a theory that food porn has infiltrated into our lives today because of the time crunch of our culture and that “fine homemade meals have became the stuff of dreams.” Adding to the dream versus reality scenario, people with larger disposable incomes can create their own food porn movie set – a kitchen designed well beyond residential requirements, but being large enough to stage a small theatrical production in its midst. It looks like both aphrodisiacs and food porn are here to stay, regardless of their urban legend status. So have some fun this Valentines with your personal favourites from the “cusine de la coeur.” Chow for Now Michele Update: I recently found Amy Reiley's site www.lifeofreiley.com which celebrates an 'aphrodisiac of the month' club! | More Chow for Now Michele Chandler
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