- 15 hours ago
Turn up the heat in the kitchen as host joins relationship and sexuality expert for an interactive cooking demonstration exploring the foods, flavors, and ingredients often associated with romance, intimacy, and desire.
As delicious dishes are prepared live on stage, the conversation will dive into the history and science behind popular aphrodisiac ingredients, the role food plays in setting the mood, and how shared culinary experiences can foster deeper connection. Blending culinary inspiration, expert insights, and engaging conversation, this flavorful demonstration offers a fun and sophisticated look at the intersection of food, wellness, romance, and pleasure.
From decadent bites to sensual flavors, guests will discover how food can delight the senses and create memorable moments both in and out of the kitchen.
As delicious dishes are prepared live on stage, the conversation will dive into the history and science behind popular aphrodisiac ingredients, the role food plays in setting the mood, and how shared culinary experiences can foster deeper connection. Blending culinary inspiration, expert insights, and engaging conversation, this flavorful demonstration offers a fun and sophisticated look at the intersection of food, wellness, romance, and pleasure.
From decadent bites to sensual flavors, guests will discover how food can delight the senses and create memorable moments both in and out of the kitchen.
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FunTranscript
00:06So, not only will we have a cooking demo, but we'll also have some experts today that
00:12are going to come and talk about this.
00:13So, joining us, straight out of New Orleans, straight representing the A-Ward, she's a
00:19certified sexologist that you've seen on TV from Couples to Thruples and many other shows.
00:25She's also an author and an educator.
00:27Please give it up for Dr. Shamira Howard, she's about to come up right now, and she's
00:34going to appear shortly.
00:35And she's also helped thousands of people approach intimacy, relationships, and sexual
00:41wellness.
00:42Also, alongside her will be talented chef Ashley Zonique, she'll be right over here, Ms. Let
00:47That Girl Cook.
00:48She's going to be doing something very special, including some oysters, which is clearly an
00:52aphrodisiac.
00:53Also, we'll have Maria Castillo Franklin giving up for them as well.
00:58We've got some dishes coming.
01:00We're going to chef it up up here.
01:02And guiding the conversation will be Ms. Toya Rushing, media personality, also from New Orleans,
01:09from the SEP Award.
01:10She's going to bring her expert insight, her culinary creativity, and there will be a healthy
01:14host of fun right here at the food and wine stage.
01:18This panel is called food as an aphrodisiac.
01:21Y'all give it up for our panelists and our chef and our host.
01:24All right, Toya, let's go, baby.
01:26Hey, hey.
01:27Hey, everybody.
01:31All right, so today I guess we're going to learn about aphrodisiacs.
01:34We have the amazing Ms. Shamara, who is a sexologist, okay?
01:41She about to let us know all about the things that we need to know to keep things spicy and
01:48all that good stuff, and we have the beautiful Maria here.
01:55All right, so I have some questions.
01:58Oh, there we go.
01:59There we go.
02:00We good?
02:00Go ahead.
02:01All right, I have a few questions that I'm going to ask.
02:03The first one is for Dr. Shamara.
02:06So when people hear the term aphrodisiac, they often think about specific foods.
02:12From your perspective, how much of intimacy actually begins with connection, communication,
02:18and confidence rather than what's on a plate?
02:22Oh, that's a good question.
02:23So when you think of a certain food, let's say oysters.
02:28All right, Chef Ashley over there with the oysters.
02:31How many of you have heard that oysters are an aphrodisiac?
02:35Yes.
02:36How many of you have eaten a dozen of oysters and immediately wanted to go and jump somebody's
02:41bones?
02:41Ooh.
02:42Nobody's hand is up, right?
02:44So there are lots of different foods that are considered to be an aphrodisiac, but you
02:50actually make it the aphrodisiac.
02:53So you put the D in the aphrodisiac.
02:55Okay?
02:55And so the emotional connection, the chemistry, all of that comes not necessarily just from
03:03the food.
03:04And Chef Ashley is going to be taking us through what that looks like, and I'll help you understand
03:09that.
03:09I'm going to show you some ways on how you can make the food an aphrodisiac, how you
03:13can make it more intimate.
03:14So basically when we're talking about aphrodisiac, we're talking about something that motivates
03:19you for desire for sex.
