A Blog of Chocolates

2002-08-03T17:07:00.000-04:00

Blogathon 2002 is over... but there are still women who want to start businesses and need help. First, feel free to look here and in the archives if you want to read about chocolate... and if you would like to support my cause, feel free to make a direct donation to Count Me In. Your donation will be tax-deductible.

If you would like to visit my regular blog, go to My Riad.

2002-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Finis! I can't believe I did it! 24 hours without sleep! Thank you, thank you... you helped raise $429 for Count Me In... and you helped Blogathon 2002 raise more than $58,000 for charities around the world. (There may be more to add to the Count Me In total after I hear from Bean Tree Soap.)

I want to thank each of you who sponsored me. Your generosity is much appreciated. Thanks to all of you who helped me find stuff to write about, and helped me stay awake. I'm glad we could help Count Me In, and in turn, help our economy grow.

Before I crash, some important information for the sponsors:

*Do not send or give your pledge money to me, or to Blogathon 2002!

* You will receive an e-mail from Blogathon 2002 asking you to send your donation directly to Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence. You can donate online, or you can send your contribution to: Count Me In, 22 West 26th Street, Suite 9H, New York, NY 10010. If you do send your contribution by snail-mail, I would appreciate it if you mention that you made a pledge through A Blog of Chocolates.

*Be sure to get a receipt from Count Me In if you want to write your contribution off on your taxes. Because I am not collecting money, I cannot provide you with a receipt when tax-time rolls around. From my previous giving experience, I believe Count Me In will send you a thank-you e-mail which notes the amount you gave. Print out that e-mail and it can serve as your receipt. Otherwise, keep your cancelled check, or somehow keep track of your contribution.

This site will be accessible if you want to come back to review any of the chocolate tidbits I posted... please honor any references/credits I made to other authors, books, sites, etc.

Finally, I may do this again next year! If you have any chocolate ideas, please e-mail me.

Thank you very much.... and take a moment every day to enjoy life!

2002-07-28T08:35:00.000-04:00

Favorite Chocolate Cookies: Let's start with the classic-- chocolate chip. I've got a recipe that makes a really crunchy cookie. The secret ingredient is potato chips. No joke! Basically, take a standard cookie dough recipe, be sure you're using real butter, and add about 2 cups of crushed potato chips. (A sleeve of Pringle's is just about right.) It adds a unique crunch... and 99 percent of the time, people don't know why it tastes so good until you tell them the secret... if you tell them the secret!

Next-- a cookie that goes by several different names. At Foster's Market in North Carolina, it's called the "chocolate whopper." Look in the Williams-Sonoma chocolate cookbook, and it's called the "othello." Whatever you call it, it's a great recipe. It has loads of chocolate and very little flour... just enough so you can call the resulting product a cookie. Melted chocolate in the dough, and lots of chocolate chips and nuts. Mmmm.

Finally-- a cookie that got me several marriage proposals. It is the ultimate chocolate cookie. It's called the "Menage a trois" cookie, and the recipe was developed by DeDe Wilson. It's in her book, Bake It to The Limit. It's got a whopping 46 ounces of chocolate in the entire recipe... a dark, truffle-y cookie with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate chunks. I'm happy to say you can also get the recipe here. Go make these!

Last half hour: Thank you!

2002-07-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and Ancient Mayan Religious Beliefs: The Mayans believed cacao was heavenly. (Hmmm. So do I.) They believed the cacao tree belonged to the gods, and research into their civilization shows that it was the only tree they bothered to name.

The Mayans believed the cacao pods were gifts from the gods to humans, (hmm... so do I) and that the pods were symbols of life and fertility.

They also built stone temples and palaces which featured carvings and images of cacao pods.

(I tried decorating my house in a chocolate theme and my husband wouldn't let me.)

Next half hour: Favorite chocolate cookies

2002-07-28T07:31:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and Christianity: Hey, it's Sunday morning. Guess we ought to do something religious.

Seems like the Church had a love-hate relationship with chocolate. Sometimes they used it, sometimes they banned it.

When Hernan Cortes realized cacao was sort of a "black gold," he got greedy and tried to keep a monopoly on processing beans. You can thank the Jesuits for actually introducing and spreading chocolate throughout Spain, Italy, and France.

Until the 18th century, nuns and monks made chocolate on both sides of the pond.

In the New World-- they loved chocolate. The nuns and monks even used it to keep them going during a fast.

In Europe, however, chocolate was kind of suspicious for a while. One monk tried to declare that chocolate was nothing but diabolical, but no one paid him much mind.

Next half hour: Chocolate and Ancient Mayan Religious Beliefs

2002-07-28T07:03:00.000-04:00

Cure for a hangover: Wild Saturday night? Waking up with a headache? (Or are you still up with a headache?) Chocolate might be your cure.

During the 17th century, an Englishman wrote in his diary about a terrible hangover he had the morning after the king's coronation. He wrote that a friend gave him a cup of chocolate as a remedy.

Hope it worked!

Next half hour: It's Sunday morning. Time for some religion. We'll start with Chocolate and Christianity.

2002-07-28T06:32:00.000-04:00

Chocolate Babka: I didn't even know what chocolata babka was until my co-worker introduced me to it a few weeks ago. She and her mom get it from a Jewish grocery store called Snyder's in DC. She kept telling me how good it was, and she finally brought in a piece so I could try it myself.

Merciful heavens! It was more than I imagined... more than just bread. And it is. Bread dough rolled out, then slathered with chocolate paste, rolled up and baked.

She said, "wait 'til you get home. Heat it up and put some whipped cream on top." She looked at me. Oh, yeah, her eyes said. It'll send you.

Me, when I taste something that good, I have to try to make it myself. I don't know if it's to continually impress my husband, or know that I can do myself in -- in a happy way-- with my own cooking. I haven't tried it yet-- but here's a chocolate babka recipe.

(FYI -- there are recipes for chocolate babka with pecans or walnuts, and Elinor Klivans has a chocolate-almond babka recipe in her book, Bake and Freeze Chocolate Desserts. I think I prefer no nuts. Leave room for more chocolate.)

