Hot, Sweet & Sticky: 12 Romantic Feasts to Tempt Your Lover

The cover of this little cookbook features a sexy couple eating in bed, and Garrett, in the first sentence of her introduction, warns that""this is not a book for the fainthearted."" Both may tempt browsers, but they're not actually indicative of this book's contents. Garrett collects recipes mainly from California and New York restaurants (many of which will be familiar to foodies) and deftly matches them with settings and moods, often including anecdotes from the chefs themselves. Despite introductory explanations, some of the connections are a little hard to see: Turkey with Mole Sauce is part of a chapter on""Carnaval"" because its""enticingly silky sheen"" makes mole""one of the sexiest of sauces."" The Rocket-in-Your-Pocket Salad is a simple and delicious (but very basic) arugula concoction--another name for the bitter green is rocket--that's found in her""Late-Night Rendezvous"" section. While there are similar, better-produced books, such as Intercourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook and The Seduction Cookbook, Garrett holds her own with this thoughtful and never pushy set of menus and suggestions for presentation. She also tosses in quote-lets, poems, and examples from history to liven up this sweet, smart, but not actually very sexy, book.