Isabel Allende and pineapple

Aphrodite: A memoir of the senses, Isabel Allende, recipes by Panchita Llona, drawings by Robert Shekter, 1998

“Isabel Allende brings her magical storytelling powers to a highly personal and charmingly idiosyncratic look at the intertwined sensual arts of food and love. Blending personal reminiscence with folklore from around the world, historical legends, and memorable moments from literature—erotic and otherwise—Allende spices her narrative with equal portions of humour and insight.

Assembling a feast of fascinating facts about the aphrodisiac powers of food and drink, Allende serves them up with both convincing admiration and due irreverence. She offers suggestions, both ancient and modern, for luring a lover, kindling sexual ardor, prolonging the act of love, and reviving flagging virility. Dipping into the cauldron of history, she reports on the lascivious appetites of everyone from the emperor Nero to Catherine the Great to France’s notorious Madame du Barry.

A personal ode to the pleasures of food and sex, Aphrodite celebrates the sensual life with joy and imagination. Allende’s exuberance, storytelling powers, and naughty sense of fun make this memoir an irresistible treat for the senses.”  https://www.isabelallende.com/en/book/aphrodite/summary

Appetizers, Amorous Games, Leaf by Leaf, Kiss by Kiss: Spinach California

“Very fresh and original” Isabel Allende

Ingredients: 1 pound raw spinach (10 cups), stems removed; ½ cup ricotta cheese; ½ cup pineapple chunks; ½ cup broken walnuts; 3 strips bacon; 3 tblsp olive oil; 1 tblsp tarragon vinegar; ½ tsp mustard; salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Wash and dry the spinach. Tear it into smaller pieces. Mix with the ricotta and pineapple chunks. Broil the walnuts and bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon and add to the salad with the nuts. Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over the salad just as you serve it.

Desserts, The Happy Ending: Caribbean Bomb

“This recipe is very generous for two but may be served at a small orgy” Isabel Allende

Ingredients: ½ fresh pineapple, cut lengthwise, keeping the leaves; 1 medium mango, cut in cubes; 1 mandarin orange, in sections; ½ cup sliced guava; 1 banana, sliced; juice of ½ lemon; 3 tblsp sugar; 2 tblpn curaçao; 1 cup vanilla ice cream; 2 tblsp grated coconut

Preparation: Hollow out the pineapple, cut the edible portion into cubes, and store the shell in a cool place. Combine the pineapple cubes with the mango, mandarin orange, and guava. Then add the banana sprinkled with the lemon juice to prevent its turning brown. Season with the sugar and curacao. Fill the pineapple shell with vanilla ice cream and top with the cubed fruit. Sprinkle grated coconut over all. Chill until served.