The Sex Life of Food

Food and sex. Hunger and the psyche. These are the forces that shape our lives.

"The sex life of food" doesn't mean that the strawberries have fallen in love with the oatmeal. It's a look at food-and sex-and how they go together in our daily lives much more often than we realize.

There are so many ways that hunger and desire act on each other, and so many things that can influence our preferences. Not only are people moved by the taste, texture, and the shapes of the food they eat, but even the names of some dishes can kindle hunger-of both kinds-in some. As the author writes, "Sometimes cooking is foreplay, eating is making love, and doing the dishes is the morning after."

Bunny Crumpacker has looked at food from every angle, and brings us delicious stories about what others have done and said about eating--and about making love. She has gone far beyond the obvious to bring us unexpected and tantalizing knowledge of how much and in how many surprising ways we assuage our hunger for both food and sex, and how where there's one, there is often the other. The result is a book you can go back to again and again and keep finding more delights--including uncharacteristic comments from the famous and insightful chuckles from the author herself. There's history and humor, food in fairy tales, what politicians eat, comfort food, and manners at the table.

But enough! There's too much to say. The Sex Life of Food is both a banquet and a late-night nosh. Taste it, devour it, and enjoy!