A Valentine’s meal that day may need recipes for love

Human beings. They are amazing creatures blessed with a marvelous array of senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight. Those are the senses that enable every interaction.

They are the enablers that permit one to savor the remains of a candy kiss, stroke a lover’s hair and inhale the fragrance of after-shave lotion. It’s the senses that permit one to hear a whisper that speaks of desire and see a smiling face nodding: yes.

Those are the senses one keeps in mind when preparing valentines day recipes. An intention to set a mood precedes the composition of a shopping list. A survey of the room where the valentines day recipes will be served is taken into account so that some special holiday decorations can be purchased.

Fancy china, crystal goblets, pink cupcakes or layer cakes prepared in heart-shaped pans will enhance the eye appeal of the feast. Scented candles are aromatic and tantalizing to the sense of smell. And languorous music is acquired to provide a background for valentines day recipes that set a mood for romance.

Incorporate aphrodisiacs

Aphrodisiacs are said to be stimulants to romance. Their use in cooking, body lotions and love potions goes back to ancient times. Numerous varieties of fruits, vegetables, seafood and meats are thought to have invigorating elements that heighten romantic sensibilities.

In many cultures, root foods including ginseng root and horseradish – among others whose shapes resemble human reproductive parts – are considered potent aphrodisiacs. There are many commonly available.

• Oysters, clams and jumbo shrimp
• Mountain oysters (bulls’ testicles)
• Organ meats: hearts, tongue, gizzards
• Ginseng root and horse radish
• Honey, pecans and walnuts
• Chocolate, especially dark varieties

Another set of power-packed edibles belong to a class called drupes. It’s a funny sounding name but “drupes” is the moniker assigned to fleshy, stoned fruits. Cherries are drupes. Peaches, mangoes, nectarines and olives are drupes. So is the leathery skinned avocado.

The avocado well may take a gold star for its aphrodisiac properties – flesh so buttery and creamy looking it can be eaten with a spoon. No doubt avocado recipes will be found among folk’s favorite valentines day recipes. Use a small melon ball scoop to give a decorative effect when using avocados in salads – or to add a festive touch to a plate holding salsa and chips. They also are great in casseroles.

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Avocado Casserole

6-9 ripe avocados chunked or scooped with melon ball tool
1 box frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 package dry stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 small can (5 oz.) sliced water chestnuts

Instructions: Cook broccoli or cauliflower without salt and drain. Mix with soup, mayonnaise and water chestnuts. Gently fold in avocados. Pour into buttered casserole dish and top with stuffing mix. Melt butter and drizzle over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes six servings. Optional: Before baking, make a heart shape on top, using some reserved slices of water chestnuts or bits of cauliflower or broccoli.

Honor holiday traditions

Lovers who enjoy bites of food spiced with bits of chit-chat tend to leave the table happy after indulging in a banquet based on valentines day recipes. Some couples then take their traditional walk or proceed to the balcony for a look at the constellations or the moon.

Moonlight becomes everyone. Something in moonlight lends a golden glow to a face upturned for a kiss. The balcony is a place where a slow dance under the stars can be magical. It’s a place that’s perfect for exchanging valentines day gifts – chocolates, tins of caviar or even European pastries in a plush presentation box. Chances are good that only a chocolaty dessert can beckon lovers back to the table after a stop on the balcony – or the secluded path along the lake.

Lovey Dovey Cookies

1 stick of margarine, melted in pan
1 c. crushed Graham crackers
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. moist sweet flaked coconut
1 small can (6 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions: Put ingredients in the order they are listed into a 9-1/2 x 13-1/2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until brown. Cut while still warm but do not remove until cold. Optional: Cut cookies with heart-shaped cookie cutter and when cold, remove cookies and place each upon a white paper doily. Serve individual hearts as dessert, or arrange hearts on an attractive platter to encourage second helpings of cookies — and kisses.