Next half hour: Cure for a hangover

2002-07-28T06:03:00.000-04:00

Eeek! The sun is rising.... the birds are singing...

Chocolate for breakfast: Not that I'm hungry this early in the a.m. But I thought you might want to consider some choices.

If I were awake enough to cook, I'd make some chocolate scones. I was thinking about double-chocolate chip. I like scones-- they're easy to make, it's easy to experiment with flavors, and they're easy to carry in the car with you to work. And they look so impressive. Here are a few recipes:

*Chocolate-Drizzled Tweed Scones
*Bittersweet Chocolate Scones with Rum-Macerated Dried Cherries

Don't know about you, but around my house, whenever dad had a bumper crop of zucchini, it was zucchini this, zucchini that. How about some Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

Next half hour: Chocolate Babka

2002-07-28T05:37:00.000-04:00

Is Chocolate Good for You? Several new pieces of research have given us new reasons to enjoy chocolate with less guilt, according to the Chocolate Manufacturers' Association.

First is one my mom is really glad to hear: the main fatty acid in chocolate does not raise bad cholesterol levels.

Another is that dark chocolate and cocoa powder have the same antioxidants as red wine.

And the third is the positive impact chocolate has on the brain and our feelings of well-being.

But what about what dietitians say-- especially with obesity in America at epidemic proportions?

Chocolate makers say-- it's the so-called "junk" chocolate that makes you unhealthy. They say high-quality chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, with no added fat (so obviously they put milk chocolate in the non-high-quality category), and chocolate that has a higher percentage of the real thing needs less sugar to make it taste good. Basically-- just remember to think about what else is in your chocolate besides chocolate.

Next half hour: chocolate for breakfast

2002-07-28T05:03:00.000-04:00

Cloud Nine Chocolates: Cloud Nine chocolate is a smooth chocolate. It is made with evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar, if avoiding refined sugar is your thing.

Cloud Nine makes about 11 different flavors of bars. Toasted coconut crisp with milk chocolate and cool mint crisp-- dark chocolate with little bits of peppermint candy-- are my favorites. They also have an espresso bean crunch bar, which I didn't like because I thought the beans were left too big; but then again, I'm not a coffee drinker.

Cloud Nine is definitely worth a taste!

Next half hour: Is chocolate good for you?

2002-07-28T04:42:00.000-04:00

Man, this is torturous, hearing my husband snoring in the next room...

Does Chocolate Really Cause Pimples? Well, we'll have to consider the sources. On one hand, your mom, who either doesn't want you to get into the habit of eating chocolate or wants to eat it all herself. On the other, the chocolate manufacturers who want to you buy, eat, buy, eat.

You know what your mom says.

Here's what the manufacturers have to say: there is "no correlation between chocolate consumption and acne in teenagers. Likely culprits are hormonal imbalances and a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet."

The chocolate manufacturers, according to The Cook's Encyclopedia of Chocolate, have similar explanations for migraines (chocolate has less of the chemical that sets off migraines than cheese); tooth decay (blame sugar, sticky candy, or toffee); and even obesity (good quality dark chocolate is expensive, so you can't afford to eat enough of it to make you fat).

(Kinda reminds you of that guy in NY trying to sue KFC and McDonald's for his weight problem, doesn't it?)

Next half hour: Cloud Nine Chocolates

2002-07-28T04:15:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and the Afterlife: If there's a choice, send me off Mayan style. The Egyptians equipped their dead with things they thought they'd need in the next life, and so did the Mayans-- though perhaps not as elaborately.

A tomb found in Guatemala contained vessels used for drinking chocolate-- and one of those vessels had traces of chocolate left in it!

Next half hour: Does chocolate cause pimples?

2002-07-28T03:44:00.000-04:00

Chocolate bath and body products: There are quite a few products out there that not only use cocoa butter, but cocoa for the body.

Let me plug one of my corporate sponsors, Bean Tree Soap. The owner, Shannon, has a chocolate massage bar that is shaped like a wooden massage tool. It contains cocoa butter, cocoa, and shea butter. She says that the smell is so wonderful, every time she makes it, her husband thinks she's making brownies. Shannon has put together a chocolate gift basket just for this fundraiser... you can get chocolate soap, chocolate lotion, chocolate bath salts, and chocolate massage oil for $20. A very sensual gift. And $5 will go to Count Me In.

Next half hour: Chocolate and the after life

2002-07-28T03:12:00.000-04:00

Six hours left! We're in the home stretch... last quarter of the Blogathon.

Note to self: get BloggerPro for spell-checking if you do this again next year...

Chocolate and body temperature: One of the most sensual things about chocolate is that it melts somewhere between 86 degrees F and 97 degrees F, which is right below body temperature. So, it remains solid at room temperature and melts once you put it in your mouth.

Do, however, store your chocolate slightly below room temperature, and give it time to warm up before you eat it, so you can enjoy all the flavor.

Next half hour: Chocolate bath products

2002-07-28T02:41:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and prostitution: During the Mayan and Aztec Empires, a john paid for a prostitute's services in cacao beans. During the Mayan Empire, an entire night at a brothel cost a handful of 'em.

And a contemporary of Hernan Cortes (the explorer who took cacao back to Spain) noted that the services of a prostitute during the Aztec Empire cost ten cacao beans.

(Wonder how he knew?)

Next half hour: chocolate and body temperature

2002-07-28T02:11:00.000-04:00

Mood foods: You know what we've been talking about.

Here are two of my favorites-- the "chocolate kiss" (no, not the Hershey's thing)-- take a piece of chocolate, put it in your mouth, let it melt a little, then kiss. Very sweet.

I also like Nutella. You know, the chocolate-hazelnut spread?

You figure out what to do with it.

Next half hour: Chocolate and prostitution

2002-07-28T01:31:00.000-04:00

Chocolate aphrodisiacs: If we follow the logic of my last post, then whatever you think puts you in the mood does.

