Food for the mood: make a meal that will impress … and undress

Men's Fitness, Feb, 1999 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

What do you want this Valentine's Day? How about a date that starts with a mouth-watering dinner and ends ... somewhere around 6 a.m.? A night like that doesn't start in a crowded restaurant surrounded by overworked waiters and dozens of strangers, however; a more intimate approach is required. Since sexual hunger and physical hunger are closely linked, we'll show you how to whip up a light, romantic meal for the object of your affections, filled with foods that dazzle the taste buds and heighten the libido. Best of all, while these foods are reputed for their amatory qualities, they're low enough on calories so they won't weigh the two of you down when it's time for after-dinner activities.

Whet her appetite

Start things off right with the classic aphrodisiac appetizer: oysters on the half-shell. Some say it's the taste, others the texture, but whatever the reason, she'll appreciate your thoughtfulness. Top those delicious mollusks with cucumber salsa for added zest.

For the main course, smother angel-hair pasta with chicken and truffles. Truffles have been touted as a natural aphrodisiac for more than 2,000 years because of their ability to "make one's loins smolder like those of randy lions," says Diane Ackerman, author of A Natural History of the Senses (Vintage Books, $13). What's in this strange-looking vegetable that arouses our deepest desires? Scientists claim that truffles contain twice as much androstenol (a male pig hormone similar to testosterone) than would be present in a normal pig. (Truffle hunters use female boars, since they dig with manic passion to uncover truffles from the soil.) Experiments have shown that when a little androstenol is sprayed in a room where women are looking at pictures of men, they report that the men are more attractive. Every little bit helps, right?

On the side, serve a mixed-green salad with cherry tomatoes (they feel good in the mouth) and some fresh sourdough bread you can rip apart with your hands, to help get her in a tactile mood. At this her senses of smell, taste and touch should be fully stimulated. You're halfway home.

Now for the all-important dessert. It should be tasty enough to lend an air of decadence, but it can't be too heavy. (If a woman feels fat, you can forget about you-know-what.) Buy some raspberry sorbet, which is light, refreshing and fat-free. Pair it with a chocolate wafer cookie, which will add a dose of phenylethylamine, or PEA, the brain chemical that induces feelings of passion and that adrenaline-like rush of new love.

Just to cover all the bases (and to guarantee that she'll stay for breakfast the next morning), serve coffee with a whole vanilla bean steeping in it. A recent study from the University of Michigan showed that people who drank at least one cup of coffee a day had more sex than those who drank none. And if you have a long, pleasurable night ahead of you, the slight caffeine boost may come in handy. Vanilla, too, has long been prized for its turn-on qualities.

Finally, put some champagne on ice, light a few candles and load up the CD player with the likes of Marvin Gaye and Barry White. The menu is complete. Bon appetit.

[The Recipes]

Raw oysters with cucumber salsa

Call ahead to your local fish market or full-service supermarket and have the oysters shucked for you, and remember to ask for the shells. The cucumber salsa can be made a day ahead if desired.

12 fresh oysters, shucked, shells reserved 1 cucumber, peeled and finely minced 1/4 cup minced red onion 2 tbs. red-wine vinegar

To make the salsa, combine minced cucumber, chopped onion and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir it all up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge till you're ready. To serve, cover the bottom of a large, shallow serving dish with ice. Arrange 12 oyster-shell halves on top of the ice and place one oyster in each shell. Keep the cucumber salsa on the side.

268 calories, 24 percent fat (7 grams), 45 percent protein, 31 percent carbohydrate per serving.

Chicken and truffles over angel-hair pasta

By using a small amount of heavy cream, you get a rich, creamy sauce without the added calories and fat you'd get from a butter-based sauce.

1 cup chicken broth 2 skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cups mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup sherry wine 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 small fresh black truffle (about 1/2 oz.), cut into paper-thin slices 2 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 lb. angel-hair (capellini) pasta 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Heat two tablespoons of the chicken broth in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown it on all sides. Mix in the mushrooms and cook four minutes or until tender. Pour in the remaining chicken broth and sherry and simmer for five minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, truffle slices, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer five more minutes.