True romantics have always recognized the connection between good food and great loving. I think it's because food and sex excite our sensory faculties like nothing else on Earth. An enticing meal arouses our senses of smell, taste, sight, and touch. Complemented by soft lighting and good music, a well-prepared and presented meal can be the ideal overture to the sensual act of love.

Or it can be a prelude to passing out into a dead sleep.

Our traditional concept of a romantic meal -- large portions of succulent, tender meat and red wine, followed by a rich dessert -- often proves to be a recipe for post-prandial stupor. What should arouse and excite us ends up dousing the flames of passion. While the soporific effects of alcohol are well known, few people realize that a large, high-fat meal can also dampen your libido and even put you to sleep. The research of E. Douglas Whitehead, M.D., director of the Association of Male Sexual Dysfunction, has shown that testosterone levels plummet by 30 percent within four hours of eating a high-fat meal. Also, meals that contain tryptophan, a natural ingredient found in such high-fat products as cream, milk, cheese, and even turkey, are apt to make you drowsy. That's why a warm, creamy pudding is a good antidote for insomnia but a poor addition to a romantic meal.

I'll update you on the latest scientific research into sex-enhancing foods. First, I'd like to suggest how to prepare a truly romantic meal that will kindle rather than extinguish sexual energy as the evening progresses.

Source: BY LYNN FISCHER