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From the Chocoholic
"So," friends and acquaintances ask me, "Why chocolate?"
It sounds like English...but the words, they don't make any sense to me. What do you mean, "why chocolate"? Haven't you ever put any in your mouth? What is wrong with you? It takes me a minute or so to do more than blink at them in confusion, to remember that for many people, the appeal of chocolate remains a mystery. They're used to Hershey's, or have been taught that spending more than a few pennies on a piece of candy is wasteful and ridiculous, so they've never experienced the happiness of a rich and velvety sweetness of a piece of handcrafted chocolate.
I've loved chocolate since I was very small. Not just the usual Hershey bars, but "exotic" chocolates like Belgian creams and handmade truffles and handmade marzipan covered in fine dark chocolate. My tastes have definitely matured over the years, leaning heavily towards dark chocolate of 55% cocoa content or more, luscious organics with interesting additives like lavender or chili peppers or chai spices, and decadent handcrafted Belgians made with fresh, heavy cream and fresh butter. I love the different textures and learning how different additives bring out different flavors in the chocolates.
I like chocolate's versatility. Melted chocolate blended with hot milk, or folded into cheesecake batter or drizzled into the ice cream maker as it churns? Lovely. Handmade truffles given away to friends and neighbors at the holidays? I'm really not sure which is more fun - making the truffles or hearing the muffled gasps of pleasure when the receipients nibble on the first one.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of chocolate is that it is an extremely accessible, affordable and morally positive sensual pleasure. Three bucks and a quick trip to the Godiva or Josef Schmidt or Lindt counter will get you a truffle or two, and the distinct feeling that you've been decadent and very, very naughty, without having to answer to the vice squad. You don't get much closer to heaven than that!
The History Of Chocolate
Back in the day, European men were sailing around the world looking for things that might convince women that men were worth having around. Shiny things were getting old and women weren't so impressed with the buildings and big statues.
One day, they ran into South America. There they discovered that South American men made brown beans into bitter sludge which they claimed was an aphrodisiac. So the men took some of the beans back to Europe hoping it would work. The European women tasted the bitter brown sludge and got very angry. At this, the men looked so disappointed that the women took pity on them. They decided that maybe the stuff wouldn't be so nasty if it had enough milk and sugar in it. That had the desired effect.
The men realized they were on to something. They mobilized their forces. In Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and more, they went to work. Tirelessly, they pursued ways to make chocolate more perfect, more delicious...more portable!
And, oh, how wonderfully they succeeded!
Find out about Chocolate
You can find out what they're up to without much effort. The following resources should help. Imagine the fun of finally understanding what they're talking about!
Chocolate Features at CocoaJava.com
Tons of frequently updated articles and information, written by chocolate lovers to help the public understand this delightful treat. Awesome resource to find information about the benefits and joys of chocolate.
Manufacturing Chocolate from Seed to Sweet
Produced by Chicago's Field Museum in conjunction with the 2002 Chocolate: The Exhibition, this interactive site explains chocolate step by step, and offers trivia along the way.
The Sweet Science of Chocolate
Produced by San Francisco's Exploratorium with the help of Berkeley's ScharffenBerger Chocolate Maker, this interactive archive takes you on a journey through the history and production of chocolate. As a bonus, you get to hear scientists discuss the health benefits of chocolate and why chocolate makes you feel oh-so-happy.
The Chocolate FAQ
Written by the denizens of Usenet's rec.food.chocolate with the non-obsessed in mind, this document will help you figure out just exactly what it is that they are rabbiting on about. Tempering? Coverture? Ganache? It's all here, and it's all in plain (non-chocoholic) English.
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Acoustic Guitar
Antique Tractor Pulling
Autism
Barbecuing
Bed Dweller
Bellydancing
Chocolate
Flyfishing
Homebrewing
Military Scale Modeling
Roboticist
Woodworking
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Gift Ideas
What do you buy for the chocolate lover in your life when you don't know much about the subject? If you're worried that you've given one too many boxes of "assorted chocolates", why not try for something a little out of the ordinary?
Gift Certificates
If you're really not sure where to begin, give 'em a nickel and send 'em to the candy store. They can have all kinds of fun picking out what they want for themselves.
