 February 06, 2005 |
 | A Little History of Chocolate | | Recent News on the Chef2Chef News Desk | | Recipe Club: Diane Brown Celebrates Valentine's Day | | Visit our Newest Market Place Vendors | | Famous Chocolate Quotes | | Recipe of the Week: Mousse au Chocolat | | Today's Top 10 Discussion Forum Threads | | NEW Jobs at Chef2Chef.Net |
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A Little History of Chocolate
Chocolate is a psychoactive food. It is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The cacao tree was named by the 17th century Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus. The Greek term theobroma means literally "food of the gods". Chocolate has also been called the food of the devil; but the theological basis of this claim is obscure.
Cacao beans were used by the Aztecs to prepare to a hot, frothy beverage with stimulant and restorative properties. Chocolate itself was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests. The Aztecs esteemed its reputed ability to confer wisdom and vitality. Taken fermented as a drink, chocolate was also used in religious ceremonies. The sacred concoction was associated with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Emperor Montezuma allegedly drank 50 goblets a day. Aztec taxation was levied in cacao beans. 100 cacao beans could buy a slave. 12 cacao beans bought the services of courtesan.
The celebrated Italian libertine Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) took chocolate before bedding his conquests. This was on account of chocolate's reputation as a subtle aphrodisiac. More recently, a study of 8000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocaholics lived longer than abstainers. Their longevity may be explained by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate. Polyphenols reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and thereby protect against heart disease. Such theories are still speculative.
Chocolate as we know the confectionery today dates to the inspired addition of triglyceride cocoa butter by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The advantage of cocoa butter is that its addition to chocolate sets a bar so that it will readily snap and then melt on the tongue. Cocoa butter begins to soften at around 75 F; it melts at around 97 F.
Today, chocolate is legal, unscheduled and readily available over the counter. Some 50% of women reportedly claim to prefer chocolate to sex, though this response may depend on the attributes of the interviewer. More than 300 different constituent compounds in chocolate have been identified. Chocolate clearly delivers far more than a brief sugar high. Yet its cocktail of psychochemical effects in the central nervous system are poorly understood.
From Chocolate.org
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 This Week's Recipe Club
Date: February 7, 2005 - February 11, 2005
Guest Host: Cookbook Author Diane Brown
Theme: More Romantic Recipes for Your Valentine
- Monday: An Intimate Cocktail Party - Passion Champagne Cocktails; Salty Spicy Edamame; Warm Goat Cheese Toasts with Figs, Rosemary and Honey
- Tuesday: Dinner and a Movie - “We’ll Always Have Paris” Champagne Cocktails; Moroccan Ramadan Soup; Chicken and Honeyed-Pear Tagine
- Wednesday: Low Carb and Love - Shrimp with Curried Cauliflower; Beef Tenderloin with Shitake Mushrooms and Green Beans; Cumin Seed Crusted Scallops with Celery Root Purée
- Thursday: A Romantic Valentine’s Brunch - Asparagus Parmesan Frittata; Banana Pancakes with Caramelized Walnuts; Scrambled Eggs with Wild Mushroom Home Fries
- Friday: Chocolate Chile Soufflés; Chocolate Grand Mariner Fondue; Chocolate-Dipped Fortune Cookies
Not a Member Yet? Click here Recipe Club to sign up today and start receiving these recipes on Monday!
 Hauser Chocolates: Truffles Redefined
One Week Until Valentine's Day! Using select blends of the purest chocolates and finest ingredients, Chef Ruedi, Swiss-born and trained master confectioner has redefined the art of truffle making by taking the classic recipes of his heritage combined with the flavors of the world to conceive unique recipes for each of his creations.
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Famous Chocolate Quotes - Forget love -- I'd rather fall in chocolate!!!
- Eat a square meal a day - a box of chocolate.
- There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles.
- Put the chocolate in the bag and nobody gets hurt.
- I don't understand why so many "so called" chocolate lovers complain about the calories in chocolate, when all true chocoholics know that it is a vegetable. It comes from the cocoa bean, beans are veggies, 'nuff said.
- I could give up chocolate but I'm not a quitter.
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Today's Recipe: Mousse au Chocolat
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients 8 squares (1-ounce size) semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 eggs, separated
2 extra egg yolks
1/3 cup coffee concentrate
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) sweet butter, softened
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
Preparation:
Melt the chocolate over hot, but not boiling, water or place in a very low oven (180 degree).
Mix the sugar with 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, place the 4 egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar syrup, beating constantly. Continue beating for 5 to 6 minutes at high speed, or until the mixture is thick and creamy. Add the coffee concentrate, Grand Marnier, and softened butter and beat thoroughly. Stir in the melted chocolate.
Beat the egg whites with a rotary or electric beater until stiff and shiny. As soon as they are ready, add to the chocolate mixture and beat in with a wire whisk. Finally, fold in the whipped cream. Pour into a large serving bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
You can, if you like, garnish the top with cocoa, whipped cream, or chocolate curls. You may also omit the egg whites and add 1 more cup of heavy cream to the recipe.
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