All-You-Can-Eat Chocolate Diet?
March 1, 2013
There are diets that most, if not all, of us are accustomed to, and the Mediterranean diet chooses to go a different way. People in this diet can eat nuts and eggs to their heart’s content, and even chocolate! Provided it contains more than 50% cocoa. It allows them to have as much fish, seafood, low-fat cheese, and whole-grain cereals as they want.
If you are looking to follow this diet, you must also stick to having olive oil, which you use on salads as well as cooked veggies abundantly. Also, you must have at least two servings a day of vegetables, with at least one of those servings in the form of a salad, on top of at least three servings a day of fresh fruit.
Legumes, which include garbanzo beans, lentils, soybeans and peas, must be eaten at least three times a week. Additionally, you should eat fish or seafood three times a week, with at least one meal of a fatty fish like salmon, tuna or sardines.
Pistachio Swirl Fudge
February 27, 2013
I was browsing my social networking accounts when I stumbled upon this photo of pistachio nuts. I suddenly remembered how I was obsessed with pistachios some years back.
Every time I crave them, and pistachio nuts are nowhere to be found, I almost always throw temper tantrums. Haha, no, really. For the most part, I go haywire when I can't have my chocolate fix, but there was a point in my life when pistachios would make or break my day.
Enough with that. Before I share a recipe that features my beloved pistachio nuts, here are some fun facts you want to know!
Bite Someone’s Chocolate Head Off
February 22, 2013
Giving heart-shaped chocolates on Valentine’s Day is so last week. Well, that's certainly true, since it was last week.
But here's an interesting twist that comes out of Japan. We all know how high-end their technology can get. A Tokyo design firm offered up its 3D scanner to come up with miniature chocolate rip-off of faces.
KS Design Lab invited certain individuals to get scanned using its 3D body scanner to make silicon moulds in their heads’ shape. Participants then filled it with chocolate to come up with their own unique treat on a stick, mini-me style!
"I didn't actually think it would turn out to look this much like me, so I'm a bit surprised," said Mariya Kawae, 30, who wanted to send out mini heads to her husband and co-workers.
Chocolate Orange Mousse
February 20, 2013
Oranges are packed with nutrients. This particular fruit is known to be low in caloric content, and has no cholesterol or saturated fats. It is rich in fiber, too. Oranges, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is a powerful natural antioxidant. And the list of the nutritional contents of oranges goes on…
I just gave you one whole paragraph regarding oranges because it's gonna be in the recipe I'll be giving you now! Of course the recipe is not as nutritious as orange when it's all by itself, but some of the nutrients are still there, right? LOL At least, the flavor is very present. A lot of chocolate lovers dig their treat with a hint of orange. I'm not crazy about chocolate and orange pairing myself, but this recipe is actually pretty good!
Chocolate Facts You Want To Know
February 15, 2013
Always be choosy with the chocolate you eat. Chocolate is known to be packed with nutrients, but to be able to get its substantial benefits, we must know what we're eating.
Chocolates that have at least 70% cocoa are the best ones, considering the higher the cocoa content, the more nutritious. Your chocolate is also better off non- or lightly alkalized or non-dutched. While milk and white chocolate are head-tilting good, they don’t offer as much healthy flavanols as dark chocolate does.
If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, fret not. It's actually an acquired taste, and you can develop it by slowly increasing percentage of cocoa in the chocolates you eat. As a matter of fact, there are milk chocolates with 50 percent cocoa or more available in the market now.
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Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies
February 13, 2013
Chocolate and mint seem to go together very well. A lot of sweet treats have been surfacing with this flavor combination. I, for one, swear by this pairing. I just find the combination of rich chocolate and the refreshing mint oh so delightful.
Chocolate and mint have been consumed separately for centuries now. But, who first combined the taste sensations is unknown. Chocolate mint is popular for sweet treats like candy, ice cream, and cake, to name a few. With its continuous popularity, it invaded the liquid world. It is now used in coffee, tea, and even some main dishes. It’s even used in cosmetics! I myself love my chocolate mint bath gel and lip balm.
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Luxury Chocolates in Developed Markets
February 8, 2013
Considering the chocolate-lovers phenomenon, it's no wonder why chocolate gift boxes make the perfect present for almost anybody. Experts have expressed that chocolate makers have to invest in luxury and premium chocolates in order to help sales boom in well-developed markets.
The global chocolate market is estimated to be around US$107 billion for 2012 according to Euromonitor data.
A senior foods analyst from Euromonitor International, Francisco Redruello, has stated that manufacturers in the developed markets have to focus on quality while increasing investment and innovation. The only possible exception to the quality focus would be in the U.S. and Germany where there's much greater price consciousness.
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Cheese Fudge
February 6, 2013
Some people crave chocolate treats every once in a while, while others won’t last a day without their chocolate fix. Chocolate today is getting more and more interesting by the minute. Chocolate lovers seem to be constantly on the hunt for a new twist to their favorite treat that would tickle their fancy.
A lot of chocolate pairings have been surfacing recently. Different types of chocolate have different ingredients combined with them, like nuts, mint, caramel, nougat, and fruits, among others. If you truly are the chocoholic that you claim you are, you know that there are still a lot of chocolate pairings out there you have yet to try.
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Shots, Shots, Shots, Truffle Shots, Everybody!
February 1, 2013
When Sherri Athay was in a chocolate-making class, she remembered intricately making chocolate truffles only to discard the shell and eat the centers.
"I thought there must be a better way to get to the best part of the truffle, without all that work," she said. It was a light bulb moment after seeing a set of tall shot glasses while shopping with her daughter. Truffle shots!
After some years, they made the idea tangible. They came up with unique confections from a storefront in Essex, Connecticut, and worldwide from their website. Truffle Shots display what Sherri Athay considered as "good stuff" in a truffle, layered in a two-ounce shot glass.
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Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ball
January 30, 2013
Nothing beats a homemade treat. The thought of the person you love going through all the effort just to please you on a once-in-a-year event is heavenly enough, the scrumptiousness of the gift is just a bonus.
I don't know about you, but Valentine's Day is a big deal to me. Every 14th of February, I always make it a point to do something worth remembering, worth seeing on photos. No, actually, just worth remembering. It doesn't have to be grandiose, though, just memorable.
However, my Valentine's Day always comes with a treat, be it food, flowers, or sweet treats. Yes, this year, I will be big on sweet treats! While I have a couple weeks left to wait, it's good to have it planned by now. I'm not big on spontaneity, I like planning, so here goes a recipe which I might have to include in my Valentine's Day "plan". 🙂
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