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It's time we talked about Valentine's day. (Part 5)
Find out why a banana left on your doorstep beats out a Whitman's Sampler at Isabella's Aphrodisiac dinner.
It's time we talked about Valentine's day. (Part 5)
Things are heating up out in Conshohocken for Valentine's Day. At Isabella barisabella.com (328 East Elm St.) chef Michael Cappon has put together a 10-course well-researched Edible Aphrodisiac Menu that's packed with dishes devised to get the job done, if you believe in that kind of thing. The usual suspects - oysters and chocolate - are on the menu but Cappon has also included lesser known love-boosters like garlic (good for blood flow), figs (a symbol of love and fertility) and asparagus (a pleasure booster). The prix fixe is running $40 a head from February 14th to the 16th.
Avocado
hass avocado, organic greens, piquillo peppers, toasted sunflower seeds and chevre, tossed in aged balsamic and olive oil
Possess high volumes of vitamin B6 which is said to increase male hormone production.
Oysters
fresh oysters on the half shell with a meyer lemon foam
This is one of the most widely known aphrodisiac foods. They are high in zinc, which helps in the increase of sexual drive.
Asparagus
grilled organic asparagus, with a toasted chili and saffron crema
This vegetable is said to boost the production of histamine, a crucial pleasure hormone necessary in both males and females.
Basil
basil and potato bisque topped with
crispy serrano ham and crème fraiche
Basil's sweet aroma is said to not only have a positive effect
on mind and body, but an aphrodisiac effect, too.
Figs
"drunken" figs stuffed with valdeon blue cheese
and rolled in toasted marcona almonds 
Figs date back as far as biblical times and have been held in esteem
as the fruit of love and fertility for centuries.
Intermezzo
Banana
a mousse of banana, meyer lemon, pomegranate
Bananas contain chelating minerals and the bromelain enzyme, said to enhance the male libido. A banana left on a doorstep indicates that a marriage is about to take place.
Almonds
almond crusted diver scallop with a bacon and cauliflower hash
Poets have often described the aroma from almonds as arousing for females. Almonds are also a popular symbol for fertility.
Honey
honey cured duck confit, thick cut potato chip
topped with a sour cherry compote
This sweet-tasting, natural product is high in boron - a mineral associated with the use of estrogen in the female body
Garlic
grilled filet medallion, with a garlic and porcini jus and a roasted garlic mousse
While garlic may smell bad, it's loaded with an ingredient
said to increase blood flow around the body.
Chocolate
chocolate trio ~ bête noir, burnt orange chocolate mousse,
chocolate hazelnut ice cream
Pure chocolate increases the same hormone (dopamine) associated with euphoria.
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