For Montezuma, it was 50 cups of chocolate a night... Casanova ditched champagne as a love potion, opting for hot chocolate instead... in the 1930s, many femme fatales were pictured with a box of chocolates on satin sheets... and historically, monks were told to avoid chocolate because it could "violently inflame the passions."

Next half hour: More on mood foods

2002-07-28T01:04:00.000-04:00

Sex and chocolate: One of chocolate's early uses was as an aphrodisiac. (You've heard or read the story of Montezuma and his 50 cups of chocolate a night before visiting his many wives...?)

Well, one of chocolate's ingredients is "phenylethylamine." (Don't ask me how to say it. I'm not sure I could spell it without looking.) Just think of it as a chocolate amphetamine. This chemical occurs naturally in the brain... and releases other chemicals in the pleasure centers of our brains... and peaks during the big O.

So does chocolate give us the same chemical response as an orgasm?

Well, according to chocolate.org, our bodies metabolize much of the pheny-thingy before it reaches our central nervous systems. Sorry.

But, hey, I've always heard the best sex organ is your brain... so if you think it works...

Next half hour: Aphrodisiacs.

2002-07-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

Men vs. Chocolate: First, a quote from Maria Teresa, the Spanish princess who married King Louis XIV of France in 1660:

"Chocolate and the king are my only passions."

Note the order!

And she's not the only woman who feels this way... according to chocolate.org, 50 percent of women claim to prefer chocolate to sex.

I'd have to say... I loved chocolate before I met my hubby... he's a great guy... however, chocolate doesn't leave its shorts in the floor for me to pick up day after day...

Sometimes, it's a clear choice, sometimes, it's a toss.

Next half hour: put the kiddies to bed! Chocolate and sex

2002-07-27T23:58:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo! Two more sponsors-- one a good friend, the other an anonymous I can't figure out. (Email me, anonymous, so that I may thank you personally.) Thank you both! Our total for Count Me In is $429, not counting contributions from Bean Tree Soap. I'm feeling pretty good about hitting $500...

Chocolove: Chocolove has a cute packaging concept. The bars are wrapped to look like love letters, with a stamp. Inside the wrapper is a love poem. Chocolove bars are made of organic Belgian chocolate.

Chocolove comes in 33% milk chocolate, and an assortment of dark chocolate bars ranging from 55% to 77%! There are also combinations of ginger, cherries and almonds, orange, and raspberry.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the milk chocolate and hazelnut bar. It tasted a little waxy. I tried the 55% dark chocolate bar, and it didn't melt in my mouth like I wanted; it took a couple of chews. However, I did enjoy the dark chocolate orange bar.

Cute packaging-- worth a try.

Next half hour: Men vs. Chocolate. Oh, ladies, you'll wanna hit the comment key for this one.

2002-07-27T23:36:00.000-04:00

Can you become addicted to chocolate? There are certainly quite a few people who say they should belong to Chocoholics Anonymous. But can you really be addicted to chocolate-- like a drug?

Chocolate contains compounds similiar to those found in marijuana, and these compounds do give us a little buzz of pleasure when we eat chocolate. But our stomach acids break down these compounds before they get into our bloodstream.

And, it's true, chocolate triggers the body's natural opiates-- but scientists say that creates a craving, not an addiction. What's the dif? When you're addicted to something, it becomes less and less satisfying every time you use it.

While it's true that Hershey's lost its luster for me years ago, progressing from Hershey's to, say, Lindt, isn't the same as going from weed to nose candy.

Next half hour: Chocolove

2002-07-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

The Bishop who was murdered for trying to ban chocolate: This took place in Chiapas, Mexico, I believe sometime in the 17th century.

A group of upper-class ladies basically said Mass was too long and exhausting without having a cup of hot chocolate to help them through. So they would have maid-servants to walk into the sanctuary bringing them cups of chocolate.

This didn't go over too well with the Bishop. It disrupted Mass. He told the ladies there would be no more chocolate served during Mass. Anyone who broke that rule would be excommunicated.

The ladies didn't care. It got so bad, at one point, folks pulled swords on each other when the priests tried to take the chocolate away from the ladies' maids. (In church! We got in trouble just for chewing gum!)

Finally, the ladies refused to attend the Bishop's services, and started going to Mass at a convent. The priests tried to warn the Bishop that if the women couldn't drink their chocolate during services, they were going to get revenge-- and that it could be deadly.

Eight days later-- the Bishop died a very painful death.

Rumors started spreading that one of the gentlewomen who was -- *ahem* -- "familiar"-- with one of the Bishop's pages got that page to give the Bishop a cup of poisoned chocolate.

Moral of the story: never come between a woman and her chocolate!

Next half hour: Can you become addicted to chocolate?

2002-07-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

Montezuma's Chocolates: First, hello to all my friends in the UK. I want to come visit you. Actually, I want to go visit this chocolate company and stay with you so I can save money on lodging.

Montezuma's was started by two lawyers about two years ago. (Maybe less.) Their chocolate is hand-made using all organic ingredients, and they have some unique combinations of flavors. They offer bars, blocks, truffles, and drinking chocolate. The ingredients they use include brazil nuts, Australian ginger, bananas, coconut, apricots, pecans, cranberries, sultanas, almonds, cardamom, apple, lemon, coffee beans...

I ordered several of their bars last Christmas. Wow. I loved the white chocolate with cinnamon. Very smooth. And after I tasted the milk chocolate with nutmeg, I hid it from my husband. If you love dark chocolate, they have a 73% very dark chocolate bar. They also have what they call the "Emperor Chili" bar... chocolate with chili; I haven't got up the courage to try it yet. And they have some vegan chocolate bars. Yes!

If you're lucky enough to live near Sussex, where Montezuma's is based, you can join "Monty's Club" and get invites to the company's chocolate tastings.

If you live in the US and want to try some of Montezuma's chocolates, which I do recommend, order from www.chefshop.com. You'll save a little bit on shipping-- and since it's summer, it's probably safer.

Next half hour: The bishop who was murdered for trying to ban chocolate

2002-07-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

Best Hot Chocolates: It's 10pm in my corner of the world: Time to cozy down with some hot chocolate.

