An Affair to Remember
Great Balls of Fire
Molly Dinkins
Valentines 2007
HDTV Solutions
We've heard it before. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. And the way to most of the ladies, too. But since every chef worth his salt has cooked up a helping of Valentine recipes to arouse your honey's appetite, we won't fill your plate with more of them. The Internet is satiated with appetizing suggestions - if you need them.
But we do have ideas of our own on how to plan a seductive evening at home with dinner and an HDTV. And it begins by serving up a romantic movie. So peruse our high romance film list below, and choose a Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr to dish out the stardust. Then you'll be ready to select the spread.
Reds
Color is the obvious place to start, and we're seeing red. Adam and Eve launched their affair with an apple. A flirty Marc Antony fed red grapes to Cleopatra. And since man imbibed that first fermented orb, red wine and romance have been synonymous.
Start the meal with a robust beet borsht, accompanied with a tomato, radish and mozzarella salad. Follow with a main course of rare steak, tuna tartar or lobster. (Pink is as cherubic as any Valentine color).
Heart-shaped strawberries personify Venus, the Greek Goddess of Love. For dessert, cuddle them in a chocolate couverture, and nestle them on a bed of sliced blood oranges. Red or white wine will do.
A Little Romance
All cultures have searched for the aphrodisiacal holy grail, but as far as the FDA can determine, Viagra and its family of products are the only scientifically approved and proven sexual stimulants. Research has failed to confirm that ground rhino horn, deer sperm, snail heads, ass testicles, frog saliva, skink flesh, the Spanish fly or the Japanese puffer fish have any scientific relevance to performance or fertility. Historically, love foods were more mental than medicinal. Sexperts of the ages were wedded to the potent potential in the power of suggestion.
Take asparagus and carrots, for example. The contours are highly expressive. In the 19th century, three heaps of asparagus were served to a groom prior to the marriage ceremony; and the Greeks considered carrots to be a 'love medicine.' Raspberries have been called - dare we say it? - 'fruit nipples.'
Oysters (an ancient Roman stimulant) and avocados (from an Aztec word
meaning "testicle") tease several sensual sensations, merely starting
with the eyes. The prolific list of ancient extrasensory foods includes
figs, celery, leeks, fennel, artichokes, ginger, ginseng and many a potato.
If you can visualize any connection between these veggies and sex, we
guarantee there's a myth, a belief or a story to confirm arousing possibilities
And here's one scary love nugget: Romans showered walnuts instead of rice at wedding ceremonies because of their promise of fertility. Ouch.
Sweet tastes also have a historical role in sexual mythology. In Egyptian times, honey was used medicinally to cure impotence and infertility. "Royal jelly," the queen bee's honey, could rejuvenate a languishing lust. An amorous sweetener, according to the Chinese, is licorice. Mellifluous chocolate was forbidden in Spanish colonial monasteries lest the priests stray away from their vows. It comes as no surprise that so many sugary flavors are also terms of endearment. (Can you say "I love you, my licorice," in Mandarin?)
Chocolate, the Mexican "food of the gods," was the beverage of choice for the Emperor Moctezuma II. He drank fifty flagons of chocolate a day and an extra flagon before entering his harems' chamber. He's the world's first recorded chocoholic. As for alcoholic, choose from countless beverages that both relax and energize - morally and otherwise.
Some Like It Hot
Many herbs and spices have seasoned Valentines Day. Basil, let it be known, accelerates the sex drive, as did aniseed for ancient Greeks and Romans. Coriander cures impotency; cayenne quickens arousal; curry kindles the pulse; and cloves boost stamina. Horseradish revives; thyme excites; mint refreshes; and mustard impassions. Or so says ancestral literature.
You can enrich your repast with the world's most expensive spice, saffron. It boasts - surprise, surprise - a passionate past of its own. Maidens of ancient Greece were diagnosed a daily dose. The Persian savor from the crocus flower was said to nourish sensuality. And who's to argue? Saffron is the top tip of the sex pistil; and each one must be picked by hand.
The Chinese indulged in their nutmeg; Arabs lauded their galangal; the French concocted quatre epices; the Italians added oregano; and the English got a blood rush with rosemary - all in the quest for nookie. Even today, domestic leading ladies dab a little fragrant vanilla behind their ears, hoping to stir up a little spooning.
And the pigs' nose knows, too. Napoleon, (who is said to have emailed Josephine from the battlefield: "Don't bathe; I'm coming home."), was excited by musky scented truffles. (Did we lose something in the translation?)
Something's Gotta Give
Like it or not, the prevailing short cut to a lover's heart is still by way of the wallet. A regal repast from a generous suitor does not require the Towers of Trump, but you must at least be birthed with silver spoons in your mouth.
If so, set this top-of-the-line festal table. Start with Russian ALMAS Caviar (over $600 an ounce), follow up with Kobe Chateaubriand (at $300 a pound), sprinkle on a pinch of saffron (maybe $42 an ounce), embellish with white Italian truffles (up to $5000 an ounce), sip a chalice of Krug Clos du Mesnil or Bollinger Blanc de Noir Champagne (upward of $750 a bottle), nibble Knipschildt Chocolate Truffles (up to $2600 per pound) and quaff a-cup-a Kopi Luwak (at $160 a pound).
Since you don't eat diamonds, could you serve a more opulent finale than gold? Cap the meal with a Midas liqueur, an after dinner stimulant with glittering flakes of the real deal. Like Goldwasser or Goldschlager.
