Food Porn: A Steamy Q & A With L.A.'s Aphrodisiac Chef, Jeffrey Torin

Food can be a very sensual, seductive thing. For thousands of years, cultures have carried myths that certain foods can spark one's sex drive, and consumers have gladly complied. Chef Jeffrey Torin is now taking that to the next level at his catering business Food Trilogy, where he applies theories from biology and psychology to provide a unique dining experience that arouses both sexual and emotional senses.

Torin, who was born and raised in Tarzana, has just launched a spot on the Playboy Channel sharing his tips to a more fulfilling sex life. He took a moment to talk to LAist about the importance of consuming raw foods, why meat is good for your libido, and what it's like catering for swingers parties in L.A.

Tell me a little bit about your upbringing, and what brought you to this niche area of the cooking world.

I started out cooking when I was living in New Mexico. At 14 as a dishwasher, and a year later I was running the line. By the time I was 16 I was running the kitchen. When I turned 17, I moved to LA. It was a slow start, but I got a boost up from Wendell Hooper in catering. After bouncing around a bit, I found a home at Petite Ermitage. At 19 I became their executive chef. A lot of times people didn't know how old I was. It was really hard to get people to take me seriously, but my resume spoke for itself.

I imagine you've had a hard time getting people to take you seriously in your current role, too.

At the very get-go it was hard, because there wasn't a ton of research behind it. With any new venture, you have to have a lot of substance to back you up. I spent a few years doing research. Everyone goes by myth and urban legends when it comes to defining what foods are aphrodisiacs, but you actually have to look at what chemicals you have to have an organism. For example, everyone thinks that cherries are so sexy, but they actually contain prolactin, which actually takes your mind off of sex.

There's a lot of biology involved. Anyone who's ever looked into increasing their sexual potential has seen these chemicals before, whether it's in pill form or drinks, it's pretty common knowledge.

How did your fascination with this element of the culinary world come about?

The whole aphrodisiac journey started while I was still the exec at Le Ermitage. I kind of experimented on people without people knowing about it. I'd experiment with a nutmeg tea that I'd force everyone to drink every morning. Nutmeg actually has hallucinogenic effects in large amounts, so I'd make a concentrated tea that would give this euphoric feeling. Over the course of two weeks, productivity increased 15%. The mood was a lot better around there.

Next thing you know, you hear about the housekeepers hooking up with the reception guys.

Did you have fun "researching" with your partners?

I was a kid making way too much money, so I had plenty of opportunities to meet women and experiment.

So you're basically giving new meaning to the term "food porn."

We're trying to class up sex, not porn up food. Aphrodisiacs are more there to improve what you've already got.

What is the one thing people can eat on a daily basis that can up their sex drive?
It's not even so much as what you should be eating as what you shouldn't. Cherries and corn products are two culprits. Corn decreases the amount of leptin that your body produces. It tells you to stop eating and regulates your sex drive. When you have a deficiency of leptin, you gain more weight and lose your sex drive.

A lot of the aphrodisiacs are raw products like salsas and smoothies. You're eating healthier anyway, which naturally makes you feel more energized. I do a fig salsa, which is literally only five ingredients, and no corn products ... The more raw you keep it the better.

The key elements are things you'd find in pills or other medications that up your sex drive: oxytocin, leptin, dopamine, alicin, bromelain, niacin, nitrous oxide. Allicin redirects blood to sexual organs, and you can get that by cutting garlic and letting it oxidize. Raw, whole garlic won't do it. Bromelain you can get from banana and pineapples; oddly enough, it's a meat tenderizer, but in your body it's the exact opposite. You can also balance out your testosterone with coconut.

What is the most dramatic change you've seen in a particular client?

The general reaction is weight loss, higher sex drive, and a lot more happiness. I was just reading an article on how 60% of Americans have a dopamine deficiency both from lack of exercise and from a terrible diet. If you're eating right, you're increasing your dopamine, and you're going to be more active [sexually and otherwise].

Do you think living in LA helped turn you on to sexually-driven foods?

People are definitely a lot more open and free-spirited out here. I've lived in Texas and New Mexico, but everywhere else is a little more conservative. Here, people are walking around the street in bikinis. People are more liberal in their personal lives.

Why is LA the perfect market for what you're doing? Have you ever catered to sets in the porn industry in Chatsworth?

I've catered to porn sets, and also to some swingers parties too. It's the ultimate people watching scenario. They're really eager to try it out. What's funny is that people tend to get overzealous at times, and then they get too full ... When you over-eat, you cut off circulation to your organs and to your lower extremities. There's only a certain amount your stomach can handle. People think that if they eat a lot, then it'll have an immediate effect.

You'll get more out of it if you're doing it on a daily basis.