(Or maybe not. I'm in the South, where it's cooled down to 72 degrees. It's so hot during the day, I've got fried green tomatoes on-the-vine.)

So, hey, if it's cold enough in your world to cozy down with a cup of chocolate, here are some of my favorites:

*Ibarra Authentic Mexican Chocolate Drink Mix comes in a nifty yellow and red box. Inside are large tablets containing cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon. You heat up some milk, then put the milk in a blender with a few wedges of the chocolate tablets and give it a whir. Frothy and flavorful.

*Lake Champlain of Vermont makes a nice powdered cocoa mix, in several different flavors (chocolate, chocolate raspberry, chocolate orange, and chocolate mint). When you follow the directions on the package you get a nice, rich drink. Oh, this is a "no water" mix. Gotta use milk. By the way, Lake Champlain makes some nice chocolates and truffles-- I love their holiday truffles (like the hazelnut praline Easter Egg)-- and they have a box of thins, with a dark chocolate peppermint candy crunch. It's a dark chocolate I really enjoy.

*My mom sends me a canister of this every Christmas: Williams-Sonoma's peppermint hot chocolate. It is actually chipped chocolate that has been infused with peppermint oil. You mix a few spoonfuls into some hot milk. Mmmm. I do believe it is a seasonal product.

Next half hour: A British chocolate company with some great combinations-- Montezuma's.

2002-07-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

Why Every Chocolate Lover Should be an Environmentalist: Basically, because cacao trees don't just grow anywhere. They're very picky about where they'll flourish. And the best gardener for the job is Mother Nature.

Cacao trees only grow within about 15 degrees of the equator. They need constant warmth, and constant rainfall. They can reach 50 feet high, but they must grow under the shade of other trees. Under the right conditions, they can produce pods for 100 years or more.

There have been some attempts to create large plantations, but it just doesn't work. Only about 3 percent of all the blossoms on the cacao tree actually produce fruit-- and the number drops when man steps in to try to industrialize it. Some people have even tried hand-pollination, and it doesn't increase the success. Any chocolate that is produced just doesn't taste the same. Fact is, 90 percent of the chocolate we get is grown by small farmers who just help Mother Earth do her thing.

I think it's divinely ironic that the "food of the gods"-- one of the greatest pleasures on earth-- is something only God (if you believe in one; if not, nature or whatever) has the recipe for. And if you're a chocolate lover, you can see why mowing through the rainforests threatens your passion.

Learn more about the cocoa tree through a special interactive project called The Cocoa Tree.

Next half hour: Best hot chocolates

2002-07-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

Woo-hoo! The halfway mark! 12 down, 12 hours to go.

I think this is a good time to remind you why I'm making you drool.

I'm supporting Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence. Don't let your eyes glaze over! Behind the long name are some good stories about real people. Count Me In helps women who want to start their own businesses, but may not have the cash to do so. Women in America still make less than their male counterparts. Women who want to get a bank loan often have the hurdles of a start-and-stop career (taking time out to care for children), no credit or little credit (if the husband had the credit in their name), or even bad credit (from a husband who didn't take care of business). Sometimes women don't need a huge loan and banks don't want to loan out small amounts because they make less. Sometimes women don't have a lot of collateral to put up.

This isn't only about helping one person reach their own goals. That one person may be able to support her family, create jobs in her community, and boost the local economy if she can just get the funds to get started. A boost in the economy is what we all need right now. Plus, small businesses are responsible for the largest amount of new jobs in America. So, really, giving to Count Me In is, in my view, helping yourself indirectly.

Read some of Count Me In's success stories... then hit that sponsor link and make a pledge! $5 is enough to give me a second wind.

By the way, by giving to Count Me In, ladies, you make yourself eligible to apply for their scholarships and loans.

Chocolat: (This is an excerpt from a blog on my other site.) Usually when you read a book and see the movie based on the book, the film leaves you disappointed. While the movie script did take some liberties from the novel, each was satisfying in its own way. For an analogy, I'd call the book a 70% dark chocolate, and the movie could be perhaps a 35% or 40% milk chocolate. Both worth savoring-- but one containing more essence than the other.

Not only do I love the driving force of the story-- chocolate-- I have to admit I truly appreciated elements of the message. The people of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes eventually learn to free themselves and enjoy life, including our heroine, Vianne Rocher.

In the novel, author Joanne Harris creates a more direct battle between the church and the chocolate shop. For example, in the book you see more dramatically how Vianne enters the town during Mardi Gras, disturbs Lent by tempting people with life-altering chocolate, and plans a chocolate festival on Easter Sunday. This is toned down in the movie. Also in the book, the "bad guy" is Pere Reynaud, the priest of the town's church; whereas in the movie, the "bad guy" is the mayor, the Comte de Reynaud, who happens to have the young Elvis-imitating priest on puppet strings. The book gives us more insight into Reynaud's character through letters he writes to another priest.

The novel also gives us a slightly different Vianne than the film. The novel shows Vianne's skills with chocolate goes beyond those of a simple chocolatier... and people in town suspect she is a witch. Vianne also has a different history in the novel, yet in both the film and the book, she struggles with her past.

When I first saw the film Chocolat, I was afraid it would be considered too artsy for the general public to enjoy. I was glad it received Academy Award nominations. As for the novel, if you enjoy creating the world of the book in your head and living with the characters as they explore themselves and change their lives, put it on your summer reading list.

Next half hour: Why every chocolate lover should be an environmentalist

2002-07-27T20:40:00.000-04:00

The Right Way to Eat Chocolate: Don't you hate it when you give someone a really good chocolate and they just chew it like it was okra or something? My dad did that all the time... my mom would get us girls a box of some special chocolates (she had educated us in the proper eating of fine chocolates), but my dad chewed it like he was chompin' down chow in the Army mess hall. (Men. Always rushing through good stuff.)

The whole point of chocolate is to enjoy it... not go through it like a weed-eater. Take your time, do it right.