03:22Mmm.
03:24Okay.
03:25I love it.
03:26Yeah.
03:26So I would say I definitely agree with that.
03:29When it comes to presentation and intimacy, that starts long before you even put anything
03:34on the plate, right?
03:35So if you're making this for date night, I need you to dim the lights.
03:38I need you to put the phones away, give that connection, give that eye contact, right?
03:42Because sexual wellness and, you know, aphrodisiac, what am I trying to say?
03:48The feelings that you get from that come from emotional connection and intimacy and undivided
03:53attention.
03:54So that presentation is everything.
03:56Set the move.
03:56I love it.
03:57I love that.
03:58Okay.
03:59The second question, this is for Ashley and Maria.
04:02As chefs, how do you intentionally create meals that evoke emotion, comfort, romance or
04:11celebration through ingredients and presentation?
04:15So I would say, you know, I'm from the Dominican Republic and I grew up in South Carolina.
04:20So for a lot of us in black Caribbean and Southern households, food is a love language.
04:25We're cooking for the celebration of a baby.
04:28We're cooking for the loss of a loved ones.
04:30We're cooking on Sundays, right?
04:31So asking people to abandon the foods that they love for the sake of health, because
04:35I'm also a wellness professional.
04:36It's not realistic, right?
04:38And it's not necessary.
04:39So for me, I think finding ways to incorporate wellness and kind of healthify our favorite
04:44meals that we grew up on is the way to create sustainability in that.
04:48And then through that, you know, you're still able to celebrate culture while also honoring
04:52your health.
04:53Okay.
04:54All right.
04:55Yep.
05:03So for me, food just gets me going anyway.
05:07It gets me really excited.
05:09And I think for the sexual aspect of it, it's also keeping things spicy, trying new things
05:15all the time.
05:16I mean, trying new things.
05:18Um, I'm the kind of person I like to do what I want.
05:22I don't really like rules.
05:24That's in the kitchen.
05:25Sounds like rules.
05:26For real.
05:26Like I had to cut it, cut the professionalism off.
05:29I like to do what I want.
05:30And that catapulted my career and I'm known for the girls that always try and just like
05:36wacky stuff.
05:37So like I say, in and out of the bedroom, trying new things, keeping things spicy and
05:41just creating new things that people may have never like thought about.
05:46That's the kind of things that keep me going when it comes to like food and sexuality.
05:48I think that they go hand in hand, basically just keep it spicy.
05:52If it's dull, it's going to be boring.
05:55So everything that you try, just try to make sure that it's like new and exciting.
05:58So what's your favorite like spicy meal?
06:02If we set in a tone and you want to come up with a nice, sexy meal to prepare for
06:07your
06:07man, what's your favorite meal, your favorite dish to cook?
06:10Me.
06:11So I will be on the table.
06:13I'm the right.
06:15Not me.
06:16I love it.
06:16To be honest, I'm not going to lie, to be honest, we always like trying new things.
06:23If he thinks of any type of ingredients, it doesn't have to go.
06:26I will marry them.
06:27And he knows that I'm kind of like a mad scientist in the kitchen.
06:30If you think about something, I can make it come to life.
06:32And I'm a very sensual person.
06:35As you can see, all of my colors, I love bold colors, bold flavors.
06:38So I like to come correct.
06:40So people eat with their eyes most of the time.
06:42That's me.
06:43And I'll say this.
06:44For Father's Day, I put on his favorite dress.
06:46It was a little short dress.
06:47The wind was blowing.
06:48He had a little, you know, a little yag on.
06:51So I'm on the grill.
06:53It was hot inside and outside.
06:55He ate with his eyes first.
06:57And then once the meal was laid out, you know, like that was something that he enjoyed.
07:01But for me, presentation is one of like the biggest things.
07:03Um, but yeah, presentation, bold flavors.
07:07But if I had to pick a meal, it would definitely be me.
07:09Okay.
07:10I love, I love that presentation is big for me.
07:14It has to look good and I'm all, and it has to taste good, look good and taste good.
07:20Cause you know, sometimes you could get the meals that look amazing and the taste just
07:24don't be hitting.
07:25I'm a New Orleans girl is all about the seasonings, the spices, the good Creole food.
