What does a sexy dinner look like to you? Flutes of champagne? Truffles in cream? Small, savory bites bathed in extra virgin olive oil followed by platters of desserts drenched in chocolate and heaped with amaretto-spiked whipped cream? Actually, this all sounds really good to me.

And to honor of the month of February, host to the rosy, symbolic festival of Valentines Day, I am happy to present you with a list of foods that, according to some people's research (and other people's experience) can contribute to an enhanced sense of romantic atmosphere and/or sexual energy (and ideally both). There are no guarantees, of course, but what's there to lose?

Avocados
Rich in vitamin B6, which decreases prolactin, a hormone that inhibits sexual desire in women, and also increases the testosterone-regulating hormone in men.

Carrots
Carrots are packed with beta carotene, which becomes vitamin A, which is involved with the production of sex hormones.

Chocolate
Silky and sensual, it contains phenylethylamine, or PEA, which is the same chemical (similar to amphetamine) released by the brain when people fall in love, and producing a euphoric, dreamy feeling

Chile peppers
When you eat a chile, your heart rate increases, and, if the chile is hot enough, you'll begin to sweat. Chiles contain endorphins, which produce a feeling of well-being and energy

Coffee
Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1990, a study of 744 Michigan residents over the age of 60 showed coffee consumption to increase sexual activity. An added benefit – coffee helps you stay awake after dinner.

Cinnamon and Cloves
Some herbalists believe these spices have libido-enhancing qualities.

Garlic
Garlic thins the blood, helping to maintain good circulation, which is key to sexual arousal. Of course the downside here is obvious...

Ginseng
Asian herbalists claim that ginseng increases and improves sexual performance. Mae West was known to drink entire cups of ginseng tea. That should be recommendation enough.

Roquefort Cheese
My own favorite, especially when eaten with lush, ripe pears. I don't have any scientific research to cite here, just personal experience.

Tomatoes
Originally known in France as pomme d'amour, or love apple, the tomato is full of potassium, which has been linked to male sexual health.

Truffles
These exotic wild mushrooms release pheromones that attract the boars and gods that hunt them, and which are said to elicit strong sexual response in humans.

Walnuts
They contain manganese, which helps produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that heightens sexual arousal.

Yams
Some varieties of yams have been found to contain high levels of diosgenin, a chemical similar to estrogen, the female sex hormone.

Yohimbe
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
"So far, the best clinical research on food-based sexual stimulants is on yohimbe, an extract from the bark of a West African tree. A 1984 study by Stanford researchers showed yohimbe increased sexual results in humans, especially in men. But yohimbe soup isn't exactly the stuff romantic meals are made of."

Thanks to Kim Severson of the San Francisco Chronicle, whose article "Aphrodisiacs at a Glance" provided the basis for the above list. Go, Kim!