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CHOCOLATE
IS
A
SEXY
FOOD
! (Recipes
below are meant for those who dare to try something a little different
with a very high standard of excellence. Yet, they are not difficult to
make.)
*****************************************
Mysterious forces drive real-world chocolate buying decisions: in Europe it's usually "quality of product" and a consumer acceptance of "fresh cream truffles" as one of the finer things in life … in America, the things that really matter can be wildly unpredictable, but all too often it’s a "glitz" and "quantity of chocolate" mentality ... "If you go to Europe, quality and flavor is everything.
They don't care so much about looks and they don't care about size or
a little bruising," says Ed Laivo. . .who holds tastings near Modesto,
California. "In America, we go for eye appeal. We go for size. It's
a reflection of our culture."
**************************************************************** How long can I keep chocolate? The answer to that question depends very much on the type of chocolate and the conditions of storage. Milk chocolate, properly stored, will keep for several months (ten months is the maximum I've heard suggested. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, will keep for several years. Quite some years ago, we were given a tour of a particularly high quality chocolate manufacturing plant. After a fascinating tour and an opportunity to indulge in some awesome chocolate tasting, we sat for a while with the president of the company and chatted about our experience. As we were about to leave, our host handed us a box containing a ten pound block of their finest dark chocolate. He told us that, somewhat like wine, fine chocolate improves with age. He indicated that the chocolate he had given us would reach its peak of quality after about seven years. On one hand I was delighted to learn such an interesting bit of information. On the other hand, I didn't know how I could manage to resist tearing open the box for such a long period of time. As it turned out, we stored the box at the bottom of the linen closet where it stayed as close to constant temperature as we could arrange. The linen closet was an especially fortunate choice because, eventually, all of our linens took on the aroma of chocolate. So, what is proper storage? To the extent possible, store the chocolate in a cool, dry place. It is best stored at temperatures between 60 and 75F. Humidity levels below 50% are preferred. If you store the chocolate at higher temperatures you will eventually notice a "bloom" that appears on the surface. This discoloration is just some of the cocoa butter that has softened and diffused to the surface. The taste is barely affected but the interior of the chocolate will feel slightly more dense. If you use this chocolate for baking or cooking, the cocoa butter will blend with the rest of the chocolate and you won’t notice any untoward effect. If you pick up some chocolate at the market, and it is hot outside (and especially hot in your car), you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place. Unless your trip home is very short, ask the check-out person for a double bag for the chocolate or, even better, an ice cream bag which is usually insulated. We know some aficionados who keep a small styrofoam box on the floor of their cars just for such situations. Put the chocolate in the box and cover it with paper bags or newspapers for insulation and your chocolate will usually survive unscathed. Chocolate can be refrigerated without deterioration. However, unless it is carefully wrapped, if it is kept in the refrigerator for a long time, it will pick up other food odors. When you remove it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before unwrapping it. This will prevent moisture from condensing on the chocolate and creating "sugar bloom" ( a discoloration of the surface produced by the sugar rising to the surface and crystallizing out in greyish white streaks). Also, the chocolate will be harder and more brittle until it warms up to room temperatures. PHYSICAL HEALTH AND "REAL" CHOCOLATE: Dental caries: A study of 3000 thirteen year old Scottish children, classified on the basis of quantities of "real" chocolate consumed, found no correlation between chocolate consumption and dental caries. This study was further supported by research at the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, New York, in which milk chocolate and chocolate chip cookies were found to be among the snack foods contributing least to dental decay. Acne: Extensive dermatological studies have discovered no relationship between chocolate and acne. DOCTORS SAY CHOCOLATE A DAY KEEPS THEM AWAY: September 05, 2001 GLASGOW, 04 (Reuters) ... Flavonoids in chocolate are derived from cocoa, which is rich in the compounds. Some research has shown that a small bar of dark chocolate contains as many flavonoids as six apples, 4.5 cups of tea, 28 glasses of white wine and two glasses of red wine. . . EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND "REAL" CHOCOLATE: This is a somewhat more speculative area, but still worthy of consideration: "real" chocolate contains theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine and anandamide, chemicals that are known to affect the brain. Theobromine and caffeine are known to be stimulants. Their effectiveness as a stimulant depends on the amount consumed. It turns out that the amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is about one-third the amount in a cup of coffee. Consequently, it might be thought of as a mild stimulant. The phenylethylamine combines with dopamine in the brain to produce a mild antidepressant effect. The anandamide also affects brain chemistry to produce feelings of calm and well being. The effect is quite small but noticeable.