07:31Okay.
07:31My third question is many cultures have foods traditionally associated with love and romance,
07:38which ingredients or family traditions have influenced your own cooking?
07:42And why do you think they've endured for generations?
07:47Um, so as I mentioned, I was raised in the South, born in the Dominican Republic, lots
07:52of cultures going on there and the other question one more time.
07:57The last one was, um, well, how to have family traditions.
08:01Okay.
08:01So I think like I mentioned, it's mostly about honoring those flavors.
08:06Like, yes, I'm in wellness, flawed and fit is my wellness brand.
08:09And there we just encourage women to embrace their flaws while finding your own unique versions
08:13of fit because fit looks different on all of us.
08:15Can I get an amen?
08:16Okay.
08:16And so with that, it starts with just finding, like I said, the foods that we enjoy eating
08:21that we grew up with and then finding ways to make sustainable upgrades.
08:25So like, for example, if I was to make like a classic New Orleans dish, I would make, um,
08:29a lean chicken breast and oyster etouffee.
08:31Okay.
08:31We're not getting rid of the traditional spices, the Cajun, uh, seasonings, the, the paprika,
08:37the lemon of it all.
08:38Right.
08:38But at the same time, we're finding ways to create healthier communities, build healthier
08:43families.
08:43And that for me has been really integral because I was actually diagnosed with a hereditary heart
08:48disease at 18.
08:48So I was forced to be in this wellness life.
08:51I didn't choose it.
08:52It chose me.
08:52And the main thing with prevention is food, the food that goes on our plates.
08:56And so if we can find ways to really just strengthen our communities through healthier
09:00eating while still making it taste good, I'm never going to hand someone a meal plan full
09:04of foods that they hate.
09:05Who, who's about to eat that?
09:06Nobody.
09:07So yeah.
09:08So really it's just about, you know, honoring those traditions.
09:11And for me, my favorite Dominican dish is pollo guisado.
09:14So like, like I said, making, um, upgrades like healthy chicken breasts, um, you know,
09:19less butter, cauliflower rice, girl, we still eat rice.
09:22I lie.
09:22I don't eat cauliflower rice.
09:24We don't eat the rice.
09:25We're going to be intentional about the portions.
09:26Right.
09:26So again, sustainable upgrades, it's just so, it's so hard because you want to make sure
09:32that you're putting the right foods in your body and eat healthy, but it's, it's so hard
09:36to find that balance.
09:38Like, you know, good food that tastes good.
09:41That's healthy for you.
09:42It's like, you always go after the more seasoned dishes or be bland.
09:46You get bored with it really quick.
09:47Absolutely.
09:48When I'm on my fitness journey, I go through those stages of like, just wanting to eat clean.
09:53Yes.
09:54And then it's like, I'll get to certain restaurants and I want to try my favorite dish, but this
09:59is not a part of my diet.
10:00We need a balance.
10:02Absolutely.
10:03I mean, that's why I always say though, that 80, 20 rule, it's really 90, 10, because if
10:07you do, if you have wellness goals and you're trying to get, get to them quickly, food is
10:11the first thing I always say.
10:12You can't out train a bad diet.
10:14You can eat well and never work out and see results, but you can't do the opposite.
10:18Right.
10:18But at the end of the day, at the end of the day, it's got to taste good.
10:22And one thing about me is I love to eat.
10:25So I completely understand that.
10:26So finding that balance where let's say three or four days out of the week, you're eating
10:30clean, right?
10:30Making those healthy, sustainable upgrades, as I mentioned.
10:33But then those other two days, baby, we, we drink, you know, eating, eating good.
10:36We got to have our cheat day.
10:38There it is.
10:38Cheat day.
10:38They say you're not supposed to have a cheat day.
10:41You're supposed to have a cheat meal.
10:42Right.
10:43Do you agree with that?
10:44I do.
10:45Yeah.
10:45Okay.
10:45Y'all be like, oh, I need the whole day.
10:50So the next question is for Dr. Shamara.
10:56Wellness has become a central part of our everyday conversations.
11:00How does nutrition insert with emotional wellness, confidence and healthy relationships?
11:07So nutrition is a part of our everyday life, right?
