COOK WITH LOVE, LITERALLY
Ever wondered if an ingredient can trigger romance during a meal? Well, chefs swear by the magic that chocolate, garlic and several other ingredients can create
With Valentine’s Day approaching, most of us are gearing up to make things magical and perfect for our loved ones. While chocolates and flowers are the staple, chefs suggest interesting and unique ways to spice up the romance in the bedroom, through the kitchen!
NATURAL APHRODISIACS
The term aphrodisiac is obtained from the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. While some still wonder if an ingredient or food item can trigger sensuality, it is often found that certain ingredients stimulate sexual desires. From fresh fruits to even greens such as asparagus and avocado, natural ingredients are found in a plenty. Vinod Garde, corporate chef, lists naturally available fruits such as apple, strawberry, banana, watermelon and figs. Strawberries include vitamin C and antioxidants, which are good for blood flow and production of oestrogen, potassium, manganese, fibre and magnesium. “My personal suggestion would be strawberry and dark chocolate as the perfect combination to whip up a romantic meal. Combinations such as — salad with avocado and nuts, roast chicken with berry sauce and strawberry mousse, are other options that consumers often relish,” he adds.
Mixing natural ingredients with alcohol or fruits also make for a great romantic meal. Kshama Prabhu, corporate chef, says, “One could whip up an amazing strawberry tiramisu cup, champagne hollandaise baked oysters and cocoa rubbed steak with red wine.”
CHOCOLATES
Combined with fruits, chocolates make for an aphrodisiac. Paul Kinny, culinary director at a five-star property says, “The power of dark chocolate as an aphrodisiac lies in its micronutrients. Tryptophan, a building block of serotonin, and phenyl ethylamine, a part of Amphetamine, are both associated with feelings of falling in love.”
Adding to that, Manish Khanna, founder and partner of a dessert parlor, shares, “Chocolate has forever been a Valentine’s day staple. A few options for a romantic meal, are: chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate fondue, chocolate berry mousse, caramel brownies, chocolate bark with rose petals and chocolate cake popsicles.”
SPICE-IT-UP
Chilli, garlic, Kaffir lime leaves and basil leaves are
some of the aphrodisiac ngredients that can whip up a romantic meal. The above ingredients re some of the most ought-after onstituents when ou think of phrodisiacs. Head chef, rem Pradhan says, ossing up an easy-to-make noodle recipe using these ingredients for your loved one is quite easy and romantic. The Thai green curry and red curry are also famous blends of aphrodisiac ingredients that come together to create a paste, worth savouring.” Often seen as a sweet dessert, chocolate serves best when combined with spice.
Chef Vicky Ratnani picks ingredients such as dark chocolate, asparagus, ginger, chipotle chillies, caviar, avocado, and saffron. He adds, “Asparagus and poached egg salad, saffron Risotto, raw oysters and caviar, bitter chocolate tart with fresh strawberry. Watermelon is also known as a love drug.”
PLAN A ROMANTIC MEAL
Setting up a romantic meal is quite a proposition and something that requires proper planning . Vinu Raveendran, executive chef, shares, “While planning for a romantic meal, it is not just the ingredient that one needs to be aware of but also the overall menu and dining experience. For a romantic table that I’d do, the experience would start with a glass of sparkling wine or champagne closely followed by a canapé made of gin and rose infused cucumber petals, served inside a red rose.”
BRING IT TO THE TABLE
There is no thumb rule to setting up a perfect romantic meal. However, if the idea is to truly to create a memorable dining experience, then the meal should be planned around the likes, dislikes, dietary preferences and allergies of those who are dining. Vinu adds, “I wouldn’t really recommend using exquisite elements like avocado, oysters, truffle, caviar, figs, etc. as they all are acquired taste. One thing, I focus on while creating a romantic meal for a guest is a soulful dessert. I would recommend The Red Forest (strawberry, chocolate, beetroot halwa, red velvet cake, raspberry sorbet and pistachio rabri) for the final course. It not only has ingredients which are associated with love, but also has an aphrodisiac.”