A chocolate bar very nearly led to a blemish on a Timaru teenager's driving record.
Fortunately, Timaru Herald photographer Mytchall Bransgrove, 18, has been spared a fight to clear his name after police decided to cancel an $80 infringement fee issued when he was stopped for allegedly using his cellphone while driving.
The mixup happened in late December, when Bransgrove – waiting at the turning bay on King St to head up Beaconsfield Rd – was about to take a bite from a Moro Gold chocolate bar.
As he turned, he saw the lights of a police car behind him – his first encounter with the law since gaining his restricted licence in August.
"He started talking to me," Bransgrove said.
"At first I couldn't understand him. I heard the word cellphone – my first thought was, 'Is my cellphone on the roof?'"
"[The officer] said, 'I saw you using your cellphone while you were driving'."
Bransgrove said he was confused for a few seconds until he realised the officer had mistaken his chocolate bar for a cellphone.
Despite trying to explain, including pointing out his cellphone was in a closed bag on the passenger side floor, the ticket was issued – and Bransgrove lost his appetite.
Had he been talking on his cellphone, Bransgrove said he would have paid the fine.
However, unwilling to let his copybook be blotted by a chocolate bar, he wrote to the police, offering his explanation.
Yesterday he received a letter back, saying the infringement had been cancelled "after careful consideration of your comments and the circumstances surrounding the issue of this notice".
He's not holding any grudges. The officer was just doing his job, he said.
"I believe it was a genuine mistake on the police officer's behalf," Bransgrove said.
"I'm quite glad that nothing's gone on my record."
Is chocolate really good for your heart? Studies show a little, in moderation, may be beneficial.
The cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids. Flavonoids help protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage. Flavonoids can be found in a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables. And when we eat them, studies have shown people can benefit from the antioxidant power found in flavonoids.
Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, such as cigarette smoke. If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals.
But not all forms of chocolate contain high levels of flavonoids. When cocoa is processed, it goes through several steps, and the more it is processed, the more flavonoids are lost.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, many chocolate manufacturers are looking for ways to keep the flavonoids in their processed chocolates.
The best choices are dark chocolate over milk chocolate, and cocoa powder that has not undergone Dutch processing (cocoa that is treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity).
While flavonoids are good for the body, chocolate can be very high in fat. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic note that if you're going to eat chocolate, avoid extra ingredients that add lots of extra fat and calories. And there is no research that indicates just how much chocolate you need to reap any cardiovascular benefits it may offer.
Bottom line -- one-ounce of chocolate a few times a week of the flavonoid-rich varieties won't hurt.
A sweet gift
According to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
And women aren't the only ones on the receiving ends of the chocolate gifts -- a survey by the association also showed that 50 percent of women will likely give a gift of chocolate to a guy this holiday.
If you do find yourself with a box of chocolates this Valentine's Day, experts say there are ways to tell whether the piece is caramel, peanut butter or toffee without taking a bite.
Each manufacturer usually has its own code -- a telltale sign of what is found in the middle.
Many manufacturers use swirls on top of the chocolates to signal caramels. Other signs include large bumpy surfaces that signal nuts, coconut often looks like small, bumpy surfaces. Hard caramels are typically square or rectangular and soft caramels are typically flat and round. And chocolates that are wrapped often have liquid or softer centers.
5-minute cake ... oh yeah
You can have cake and eat it too -- in just five minutes.
Those looking to enjoy a rich, warm, chocolate cake this Valentine's Day can do so in just minutes.
All you need to make this chocolate cake is some pantry staples, a coffee mug and a microwave.
This recipe makes one large individual size serving cake, which can easily be topped with the decorations of your choice.
Chocolate is a staple of Valentine's Day, and for good reason. It's a sinfully sweet treat, of course, but it also contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that has been shown to have health benefits for the very target of Cupid's arrow—the heart. But not all chocolate products are created equal: they can vary wildly in flavonoid content, fat and calories, and quality of ingredients. So how can you be sure you're expressing your love with the most healthful chocolate option?
According to dietitian Gloria Tsang, many products you might find in the chocolates section of your grocery store or gift shop have much more sugar and fat than real chocolate. "It's always a good idea to stick to real chocolate rather than candies and bars with chocolate flavoring," Tsang says. "But even when you're buying real chocolate, there are major nutritional differences between types that you may not be aware of."
