By Jack White

To her devoted fans, the lilting, insistent melodies of smooth jazz flutist Sherry Winston are inextricably linked to romance.

Love is the theme of each of her six CDs, embedded in such titles as “Do It For Love,” “Love Madness” and “Life Is Love & Love Is You.”

Now, just in time for the holidays, Ms. Winston has taken her passion in a new direction by coming forth with a combination cookbook and CD, “For Lovers Only: A Cookbook and More,” whose instructions for preparing delicious dishes are key ingredients in a recipe for romance.

The book, which contains a CD of some of Ms. Winston’s most romantic anthems, is a guide to setting the mood, with suggestions for music, wine pairings and floral arrangements to please that special someone. It also has suggestions for cooking with aphrodisiacs — savory foods that Ms. Winston guarantees will spice up a love encounter.

As notable as the book is the way it was produced. A savvy former record company executive, Ms. Winston has for many years managed her own business, eschewing managers and club dates to make her own bookings. She used the same independent entrepreneurial approach with the cookbook, publishing it herself — with an all-black editorial, design and photography staff — after several publishing companies turned it down. It can be ordered from her website, www.sherrywinston.com, for $29.99 plus shipping.

The Free Press spoke with the musician-chef to learn more about her new project. 

RFP: With its emphasis on romance, this really is a labor of love, isn’t it?

Ms. Winston: Well, it is. You know, my CDs all have love titles, so that’s kind of the theme of my life — to try to bring more love into the world. 

RFP: Is putting a team together and publishing your own work an approach more creative people ought to take?

Ms. Winston: I think so. Some people are very lucky and they get acceptance from a publisher right away or a record company or whatever. But after you’ve been getting rejections and having people tell you that your work is no good, you really have to step up to the plate and believe in yourself and just go on and save up the money and put it out yourself.

RFP: Is there a connection between cooking and making music?

Ms. Winston: It’s all part of what I call tickling the senses. In romance, you have to have all of your five senses working together. 

RFP: So is it true that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?

Ms. Winston: (Laughter) I think so! I think if a guy is totally turned on by your cooking, it definitely helps with romance because eating is a very sensual experience.

RFP: How do you know what kind of music goes with particular kinds of cuisine to obtain the maximum romantic experience?

Ms. Winston: It’s not so much mixing the music with the food as it is preparing the music for the person. So you have to know the tastes of the person first. And if you don’t know them, ask them! If you don’t want to ask them, just go for something mellow.

RFP: You also have recipes for cooking with aphrodisiacs. Have you field tested them yourself?

Ms. Winston: Well, of course I have! (Laughter) I won’t go into a lot of detail about that, but trust me! (Laughter) The whole point of it is that everything that happens romantically is between your ears — it’s in your brain. The aphrodisiacs are just something to add a little fun. 

RFP: Do you think people are taking enough time for romance these days, especially in long-term relationships or marriages?

Ms. Winston: Absolutely not! That’s the whole point of the book. I get very disturbed when I go out to dinner and I see people sitting at tables with each other, staring at their phones or their iPads instead of staring at each other.