Monthly Archives: December 2011

60-Second Chocolate Mousse

If you're having guests come over to your house, you can always serve chocolate mousse as a dessert. Whether your visitors are kids or kids at heart, chocolate mousse will definitely make you hear them go 'mmmm'. Plus, you can make it without much hassle.

Just in case you wanted to know, the word mousse is French and it means foam or lather. This is a specialty in French restaurants, which made its way into the British and American culture in the 1960s. The most essential part in creating chocolate mousse is the foam, which gives this treat an airy and light texture. You have the freedom of choice to prepare it light and fluffy or creamy and thick. It all boils down to your liking.
Read more

Harlow Chocolate Run

A voluntary group in the U.K., called the Harlow Chocolate Run, has been providing food, drinks, and clothes to the homeless locally and nearby areas for over 40 years now.

The organizer of Harlow Chocolate Run, Mick Granger, believes that the people they are helping are usually at their all time low which he thinks is a very lonesome situation to be in, so they help them in whatever way possible.

"There is a lot of stigma surrounding the homeless yet so many don't realize that it can take just one traumatic event – a relationship break-up, the loss of a job, grief – to leave people like you and me vulnerable", said Mick.
Read more

A Global Chocolate Shortage?

Devastatingly, there has been a global shortage of cocoa beans. And this might be the reason for the skyrocketing of the price of chocolate in the near future.

Chocolate makers are thinking of different helpful strategies that can remedy the situation such as upping the amount of nuts, fillers, or any other ingredients just to bulk out chocolate candies.

The reasons behind this demand are said to be the rise in the popularity of cocoa in China, the spread of awareness about the many health benefits of chocolate, and the constant and rising demand for dark chocolate.
Read more

Queens Of Chocolate

The queens of France were allegedly the ones held responsible for the craze of drinking chocolate during their times. They brought the practice along with them from their countries of origin, or so they say.

The first queen was Anne of Austria who married Louis XIII. When the king died, she became regent and declared her immense love of chocolate. She was even given a personal chocolatier!

The second queen who had extreme love of chocolate was Maria Theresa of Austria who married Louis XIV. It is said that she only had two passions in life... the king, and you guessed right, chocolate. And according to the king, chocolate tricks hunger but does not fill the stomach.
Read more

Chocolate Mint Drink

Chocolate and mint always make a good pair. I guess it's safe to say by now you already know some significant tidbits about chocolate. Let me shine some light on you about mint this time.

Mint flavor is extracted from mint leaves that have a rather powerful scent, and available all through the year. Its leaves are typically green, but there are some that are purple, blue, and yellow in color. The plant can grow to approximately 120cm tall.

Mint leaves can be used to repel mosquitoes and as a medicine to soothe the stomach.  While sometimes used even in beauty products, mint is mostly utilized in the culinary department. It is often used in beverages, syrups, ice cream, and chocolate candies.
Read more

Rats Resist Chocolate To Help Friends

In a recent lab experiment done to rats by the researchers from the University of Chicago, these creatures displayed human-like empathy and looked out for fellow rodents in times of distress such as helping each other to get away from restraint. And they sure as heck can resist even the alluring temptations of chocolate!

A cage which had a restraint was set up by the researchers. The restraint was composed of a blocked tube with a door that could be opened from the outside.

They placed one rat inside the restraint and the other was allowed to roam freely around the cage. At first, the free rat showed "emotional contagion" which is normally seen in humans and even animals. It is when one feels the distress undergone and felt by another.  This becomes apparent by freezing or helplessly running about.
Read more

Brief Walks Can Reduce Chocolate Cravings?

New research has shown that a 15-minute walk can cut down your consumption of chocolate by half during working hours.

The study was conducted by the University of Exeter. Turns out, workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after this brief exercise, even when they're in a rather stressful situation.

The study utilized a simulated work environment.  78 regular chocolate-eaters, who hadn't had any chocolate in the past two days, participated.
Read more

Chocolate Better Than Kissing?

Young couples volunteered to have their hearts and brains monitored and were then asked to melt dark chocolate in their mouths before kissing their partners.

The research was led by Dr David Lewis, formerly of the University of Sussex, and now of the Mind Lab. "These results really surprised and intrigued us," he said. "While we fully expected chocolate - especially dark chocolate - to increase heart rates due to the fact it contains some highly stimulating substances, both the length of the increase, together with the powerful effects it had on the mind, were something none of us had anticipated."
Read more

Chocolate Brittle

You have the freedom in selecting the way you make your chocolate brittle. In this particular recipe, we will be using semi-sweet chocolate, but you can always opt for white, milk, or dark chocolate. It's all up to your liking, or the one you plan on giving it to. Especially now that it's December already, you can make some of these to give as a holiday gift.

But don't stop here, you can modify the recipe by using other dried fruits and nuts available in your kitchen or fridge. And always keep in mind, the quality of the chocolate brittle will be as good as the quality of the chocolate you will be using, so see to it that you use quality chocolate!
Read more

The Chocolate Festival

Yael Rose has loved chocolate pretty much all her life. She finds Zen in drinking a cup of hot chocolate or munching on cocoa nibs. "To be honest, I think it’s an addiction," she said. "There’s something about the smell and colors of chocolate I simply can’t resist every single time."

She took this intense love for chocolate to a pro level and became the director of The Chocolate Festival. This event will be happening in Brighton, London and Oxford around Christmas and Easter. It will be all about chocolate and it's taking place down London's Southbank Center Square (Belvedere Road) from December 9 to 11, 2011.
Read more