Here's the proper way to eat chocolate... according to the Cook's Encyclopedia of Chocolate (so you don't have to believe me). First, the chocolate should be at room temperature. Second, let the chocolate sit in your mouth for a few moments. I personally recommend an inhale after those few moments.

Now-- Cook's recommends a few chews-- 3-5 if you're eating a filled chocolate, 5-10 if you're not. I agree for the filled chocolates, but for others, the chocolate should be melting in your mouth right about now, so skip the chewing. No chewing!

Press the chocolate up against the roof of your mouth. Let it swirl in your mouth. Take another inhale. Enjoy the secondary and lingering flavors.

Wasn't that yummy?

Next half hour: Chocolat, the movie and the novel!

2002-07-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

Brownie Puddle: Rose Levy Beranbaum created this dessert-- and anyone who could create something this good must be my soulmate.

Basically, it is a dark brownie (on the fudgy side) baked in a fluted, removable-bottom tart pan. Nuts if you like. Then, right after it comes out of the oven, poke holes in it with the end of a wooden spoon. Fill the holes with some chocolate ganache.

Did I hear an "mmmm" all over the Blogathon world?

To get this recipe-- pick up The Pie and Pastry Bible, page 297, or visit this page.

Next half hour: The Right Way to Eat Chocolate

2002-07-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

Are lowfat chocolate desserts worth eating? The other day on Oprah, she had guests on who had lost incredible amounts of weight. One woman said she completely gave up chocolate.

My dark-chocolate-loving co-worker and I looked at each other.

Nope! We couldn't do it.

And I started to wonder... because when you look at me you can tell I love chocolate... since I absolutely refuse to live without chocolate, could I settle for a "lowfat" dessert... or would I be happy just having a teensy bit of the real stuff? Would you rather have a bowl full of Healthy Choice ice cream, or two spoons of Ben & Jerry's?

My first choice would be a spoon or two of the real thing. (The trick there is restraint, or "stretching out the joy" as I like to think of it.) There are too many "lowfat" products out there that taste like empty calories. For example, Hershey's Sweet Escapes have just too much sugar for me; and Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches are okay, but sometimes I want the chocolate and peanut butter flavor to slap me in the face.

I go for lowfat treats much better if I make them myself-- and here are two books that deliver lowfat satisfaction: Let Them Eat Cake by Susan G. Purdy; and Chocolate and the Art of Low-Fat Desserts by Alice Medrich. If you can go for only one, get Medrich's book; she's known as "America's First Lady of Chocolate."

Next half hour: A great dessert that doesn't skimp on fat-- Brownie Puddle

2002-07-27T19:04:00.000-04:00

Chocolate for dinner: It's dinnertime in my corner of the world. Before I plate up, how about a little chocolate? Scroll down to the entry on "weird chocolate combinations that work," read the comments and you'll find a link to a chili recipe that contains chocolate. And here's a recipe I like for Barbequed-Chicken Potpie which contains a little chocolate. It just kind of deepens the flavors.

It took a while before people thought about using chocolate for dessert. Both the Spanish and Mexicans use chocolate in sauces for meat, game, and fish.

And-- The Cook's Encyclopedia of Chocolate describes a collection of recipes that once belonged to an 18th century Italian priest. It contained recipes for chocolate polenta; chocolate pudding with veal, marrow, and candied fruit; and floured slices of liver dipped in chocolate and fried!

Yikes-- I think I just ruined my own appetite!

Next half hour: Are lowfat desserts worth eating?

2002-07-27T18:34:00.000-04:00

Ever met a chocolate you didn't like? Every once in a while, you run into a dud.

Last year I went to Morocco, and one day, I just had to have some. Not that there hadn't been anything sweet to eat-- we had mint tea and cookies just about every night. I just needed some smooth, creamy chocolate.

So my husband got me a bar. The wrapper said "chocolat." It looked like chocolate.

It wasn't chocolate.

It tasted like brown wax. Like I was eating a candle or a crayon! I turned the bar over and chocolate was like the fourth or fifth ingredient on the list. (See? Told you it wasn't chocolate.) I don't remember what the name of the bar was, or who the manufacturer was, and I didn't take a chance on any other chocolate while visiting Morocco; I stuck with the tea and cookies. I just lived with theobromine withdrawals for a few weeks.

Next half hour: Chocolate for dinner

2002-07-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

Classy S'mores: I can't take credit for this idea-- it belongs to Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbeque! Bible.

Basically, roast your marshmellow to your preferred standard of donness. But, use homemade chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers, and use something more sophisticated than Hershey's bars... perhaps Lindt or Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares.

Mmmmm!

Next half hour: Ever met a chocolate you didn't like?

2002-07-27T17:39:00.000-04:00

A few cocoa facts. Cocoa is what's left when you squeeze all the fat out of unsweetened, solid chocolate liquor. It's then ground to a powder.

In 1828, Conrad J. van Houten treated the cocoa with alkaline to try to make it blend better with water. The alkaline darkened the color and mellowed the flavor: ta da! Dutch-process cocoa.

If you ever make a devil's food cake (without the red food coloring), you're kind of dutching the cocoa yourself, according to What Einstein Told His Cook. Most devil's food cake recipes call for regular cocoa powder, but the baking soda in the recipe neutralizes the acid in the cocoa and changes the color.

Next half hour: Classy S'mores

2002-07-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

Can men ever love chocolate like women do? There's a man I work with who says he's a chocolate lover. So, a few days ago, I e-mailed him about the Blogathon and how I was going to write about chocolate. Then I asked him, "Can men ever really love chocolate like women do? Any thoughts?"

He stopped by my desk a while later. "You know, I have to give that some thought. I'll get back to you."

And that was all he ever said!

So I'm thinking not. I mean, a real chocolate-lover would have defended his passion, right? And I did stumble upon several studies showing men crave chocolate less frequently than women.

I'd love to have a guy chocolate-lover chime in: I'm curious. Do guys ever crave it? Does something inside you say, "I gotta have it?" Does the same feeling of bliss wash over you, making you feel that all is once again right in your world, even for a moment?