CHOCOLATE...THE "FEEL GOOD" FOOD: One of the most pleasant effects of eating chocolate is the "good feeling" that many people experience after indulging. Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals. Scientists have been working on isolating specific chemicals and chemical combinations which may explain some of the pleasurable effects of consuming chocolate. Caffeine is the most well known of these chemical ingredients, and while it's present in chocolate, it can only be found in small quantities. Theobromine, a weak stimulant, is also present, in slightly higher amounts. The combination of these two chemicals (and possibly others) may provide the "lift" that chocolate eaters experience. Phenylethylamine is also found in chocolate. It's related to amphetamines, which are strong stimulants. All of these stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert. While stimulants contribute to a temporary sense of well-being. There are other chemicals and other theories as to why chocolate makes us feel good. Perhaps the most controversial findings come from researchers at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California. They believe that "chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana, and that these chemicals may be responsible for certain drug-induced psychoses associated with chocolate craving." We talked to Emmanuelle diTomaso, who worked on the original study in San Diego (she's now a researcher at Harvard), and to Daniel Piomelli, who heads the project and continues to do research at the Neurosciences Institute. How does this work? Brain cells have a receptor for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the active ingredient in marijuana. A receptor is a structure on the surface of a cell that can lock onto certain molecules, making it possible to carry a signal through the cell wall. (diTomaso described it as a "lock-and-key" system.) "The active compound," she told me, "will lock itself to the protein on the membrane of the cell, and that triggers a reaction inside the cell." In the case of THC, that chemical reaction is what would make someone feel "high." THC, however, is not found in chocolate. Instead, another chemical, a neurotransmitter called anandamide, has been isolated in chocolate. Interestingly, anandamide is also produced naturally in the brain. Both diTomaso and Piomelli went to great lengths to explain that this finding doesn't mean that eating chocolate will get you high, but rather that there are compounds in chocolate that may be associated with the good feeling that chocolate consumption provides. Still, the research results made for great newspaper headlines. In 1996, when Piomelli's first study was published and "picked up" by the press, he received a number a phone calls and visits from representatives of the major chocolate companies. "They were worried," he said, "that they would have to put a warning from the Surgeon General on their products." Anandamide, like other neurotransmitters, is broken down quickly after it's produced. Piomelli and his team found other chemicals in chocolate which may inhibit the natural breakdown of anadamide. This means that natural anandamide (or introduced anandamide) may stick around longer, making us feel good longer, when we eat chocolate. More research needs to be done to understand the effects of chocolate on the brain, and Piomelli's group is currently working on a new study that should be published next year. WHAT IS THIS THING ABOUT CHOCOLATE? You crave it. I crave it. We all crave it. I'm talking chocolate, a food that's in a category by itself. (You crave butterscotch? Then find yourself another web page -- just kidding...). But what's so special about chocolate? Why do lovers send a chocolate heart for Valentine's Day, instead of, say vanilla cookies or strings of licorice? It seems that chocolate, like coffee and tea, has an unusual capacity to interact with brain chemistry. For example, Adam Drewnowski of the University of Michigan found that chemically blocking receptors for opiate chemicals produced by the brain decreased the consumption of high-fat chocolates by compulsive, or "binge," eaters by more than half. (The same "opioid" chemical only slightly reduced consumption of women with normal eating patterns.) Drewnowski, who directs the Human Nutrition Program in Ann Arbor, says, "Our research indicates that opioids are most implicated in the craving for high-sugar, high-fat foods -- chocolate, in particular." Although the suspicion focused