The Sure Thing
So coffee pumps up the heart; chilies stimulate the sweats; liquor liberates the libido; and chocolate leaves you feeling cheerfully fuzzy. But when all is fed and done, you are left to rely on the sex organ with the optimal appeal - the one between your ears.
It's now time to grab the remote and turn down the lights.
Swept Away
Here's a list of loverly films to enjoy with your sweetheart on this Valentine's Day.
You might have noticed that action films dominate the available selection of high definition DVDs. If you have an HDTV, you must decide whether high definition trumps romantic content, or whether sentiment takes all.
We would suggest - at least on this day - if the choice is between Unleashed on HD-DVD and Sleepless in Seattle in SD, that you strongly consider sacrificing resolution for affection.
Most of the following films have not been updated to HD. (The HD films are noted). They are listed in a connect-the-dots order.
Snuggle up and keep warm.
Let's start with a classic that is available on HD-DVD:
Casablanca - Humphrey Bogart (Here's looking at you kid.) and the glorious Ingrid Bergman who could melt your heart with her smile.
Notorious - Alfred Hitchcock was not known for directing romance movies but Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman heat up the screen.
The Philadelphia Story - Grant and Katherine Hepburn with Jimmy Stewart thrown in.
Holiday - We prefer this Grant and Hepburn movie replete with acrobatics.
On Golden Pond - Hepburn again this time with an aging Henry Fonda.
Klute - Daughter Jane Fonda pairing up with Donald Sutherland.
Don't Look Now - Sutherland and Julie Christie in a scary but sensual thriller.
Dr. Zhivago - Christie and Omar Sharif in a Russian love story that is on the top of many best-of lists.
Must Love Dogs - This John Cusack and Diane Lane movie seems like a break in the chain, but Cusack's character is fixated on Dr. Zhivago.
A Little Romance - We could go in so many directions with Diane Lane. This film stars Lane when she was a teenager in love in Venice.
Say Anything or The Sure Thing - Two Cusack movies that made him an off-beat romantic lead.>
When Harry Met Sally - Rob Reiner directed (also helmed The Sure Thing), Billy Crystal fretted as Meg Ryan panted.
The French Kiss - Recommended for Kevin Kline's French accent as he pursues Ryan.
Life as a House - Kline renovates his house and his family. Kristin Scott Thomas is the loving ex-wife.
The English Patient - Perhaps not the happiest of endings, but Thomas and Ralph Fiennes are magnetic.
The Constant Gardener - Fiennes again longing for a lost lover, Rachel Weisz.
About a Boy - Weisz hooking up with Hugh Grant.
Notting Hill (HD DVD) or Four Weddings and a Funeral - Your choice Julia Roberts or Andie MacDowell.
Groundhog Day - We'll follow MacDowell as she is wooed by Bill Murray over and over until he gets it right.
Lost in Translation - Murray and Scarlett Johansson, an odd couple in a surreal environment. (HD DVD)
Peggy Sue Got Married - A bit of a leap, but Francis Ford Coppola directed this (daughter Sofia directed Translation). Kathleen Turner travels back in time. Nicholas Cage plays her husband.
Body Heat - A noir film of lust going wrong with Turner leading William Hurt around.
Broadcast News - Holly Hunter is wonderful as Hurt's counterbalance.
Crash - The 1996 David Cronenberg film is definitely the most dysfunctional love affair in the list. Hunter and James Spader and the sexual allure of car crashes.
White Palace - Spader and Susan Sarandon steam up the scenery.
Bull Durham - Sarandon and Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins deal with life, love, and baseball.
The Upside of Anger - Costner and the incandescent Joan Allen in a highly recommended film about love among the ruins.
The Notebook - James Garner proves that his love of Gena Rowlands conquers all.
Before we finish, we also want to highlight a couple of our favorites.
Amelie - Perhaps a too sweet love story for some, but Audrey Tautou is luminous and the visual storytelling is delightful.
Before Sunrise & Before Sunset - If you are up for a double feature, these two Rick Linklater movies starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are a perfect pair for those who believe good conversation makes great foreplay.
The films above should give you a great range of romantic possibilities.
Here are a few more that expand the world of love even wider. Some are famous, some you may have never heard of. If you love movies, you can have a great time sampling these bonbons. Let's start with the classics.
Broken Blossoms
Camille
City Lights
The Gay Divorcee
Now Voyager
To Have and to Have Not
The Lady Eve
Great Balls of Fire
The African Queen
An Affair to Remember
Jules and Jim
Some Like it Hot
Romeo and Juliet
A Man and a Woman
The King and I
To Catch a Thief
Harold and Maude
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3 Iron
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Spanglish
Henry and June
A Walk on the Moon
Sirens
The Remains of the Day
The Crying Game
Chocolat
Like Water for Chocolate
Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green
Swept Away
Saving Face
Waiting to Exhale
Women in Love
Punch Drunk Love
Brokeback Mountain
The Wedding Banquet
Blade Runner (Blu-ray)
What Dreams May Come (HD DVD)
King Kong (HD DVD)
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Don't Move
Dirty Dancing
The Way We Were
Defending Your Life
The Bridges of Madison County
Reds (Blu-ray & HD DVD)
While You Were Sleeping
Love Story
Annie Hall
Moonstruck
Ghost
An Officer and a Gentleman
Last Tango in Paris
Coming Home
The Goodbye Girl
Working Girl
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Midnight Cowboy
Casanova (Blu-ray)
The Phantom of the Opera (HD DVD)
The Lake House (HD DVD)
Finding Neverland (Blu-ray)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Blu-ray)