Next half hour: Cocoa

2002-07-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Why do women crave chocolate? I'm not going to get too scientific here. But I've read some articles that say women crave chocolate at certain times during the month when they're low in magnesium or other chemicals-- but then other studies say that when the women are given the actual chemical in pill form, they still crave chocolate.

Then there are some studies that say women crave chocolate because we need more "feelgood" chemicals to go off in our brains when we're more stressed.

Sorry to leave you out, guys, but ladies know what I'm talking about: certain things in a woman's life just aren't clockwork. They just happen. And I just happen to crave chocolate right before the other happenings. Sorry I can't give you any definitive answers. Fellas, I'd say, it's always good to have a stash of Haagen-Dazs or some other chocolate around-- it might get you out of the dog house in a pinch. (But then again, it might not.)

Next half hour: Can men ever really appreciate chocolate like women do?

2002-07-27T16:01:00.000-04:00

Chocolate to Save the Animals: The man who founded the Endangered Species Chocolate Company uses chocolate to bring awareness to endangered animals.

There are 18 different bars, and each is named after an endangered animal. (For example, the "Harp Seal Bar" is Belgian white chocolate; "The Panda Bar" is a swirl of dark and white chocolate.) The wrappers not only feature a picture of the animal, but interesting facts about the species and what dangers it faces are printed on the back. The company also makes "Bug Bites"-- little mini-bars with a bug trading card inside, meant to highlight the important roles insects play in the environment.

Ten percent of the proceeds from Endangered Species chocolates support environmental organizations dedicated to saving the endangered species and their habitats.

I've got my hands on the "Manatee Bar"-- milk chocolate and rice crisp (and let me just say I think manatees are beautiful animals). Time for a little real-time tasting:

Say, this certainly isn't your standard Krackel bar... really crunchy rice... smooth... the chocolate isn't complex... the texture is good. I'll put it on my favorites list.

Next half hour: Why do women crave chocolate?

2002-07-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

A chocolate-lover's dream vacation: I've actually got two to mention.

First, my dark-chocolate-loving co-worker went on a cruise (I'm not sure what line it was) and they had a midnight chocolate buffet. She said the table stretched forever and everything on it was full of chocolate. Mmmm...

Here's my dream vacation. I want to see the origins of chocolate, so the destination is Oaxaca, Mexico. There you can see how chocolate was traditionally made by hand; taste the original chocolate drink; visit chocolate mills; and learn about chocolate's role in the pre-Hispanic culture.

You can do this on your own, or in October, when Oaxaca hosts the Food of the Gods Festival.

Off-topic (sort of): Zel asks-- if you could only eat one type of chocolate for the rest of your life... what would it be? Hmmm...

Next half hour: Chocolate made to save endangered animals

2002-07-27T15:08:00.000-04:00

Is Your Chocolate Contaminated? Earlier this year, the American Environmental Safety Institute went to a Los Angeles court to sue chocolate makers for allegedly putting dangerous levels of lead and cadmium in chocolate. (Read article) The group wanted to force chocolate manufacturers to put warning labels on their products, according to California Proposition 65.

Both lead and cadmium are naturally present in chocolate (and in other foods-- fruits, veggies, fish, meat), but the levels are too low to impact your health. As for companies adding those minerals: California's AG and the Chocolate Manufacturers' Association said the claims lack merit; and the US Food and Drug Administration and some Harvard University studies backed them up.

So... go enjoy your chocolate in peace of mind.

Weird combo update: Wanna try that chocolate and chili thing? Go down two blogs to "weird chocolate combos that work" and read the comments. There you'll find a link to a recipe for hot chocolate with cayenne.

I'm off for a sandwich!

Next half hour: A chocophile's dream vacation

2002-07-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

Contaminated Chocolate: In 1660, England placed a high tax on cacao beans and all chocolate made or sold in that country. So chocolate makers started cutting the chocolate with other ingredients-- husks, shells... even brick dust and red lead!

About 100 years later... laws were enacted to keep husks and shells out of chocolate.

Eventually, taxes on chocolate and cacao beans were dropped, after a group of folks convinced the government that chocolate was nourishing.

Now, of course, England is home to some pretty fine chocolate makers. More on those folks in a few hours.

Next half hour: Details on recent allegations of lead in chocolate

2002-07-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

Weird Chocolate Combos that Work:
*chocolate and popcorn-- check out Williams-Sonoma's chocolate covered caramel popcorn.

*melted chocolate or cocoa powder in barbeque sauce or chili (I've tried a bbq chicken pot pie that called for chocolate... mmm... really!)

*remember chocolate and potato chips?

*chocolate and chili-- which really isn't so weird; it's a 3,000 year old combination.

*chocolate, wasabi, and sesame seeds? chocolate and curry? I haven't checked those out yet, but those combos are available in truffle form from Vosges-Haut Chocolat in Chicago. (If you want to buy some chocolate and support a good cause, they have a chocolate hatbox-- 25% of the proceeds will go to V-Day, to help stop violence against women.)

Next half hour: The strange things British chocolate makers used to put in their chocolate

2002-07-27T13:33:00.000-04:00

Beat the Blues: Chocolate is my cure. (Okay, I also head out for the best Indian restaurant in town. I just love the way the cuisine combines spices -- it makes me feel so warm and soothed. But this is a blog about chocolate.)

My favorite? Something ultra chocolatey, ultra-creamy. Usually I go for a good chocolate pot de creme.

And you?

One more non-chocolate interruption: My sweet hubby just brought me some peaches from the state farmer's market. Oh, they are sweet and juicy...

Next half hour: Weird chocolate combos that work

2002-07-27T13:01:00.000-04:00

Chocolate and mood: I love chocolate pick-me-ups. I don't care if it's scientific or just in my head. Fortunately, there's some science to it, so I have an excuse!

The International Cocoa Organization says chocolate affecs the neurotransmitters in our brains. An increase in seratonin makes us relax. An increase in endorphins bring on that Dr. Feelgood thing. And, there is evidence that chocolate triggers our natural opioid system... whee!

