How your star sign rules your DIET

Princess Diana’s personal astrologer and former Food Network chef has revealed how you can transform your relationship to all things culinary by cooking according to your star sign. 

In her new book The Zodiac Cooks released this week, Penny Thornton from Surrey explains the preferred gastronomical tastes of each astrological sign, as well as their entertaining personality. 

Penny spent six years as Princess Diana’s personal astrologer advising her through the years she spent battling to save her marriage and then rebuilding her life after her divorce.

Now she’s opened up about how you can devise your perfect menu and entertaining style based around your sun sign. 

For instance, Aries has a love of spicy food but hates delayed gratification and is therefore no good with prising mussels from their shells. 

The Aries table should be decorated rather like a French bistro and guests should steer clear of questioning the choices of the chef and concentrate on opening the wine instead. 

Chef Penny spent six years as Princess Diana’s personal astrologer and now reveals the secrets of how the zodiac affects your taste in food in her new book 

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

Your favourite foods

If it’s spiky, spicy hot and generally fierce, it has Aries stamped all over it. 

Aries meats include lamb, venison and goat, animals known for their hunting skills. Any aggressive fish belongs to this sign, think of pike, carp and shark, and all feisty fowl such as ostrich and guinea. 

Fruits and vegetables with spikes correlate with Aries, of which the pineapple is the most common. 

Rockts with its pointy leaves, nettles with their stink and radishes also belong to Aries. 

Never give your Aries guest anything that takes a lot of time to get into. 

Artichokes may be on the Aries list of celestial correlations, but stripping off those spiky leaves in pursuit of the delicious heart is not a labour of love for this sign. Delayed gratification is not something this sign understands. 

Any food that's spiky and spicy hot, such as chilli, is guaranteed to be a winner with Aries (stock image)

Any food that’s spiky and spicy hot, such as chilli, is guaranteed to be a winner with Aries (stock image)

Your cooking style

Spending endless hours peeling and chopping is not what Aries aspires to. He or she enjoys shaking woks and flipping saute pans, slamming roasts in the oven and flame-grilling anything. 

Aries home cooks will weight into a recipe without first sorting all the ingredients. In typical cavalier style Aries will often cook a dish they have never tackled before for a dinner party.  

Your kitchen style 

The Aries table will be eye-catching. Think of a typical French bistro with a red gingham cloth with matching napkins, the dinnerware will be French-styled – hand painted, perhaps, with peasants, hens and chickens. 

Aries enjoys the quick gratification of shaking woks and flipping saute pans rather than spending endless hours slaving over the stove (stock image)

Aries enjoys the quick gratification of shaking woks and flipping saute pans rather than spending endless hours slaving over the stove (stock image)

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 

Your favourite foods 

All things that grow in the earth, all things that nourish and sustain life belong to Taurus, which rules pasturelands, orchards, gardens, wheat and cornfields as well as barns and granaries. 

Also coming under the auspices of Taurus and its ruling planet Venus are dairy foods, juicy peaches and plums, mangoes, figs, pears, asparagus, green beans, butter beans, sorrel, thyme and oregano. 

As for Taurean meats, put rabbbit, veal, beef and venison on the list and include salmon, lobster and sardines. 

Afternoon tea is a quintessentially English tradition loved by almost all Taureans.  

Sensuous Taurus loves nothing more than the decadence of afternoon tea (stock image)

Sensuous Taurus loves nothing more than the decadence of afternoon tea (stock image)

Your cooking style 

This is the most sensuous member of the zodiac and Taureans love getting their hands messy, or rather using their hands in the preparation of food; kneading dough, rubbing butter into flour and moulding sugar paste. 

With their eye on frugality it’s the Taurean chef who likes to make use of the whole beast – head, feet, knuckles, livers you name it. 

Your kitchen style

Taurus doesn’t really get minimalism and has a fondness for antiques, so vintage linene Broderie anglaise napkins topped with a sprig of lilac could complete each setting. 

The plate settings should feature round, cobalt blue charger plates on which sit pastel green or pale pink coloured plates, and there should be old-style silverware and glass goblets. 

GEMINI: May 2 – June 20 

Your favourite foods

 Fleet footed animals – hare, kangaroo and wildebeest – and birds such as ostrich belong to this sign. 

The fruit and nuts of this sign are few, but include mulberry, hazelnut and walnut. 

As for vegetables and herbs put fennel, turnip, parsley and caraway on the list. 

