Aphrodisiacs

I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure. ~ Anthony Bourdain

 

Greetings and welcome to the inaugural edition of Celeste's Magical Kitchen. The basic idea behind this blog is that food is power.

You may have heard about people taking gingko biloba to improve memory--that's a kind of power. What about chicken soup for a cold? And how many of you have ever left something in the back of the fridge just a little too long? Do you dare open the container? That certainly could have powerful implications if you make the wrong choice!

The mind/mouth connection is extremely strong. It often doesn't matter if foods do what labels say they do, as much as what we believe they do. Each week I'll take a look at personal attributes or powers and some of the foods connected to them. I'll share a list of foods, some science, history, or folklore about them and some great recipes using some of them.


Aphrodisiacs

Hiding the sausage, buttering the muffin, baking cookies, cracking nuts, passing the gravy,  going fishing, giving a hot beef injection, pickle tickling, not to mention clam dip and pork--sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between food and you know what--the baloney pony, popping the cork, sowing wild oats, or stuffing the taco. People have long had a fascination with interchanging food terms for sex. In fact, at the turn of the 19th century a woman who went down to the dock to find "love" was said to make a "lobster kettle of herself."


Foods of Interest

Oysters, chocolate, and strawberries rank right up there as some of the world's most famous aphrodisiacs. But did you know that ginger, pears, peanuts, vanilla, truffles, (the mushroom) and raspberries are also considered aphrodisiacs? In days of old ginger was used in love spells. Recent studies haven't focused on love, but have found connections between ginger helping to cure both headaches and hangovers--which in some instances just might be connected to the finding of love. Pears are said to induce lust in the Sacral Chakra, while peanuts are described in some cultures as resembling testicles. Vanilla is known as the Middle C of spices because it mid-range vibrations (not too strong-not too subtle). Truffles--which are rare and difficult to find have also been credited with raising the libido. What girl wouldn't be impressed by a guy that went digging through the mud for her? But perhaps one of the most romantic foods is raspberries. They come from the Rubus idaeus family or rose family. So next time you're thinking of a really romantic gift, why not ask for 12 ounces of raspberries instead of a dozen roses? Okay maybe not. But here is a delicious recipe for a flourless chocolate cake that's just about the best thing on earth.


La Bete Noire

Food and photo by Erika Celeste

Some women are major chocaholics--not me. But this is truly one of the best things I've ever tasted. It is so rich and decadent the French call it the Black Beast. Warning: Only take a small slice or you're guaranteed to fall into a chocolate coma.  The recipe says it serves 16, but I'd say more like 20.

I first came across this recipe in the September 2006 copy of Bon Appetit. I believe it was created by Jason Aronen from Wilde Roast Cafe, but I could be wrong. I've made a few modifications to the extras and how to serve, which I'll explain after the recipe. BTW, this will keep for several days--just make sure to cover it well.

Cake

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar

• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced
• 18 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 large eggs

Ganache

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan. 

For ganache:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Now here's where I differ. This is so sweet that you honestly don't need regular whipped cream with it, but you will need something to cut the sweetness. So I mix my own whipping cream (the kind that comes in a carton that you beat yourself), but don't add any sugar to it.  In addition, I make a raspberry reduction to decorate the plate and drizzle over the cake before adding the cream. Then I garnish it with sugared mint leaves. The icy, crisp leaves, and cream cool the palate while the sweet chocolate warms the soul and the raspberries help put you in the mood!

Raspberry reduction: 

1 bag frozen raspberries (usually 12-16 oz)

1 to  1 1/2 C sugar

Pour the sugar over the berries and place on the stove over a medium heat. As the berries melt, mash them and the sugar together. Eventually you'll have a soupy berry-sugar mixture. You don't have to stir continually, but do keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn--adjust heat as necessary. Keep cooking until it reduces by half. It will become thicker as it cools. Pour the reduction through a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the seeds.