Why Choose Organic Chocolate?

Chocolate-the drink of wisdom! The utilization of cacao dates back to the ancient Aztecs, who believed it was a source of wisdom, energy and that it was great as an aphrodisiac. Think about it. You couldn't beat something that taste not only good but also made you smart and in the mood for love. Montezuma used to drink chocolate from a gold goblet. I imagine these drinks were organic chocolate yummies. It was from there that this product made it's was into Europe, where the first eating chocolate was created in 1849 in England. Leave it up to the Europeans create the first Chocolate bars. 

Organic chocolate could be categorized as a snack, treat, candy, or even beverage. Chocolate lovers around the world would argue that chocolate deservers it's own category. How about gourmet? How about health food? 

Where does this wonderful chocolate come from? Commercial chocolate is derived from the Theobroma Cacao tree. The Greek name means "drink of the gods". I don't think I will hear anyone contradicting this. The cacao pods are carefully processed through fermentation, drying, agitation, roasting, and heating to produce what we refer to as cocoa. 

Did you know?
* the cacao tree grows from 10 to 30 feet high
* the cacao tree flowers all through the year and produces fruit yearlong
* each flower after pollination becomes a pod-fruit
* it taks the fruit about 6 months to ripe and be ready to process
* each pod-fruit contains about 30-60 seeds or what we call cacao beans
* the average American consumes over 12 pounds of chocolate a year

As we learn about the effects chemicals used on our foods have on our bodies, more and more people are turning to organic foods. Organic chocolate is grown free of pesticides. Are you aware that non-organic chocolate has the second highest use of pesticides outside of commercial non-organic cotton? It is a no brainer, eat organic chocolate instead of the typical off the shelve you find in the grocery store unless you enjoy pesticides in your system.

Women everywhere have always known of the benefits of chocolate. Now the world knows of its health benefits, as well - not to mention the fact that organic chocolate helps our environment. An organic chocolate bar contains as much antioxidant power as a glass of red wine. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Just think, that next bite or organic dark chocolate is fighting those free radicals.

The phenols in chocolate are known to help the immune system, reduce the risk of cancer, and promote heart health. Pound for pound, organic dark chocolate has higher levels of antioxidants than blueberries! Dark chocolate also contains more flavanoids than green tea. Flavanoids found in organic cocoa stimulate the blood vessels to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the smooth muscles in blood vessel walls.

All through the ages, people have known that chocolate can soothe the soul. I guess rock n roll takes a backseat to milk chocolate. With the help of modern science, we now know that is because organic chocolate boosts the brain chemicals serotonin and endorphin. These chemicals produce a feeling of euphoria. Another compound called anandamide has known calming properties. Anandamide is a lipid that binds to cannabinoid receptors and mimics the psychoactive effects of the drug marijuana. It is not the same but you get the picture. I guess chocolate is definitely the ultimate comfort food!

Chocolate's other ingredients include magnesium and chromium (known to regulate blood sugar); theobromine which stimulates the central nervous system and is an appetite stimulant; caffeine (in relatively small quantities); and tryptophan (an essential amino acid). This also gives the calming effects. 

Why organic chocolate? If regular chocolate is so good for you, why go organic? For many of the same reasons that buying organic is better in the first place. You can support fair trade practices in the forests of South American countries where cacao beans are grown. Shade grown beans encourage biodiversity, and you avoid toxic chemicals. No pesticides is a major reason to buy organic chocolate. Why not have one more reason to feel good when you bite into that chocolate bar?

About the Author:
Jerry Johnson owns the Organic Chocolate Yummies website as well as several other successful webstores. Organic chocolates make perfect gifts for the gourmet within all of us. Visit the OrganicChocolateYummies.com for great buys on organic chocolate yummies.

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raw chocolate bar recipes  health benefits of chocolate  dark chocolate  chocolate cheesecake recipe   chocolate fondue fountain

Chocolate Fondue Fountain - The Night One Came To Dinner

A friend is renting a chocolate fondue fountain for her wedding, the news of which sparked off my new born interest in the phenomena that is the 'chocolate fondue fountain'. I was told that a chocolate fondue fountain can be an eye catching, mouth watering central feature for all sorts of social occasions, parties and events. This got me thinking, 'Why wait till the wedding?' So I hired a chocolate fondue fountain for a night and invited a few friends around to test it and see what all the fuss was about. 

We got the chocolate fondue fountain out of the box easy enough and it revealed itself to be a stainless steel structure with three tiers, with an overall height of about 15 inches top to bottom. It looked harmless enough, and was easy to set up so we proceeded to plug it in. Power was provided by the usual three-pin socket. 

So, now for the science: the chocolate goes into the basin, gets heated there and then carried to the top of the fountain via a rotating internal shaft. My internet research later revealed the shaft to be a form of Archimedes screw. However, there are other ways of getting the chocolate to the top of the fountain, namely a pump (the most common method). The box for our chocolate fondue fountain said that a screw had been chosen over a pump because the screw eliminates the possibility of blockages associated with some pumps, so the fountain will always flow smoothly. My research did reveal, however, a general preference for auger-style pumps amongst the more pricey chocolate fondue fountains. 