Godiva Chocolatier
Lindt Master Chocolatier
Dagoba Organic Chocolate
The Chocolate Vault
See's Candies
Edibles
Chocolate Cheese
Is it chocolate or is it cheese? It's both! This curious little cheese is made right in The Cheese Haus in Frankenmuth, Michigan and ships nationwide. The color and taste are very much like fudge, with a consistency and texture like colby cheese. I love this one, especially brought to room temperature and served with strawberries.
Nirvana Chocolates
An especially fun feature of this site is the ability to "choose your own". You pick a box size, then fill it up piece by piece with the specific candies and confections that catch your eye at the moment. All darks? All caramels? Two of each kind? Whatever your chocolate lover fancies!
Dagoba Organic Chocolate Bars
The award winning Dagoba Organic Chocolate company offers an interesting assortment of chocolate bars with "extras", perfect for the adventurous chocolate lover. Among my favorites: Chai, a dark chocolate with crystallized ginger and chai spices; Xocoatl, dark chocolate with chili peppers; Milagros Single Origin 68% from Peru. Dagoba also carries a good line of baking products and "professional" sized packages of most of their products for the candy making enthusiast.
Truffles from Joseph Schmidt Confections
Located in San Francisco, Joseph Schmidt Confections is famous for huge, distinctively shaped truffles and edible works of art. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Schmidt some years back after he gave a chocolate demonstration at a local department store - he is passionate about the quality of his chocolates! His handmade chocolate boxes are always a sellout at Valentine's Day, and he draws a crowd wherever he goes. Order online, or keep an eye out locally for packaged truffles in upscale department stores and single truffles in tea rooms and patisseries.
Ganache Squares from Monterey Bay Chocolates
These are no ordinary truffle! Available in 19 different flavors, these creamy smooth little delights are a perfect after dinner treat. I'm very fond of the California Champagne and Peanut Butter varieties!
Books and Publications
The True History of Chocolate
Sophie D. Coe
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I was given this book for my birthday a few years back, and devoured it. A fascinating and incredibly lively history of chocolate beginning with the Aztecs, this book does away with the giddy frippery so many chocolate books are fond of and delves right into the important things. Who? Why? How did they figure this out? How did it evolve? Why does it make people feel so good?
Nifty trivia bit about this book: Sophie D. Coe succumbed to cancer before the manuscript was completed. Her husband John finished the book, working from her copious notes and his long experience of living in close quarters with a dedicant of the religion of chocolate. If that's not True Love, then such a thing truly does not exist.
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The New Taste of Chocolate
Maricel Presilla
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Written by a woman who was raised on a Cuban cacao plantation and is now a consultant for a Latin American cacao producer, this book traces the history and lifecycle of chocolate from cacao seedling to finished product, including interesting trivia about early uses of chocolate and finishing with an entire chapter of chocolate recipes by renowned chefs.
Presilla describes cacao farming and how to tell different strains apart in great detail, only occasionally lapsing into breathlessness when describing textures and flavors. This is a useful chocolate reference as well as an all around fun book.
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The Great Book of Chocolate
David Lebovitz
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Formerly the pastry chef at Berkeley's famed Chez Panisse, David Lebovitz has put together a veritable who's who of the chocolate world. Covering growth of cacao, production of chocolate, profiles of the most skilled chocolatiers and how to shop to ensure that only the yummiest ever reaches your palate, this book includes a passel of Lebovitz's favorite recipes and is a terrific addition to the chocolate lover's cookbook collection.
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Chocolatier Magazine
Published quarterly, Chocolatier Magazine is stuffed full of the latest chocolate news, recipes and mouthwatering photos. Whether it's the lowdown on the latest kitchen gadgets or funky new chocolate makers, there's always a treat lurking inside.
Chocolate of the Month Clubs
I've been gifted with service from all three of these clubs, and have found them superb. Chocolate of the Month clubs give the chocoholic in your life the chance to sample interesting treats that may not be available in your area. Thanks to such services, I discovered gems like the International Chocolate Company of Salt Lake City, Utah (whose single origin squares are now available in Target stores nationwide), Fran's of Seattle (dark chocolate truffles scattered with gold dust!) and Fudge Fatale (individually wrapped bites of fudge, presented in a naughty little black velvet box).