Your cooking style 

When eating at home Geminis will opt for dishes that require a few ingredients and are easy to prepare. 

They are not the types to plan an entire week’s menu and then make extensive shopping lists. They buy as the mood takes them and following a recipe if a bit of a chore too. 

Gemini feels a strong pull towards the aesthetic of Japan as well as its cuisine (stock image)

Gemini feels a strong pull towards the aesthetic of Japan as well as its cuisine (stock image)

Your dining style

There is a strong pull towards the Orient, particularly Japan. Not only does Japanese cuisine suit the Gemini palate, but the simplicity of the country’s architecture and decor appeals. 

A perfect Gemini dinner setting should start with a glass topped table, preferably rectangular, upon which are placed straw mats edged in black. 

Black or charcoal grey charger plates will support white dinner plates with black linen napkins. 

The dinner plates should be square with upturned edges. 

Geminis also have a taste for outdoor dining or eating in conservatories through with the outdoors can be seen. 

CANCER: June 21 – July 22 

Your favourite foods

You don’t need to be an astrological genius to figure out that the foods and flora and fauna of Cancer have a seaside dimension to them. 

All fish and shellfish, especially crab and oysters are the territory of Cancer (stock image)

All fish and shellfish, especially crab and oysters are the territory of Cancer (stock image)

Aside from all fish and shellfish, especially crab and oysters, frogs and snails come under this sign’s jurisdiction as do geese, duck, hare and pork. 

Vegetables include marrow, cucumber, squash, onion and lettuce and all sea vegetables. 

As for fruits, mangos, melons and peaches top the list, but Cancerians are not typically fans of spicy foods. 

Your cooking style 

For Cancer, food is not a fuel but a pre-eminent way of showing nurture and emotional sustenance. 

Cancerians tend to eat when they’re happy or sad and overstuff their friends and families for the same reasons. 

When a Cancer cooks for you, a lot of emotion, thought and considerable care goes into each and every morsel. 

Your dining style

Think of the moon and moonlight and you’re on your way to creating the perfect Cancerian dining setting with a cloth covering the whole table with a smaller one in a contrasting colour reaching almost to the edges. 

Napkins in grey or dark blue could be placed vertically across large white charger plates giving the effect of two half moons. 

Ideally there should be silverware with mother-of-pearl handles and balloon-shaped, long-stemmed glasses. 

Somewhere you should find a reminder of childhood days or at least times part – tiny little picture frames holding place cards or little menus written in a childish hand.  

LEO: JULY 22 – August 22

Your favourite foods 

Ruled by the sun, Leo is a noble, proud and creative sign. 

And in keeping with the sun, all things yellow, orange and gold come under its jurisdiction: carrots, mangoes, corn, bananas, marigolds, saffron, sunflower seeds, chamomile and turmeric. 

Aside from heart, Leo meats include horse, bull, ram and cocks. Loin of bull and ram’s testicles may not be everyday fare, but these ancient correlations can be stretched to suit a modern-day palate. You can with confidence put all things chicken, beef and lamb on your Leo menu. 

In keeping with the sun, all things yellow, orange and gold come under Leo's jurisdiction, including citrus fruits (stock image)

In keeping with the sun, all things yellow, orange and gold come under Leo’s jurisdiction, including citrus fruits (stock image)

Your cooking style 

Leos love the drama of food and see it as a performance. It requires homes; applause would be welcome, but a clean plate, a contented sigh and a thank-you gift will be accepted. 

Leos will spend days or weeks practicing the same dish and woe betide you if you turn your nose up at the end of it. 

Your dining style

Leos accumulate more cookery books than any other sign. Not only does the passionate Leo like to gaze at photographs of food at its most sublime, but they are avid recipe followers. 

A kitchen island is almost a necessity in a Leo’s home. It does the perfect job of combining the social interaction with the business of cooking. 

A kitchen island is essential for sociable Leos who love to cook and entertain at the same time (stock image)

A kitchen island is essential for sociable Leos who love to cook and entertain at the same time (stock image)

VIRGO: AUGUST 22 – SEPTEMBER 22 

Your favourite foods 

This sign is associated with natural, unregined foods, wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds. 

Fennel, sweetcorn, leafy greens, celery, berried and papaya belong to Virgo as go venison, buffalo and game birds. 

This is not a particularly fishy sign. Mullet and river trout are Virgo things. 

