The Love-Hate Thing With Chocolate Milk
November 22, 2011
Chocolate milk has been creating significant buzz lately. I even got the chance to blog about how it was being recommended as the treat of choice this past Halloween. It’s also a well-loved "sports drink" by many athletes and they have it mostly after exercise.
lowfat, no corn syrup
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Eat Chocolate, Feed Children
November 18, 2011
Breakfast Clubs of Canada is a non-profit organization aiming to supply services and financial support to community-based breakfast programs with the backup of their individual and corporate partners who are equally willing to help feed children.
Nation Bank Financial Group has supported Breakfast Clubs of Canada and cooperated this year by presenting Theobroma chocolates as a means for fund-raising. These organic and fair-trade chocolates are individually wrapped inside boxes and sell for $5.
The available flavors are dark chocolate, dark chocolate with a burst of orange, and dark chocolate with raspberry. You can get these treats at National Bank branches from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31. Proceeds will go to school breakfast programs across all Canada.
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The Dark Side of Chocolate History
November 17, 2011
Did you know that some centuries back, the Catholic Church used to associate chocolate with heretical behavior such as blasphemy and even witchcraft? Intriguing? I know.
Does the word 'Inquisition' ring your bell? If not, let me shed some light. The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis (inquiry on heretical perversity), depicts religious overkill, torture, and intolerance. It was the fight against heresy by the Roman Catholic Church.
What certain behavior connects such disheartening event to chocolate, you may ask. Well, it was the act of drinking chocolate alone while attending an event. As morbid as it may sound, there were even stories wherein Charles II, King of Spain, drank chocolate while witnessing Inquisition victims being killed.
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Chocolate Beer Pudding Cake
November 16, 2011
Yep, chocolate and beer pairing is getting so popular I might as well share a recipe that has it.
It may sound bizarre to others who don’t experiment with food much, but beer and chocolate go together splendidly, especially the dark variants. The pairing sounds pretty strange but boy does it work!
People who aren’t crazy about beer often have a fancy for chocolate, so it’s safe to say it’s a win-win recipe. Huge beer fanatics can find flavors in beer that can also be found in chocolate.
With some experimentation, foodies now have come up with something that would make beer fans and chocolate lovers meet halfway. Those who have a sweet tooth are the ones who will enjoy it better, though!
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Chocolate Beer
November 15, 2011
Detroit’s darling candy maker, Sanders Candy, has been around for 136 years already. They are known for their delectable treats namely chocolates, cakes, ice cream, among others. Now, they have ventured into adult treats and partnered with another Detroit classic, Detroit Brewing Co., to come up with a refreshingly unique beer, Sanders Chocolate Stout.
Sanders is reportedly arranging for a huge introduction of this 1-year-old Chocolate Stout into the market later this month and is also planning to make a chocolate-based dessert wine.
"Craft beers are becoming more popular as consumers look for local, authentic, handcrafted foods and beverages with passionate food artisans and entrepreneurs behind them," said a spokesperson for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Louise Kramer. Additionally, "chocolate is hugely popular with consumers of specialty foods." True enough, chocolate was named as 2011’s top specialty food.
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New York Chocolate Show
November 11, 2011
Event International is presenting a show that would make any chocophile’s heart melt. The 14th Annual New York Chocolate Show, the largest event solely dedicated to chocolate, started yesterday November 10th and will be taking place until Sunday November 13th at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 125 W 18th St.
More than 65 national and international chocolate companies are gathering to offer their finest chocolates and chocolate-inspired products to entice all the chocoholics who will pay a visit.
Hurry up and get to the show! You don’t want miss the chance to treat yourself to different head-tilting good chocolates in this once a year event. If you have any self-control remaining, you can even buy chocolates for the self-confessed chocoholics you may personally know.
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The Guardian of Chocolate?
November 10, 2011
If you already have gone through the previous blog posts, you may have learned that chocolate can trace its origins back to the Aztecs. They have associated cacao trees with the god of agriculture, Quetzalcoatl. Legend has it that Quetzalcoatl was held responsible for bringing cacao to earth. His actions were frowned upon so he got kicked out of the heavens for giving it to humans. As he escaped, he swore to return one day as a “fair-skinned bearded man” to save the earth.
The earliest Aztecs highly thought of the cacao plant. They considered it as a source of strength and wealth and Quetzalcoatl was said to be its guardian which explains why cacao beans were used as their form of currency.
The Aztecs were among the first ones to work with cacao beans. However, they initially didn’t use this for any culinary purpose whatsoever. They only developed interest in its edibility after observing certain animals, particularly monkeys. This is why only the pulp of the cacao tree was used at first, only after a while did they start utilizing the beans.
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Easy Chocolate Soufflé
November 9, 2011
As much as soufflés sound and look intimidating, they are totally easy and simple to prepare. If done right, they can be served as a savory main dish or a sweet dessert like this Easy Chocolate Soufflé Recipe.
A soufflé is a baked cake with a light and airy texture, basically composed of egg yolks and whipped egg whites along with other uncomplicated ingredients.
The term was derived from the French word 'souffler' which means "to blow up" or "puff up”. In accordance with its name, a soufflé should be puffed up and fluffy when it comes out of the oven.
Ramekins are the conventional container for soufflés but it is still your call where you want it placed. There is an array of soufflé themes, but just because we’re going for the easy one doesn’t mean it’s gonna be any less good!
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Chocolate Festival For A Cause
November 8, 2011
York Technical College's Baxter M. Hood Center (South Carolina) was jam-packed with people last Sunday afternoon to celebrate Keystone Substance Abuse Services' third annual Decadent Dreams Chocolate Festival.
With tickets on hand, people could purchase samples of cookies, cupcakes, and truffles, among many others. They even offered a trip to a tall chocolate fountain. Additionally, they were able to stop over at a chocolate spa and get pampered with a massage using chocolate cake-scented oil.
Those people didn’t only get to satisfy their sweet-tooth cravings but were also able to help a cause. The affair is a fundraiser for the non-profit Keystone, which offers treatment and prevention services for substance abuse in York County.
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