Aphrodite

by Allende, Isabel

• ISBN13: 9780060930172
• ISBN10: 0060930179
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-18
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

Under the aegis of the Goddess of Love, Isabel Allende uses her storytelling skills brilliantly in Aphrodite to evoke the delights of food and sex. After considerable research and study, she has become an authority on aphrodisiacs, which include everything from food and drink to stories and, of course, love. Readers will find here recipes from Allende's mother, poems, stories from ancient and foreign literatures, paintings, personal anecdotes, fascinating tidbits on the sensual art of food and its effects on amorous performance, tips on how to attract your mate and revive flagging virility, passages on the effect of smell on libido, a history of alcoholic beverages, and much more. An ode to sensuality that is an irresistible blend of memory, imagination and the senses, Aphrodite is familiar territory for readers who know her fiction.

Excerpts

Aphrodite
A Memoir of the Senses

Champagne Tenderloin

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lean beef tenderloins
Salt and coarse black pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons large golden raisins
1 garni of assorted herbs
1 dove garlic
1/2 cup champagne
1/2 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes

A bottle of champagne is a lot for two normal lovers. There's always some left over, and once uncorked the bubbles dissipate and the champagne turns to a yellowish liquid with no soul or personality. Use the dregs for this recipe. Since it takes almost no time to prepare, you can have everything ready and -- after heating up with caresses, champagne, and assorted hors d'oeuvres -- the two of you can whip into the kitchen and make dinner in twenty minutes.

Preparation:

Heat the oil. Brown the beef on one side. Season with salt and pepper. Turn and brown the other side. Add the raisins, herbs, garlic, and champagne. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

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Sybarite

2 cups fresh figs, peeled
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons ground walnuts
2 teaspoons cognac
1 pinch nutmeg
6 crepes
6 tablespoons creme Chantilly (whipping creme with powdered sugar and vanilla)

Preparation:

Shred the figs with a fork.Combine with the sugar, walnuts, cognac, and nutmeg.Fill the crepes with this paste and fold into squares.Arrange on a serving plate and heat in the microwave for one minute.Remove and top with the creme Chantilly before serving.

These delicious crepes are true concentrated aphrodisiacs.

Aphrodite
A Memoir of the Senses. Copyright © by Isabel Allende. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses by Isabel Allende
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.