Sex and the Kitchen is the personal website of San Francisco chef Andrea Froncillo. Andrea celebrates romance and cooking, encouraging you to slow down and enjoy life’s pleasures - from the foods and flavors that surround you…to the lover you embrace.

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We know that you're inundated with recipes and entertaining ideas during the holidays.
So we'd simply like to remind you to carve out an evening - or a Sunday afternoon -
to unwind and concentrate on the person that you love... or like... or simply lust after...

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In the spirit of simplicity, here are a few of our favorite foods to inspire you… ideas that don’t take much preparation but possess a wealth of sensory pleasures for your eyes, nose and taste buds. More to come in the months ahead!

Oysters

The oyster lies encased inside a rippled hard shell, a slight oval with delicate, fluted edges. Ranging in flavor from dusky and briny to creamy and smoky, the tender flesh and subtle flavorings of the oyster makes it the most tantalizing of shellfish. The Romans claimed that oysters had aphrodisiac qualities, and though we can’t be sure, we do know that eating them at home makes it much easier to tell whether their mythic powers are real...

Buy a dozen or two from your local fish market and arrange them on a cold platter of ice with wedges of lemon. They’re wonderful with a simple mignonette sauce.

For a glamorous touch, top the oysters with a dab of crème fraiche and a dollop of caviar. Serve with flutes of chilled champagne.

fresh herbs

There is nothing so simple and effective as using fresh herbs to liven up your cooking. From lavender to basil to rosemary, fresh herbs have long been known for their ability to arouse and electrify the senses.

Toss chopped herbs into a green salad. Sprinkle lavender salt over your grilled meats. Heap sprigs of dark green rosemary on your platters. Wherever you incorporate fresh herbs, you’re sure to increase the “wow” factor.

Pomegranates

These voluptuous red globes have long been a symbol of fertility; filled with tart, sweet, jewel-like seeds, they are at once simple and exquisite. It has been suggested that perhaps the pomegranate was the apple that Eve ate, and we understand the temptation. During these holiday months, we like to scatter them on a table for décor or pile them into a bowl on a side table. But the best part is breaking them open and extracting the seeds, which inevitably leads to sticky red fingers….

Sprinkle the seeds over a salad; decorate a dessert plate with them; or simply eat them plain.

The juice of pomegranates makes a tangy, ruby-purple sauce when slowly reduced… try drizzling it over vanilla ice cream for an amazing treat.

Heap organic rose petals on a candle-lit table or on a tray of cheese and fruit. Make a trail of petals from the door to… wherever you choose. Scatter petals on the bed.

Wherever you choose to incorporate flowers, they add an otherworldly beauty to the moment.

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With their intoxicating fragrance and colorful petals, dimples and freckles, flowers of all kinds are a must-have in any sensual environment. Depending upon the time of year, you can find a wide variety of flowers not only to grace your table but also to incorporate into your food…

Nasturtiums, violets and apple blossoms are among the vast range of edible blooms out there. The flavors range from spicy to peppery to citrusy. You can find edible flowers at many gourmet markets. If you want to pick your own, just remember: make sure the flower you’re choosing is edible, and be very certain that the plant hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals or pesticides.

Most flowers from nurseries and florists have been chemically treated and should not be eaten!

Click the recipe names to be taken to each specific recipes also be sure to check out our Delicious Seductions section for the Tasty Treats, Bubble Bath Extravaganza, and Peek-a-boo