Virgos make it their business to know about the food they eat. They need to establish what goes into any packet displayed on the supermarket shelves, where the meat has hailed from, whether the cod is line caught, if the bananas are organic and more importantly, the calories, fat and protein. 

However, this is a distraction to ward off their inclination to naughty and nice. Sugar and starch are magnets for Virgo. 

Despite being the sign of wholegrains and other virtuous foods, Virgos have a real weakness for sugar and starch (stock image)

Despite being the sign of wholegrains and other virtuous foods, Virgos have a real weakness for sugar and starch (stock image)

Your cooking style 

It’s a rare Virgo that heads to the kitchen to throw together a meal haphazardly. Lists will be put together, budgets created and emergencies catered for. 

Recipes will be faithfully followed and Virgos never skip prep. 

The food cupboard is always fully stocked with the basic essentials, from tins of tomatoes to couscous. 

Your dining style

Virgo is not preoccupied with decor and ambiance. Members of this sign don’t put style above susbtance and are more more concerned that the silverware shines, the glasses sparkle and the food is beyond criticism. 

However, this doesn’t mean they don’t go to any trouble to set the scene. The sun passes through Virgo at the first sign of Autumn when harvest festivals are being held. The Virgo table is all about thanksgiving. 

LIBRA: 22 September – 23 October 

Your favourite foods 

Libra and dairy go hand in hand, as do juicy fruits and foods with aphrodisical properties such as asparagus, oysters, avocado, chocolate, honey, basil and vanilla. 

Vegetables and herbs include parsnips, tomatoes, coriander, peppermint and yarrow. 

Your cooking style

The Libran cook loves to follow a sequence of steps prior to preparing food. 

These could involve anything from putting on an apron to using a particular knife or pan, or cleaning away non existent crumbs.

The practice serves to delay the moment when cooking must start at Libras are terrible procrastinators. 

Procrastinating Librans will perform rituals such as putting on an apron to delay the start of cooking (stock image)

Procrastinating Librans will perform rituals such as putting on an apron to delay the start of cooking (stock image)

Your dining style 

Given their innate sense of harmony and aesthetic predispositions, Libras know how to dress a table better than anyone. 

They can make a thing of beauty out of any materials on any budget. 

You will rarely find any ceiling lights in a Libra home and as you enter the dining space, artfully placed lamps and candles will reveal the table in all its beauty. 

Only the most expensive scented candles will do, although many prefer to let the fragrance of fresh flower fill the room instead. 

SCORPIO: 23 October – 22 November 

The sign is said to rule orchards, vineyards, anything aged in caves or caught deep in the the ocean. 

Mushrooms, truffles, root vegetables and harissa paste, cinnamon, mace and cayenne pepper are all ideal for Scorpio. 

They tend to prefer fish to meat and and can be partial to goat milk products. 

Your cooking style

Scorpios are the extremists of the zodiac and it’s the same with food.  Once they’ve developed a taste for a dish they’ll keep making it until they get it right. 

This sign will follow a recipe to the letter and will leave no stone unturned obtaining the requisite ingredients. 

A dinner party will be planned with military precision but you must be invited to join them in the kitchen. 

Pluto’s people do not want you peering in to their cupboards and finding their private stashes of this and that. 

Lucky for Scorpios, delicacies such as truffles are associated with this sign (stock image)

Lucky for Scorpios, delicacies such as truffles are associated with this sign (stock image)

Your dining style 

Great thought and considerable time go into creating the Scorpio table. It is not a particularly frilly sign, nor does it go in for kitsch. 

You will find drama and hues appropriate to the late autumn such as dark reds and fifty shades of grey. 

Deep purple hydrangeas, blood red roses and thistles might form a centrepiece.

A perfect setting might take you back to the Edwardian era – a time of dark goings on and high romance. 

An ideal Scorpio table setting should feature red roses and hint at dark goings on (stock image)

An ideal Scorpio table setting should feature red roses and hint at dark goings on (stock image)

SAGITTARIUS: 22 November – 21 December 

Your favourite foods 

Among the birds belonging to Sagittarius, you’ll find pheasant, partridge and pigeon. 

Large fish come under its patronage, especially tuna, turbot and Beluga sturgeon along with its caviar. 

They are not dainty eaters and attack food with gusto but is prone to phases such as vegetarianism which can last for years before being abandoned. 

