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In this bawdy memoir-cum-cookbook, Allende has put together an apothecary of aphrodisiacs, from snake's blood and rhinoceros horn to the more commonplace and more palatable oysters, "those seductive tears of the sea, which lend themselves to slipping from mouth to mouth like a prolonged kiss ... can be purchased in bottles, but there they look like malignant tumors; in contrast, moist and turgid in their shells they suggest delicate vulvae--a prime example of food that appeals to the eye." Chapters such as "Alligators and Piranhas"; "Supreme Stimulus for Lechery"; "Bread, God's Grace"; "Forbidden Fruits"; and "The Saucy Way to Foreplay" offer categorical listings on the aphrodisiac qualities of meats, spices, fruits and vegetables, and alcohol. A few chapters into the book, one begins to wonder what foods aren't considered erotic: "the shape of the wheat head is considered phallic, which proves human imagination knows no limits." Wine (no surprise there) is recommended because "it lessens inhibitions, relaxes, and fosters joy, three fundamental requirements for good performance, not only in bed but at the piano as well." However, as in many situations, moderation is key: too much and you may find your guest asleep in the soup.
Allende dismisses nouvelle cuisine in favor of earthier foods and more satisfying portions. More than 100 recipes are provided, from sauces and soups to hors d'oeuvres, supplemented with her voluptuous commentary. Recipes such as Mykonos Sauce, with walnuts, pistachios, basil, garlic, and milk; Widower's Figs; Filet Mignon Belle Epoque; and Alicante Cream Soup, with leeks, shrimp, oysters, paprika, and cream will have you in an apron (and perhaps not much else) in no time.
"If cookbooks make up part of your library," Allende notes, "books on eroticism should, too." And what more delightful combination of the two than Aphrodite, which provocatively underscores the relationship between sustenance and sexuality, and the aphrodisiac qualities of watching a man cook: "[Women] suppose that if he can remember how many minutes frog legs can tolerate in the skillet, how much greater reason he will have to remember how many tickles our G spot demands." Spiced with litanies of lust and longing from Anais Nin, W.B. Yeats, Pablo Neruda, and Lady Onogoro, and enriched with Allende's warm humor and lusty joie de vive, Aphrodite will tantalize your senses and engender lascivious grins. Recommended in delicious but moderate doses, this book is not for the faint of ... er, heart. --Jhana Bach --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
In a neighborhood bookstore, one of those places with beautiful wood floors and antique chairs that remind me of my grand ' house, I met Robert Shekter. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A global odysey through culinary sensuousness,
By Govindan Nair (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aphrodite (Paperback)
For readers of Isabel Allende's novels, this might seem an unusual book. It is a passionate, unapologetic defense of the senses generally, and a catalogue of historical sexual and culinary practices punctuated with flavorful recipes, all of which place this history-cum-cookbook almost in a genre of its own. This book naturally radiates with warmth, beginning with the highly informative personal tributes Alende delivers to each of three of her major collaborators in this book, including her mother and her literary agent. The photos and drawing which are scattered throughout this book add an artistic backdrop to the evocative prose. It also made me appreciate more wholly a number of passages Allende devotes to food and cuisine in her non-ficiton book on her native Chile, My Invented Country (which I had also reviwed on this website).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
For the passionate chef or even quasi-connoisseur,
This review is from: Aphrodite (Paperback)
"Language is also aphrodisiac in regard to food; commenting on the dishes, their flavors and perfumes, is a sensual exercise for which we have a vast vocabulary filled with wit, metaphors, references, humor, word games, and subtleties...It isn't the same thing to peel a shrimp and unceremoniously gulp it down as it is to remove its shell with sybaritic pleasure while commenting on the color, the form, the delicate aroma of the shrimp and the crunch when you bite into it." (p. 106-07)This delicious romp through the history of aphrodisiacs and the pursuit of pleasure is irresistible. The cover and glossy pages caught my eye - it's filled with capricious, bawdy cartoons and provoking art - as would a meal set before me on a platter. Allende tosses in scrumptious details about kings, authors, and various other historical celebrities and their practice of, or influence on the seductive essence of certain foods. Some weird, some totally tasty, some bizarre - all are interesting, shocking, and very persuasive. This isn't a book to take too serious. Rather it is breath of fresh air with a spicy kick! It teases and pleases - it's just plain fun. I felt adventurous, trying some of the recipes. The 'Romantic Chicken' is DE-LISH! The nutmeg made the house smell exotic and I felt artful just tossing things in the pot and stirring the spoon. There is something exciting about food - the more we can enjoy it, the more we allow it to take a hold of us and imbue our senses with utter joy in its purest sense. I think just the idea of the ingredients being aphrodisiac made a difference in the way I was tasting it. It was as if I were taking magic down to my stomach, digesting passionate energy. Try also 'Food: A Culinary History' and 'The Art of the Table'
5.0 out of 5 stars
This memoir hits the spot !,
By Khalia (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Aphrodite (Paperback)
I have read this book in installments. Why? Because I knew my mother would have a fit if she knew I had read it. Lusty, juicy, it's wonderful education for a curious virgin like me.(I swear on the Bible I'm a virgin.)
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