A big surprise was that any melting chocolate will do; you don't have to use special chocolate fondue fountain chocolate. We had armed ourselves with 900g just to get started, although we got so stuck in that this did not last long and someone had to be requisitioned to the all night garage for more just after 1.00am. Our experience has confirmed the universal truth amongst chocolate fondue fountain aficionados that when it comes to chocolate, the more the merrier, since you need a fair amount to get a good flow and a respectable looking fountain. We were having a party after all. 

Some bright spark suggested adding a dash of vegetable oil to the mix to make the chocolate flow easier, and the tests were conclusive that this did work to loosen up the flow. A party being a party, someone usually gets carried away and our someone decided to add alcohol. Bad move. And things had been going so smoothly. Our river of running chocolate turned into clotted lump of muck faster than a round of tequila slammers. You live and learn. 

Final verdict

Visual impact: 10/10

Popularity: 10/10 

Ease of set up and operation: 9/10

Versatility: 9/10 
We tried putting various things into the falling curtain of chocolate, including marshmallows, pineapple, strawberries, and cake and all of them tasted wonderful. 

So go hire a chocolate fondue fountain, or better still go right in to a shop and buy one. There are bargains to be had out there, and it is the opinion of this reviewer that if a chocolate fondue fountain comes to dinner, you won't be disappointed.

Source: Free Articles

About the Author

Stephen Turner 2006. Stephen has set up http://www.fountainchocolatefondue.com where you'll find chocolate fondue fountain information, advice, articles, discussion and specially chosen links. This article may be reproduced provided this resource box is displayed below the article. 

 

raw chocolate bar recipes  health benefits of chocolate  dark chocolate  chocolate cheesecake recipe   chocolate for dessert

Why Eat Chocolate for Dessert?

So many people are health-conscious, so many people are obese, so many people eat terrible food - greasy, fatty, over-processed, and so many people don't get enough exercise. Why even think about eating chocolate for dessert? Because there's nothing like the "mouth-feel" of chocolate; because it's the additives, not the chocolate itself, that are fattening or that can cause allergic reactions; and because, after a long hard day of "being good", eating something that "feels" decadent can be very very satisfying.

How wonderful then if what feels decadent is actually good for you! We're talking dark chocolate here, at least 70% cocoa. This delectable treat contains theobromine - a known mood elevator; and antioxidant flavonoids - boost good HDL cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol. Mmm chocolate - maybe a chocolate fountain is the real Fountain of Youth?

Scientists have found that eating dark chocolate appears to improve circulation and make blood vessels more flexible, helping to prevent hardening of the arteries. The Kuna Indians of the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama drink multiple cups of cocoa every day and have little incidence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Cocoa is also rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, copper, potassium and manganese. Indeed, chocolate is thought to be one of the largest single contributors of copper to the diet in the United States.

For all-round health, eat like the French do. I don't mean eat French foods necessarily, although that can be nice, but eat AS the French do; make a meal an event in itself. Turn off the tv and computer, don't even read while you eat. Savor and chew each bite.

Eating consciously like this will make you more in tune with your appetite. You won't overeat, and you'll enjoy your food so much more. Take your time - make fast food a thing of the past.

End your meal with the perfect dessert - a bit of dark chocolate. Break off a small piece and place it in your mouth. Let it melt slowly, enjoying the texture and savoring the taste. Then another bite.

Fine dark chocolates have subtle flavors reminiscent of fruits, nuts, coffee, herbs, and much more. Just as wine connoisseurs clean their palate before tasting wines, you can drink a little warm water to clear your taste buds before eating chocolate. Bitter flavors will make the chocolate taste sweeter, and sweet tastes will make you insensitive to the sweetness of the chocolate, so start with a "neutral palate".

Chewing and swallowing chocolate will not allow you to taste all the flavors so just allow chocolate to melt in your mouth.

You can substitute a chocolate candy made with the purest of ingredients. Additional cream, sugar, etc. is what adds the calories, if that concerns you, eat less. Eat the best chocolate available - this isn't necessarily the most expensive chocolate. Try many varieties and choose the one most delicious to YOU!

Always, eat what you enjoy, and enjoy what you eat. And for me, this is chocolate!

About the Author:
Learn how to make delicious chocolate desserts easily, quickly and inexpensively with these 4 Dessert Secrets that you can learn in just a few minutes.

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raw chocolate bar recipes  health benefits of chocolate  dark chocolate  chocolate cheesecake recipe   chocolate souffles

Sumptuous Recipes For Chocolate Souffles

This is the stuff from which dreams are made. Why just dream of floating on a chocolate cloud when you can actually eat one? Here's two to try and the taste is just to die!!

Chocolate Souffle
Emeril Lagasse

2 teaspoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large egg whites
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup Grand Marnier 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 4 individual ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon sugar. In a large metal bowl, set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate, whisking it occasionally. 