Large fish come under the patronage of Sagittarius, especially tuna (stock image)

Large fish come under the patronage of Sagittarius, especially tuna (stock image)

Your cooking style

An unfortunate characteristic is clumsiness, which is a bit of a hazards in the kitchen. 

In part this has to do with their love or speed but also the propensity to try to accomplish too much at once. 

The Sagittarian cook will throw a bunch of ingredients together without measuring, let the eyes do the cooking and somehow a great-tasting dish will emerge. 

They have an instinct as to what works together and which herbs and spices will bring the flavours alive. 

Your dining style 

In an ideal world you would dine out under the stars or sun as often as possible. 

Restaurants with tables that spill out into the streets, eateries with conservatories and garden rooms as well as restaurants with great views make your heart sing. 

As with this sign’s love of travel or eating on the move, the picnic is the quintessential Sagittarian event. 

As with this sign's love of travel or eating on the move, the picnic is the quintessential Sagittarian event (stock image)

As with this sign’s love of travel or eating on the move, the picnic is the quintessential Sagittarian event (stock image)

CAPRICORN: 21 December – 20 January 

Your favourite foods 

Foods that are sour bitter and mouldy belong to Capricorn, such as blue cheese, game and the foul-smelling Durian fruit of South-East Asia. 

You also love hearty dishes suited to a cold climated such as potatoes, lentils, blackberries, sloes and crayfish, while American bison, sheep and cows are your favourite meats. 

Foods that are sour bitter and mouldy belong to Capricorn, such as blue cheese (stock image)

Foods that are sour bitter and mouldy belong to Capricorn, such as blue cheese (stock image)

Your cooking style

Capricorns like every aspect of their existence to be reliable, practical and exacting. 

You can set your clock by Capricorn and meals should be served on time. And if it’s fish pie every Friday or salad every day they will not complain. 

Routine and tradition are the corner stones of life and no Capricorn kitchen is complete without a clock. 

Your dining style 

Capricorn is the epitome of efficiency, so even the most humble meal will be conducted in the spirits of military manoeuvres. 

The Capricorn is a traditionalist with an innate sense of form and order so you can expect a table setting reflective of ‘old money’ one that might grace a mansion. 

The silverware should be old, preferably handed down through the generations while napkin rings and salt pots may display a crest. 

A clock in the kitchen is an essential for the organised Capricorn (stock image)

A clock in the kitchen is an essential for the organised Capricorn (stock image)

AQUARIUS: 20 January – 18 February

Aquarius prefers foods that are tantalising to the eye and tastebuds; souffles, mousses and meringues, salt cod, quince and sage. 

Your cooking style 

Aquarius is a fixed sign and must be in control. At best they are top chefs incarnate but at worst tin-pot tyrants. 

Given a choice Aquarians would prefer big kitchens first because it’s a meeting place in which people gather to chew the fat and whatever is bubbling on the stove and baking in the oven. 

Since orchards come under the rulership of this sign, there is almost always a prominent display of fruit, sometimes mixed with vegetables. 

A beautiful display of fruit and veg is likely to greet you on the Aquarius dining table (stock image)

A beautiful display of fruit and veg is likely to greet you on the Aquarius dining table (stock image)

Your dining style

To Aquarians, it’s not so much how their table looks as to who’s around it. They love a good crows – a bad one even better. 

What they may like more, however, is a stimulating argument. You might find a famous quotation concealed under a napkin to get you talking. 

PISCES: 18 February – 20 March

Your favourite foods

Pisceans are not big carnivores. In fact, it’s a sign that leans towards a vegetarian or vegan diet. 

Pisces rule most fruits and its vegetables include turnips, endive and leeks. 

Wine bars ans watering holes of all description come under the sign an done of the routs to the out of body experience is why so many Pisceans crave alcohol. 

There’s sure to be a plentiful supply at any Piscean dinner party.  

There's sure to be a plentiful supply of booze at any Piscean dinner party (stock image)

There’s sure to be a plentiful supply of booze at any Piscean dinner party (stock image)

Your cooking style

Your Piscean cook is not a big believer in following a recipe. These are the most inspirational members of the zodiac, preferring to obey their own instincts. 

Your dining style 

For Pisces it’s the experience that counts, the capturing of the moment. 

You could just place cushions on the floor or out under the stars, allowing guests to help themselves from pots and pans and sip wine from plastic cups 

The Zodiac Cooks, £29.99, is published by GBP Publishing 

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