Gourmet Chocolate of the Month
Give Chocolate
Chocoholic
Gadgets
Chocolate Fountains
I'm ridiculously fond of chocolate fondue, but I rarely make it because it often catches bottom and scorches, no matter how low you turn the fondue pot. Trying it with a double boiler fondue pot nearly always ends with water getting into the chocolate and causing it to seize.
Then I picked up a chocolate fountain at a local craft shop, and most of my problems were solved. Depending on the model you buy, some manufacturers suggest using "chocolate wafers". I wouldn't suggest this to the discerning chocolate lover - you may find yourself sleeping in the garage, because even Rover isn't going to let you in if you set off those kind of fireworks! Instead, add a bit more cream, a little more chocolate liqueur and a couple pats of unsalted butter to your usual chocolate fondue recipe until it flows smooth and glossy.
Chocolate making supplies from The Chocolate Man
Seattle's Chocolate Man offers a good variety of chocolate tools, molds, wrapping supplies and chocolate for chocolate makers from novice to pro. His site is set up to be novice friendly, and I've never had anything but great service. If your chocolate lover is interested in making chocolates for holiday gifts or just for the joy of it, this is a terrific place to start.
Spirits
Chocolate Liqueurs
Nearly everyone has heard of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur by now, but did you know that there are about a dozen others? Would you consider chocolate with your Tequila? No? Your chocolate lover might, with Tequila Rose Cocoa - smooth, creamy and no bite. For a slightly less sweet cordial, Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Liqueur is lovely neat or on the rocks, and Vandermint Mint Chocolate is terrific splashed in coffee for dessert.
Availability varies, check to make sure your state allows shipments of spirits, or have an amble to your local liquor shop, as most of these are stocked nationally.
Domestic Tours
Touring a chocolate factory can be shockingly fun. If you're planning to do a bit of travelling and will be near any of these factories, definitely take your chocoholic in for the tour.
ScharffenBerger - Berkeley, California
Ghirardelli - San Francisco, California
Ghirardelli Annual Chocolate Festival
Whetstone Chocolates - St. Augustine, Florida
Long Grove Confectionery Company - Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Ethel M Chocolate Factory - Las Vegas, Nevada
Harry London Candies - Canton, Ohio
Wilbur - Lititz, Pennsylvania
Hershey's - Hershey, Pennsylvania
Silliness
Virtual Chocolate
Chocolate themed wallpapers, eCards, stories, quotes and a chocolate locator! A fun way to cheer them up in the middle of the work day.
Extravagance
A Chocolate Tour of Paris
For those with a somewhat more flexible budget, a chocolate tour of Paris, led by former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz can be just the thing to send your chocoholic into paroxysms of joy. Six hours of ducking into out of the way chocolate shops in Paris, some with amazing history (like the former pharmacy that used to prescribe chocolate to cure depression!), with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. David will personalize and extend your tour if you like, e-mail him for details. The basic tour starts at 225 Euros per person.
A Three Day Chocolate Indulgence with Chef Susan Loomis
Another for those with a little bit of disposable income, aimed at the chocolate fiend who likes to cook with the stuff, Susan Loomis of On Rue Tatin cooking school leads this three day seminar, including a daily afternoon presentation by David Lebovitz. The seminar includes a wine and chocolate tasting, and Ms. Loomis promises that by the end of the three day class, you'll understand proper handling and tempering techniques, if you don't have a good grasp already. Pricey at 1500 Euros a person, but certainly a delight if your chocolate fiend likes to combine chocolate and the arts of the kitchen.
Chocolate Lovers Paradise Tours
A seven day, fully escorted tour of some of the famous chocolate makers of Belgium, including a tour of the Chocolate Museum and a demonstration at the world famous Manon in Brussels and a demonstration by traditional chocolate artisans at Hans Burie in Antwerp, among others. Includes chocolate and chocolate themed gifts, and ample time for sight-seeing.
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