Here's how some common chocolates stack up against each other:
Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder ranks highest in flavonoids, and is also lower in calories than dark or milk chocolate. Try creating a custom cocoa drink for your sweetie, or look for chocolates dusted with real cocoa powder.
Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is a great source of flavonoids, though it contains about twice the fat and calories of cocoa powder. Its intense flavor makes it best for savoring, meaning one small square can often satisfy a sweet tooth craving. Look for the highest cocoa content you can find.
Milk chocolate: Milk chocolate has about the same calories as dark chocolate, but it often contains no flavonoids at all. Flavonoids are only present if you find cocoa solids or cocoa liquor on the ingredient list, so if you're looking for heart benefits, check to make sure you know what you're getting.
Chocolate candies: Chocolate candies (like M&Ms) have similar fat and calories as straight-up chocolate, but they tend to have candy shells that add artificial colors and flavors to the mix. Again, check for cocoa solids or cocoa liquor if your'e looking for flavonoids – it's likely you won't find them.
White chocolate: White chocolate does contain cocoa butter, but it does not contain any cocoa solids or cocoa liquor, so it does not offer any heart health benefits. It's a bit of a stretch to call it chocolate at all!
No matter which chocolate you choose to give this Valentine's Day, focus on quality, not quantity. A rich square of quality chocolate is a much more luxurious eating experience than gorging on cheaper chocolate candies, and it's much more healthful, too.
Where can you get the best chocolate in Plymouth? Here are some suggestions: Fedele's "Let's do...Chocolate": This sweet shop in the Village Landing Marketplace on the Waterfront offers the most amazing chocolates. They're so good, you don't even need the heart-shaped box. The shop also offers hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries. Mmmmmmm.
The Plymouth Winter-into-Spring Market at Plimoth Plantation offers all the romantic, and local, ingredients for Valentine's Day. Along with locally made wine, Sirenetta Seaside Chocolatier from Scituate will have samples from its new collection of artisanal valentine chocolates including Champagne Bon Bons, Berry Smitten and Vanilla Tryst, Solid Chocolate Kiss Me Frog, and Cabernet Truffle Bites.
"Our passion for true flavor begins with only the best ingredients. Ganaches are created using fresh herbs, local when available, fresh cream, nuts, liqueurs, fruits and spices. Our confections are never chemically altered." Come talk to the chocolatier and try an intense taste experience that will melt slowly and linger on your tongue. Edible Arrangements always has chocolate dipped treats. For Valentine's Day the chain store offers bouquets of heart-shape pineapple and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Whatever you decide, make sure to order early.
Crunchy, chewy, and chocolaty this dark chocolate bark recipe satisfies every craving! Bring it as a hostess gift or serve it up at your next get-together.
Serves: 16
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: NA
Ingredients
1
lb
good quality dark chocolate, such as Callebaut or Scharffenberger, chopped
1⁄4
c
candied ginger, chopped
1⁄2
c
raw pumpkin seeds
1⁄2
c
dried cranberries
1⁄2
t
cinnamon
1⁄8
t
freshly grated nutmeg
pn
sea salt
Instructions
Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, set aside. Fill a small saucepan with three inches of water and bring to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium metal or glass bowl and place over the simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) and melt. Pour melted chocolate on the parchment or wax paper, then sprinkle ginger, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries evenly over the top. Finish with the cinnamon, nutmeg and sprinkle of sea salt. Place in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to fully cool on the counter about one or two hours. Break into bite size pieces.
Store in a covered container in a cool area for up to five days (if it lasts that long!) or place in refrigerator to keep longer. Recipe courtesy of Kendra Peterson, Chef and owner of Drizzle Kitchen in Chicago.
Modular systems are just plain smart, allowing you to tailor a design, change it around, and swap out individual components easily. So why not apply the principle to chocolate? Yes, chocolate. For her graduation project at ECAL, Elsa Lambinet collaborated with Swiss chocolatier Blondel to create customizable confections from interchangeable components--thereby realizing the fantasy of design-sensitive chocoholics everywhere.
Called “Sweet Play,” the project uses three types of chocolate and a range of toppings and fillings: dark chocolate has place for fruit, milk chocolate features indentations for nuts, and the white chocolate can hold liquids. All three have slots for receiving fillings such as waters, nougat, and caramel. “Participants get to mix and match ingredients for hours and hours as they gorge themselves on custom confectionery goodness,” writes Lambinet, whose concept fittingly earned her a master’s degree in luxury.