on chocolate, the experiment could not prove that the sugar and fat consumed during the test were not causing the response. As Drewnowski interprets it, chocolate (or sugar or fat) normally triggers the production of opioids, and that when the molecules that recognize opioids are blocked by the test treatment, the craving seems to decline greatly. Most peculiarly, they dropped most sharply in women who have a binge-eating problem. That implicated the receptors -- somehow -- in the causation of their problem. What's the latest on choco-chemistry? Chocolate also seems to interfere with another internal chemical signal, if research by Danielle Piomelli is to be believed. Piomelli, a researcher into the chemical effects of marijuana at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, has found that chocolate slows the destruction of chemicals that activate marijuana's receptor in the brain. If he's right, that means that chocolate could preserve a marijuana high. But even more interesting is how chocolate seems to interfere with a pleasant brain chemical your brain can make without a hint of illegal drugs. I have a feeling...we need to back up and do some explaining. Major explaining. About three years ago, scientists announced the surprising news that brain cells have a receptor for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The receptor is part of a signaling network, kind of like the modem on your computer, except it only carries one simple signal: When THC binds to the receptor, Piomelli explains, "We feel high." The obvious question, he says, was this: "Why should the brain have a receptor for THC?" Were our ancestors on the African savanna smoking something strange? Was that habit helpful enough to enter our genes? Nice theory, but apparently all bunk. It turns out that the brain produces a chemical that also binds to the receptor that produces effects similar to those of THC, Piomelli explains. "Everything feels better, your perception of time changes -- five minutes can feel like an hour. It's a pain killer in experimental animals." The natural chemical is called anandamide, and Piomelli says it's a "reasonable speculation" that it may play a role in feelings of euphoria. So what's the bad news? That's the good part. The bad part is that anandamide, like other neurotransmitters , is broken down soon after it's produced. (But look at the silver lining -- who could stomach a legion of classmates or coworkers incessantly crooning "Oh what a beautiful morning"?) At any rate, Piomelli's recent experiments indicate that two chemicals in chocolate inhibit the natural breakdown of anandamide. In other words, chocolate could preserve a natural high brought on by whatever caused the release of anandamide in the first place. Here's more on this research www.sciencenews.org/sn_arch/10_12_96/food.htm.
PRESCRIPTION-STRENGTH CHOCOLATE: It was a hunch, little more, that launched Daniele Piomelli and his coworkers on their search for marijuanalike compounds in chocolate. But their intuition paid off. These neuropharmacologists not only found one such cannabinoid, but perhaps more importantly, they also turned up two related chemicals that they believe could provide therapeutic insights into treating a host of ails, including depression......When people strongly crave chocolate, Drewnowski's data show, inexpensive, low-quality candy won't do. "They want very high fat, dark chocolate." And this would seem to bridge his findings to Piomelli's, he notes, since the dark chocolate delivers plenty of cannabinoid cousins in a package enriched with natural-opiates-inducing cocoa butter. And who said chocolate was just junk food? Tomaso, E.d., M. Beltramo, and D. Piomelli. 1996. Brain cannabinoids in chocolate. Nature 382(Aug. 22):677. E-mail: piomelli@nsi.edu
DEMYSTIFYING CHOCOLATE TEMPERING If you just melt chocolate and let it cool, it will set as an unattractive, dull brown mass streaked with grey: its texture when eaten will be chalky and grainy. Tempered chocolate, on the other hand, is shiny, even-coloured, crisp, smooth tasting..... in short much, much better. The reason for the difference is complicated, and in order to understand it completely one would need to study the behaviour of the chocolate crystals at the molecular level. For our purposes it is sufficient to say that in tempered chocolate the chocolate crystals have formed in a completely uniform way. The trick to tempering is to control the temperature of the melted chocolate very precisely. At each step