Remove the bowl from the heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with 1/4 cup of the sugar until stiff and glossy. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate one at a time, add the Grand Marnier, and whisk in the remaining sugar. Fold in the egg whites and blend until smooth. 

Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until they are puffed and somewhat firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.

Another Fabulous Fun Fluff: 

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 dark chocolate kisses or 6 (1/2-ounce) pieces dark chocolate
2 to 3 teaspoons powdered sugar

Position oven rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray the inside of 6 (10 ounces) ramekins, or oven-proof baking cups, with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with a little sugar to coat evenly.

In a large bowl, place chopped chocolate, cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the sugar.
Whisk in boiling water. When chocolate is completely melted, whisk in egg yolks and vanilla. Then stir in the flour. Set aside.

Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat on high speed until stiff but not dry.

Fold about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Fold in the remaining chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter into prepared ramekins.

Drop 1 chocolate kiss or 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate into the center of each souffle just before baking.

Bake for 10 to12 minutes, or until the top has formed a nice crust and the sides appear cake-like. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Dig in immediately!

Chocolate Ice-Cream:

For about two quarts and a half of cream use a pint and a half of milk, a quart of thin cream, two cupfuls of sugar, two ounces of Walter Baker & Co.'s Premium No. 1 Chocolate, two eggs, and two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour. 

Put the milk on to boil in a double-boiler. Put the flour and one cupful of the sugar in a bowl; add the eggs, and beat the mixture until light. 

Stir this into the boiling milk, and cook for twenty minutes, stirring often. 

Scrape the chocolate, and put it in a small saucepan. Add four tablespoonfuls of sugar (which should be taken from the second cupful) and two tablespoonfuls of hot water. Stir over a hot fire until smooth and glossy. Add this to the cooking mixture. 

When the preparation has cooked for twenty minutes, take it from the fire and add the remainder of the sugar and the cream, which should be gradually beaten into the hot mixture. Set away to cool, and when cold, freeze.

About the Author:
William Smith the author provides many more delicious chocolate recipes for you free at Recipes For Chocolate Souffles (All is Free)

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raw chocolate bar recipes  health benefits of chocolate  dark chocolate  chocolate cheesecake recipe   chocolate wedding favors

Yummy Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors

Mmmmmm..chocolate. One of the most popular wedding favors out there for brides is to use some kind of candy. It's relatively inexpensive, well liked by nearly everyone, and you can wrap it up to where it looks totally cute. Perhaps the favorite (of mine anyway) are the chocolate wedding favors. Despite what you think, you don't have to spend a fortune to make chocolate wedding favors, its a great inexpensive wedding favor. On top of that, you can even lots of different things with chocolate wedding favors to spice it up and make it unique for your wedding. Here are some great ideas to make your own chocolate wedding favors.

1. Chocolate Rose Wedding Favors

If you haven't seen this done before, it's pretty charming. Grab some Hershey's kisses, wire, cellophane, green florist tape, and some silk leaves if you like. To make these chocolate wedding favors, take two kisses, put them bottom to bottom and stick a length of wire through them both. Then wrap them tightly in cellophane and secure with the florist tape, adding leaves to the middle of the wires as desired. This takes a lot of time, but they turn out cute if you keep everything looking the same. It may take you a couple of roses before you get the knack for it. But they can be placed in small baskets in the middle of each table as a cute addition to your table's centerpiece.

2. Chocolate Lollipop Wedding Favors

This chocolate wedding favor can be done quickly and easily, and they do turn out really cute. Simply go to a craft store and pick out a candy mold that you would like to use, and a bag of lollipop sticks as well (you can get a pack of a hundred or more for just a few dollars). Then, melt almond bark and add food coloring if you'd like a certain color, pour into mold, add the lollipop stick, and freeze for a few minutes until firm. Then, wrap each in cellophane and store in the refrigerator until time to serve. Or, if you prefer, you can find your own recipe for chocolate and use that instead, but almond bark is the easiest for me.

3. Chocolate Bar Wedding Favors

This is a really simple wedding favor. Go to the store and either get a bunch of mini chocolate bars such as a bag of assorted chocolate bars, or large full size chocolate bars. Then you can get on the internet and order wrappers in your wedding colors or with a special pre-printed note to your guests, remove the original wrapping and replace it with your special wrapper. Voila! Easy, right

4. Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors

This one is getting really popular. Instead of pre-packaging hundreds of little individual wedding favors, buy lots of types of chocolates, display them attractively in large bowls, and provide each guest with a small bag they can fill with their favorites and take home. All you'll need for this is large bowls for the candy, a scoop for each candy, small bags or boxes for the guests to use, and any other table decorations you like. Very simple, and you ensure that your guests get their favorite to take home.

Like I said, chocolate's great, and nearly everyone loves it. It's a great no hassle wedding favor that you can quickly make and store until your big day.

About the Author: Jeffry Evans
Get more great wedding help and advice atWedding Help. Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors is just one of many great articles you will find at I Need Wedding Help.

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raw chocolate bar recipes  health benefits of chocolate  dark chocolate  chocolate cheesecake recipe   storing chocolate