11:11So nutrition contributes to wellness because it's all about our habits as we just, we're
11:16talking about right now.
11:17Habits, cheat meals versus cheat days.
11:20Nutrition fuels our hormones.
11:22I, if you over fought, you're probably hot up here right now.
11:25You probably.
11:26And so, yes, we got our fans, y'all who, anybody out there?
11:29I got my fan with me.
11:31Trust me.
11:31He got my fan right there.
11:32So it contributes to how our hormones respond.
11:35It contributes to connection, especially if we have traditions where we're cooking together,
11:42where we're tasting together, where we're going out to dinner.
11:45A lot of what we do in relationships is centered around nutrition and food.
11:50Where do people like to take people on the first date?
11:53Restaurant.
11:54To eat.
11:54To the restaurant.
11:55Right?
11:55So it's all about how we are censoring nutrition in our lives.
12:00Um, the traditions, the, the, the food.
12:04Chef Ashley over there has some food.
12:07One of them is considered to be an aphrodisiac.
12:10Oysters.
12:12Y'all already told me that y'all eat dozens and dozens and dozens of oysters.
12:15So I already know what y'all got going on.
12:17Lots of intimacy there.
12:19Somebody on this panel told me that.
12:21I need to know.
12:22Listen, I was, I just was curious y'all.
12:25Don't judge me.
12:26I was like, what other foods and snacks, you know, she eat all the foods and snacks.
12:31That's what I, I always hear about oysters being an aphrodisiac.
12:35Well.
12:35She told me chocolate.
12:37I said, girl, I eat a lot of chocolate, like dark, I didn't move to a more healthier chocolate.
12:43It's dark chocolate now.
12:45Dark.
12:45Dark chocolate is the aphrodisiac.
12:47Okay.
12:47I did not.
12:48I did not know that.
12:48Also fruit.
12:49So we have fruits with seeds in there, watermelon, we have figs, we have cherries, beets as well.
12:56So these foods are considered to be aphrodisiacs, right?
13:00And they contribute to our whole emotional and connectedness, our emotional relationship
13:06and our connectedness with each other because of what we're doing with the food.
13:10So it's not like I'm going to put a bowl of fruit in front of you, a pack of oysters
13:14in
13:14front of you, scallops, shrimp, and all of that and say, you're going to have sex after
13:18you eat all of this.
13:21But what's going to happen is if you are with a partner and you are tasting the food, right?
13:28So I'm going to ask Chef Ashley to describe what she's doing with the food and we're going
13:33to practice this together.
13:34But you're tasting the food because eating is a sensory experience.
13:39That's what makes food an aphrodisiac.
13:41It's what it does for you in the moment.
13:43It's what it does for your body in the moment.
13:45So you are smelling it.
13:47You are tasting it.
13:49There are different textures.
13:51There are different temperatures.
13:53So if you close your eyes, you remove one of your senses.
13:56So other senses are heightened.
13:58So if your partner wants to feed you something that's different from them saying,
14:04look, let's go down to the local drive-through and let's get us a burger and some fries
14:09versus them saying, I got this juicy, cheesy, warm double cheeseburger that I want to feed
14:15you with some nice, salted, warm fries.
14:18Don't that sound better?
14:19Then let's go down to the, let's get a burger.
14:21Okay.
14:21So that's what makes it an aphrodisiac.
14:24It's what you're doing with the food.
14:25Yeah.
14:26Okay.
14:27So I want to kind of chime in on the oyster aspect.
14:31I don't want people to think they can go to Acme and get charbroid oysters and it has the
14:37same effect.
14:38The raw oysters to me are way better.
14:40The zinc stays intact and the texture, like Shamira mentioned, the texture of it.
14:45A lot of people don't like raw oysters, so they will close their eyes to eat it.
14:49But for me, closing my eyes, I actually do like oysters.
14:51But for me, closing my eyes is one of the sensory things.
14:55I put hot sauce, I put a little bit of cocktail sauce, and I like cocktail sauce because it's
15:02tangy.
15:03When you smell it, it opens up, you know, it opens up your nose.
15:06So with a raw oyster, you will put whatever your little concoction is that you want on
15:11top.
15:11But I will suggest closing your eyes.
