All it takes is a plate or chocolate covered strawberries, or perhaps a spoonful of honey, to cast aside any doubts that food can be sexy. The Seduction Cookbook: Culinary Creations For Lovers is a cookbook that is all about making sexy, sensual meals for two. I think you can guess what holiday it night come in handy for, although it could certainly be a welcome addition of a little spice to any cookbook collection, as well.

The book starts with an introduction to "seduction cooking" and a few guidelines for preparing for your meal outside of the kitchen (what to wear, etc.). Once into the recipes, they cover everything from appetizers and salads to main courses, sides and dessert. And, should your evening go well, there are recipes for late-night snacks and "morning after" breakfasts, as well. Recipes include Endive, Orange and Fennel Salad, Baked Salmon with Raspberry Cabernet Sauce, Honeydew with Rosemary Syrup and French Toast You Can Sink Your Teeth Into. Author Diane Brown has put as much thought into serving the recipes as preparing them, and shares some insight on making the dining experience as pleasurable as possible - and not in the same way that a second slice of cake is a pleasure, although she certainly thinks you'll be just as satisfied.

Bacon is an interesting food because it is so tasty that even people who say they don't eat pork (I'm talking about those meat-eaters who prefer to stick to poultry, not those who avoid pork for religious reasons) will have a slice or two with relish when it is offered. In fact, it is the most popular pork product on the market in the US. The meat is incredibly flavorful and seems to improve just about any dish it is added to, which is why a book like Seduced by Bacon exists, to chronicle the history of bacon and a large number of the recipes that it can be included in.

The meat is more versatile than you might have imagined, especially if you primarily consider it to be breakfast food. The book covers all types of bacon - thick, thin, smoked, unsmoked, glazed, artisanal and mass-market - and provides ways to cook them to perfection. Bacon is added to pastas and wrapped around cuts of other meats, even salmon. In addition to just using the meat, the fat can be used for cooking or even popping corn. There are a few dessert recipes, too, but those are probably saved to the most dedicated (or experimental) bacon-lovers.