"I repent of my diets, the delicious dishes rejected out of vanity, as much as I lament the opportunities for making love that I let go by because of pressing tasks or puritanical virtue."
- Aphrodite, Isabel Allende
Aphrodite, a book by Isabel Allende, is an unbridled, passionate and ribald study of the irrevocable connection between food and eroticism. The message that I have found in her book is that, like sex, food should not be partaken of without the desired outcome to be one of pleasure.
Allende's narration, that of a well-travelled storyteller who acknowledges that one can never stop learning, is so alive with nostalgia and is so well practised in the art of writing that I feel I am there experiencing every bottle of German wine, every baguette, and every sun-kissed encounter alongside her. The book features suggestive sections and chapters designed to get your mind in the gutter: The Spice Is In Variety, Cooking In The Nude, The Orgy, and With The Tip Of The Tongue.
This book includes recipes developed by the author's mother at the back end of the book that range from sauces and dressings (in large quantities, to encourage food-play in bed) to jellied partridge and rosemary venison (all made with ingredients that happen to be aphrodisiac), and I look forward to trying them, if only for the beautiful flavour combinations.
["If cookbooks make up
part of your library, books
on eroticism should, too."]
Because Valentine's Day isn't too far away, I felt the need to test run some recipes in the hopes of helping out those who want to cook for their beloved (but may be too timid, or not sure what to cook), because is there anything sexier than your partner knowing their way around a kitchen? Thus I bring you a tasty vegetable risotto full of aphrodisiacs, and a really simple mousse recipe, both from Aphrodite.
Risotto Lori
The original recipe asks for Portobello mushrooms, which I couldn't find. I used the flat white variety instead, and it turned out great. The rice was made incredibly creamy and tender, and the mushroom was the star of the dish, grounding the fresh flavours of the rosemary and garlic with it's earthy tones. The nutmeg was an interesting addition, bringing out and enhancing the nutty flavours of the mushrooms.
I also got a chance to use the Viognier I bought at the Liverpool Bites Food and Wine Festival, and it brought a fruity, almost floral dimension and bouquet to the dish that I really enjoyed.
The recipe itself is a little vague in some aspects, so I've tweaked it just a tad to make it easier to follow the instructions.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups vegetable stock
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
5-6 brown mushrooms, sliced
1 large flat white mushroom, sliced (alternatively, 1 cup of sliced portobello mushrooms)
1 cup arborio rice
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp truffled olive oil (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1. Warm the stock in a saucepan over a medium heat without boiling, then set aside. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan and saute the onion, garlic and mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes over a medium heat. Set aside in a bowl or plate.
2. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and one of butter and fry the rice for a minute or two, until lightly browned and coated in the oil and butter. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups of the stock and setting aside the rest for later. Add the rosemary and nutmeg, stir to incorporate, and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Return the mushrooms to the pan, pour in the remaining stock and cook with the rice for 10 minutes more. When the rice is cooked through and tender, add the wine and the truffled oil and cook until the liquid reduces, a few minutes. Remove from heat and add the parmesan.
4. Serve hot. Small portions would serve you well - no one feels sexy with a full-to-bursting stomach, and there's still mousse to go ;)
Mousse Au Chocolat
I changed the recipe slightly, because a lot of the measurements just didn't add up the first time and it flopped on me. When beating the egg whites, add a pinch of salt at the beginning, a couple of drops of lemon juice (the acidity makes sure the air you're whipping in there STAYS in there) and, just before you finish beating, a larger pinch of sugar. Also, make sure your bowl and whisk/electric beaters are clean and dry.
INGREDIENTS
150g dark chocolate
Approximately 6 tablespoons strong coffee
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/2 cup thickened cream
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Heat a saucepan of water over low heat. Place a metal bowl over the saucepan (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water!), add 3 tablespoons of the coffee and melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and the egg whites separately. When chocolate is melted, add the yolks and whisk until combined. Cook for another two minutes, then take off the heat.
2. If the mixture is really thick and sticks to the whisk, add some more coffee until the mixture becomes smooth. Allow to cool (about 10 - 15 minutes), then add the cream, orange liqueur and vanilla extract and combine with the whisk until smooth, glossy and slightly runny.
3. Add the egg whites and fold in carefully with a spatula. When fully incorporated, spoon into serving dishes and chill for at least an hour. Serve with fruit to cut the richness of the chocolate.
If you aren't a dark chocolate fanatic, I wholly suggest using milk chocolate instead. I don't really like dark chocolate myself, and I found the bitterness of the chocolate and the coffee to be overbearing.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Valentine's Day (although, I hope you all show each other MUCH more love than once a year!). Tell me what you plan to cook/where you plan on going/if you're even going to celebrate! :)