15:14It's wet.
15:15They have kids in here?
15:16One kid.
15:17Close your ears.
15:18It's wet.
15:19You will close your eyes.
15:20You can let your partner feed you or you can feed yourself and you can kind of slurp it
15:24up.
15:24I don't know how many people like it raw, but that's kind of how that goes.
15:28But and I will also put like a little bit of lime or lemon on the top.
15:32All of that, it helps with the flavor and it also helps with the endorphins and the dopamine
15:38that gets released when you smell and eat these things.
15:41Do y'all want to try?
15:43Who want to try?
15:44Anybody want to try?
15:45I know y'all look cute, so y'all probably don't want to be slurping.
15:48I don't slurp oysters.
15:49Yeah, I don't, I'm not really a huge fan of oysters unless it's like any slurpers in
15:54the audience.
15:54Okay, we got some slurpers.
15:55If anybody want to try it.
15:57Hey, put your hands up.
15:58Okay, we have some volunteers.
16:00We want you to do this in a sensory way.
16:02So when you come up, I'm going to come up with you and describe what you're doing.
16:05We're going to describe the flavors and what you're doing.
16:08And guys, it's not going to throw off your nutrition because they're so high in protein
16:12and really low in calories.
16:13Okay, they're packed with nutrients like, or nutrients like zinc, B12, iron, great for
16:19sexual reproductive health, and sexual wellness is wellness, period.
16:23So anybody single who want to try it.
16:26Okay, okay.
16:26Let's get a single person because I'm going to guide you through this.
16:30All right, let's do it.
16:47And so while they are coming up, as Chef Ashley mentioned, one of the reasons why these foods
16:55are aphrodisiacs is because of the endorphins.
16:58So the endorphins are the chemicals that's transmitted in the brain.
17:01And so some of these foods are categorized this way because they have different micronutrients
17:08in them that send messages to your brain.
17:10So you know how Toya and her husband, you'll be eating all the chocolate and the oysters.
17:15They got a lot of endorphins going on over there.
17:18So that dopamine, the dopamine receptors, those that feel good hormones, so those make you
17:23feel good while you're eating it.
17:25And then we have the oxytocin, right?
17:27And so that is our bonding hormone or our chemical, our bonding chemical.
17:31And that's the one that makes you want to get closer and cuddle.
17:33So we're not going to even think about that.
17:35What's your name?
17:36Shaniqua.
17:37So we have Shaniqua.
17:38You ready?
17:39Yes.
17:39All right, Shaniqua.
17:40So Shaniqua, I would recommend taking the lemon and give it a little squeeze.
17:45You know how you're making it?
17:46Squeeze it.
17:47So Shaniqua is going to squeeze the lemon.
17:49So when you're doing this, when you're doing this, Shaniqua, think about it first.
17:56Go ahead and put yourself in the, so this is a sensual experience.
17:59When you're eating food as an aphrodisiac, you're thinking about feeding yourself.
18:03Because if you're single, you can do this as well.
18:05You don't need a partner because we also have aphrodisiacs for us as single people or for
18:09people who are single because we do believe in self-love, right?
18:12Okay.
18:13Desire is a thing.
18:14So go ahead, Chef Ashley is going to tell you what to do.
18:16Squeeze it.
18:17Take your lemon.
18:18Squeeze it on top.
18:20Now smell a lemon.
18:22Just smell it.
18:23So I don't like stuff getting on my clothes.
18:24I would recommend taking a bowl and taking your other hand.
18:27Bowl to the face.
18:28Close your eyes.
18:30Bowl to the face.
18:31Who's your celebrity crush?
18:32Think about him and just...
18:34Just take him down, girl.
18:35Just take him down.
18:36Okay.
18:36So did you smell that?
18:37What does that smell like?
18:39I smell the lemony...
18:42Oh, sorry.
18:43I smell like the lemon and...
18:45What is this?
18:46Hot sauce?
18:46Yeah.
18:47Cocktail sauce, hot sauce.
18:48I put a little chives on there because chives are like onions.
18:52Well, they are onions.
18:53But they open up the past, you know, too.
18:55So that along with the lemon, the tanginess of the cocktail sauce and the hot sauce releases
19:00the endorphins, the dopamine, think about the man, slurp him up.
