When I think about foods that speak amour, I think about the avocado – with its creamy texture and soft flesh that rolls between deep and pale green. To me, a simple slice of ripe, buttery avocado mashed across a crisp baguette and stippled with the sharp accent of freshly ground pepper is positively sensual.
I’m kind of weird that way. But I'm not alone. The avocado has long been linked in the human consciousness with passion. There, of course, is no science behind the association … in fact many foods are so categorized because of their similarity to the shape of various parts of the human anatomy. Bananas, almonds, oysters and eggs to name a few, Yep, our brains are that simple.
That isn't saying that the avocado isn't good for you. The fruit is loaded with folic acid, B6, and potassium, and although it has some fat, it has no cholesterol, making it good for the heart. And a healthy heart never hurt any relationship. But as any country song can relate, true love takes more than cardiovascular health. It takes the right kind of dinner.
My husband used to be … shall we say “particular” about his food. When we were dating, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things to make cupcakes one night. I grabbed the frosting – lovely pale pink strawberry. He saw the container and made barfing noises. I got angry, and he was flummoxed. He didn’t get it … but to me relationships are about sharing, about compromise, and being open to new experience. He didn’t have to like everything I did, but he didn’t have to make barfing noises either.
A few months later, after many leisurely walks, conversation, hikes up the canyon, and meals made together without barfing noises, he prepared a special dinner one night. At the center of the table was a beautiful cake, smothered in creamy waves of pink strawberry frosting. That was the moment I knew I really loved this guy.
We don't eat much strawberry frosting now. We have moved beyond the strawberry frosting stage of our relationship. The menu of dating is sweet, rich, elaborate, and fleeting. Those were the days of chocolate souffle, coconut shrimp, and truffle oil. It was intoxicating, but it couldn’t last. Eventually you need some fiber.
An elderly couple told me how they ate pan-fried fish together every Tuesday for three decades. The woman didn’t like fish, but she ate it for her husband’s sake. The man had never liked fish, but his wife was kind enough to prepare it, so he ate it with pleasure for her. For decades they ate fish together that neither of them liked. When they finally found out and switched to soup it just made them laugh. What they were really serving up to each other was something bigger than a simple meal. It was love.