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Chocolate and LoveAphrodisiac Tips and Recipes from Sensual Cooking Diva, Shani Castri
This Month’s Aphrodisiac is Chocolate: Chocolate, ooh the queen of temptation. Chocolate tempts us with its rich, luscious flavor, its thick creamy texture and its power to soothe our minds. It is for some a “gift from Mother Earth”- her creation that has over 1,000 flavor components and 300 chemicals which affect brain chemistry and mood. Chocolate has been the “Diva” of Aphrodisiacs since its first use over 3,000 years ago in the Mexican state of Vera Cruz. Montezuma would drink 50 goblets of “chocolate water” a day to give him the potency to handle his harem of more than 600 women. How does it work? Chocolate affects the central nervous system, thanks to Anandamine, (a neurotransmitter or brain chemical) this chemical heightens sensory perception, increases relaxation and produces a feeling of euphoria. In addition, other chemicals extend this high and also increase the levels of dopamine (lovely little chemical that elevates the mood and increases sexual arousal and response). So many chocolates and such little time…As most things in life, the best are the most simple. The mind blowing chocolates are the one’s with a high cocoa content (these are rarely found at the deli), the good stuff, has a deeper flavor, smoother texture and a lot less sugar! I suggest, ordering some fabulous chocolates (maybe with cocoa beans from various countries), turning down the lights, turn up the heat, light a chocolate candle, take your loved one and blindfold them and share with them these amazing goodies, savor each bite as it slowly dissolves in your mouth and discover which types you and they most enjoy. Now that your senses are heightened, feel free to run a feather or fur scarf over their body and don’t forget the Brachetto d’Aqui to wash it all down. 8 Ways to Enjoy Chocolate Mental: 2. Rent “Like water for Chocolate” Director Alfonso Arau,
adapting a novel by his former wife, Laura Esquivel The film is fabulous, rich and sultry. It will inspire you to put your feelings and desires into your next meal and to reap the sumptuous rewards that follow. (minus the psycho mother). It has a much more seductive feel when watched in the original Spanish with English subtitles- (I’m a sucker for an accent!) Physical: 2. Hershey PA, Hershey Spa Chocolate Fondue Wrap* Edible:
Suggestions for Dipping: 2. Chocolate & Banana Martini In a small bowl, heat cream in microwave until it just starts to boil. Mix in half the chocolate, continue to add chocolate until it is very thick like molasses. Using a butter knife, spread the chocolate on the inside of two martini glasses (7-8oz glasses). Set in freezer. In a martini shaker, add ice, Godiva, Banana Crème, Vodka, tiny pinch of nutmeg, shake (remember to double alcohol for 2 maritinis). Pour half in each chocolate glass. Top off glass with crème soda, add marshmallows for garnish. 3. La Maison du Chocolat The Upper East Side of New York City is blessed with the most luxurious chocolate boutique a neighborhood could have. The chocolate created by La Maison du Chocolat is extremely different than the rest- it’s pure, evenly balanced and perfectly crafted. Their cognac truffle is the perfect combination of dark chocolate and French Cognac, as it melts in your mouth the two distinct flavors of complex chocolate and heady cognac that pleases the taste buds like nothing else. You actually feel more chic and sophisticated as you enjoy every morsel. All of their chocolate is made with a combination of five different kinds of cocoa beans, a different combination for every chocolate made. To understand this further, La Maison du Chocolat and their manager, Nora Hovanesian-Mann, has created a course, Tamanaco, that is offered once a month at the Madison boutique. “Tamanaco is a session designed as a journey in the heart and the art of the product”. The course cost $50. 4. Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven This is a great way to feed your mouth and your eyes! Jacques’s Chocolate Haven is a specialty chocolate boutique and espresso bar surrounded by a chocolate factory. Through the glass windows you may enjoy an amazing cup of hot chocolate made by very entertaining barristas, Onika and Thad, while you watch the staff create the artisan chocolates and hand wrap them! This is where you can indulge your desire to experience “death by chocolate”. The bar offers original Hot Chocolate, Wicked Hot Chocolate (made with Ancho & Chipolte peppers) and for February- Hot White Chocolate with Raspberry. About Shani Castri: When it comes to the world of passionate cuisine, culture and hospitality, Shani Castri is a force to be reckoned with. Growing up in Southern California, Shani shared her first experiences in the kitchen making secret family recipes with her Grandmother. This further fueled her passion to learn creative entertaining techniques from her artistic mother. As a young adult, Shani’s long-standing love affair with international cuisine developed during an internship at Walt Disney World Resorts. Her attraction to not only sexy European men, but also to their passionate enthusiasm for food, wine and pleasure prompted extensive travel through Europe, including a three-month stay in Montpellier, France where she learned the language. Ultimately, Italy stole her heart. Once in NYC, she fell in love with a Southern Italian man who shares her culinary passions and the desire to live “la dolce vita.” In New York City Shani has conquered the restaurant industry by working at some of the most popular and successful restaurants in the city. She has managed Tuscan Square, Café M, Le Charlot, il Buco, Fiamma and SNACK. Shani recently assisted her husband, Dino, to realize his dream with the opening of his own restaurant EVVIVA! in the East Village, where he is the executive chef/owner. Working at some of the most popular restaurants among the world of film and music, Shani had many opportunities to rub elbows with the stars. While working at Ici, Eric Clapton's first restaurant venture, her sensual playfulness was immediately apparent when Brad Pitt contemplated the Osso Buco. “The best part, is that at the end you get to suck the succulent marrow center right out of the bone,” she said. And, he was sold. Her familiarity with Italy, the language and its cuisine gave her an opportunity to participate in “La Prova del Cuoco,” a popular Italian cooking show, nationally broadcasted on RAI1. Shani was then asked to co-host a demonstration on “Questo ho fatto io,” where she prepared one of her succulent recipes for Italy’s Gambero Rosso channel. In creating “Appetite for Seduction” Shani has now come full circle, combining the two things in life she loves the most: FOOD and ROMANCE. This summer she taught a “Sensual Summer Cooking Class” at Sur La Table in Newport Beach, California. The success of this class led her to hosting private classes on both the west and east coasts. Shani Castri brings her humor, her sensuality, and her passion for cooking to share with her audiences wherever she goes. Photo courtesy of La Maison du Chocolat Edited by Dave Shultz |
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With Valentine's Day
around the corner, learn how you and your partner can experience intimacy as you
learn sensual food tips to celebrate your love from a woman who knows how to
heat things up in the kitchen - the “Sensual Cooking Diva,” Shani Castri! Shani
Castri knows that the first ingredient in any dish is Love. In her Appetite for
Seduction classes, Shani combines love with aphrodisiacs in any menu that will
induce romance, stimulate seduction and spark love.