19:04Now before you eat it, think about what you're about to do.
19:07Smell your food and then taste it.
19:09So when you're eating food, you want to taste your food.
19:13You don't want to just throw it back and swallow it.
19:15You want to chew it and taste what you're tasting.
19:18Think about what you're tasting.
19:22Her oyster...
19:23She's smelling it.
19:24Her oyster has peppers.
19:25Chili peppers, also an aphrodisiac because of the heating effect and what it does.
19:30So pepper, considered to be a warming effect, and it heats the body up.
19:37She slurped it up.
19:38You feel freaky already or no?
19:40I'm ready, no.
19:41I'm sure.
19:42She said she's ready.
19:43Give her a round of applause.
19:45So Shaniqua, how did that taste?
19:47I liked it.
19:48It tastes good.
19:49I liked the tanginess of the lemon first.
19:52It got a little stuck at the bottom, so I had to put a little extra tongue action there.
19:57Sometimes it's work, girl.
19:59Sometimes it's work.
20:00So basically, she smelled the lemon.
20:02She tasted it.
20:02What about the texture?
20:04I like the texture.
20:05I know some people don't like the sliminess of it, but I liked it.
20:09What did it feel like going down?
20:12Smooth.
20:13It was smooth going down.
20:15So thank you so much to Shaniqua.
20:17So as you know, as you see that eating food is a sensory experience.
20:21You smell your food, you taste your food, and you eat your food.
20:26We have two minutes.
20:27Yeah.
20:28That's true.
20:28I got to smell everything before I eat.
20:30Yes.
20:30Okay.
20:30The last question is for everyone on this panel.
20:33If you could encourage couples or families to create one meaningful food tradition together this year, what would you recommend
20:41and why?
20:44Well, I got married almost a year ago in about a few months.
20:47Shout out my husband, Devon Franklin.
20:49That's a good man, y'all.
20:50That's a good man.
20:51And one of my love languages is cooking.
20:53So I make it a point.
20:55You know, we all have busy schedules.
20:57It's about integrating these things into your schedule, being able to sit down and say, hey, maybe not five nights
21:03a week, but at least once or twice or three times if we're feeling, you know, if he's doing good.
21:08We're going to sit down and make a healthy meal.
21:10Not even healthy sometimes.
21:11Y'all just making a comfort meal that I can show, you know, my love and appreciation for this human
21:16being that is walking through life with me.
21:17So I would encourage y'all.
21:19It doesn't have to necessarily be a partner.
21:20Us single people, like you said, deserve self-love.
21:22Make a meal for yourself.
21:23Make a meal for your sister, your friends.
21:25And, yeah, just being intentional about doing that.
21:28Absolutely.
21:28That's it.
21:29Cook with each other.
21:30Make yourself a spread.
21:32Let your partner put the food on you.
21:34Eat the food off of you.
21:37Okay.
21:38That's my version of use your mouth.
21:40So use your mouth.
21:42Okay.
21:42And I suggest something.
21:43I would like to suggest meal prep for people who are doing fitness.
21:46My man is a personal trainer.
21:48We both fine and sexy.
21:49We do a lot of cooking together.
21:51Mostly me doing the cooking.
21:52He's just watching and grabbing stuff.
21:54But for the most part, I think that doing meal prep and trying new healthy recipes would be an ideal
22:00thing for couples.
22:01And healthy does not mean boring.
22:03You can get a lot of flavor if you use a lot of fresh herbs, spices, and stuff like that.
22:08It doesn't have to be processed stuff.
22:09So I don't want you to think that when it comes to healthy, it has to be boring.
22:13But meal prep, cook once a night.
22:15I mean, once a week for couples.
22:16I think that would be something ideal for couples to do.
22:19Okay.
22:19Well, you have to give me some recommendations for the, yeah, help me, help us to start out because I'm
22:24stuck on a season and all of that stuff.
22:27I got to go the healthier route.
22:29But thank you ladies so much.
22:31We learned a lot today.
22:32And thank you and the audience for being here.
22:36Have fun today.
22:37Go eat something.
22:39Yes.
22:39Go eat some good New Orleans food.
22:41Go eat some good New Orleans food.
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