Chocolate has also been called a botanical prozac.

And here's a good reason to start a petition at your office for a no-charge snack machine: the folks at ARISE (the Association for Research Into the Science of Enjoyment) say everyday pleasures such as coffee, tea, a soft drink, or a few pieces of chocolate help people combat work-related stress.

And the next time someone tells you chocolate's bad for your health, here's some more ARISE ammo: medical studies show happy people live longer, so "pleasurable experiences from moderate use of... chocolate can only be beneficial." (Honest, I didn't make this up-- read it for yourself!)

Here's a fundraising update: last I checked, we're up to $359 for Count Me In, not counting donations from sales of chocolate gift baskets from Bean Tree Soap. Yay! Thank you everyone! Would it be too ambitious to set a goal for a cool $500?

Next half hour: Chocolates to chase away the blues

2002-07-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

Cookies that should be candy: And that's what the company calls them.

Jo's Candies makes these chocolate-covered cookies-- or maybe I should say chocolates with a little cookie underneath! My favorites are the milk chocolate-covered graham cracker (which Grandma Jo started making after a happy accident), and the Mint Coco Jo's-- a dark chocolate cookie covered in dark mint chocolate. Mmm.

You can find them at Williams-Sonoma, Nordstrom's, Border's, Caribou Coffee, and other places.

Next half hour: Chocolate and mood

2002-07-27T12:04:00.000-04:00

July is National Ice Cream Month! Ronald Reagan made it so in 1984, and he said we should all observe National Ice Cream Month with all "appropriate ceremonies and activities."

Say, who am I to disobey the former commander-in-chief?

Some of my favorites:

*Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk
*Dreamery's Chocolate Truffle Explosion
*a recipe from Cooking Light for chocolate malt ice cream (I change the recipe a little when I make it-- substituting fat-free half and half for some of the milk, and adding some melted Scharffen Berger dark chocolate.)

Two of my favorite ice creams disappeared from local shelves when Godiva decided to change up their line: chocolate hazelnut truffle, and white chocolate macadamia toffee.

You know what-- this is a good month to start the ice cream diet!

Next half hour: Another personal favorite: cookies that qualify as candy

2002-07-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

Is There Really a Chocolate Shortage? It all started in the late 90s-- newspapers began reporting that chocolate lovers were eating chocolate quicker than it could be grown, and that we'd soon eat ourselves into chocolate-less-ness. (Check out an old Seattle-Times article.)

Then-- the Environmental News Network reported that news of a shortage was a hoax...

After that-- along with the Y2K bug, some said chocolate would be scarce in early 2000. (Gee, thanks, all the computers will get zapped with no chocolate around to make me feel better?)

Then the US Government said they were working with cacao growers to find good fungi to go after the bad fungi and save the chocolate...

Okay. so here's the truth. Finally-- the Chocolate Manufacturers Association says there's no need to panic. Plenty of cacao growin' and making happy pods to keep us all chocolate-intoxicated. Whew!

But-- there are issues chocolate lovers should be aware of! A bit on chocolate and cultivation concerns is coming up around 9:30pm ET tonight.

Next half hour: National Ice Cream Month

2002-07-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

Had your morning coffee yet? If not, stop and run to your favorite gourmet store and grab a Cafe-Tasse chocolate bar.

I discovered Cafe-Tasse while walking through "the obstacle course" at Foster's Market. (If you're ever in North Carolina, you should definitely visit Foster's. What I call "the obstacle course" is a wall-plus of little chocolates and candies right by the check-out counter.)

Cafe-Tasse, a company in Brussels, seeks to find the perfect marriage between the great combination of coffee and chocolate. My favorite is the milk chocolate with coffee praline bar. The milk chocolate melts oh-so-smoothly in your mouth, and then all these wonderful little coffee granules burst out to play on your tongue.

Big inhale--

Oh!

Next half hour: Is there really a chocolate shortage?

2002-07-27T10:33:00.000-04:00

Who were the first chocolate lovers? Many people, and historians, think the Aztecs were the first to cultivate the cacao tree. But the Cook's Encyclopedia of Chocolate says many historians believe an earlier civilization can claim first dibs on cultivating the food of the gods: the Olmec people, a Mesoamerican civilization, who hung around what is now Veracruz about 3,000 years ago.

By the way, you might want to check out a recent article on ABCNews.com about a recent discovery showing chocolate predated Christ.

Next half hour: One of my favorite chocolates -- Cafe Tasse

2002-07-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

The debate for milk chocolate: First, let me 'splain what I mean by milk chocolate. When I crave chocolate, it's for milk chocolate, and I go right past the candy machines and out to the parking lot. I head out to one of the gourmet specialty stores or dessert places nearby for something more luxurious than the machine fare.

It's not that I don't like dark chocolate -- there are quite a few I enjoy. (I admit, my mom and I "fought" over the Special Dark bars in the miniature Hershey's bag when I was a kid.) It's just when I've gotta have chocolate, I need it to be smooth... to melt in my mouth easily, without chewing... something I can hold up to the roof of my mouth and feel the silkiness... I can inhale and the chocolate just rushes through my head...

Yeah, I've heard the darker things in life are sweetest...

Next half hour: The first chocolate lovers

2002-07-27T09:31:00.000-04:00

The debate for dark chocolate: Some people say dark chocolate is the only real chocolate-- everything else is "junk chocolate." (Ouch!)

I'm not a dark chocolate lover-- so I spoke with a co-worker, who is passionate about it. She says she discovered dark chocolate when she realized mint chocolate chip ice cream had dark chocolate in it. She's been hooked ever since.

She says, "Some people think that milk chocolate is smoother, but to me, dark chocolate is smoother. It just adds class to chocolate."

She says, for coffee lovers, dark chocolate makes sense. "Dark chocolate is the closest taste you can get to coffee without the bitter aftertaste."

"Dark chocolate describes so many things on this earth... like your man," she said.

And it's clear, as she rolls her eyes, one of her favorite ways to enjoy dark chocolate is with some contrast. "To set it off with some cream, like vanilla hazelnut? Oh...!"

