Pina's House of Chocolate

[Paulo]

This is for those Ben & Jerry's ice cream lovers!! oooerrrrr!

[Paulo]

The Chocolate Caper


The band struck up a "slow one"
As the dancers filled the floor.
The adults then all seemed busy
As he peeked through the door.

He saw the only single guy
Was sipping a root beer .
He turned to tell his buddies,
"I think the coast is clear."

He whizzed by the pecan pie,
Ignored the walnut cake,
The brownie plate came into view,
He knew the route to take.

A zig, a zag, a slide, a spin,
Down the aisle he flew
There in sight was his delight;
Glorious chocolate goo.

He ate his fill, then some more,
Chocolate stained his chin.
He saw his friends looking on
And couldn't help but grin.

He knew he'd taken quite a chance,
If caught had no excuse,
At that moment he became
The MOUSE that ate the MOUSSE!

Grandpa Tucker
Copyright ©1997 by Bob Tucker

[Pina]

Mmmm... Chocolate!!!
Kay Sullivan

Here I sit, eating chocolate chips.
To quit eating chocolate, I need more than tips.
There are so many kinds of chocolate, it's hard to choose.
No matter which one you pick, you just can't lose.

There is milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, and semi-sweet.
I really like dark chocolate! It's such a treat!!!
There is also mint chocolate & white chocolate -- I'm not through!
There is cereal, cake, cookies, candy, pudding, pie & ice cream too.

Chocolate tastes so rich, and sweet, and sometimes smooth.
It can help make you feel better, or help your heartache sooth.
There are many chocolate drinks. Have some, just for fun --
cappuccino, chocolate milk, mocha & cocoa -- try more than one!

Is chocolate as good as a hug, or a pat on the back?
What if I'm out of chocolate, when I have my next attack??!!
I could just imagine that I'm eating chocolate, I suppose.
If I eat lots of chocolate all day long, would I overdose?

Where would I go... what would I ever do... without chocolate?
Nothing can compare. Not even one word rhymes with chocolate!
Do I take it for granted that I can always get more?
I could eat chocolate candies, by the score!

Is chocolate something to fear -- is it really a curse?
Is it something to be avoided, or is it much worse?
Or... is chocolate the eighth wonder? Is it a total delight?
Something you savor for so long? Or love with all your might?

[Pina]

Ladies and gentlemen... my very own House of Chocolate... built with my own two hands!! ;D

[Pina]

How is chocolate made?

The creation of this confection is tedious and time-consuming, and has both a sweet and a bittersweet ending. Initially, skilled workers cut ripe cacao bean pods from the cacao tree, split them open, and scrape out the pulp contained inside. After the mass of pulp ferments for a few days, workmen spread it in the hot sun to dry, separate the dried seeds from the remainder of the pulp, and bag them for shipment to the market.

Once the bagged seeds arrive at their destination, the manufacturer's processing mill, they are cleaned to remove foreign material. Next, they are roasted, to loosen their husks, which are then literally blown away in yet another process. Finally, the inner kernel of the seed is broken into bits called "nibs." At this juncture, the road in the chocolate making process forks, as what is done next with the nibs determines the final product.

When the nibs are ground under heavy stone mills, the oil within the nibs is released, and transforms the mass into "chocolate liquor," a thick substance which, upon hardening, produces the bitter chocolate used in recipes for baking and for candy-making. The method of producing sweet chocolate follows that of producing bitter chocolate, with the addition of other substances, such as cocoa butter, a fat.

Workmen obtain cocoa butter, a byproduct of the cocoa making process, by grinding the nibs, and by separating part of the fat from the resulting mass. Not only is cocoa butter an essential ingredient in producing sweet chocolate, but also in producing cosmetics and medicines. Once the cocoa butter is extracted for its various uses, the remaining mass is finely, and finally, ground to produce cocoa.

Cocoa, the drink, is the mother of all chocolate making. The ancient Aztecs prepared the original version of this beverage by crushing cacao beans, which they boiled with water and various spices, seasoned with pepper, and served cold.

Spanish explorers, who stumbled upon this potent Aztec drink, stole the recipe, deleted the pepper from it, and substituted an equal measure of sugar to the crushed cacao beans and water before boiling it. The Spaniards successfully squirreled away their new and improved drink recipe for almost 100 years until, in the mid 17th century, a Frenchman found sweet success by discovering the art of making solid chocolate from finely ground cacao beans.

The secret was out, and the rest is history!

Source: www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/chocolate.asp

[Paulo]

And now for some real chocolate decadence...

Chocolate Coconut Roulade

French Chocolate Cake

Sticky Chocolate, Maple and Walnut Swirls

Chocolate Almond Mousse Cake

I am learning to make the above desserts! ;D