of the way the temperature of the chocolate must be precise and uniform: even tiny variations can ruin the result. North American “Praline” versus the European “Praliné” Ask for a "praline" in North America and you'll likely be served a "sweet with pecans and caramel or brown sugar." It is a "traditional sweet" concoction originally made in the kitchens of sugarcane planters in the West Indies. Later, when these planters migrated North to Louisiana from the islands, they brought their "praline" recipes with them and improved on them by adding locally-grown pecans to the blend of brown sugar and butter. They normally do not contain chocolate. Order a "praliné" (also spelled "praline") in Europe and you'll get an entirely different sweet, a delicate bite-sized "filled-chocolate," usually made with almond paste or hazelnut paste (also called "gianduja"), and often these combinations are then mixed with "ganache," a mixture of "chocolate and very rich fresh-cream," and the resulting tiny creations are then enrobed with chocolate, similar to a truffle. (To complicate things more: in North America we often refer to these chocolate "pralinés" simply as chocolate "truffles" - that is, we do not make much effort to distinguish a praliné from a truffle (which is usually round in shape and made with a perishable rich "ganache" filling). Of course, in the U.S. "chocolate truffles and pralines" are usually referred to simply as "candy" -- but that's another long story, centred around the fact that in North America chocolates have tended to be in the past simple creations with sugary concoctions that have been enrobed in chocolate.) Master Chef Hans-Ueli Herzig (Culinary Olympic Gold medalist)…Westin Prince Hotel, Toronto. Master Chef Herzig is a legend in the Swiss Community and Canada. Here is a recipe we were lucky to get from him. Grossmutters "Schoggichueche" Chef Herzig boasts "this is one of the best chocolate cakes ever!" His grandmama taught him to throw in "a little bit of this and a little of that." But he did document the "this and that" for us (note there is no flour): 150 g butter (.3 pound) pinch of salt 6 egg yolks 6 egg whites 150 g granulated sugar 300 g dark chocolate 150 g ground hazelnuts 1 dl very good kirsch Cream butter with salt till foamy. Add egg yolks and sugar, and stir till nice and bright. Melt chocolate and add to above mixture. Add ground hazelnuts and kirsch. Beat egg whites till stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Let sit in fridge for 1- 2 hours. Fill into prepared buttered/floured cake pan (not more than 2/3 full) and bake in preheated moderate 350 – 360 F oven, for 45 – 55 minutes. Let cool. Chef Herzig ends his instructions with "What now happens to the cake is not something I have to tell you." SWISS "GUGELHOPF" coffee cake "to live for" ...........by Julie Mettler (Gugelhopf fanatics are rejoicing !) Her cake is a legend in the Swiss community, and her recipe was a closely guarded secret. To describe the cake is difficult: as it is moist and yet it is dry; it is somewhat light and yet the taste demands that it be heavy; and it gets better and better by the day as it sits on the counter (also can be frozen for exceptionally different taste). There is no "yeast," and this is what sets this cake apart and makes it heavenly. 3/4 lb unsalted butter (or less, as desired, to reduce richness) 4 eggs 1 Oetker envelope baking powder (14g) (substitutes tend to sacrifice taste and result in a "heavier" cake) 1 Oetker vanilla sugar (9g); (substitutes tend to sacrifice "taste") 2 cups granulated sugar rind of 1 lemon 250 g raisins (preferably half yellow Sultana and half dark) 300 - 325 g sifted white flour (depends on size of eggs) 50 g grounded hazelnuts or almonds few drops of rum 2.5 dl (3/4 cup) milk slightly heated Coat cake form thickly with butter and dust with ground nuts; then shake out remainder. Cream the butter and both sugars till creamy. Add 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks (set aside the 2 egg whites), and stir till nice and creamy. Slowly add sifted flour, baking powder, and milk (do in 3 steps) while still stirring. Add grated lemon rind, raisins, and rum. Beat remaining egg whites till stiff, and add to entire batter. Pour batter into prepared cake form. Bake preheated 300 F, about 60 minutes. Cake is done when golden brown and baking needle comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning cake form over onto a "cake grid." |
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