Next half hour: My love for milk chocolate

2002-07-27T09:07:00.000-04:00

We're off! I've always wanted to indulge in chocolate for a whole day!

First up-- a little debate between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. I have comments from a woman who loves her chocolate and man the same way-- dark! Vote in the poll-- hit that comment link and tell me where your passion lies.

Oh, and sign my chocolate GuestMap! You can mark chocolate "landmarks"-- I put in a few for starters-- and put a pin in for yourself. Don't forget to tell us your favorite way to enjoy chocolate.

Next half hour: The Debate Begins!

2002-07-26T23:11:00.000-04:00

We are about 10 hours away from the start of Blogathon 2002. I'm stocking up on eats, music, movies, and some "research materials." (mmmm...) But I wanted to post a preliminary "kick-off": a quote that I think is quite fitting for the cause I'm supporting:

"How wrong is it for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself." Anais Nin, a writer who started her own publishing company when other publishing companies refused to print her work.

A Blog of Chocolates Blogathon 2002 Details:

What's this all about?
I'm blogging about chocolate for 24 hours to support one of my favorite charities, Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence during Blogathon 2002. Count Me In helps women
who want to start their own businesses by offering loans, education, and consultation to women who may not otherwise be able to get a traditional business loan. Basically, they help women live their dreams, support themselves, create jobs (something much needed in the current economy), and help build their local economies.

Sponsor Me:
You can make a pledge until 9am ET/6am PT Sunday. Any amount is appreciated; Count Me In is striving for $5 for every woman in the US. Also, when you fill out the online sponsorship form, replace "anonymous" with your name, so I can list you here, unless you want to remain anonymous.

Money:
You don't have to send money now, and don't send money to me. You'll get an e-mail asking you to send your money directly to Count Me In.

Tax deductions:
Your donation to Count Me In is tax deductible, so be sure to get a receipt from them (I think they send you a thank-you e-mail that can serve as a receipt if you contribute through their website.) So don't write me when tax time rolls around-- since I won't actually collect money, I can't give you a receipt. (However, if you need an accountant, my dad's a good one.)

About me:
I'm not a pastry chef, historian, or chocolatier; I'm just a woman who loves chocolate and wanted to support a cause I think is important. (My best friend shaved her head bald for Locks of Love; I'm just not that brave.)

Commenting:
Please use common netiquette, or I'll have to ban you.

Fellow Blogathonners:
E-mail me, and you, too, can be listed as an admirable insomniac.

2002-07-25T01:42:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited about a special arrangement I've just made, I can't wait 'til Saturday to tell you about it. Bean Tree Soap has put together a special gift basket just for this fundraising event. You get a chocolate massage bar which contains cocoa, cocoa butter, and shea butter; a bottle of chocolate lotion, chocolate massage oil, and chocolate bath salts... all for just $20. $5 of each basket purchase will support Count Me In. The owner-- a work-at-home mom herself-- uses all natural, non-toxic ingredients which are safe to use on even a child's skin. If chocolate's not your thing, you'll find plenty more products at Bean Tree. Everything's made to order. So soap up... you'll smell so good, someone might slap you on a plate and sop you up with a biscuit!

2002-07-23T12:48:00.000-04:00

(In your favorite Mr. TV voice)
Here's what's coming up this weekend on A Blog of Chocolates:
*Debate-- dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate
*what chocolate has to do with the oldest profession
*share favorite chocolates, cookies, ice creams...
*the story of a bishop who was murdered for trying to ban chocolate
*and put the kiddies to bed early-- at 1am ET, is chocolate really an aphrodisiac? Or is it in our heads? (Or are we just glad it works?)

Blogathon 2002 starts at 9:00am ET Saturday... drop by and help keep me awake. It's a 24-hour marathon for a good cause. (Quick details to the left, more below.)

2002-07-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

An update: I've finally decided what to write about: chocolate. (I changed the title & color scheme of this blog to something more appropriate.) 24 hours of chocolate: I promise this will be the sweetest part of the Blogathon! If you've got any chocolate-related "requests," hit the comment link.

2002-07-18T12:32:00.000-04:00

A week from this Saturday-- July 27-- I will go sleepless in the South for 24 hours, to participate in Blogathon 2002, a fundraising event for charity. Basically, bloggers who participate must post something every 30 minutes, and sponsors will send their money directly to the charity the blogger is supporting.

I'm supporting Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence, a non-profit organization that makes business loans to women in the US who have solid ideas for businesses, but usually cannot qualify for a traditional bank loan (perhaps they don't have a lot of collateral, they don't want to borrow a lot of money, this is their first business loan, or something like that). Count Me In also provides educational opportunities and consulting for women entrepreneurs. The same folks who started "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" started Count Me In. I love this idea. Not only does this help the women gain economic independence and realize their dreams, but by starting businesses, they help create jobs and support their local economies. They are building America. This is great.

If you'd like to sponsor me, you must sign up here. (Or click the "Sponsor Me!" link on the left.) Just make a pledge some time before the Blogathon is over at 9:00 am ET Sunday, July 28. You can sponsor me for a flat rate or you can donate a particular amount per hour. (Count Me In strives for $5 for every woman in America, so five bucks would be dandy.) If you sponsor me, I'll be glad to give you kudos during my 24 hours of blogging. Don't forget to put your name in the "display name" field when you sign up to sponsor me, so I'll know who you are!

Do not send money to me. After the Blogathon, you'll receive an e-mail from Blogathon asking you to send your money directly to the charity. Contributions to Count Me In are tax-deductible. Be sure to get a receipt from them or keep your cancelled check (or, I think they will send you a thank-you e-mail that can serve as your receipt); because you are giving your money directly to Count Me In and not me, I cannot provide you with a receipt when tax time rolls around. More questions? Here are Blogathon's Sponsor FAQs.

Meanwhile... I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to say for 24 hours... I hope you'll stop by on July 27th to see what I come up with! The Blogathon starts at 9:00 am ET Saturday and goes until 9:00 am ET Sunday.

Shaun