Chocolate rants part 1

You say potato, I say cacao!

I've been refrained from being intimate on this particular topic of enlightening  the chocolate lovers on the background and birth to every bite you take, every move you make to all the weight watching you fake. It'll be an attempt at a  intellectual yet entertaining journey of chocolates and ofcourse, the brands I love! It's going to be a series of yadda yadda on the life of our beloved cacao which we  very casually refer to as "Kuch metha hojae!"(let's have something sweet) Which is ironic cause I love my blend of 70% finest south american beans..my absolute bitter sweet indulgence with a massive cup of american breakfast tea..Oh dear...must control... emotions.

You know what they say...I'm sure you do. However, what you don't know is what I'm about to rant. Several years ago this earth was found bearing the beans from the tree call Theobroma cacao, the original source of chocolate. Theobroma literally  translates to "food of the gods"  in greek.
You hear me? no? I'm sure you don't. Try and feel it buddy..cause it only gets better on this blog. There are dozens of interpretations on what the three C's really mean. It started off from the olmec people which literally means rubber people (more on that someday at my house for tea?) which is now mexico and is believed as the original name of the plant. We will learn later on how chocolate's journey is traced from the land of the maya in central america to spain and rest of europe, and then back across the atlantic to the united states.
Cacao is the only word ever used in the hispanic languages to describe what english speakers thinks of as cocoa. Some say it was spelt wrong, others claim it was easier to pronounce which suprisingly  took over the original. This was for the left side of your membrane and now for the right side.. Cacao is the bean  from the cacao pods that look like large american football sized fruits grow off the trunk and limbs of the cacao tree inside which you find cacao beans.
The harvest,fermented and dried beans that are cleaned and roasted where the shells are then removed to make the cacao nibs. The nibs are ground to cocoa mass. Cocoa is also known for the processed.  The Cocoa mass which is usually liquefied then molded with or without ingredients is called chocolate liqour, which can be separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Chocolate is formed by combining the cocoa butter and cocoa powder in varies amounts with or without other ingredients.

Bored? I hope not!! cause here comes the recap!
Cacao for the plant and all it's products before processing, cocoa after processing and chocolate is the fine mama blend.

Sadly, I have no pictures of the initial processes  of chocolate making  of my own to share at the moment however, to thank you for getting through the  first post on chocolate without pulling your hair out.. below are some saliva teasing delicacies made at ICCA Dubai

Until next time

weight fluctuating-ly yours,

A xx

Photo credit: Pauline Benzon Tana

Photo rights reserved : ICCA DUBAI 2012

Sweet Victory- Crepe Suzzete

Beginners Delight

It was pretty clear how victorious my experience was with my last post. Crepes are probably one of the world's most desired delicacies. What's even more crazy interesting is the invention of crepes. Henri Carpentier a 14 year old assistant waiter during 1895 in Monte carlo Cafe was preparing a desert for then prince, King Edward VII of England where this delicacy that was originally called crepes princess was accidently made due to the burning incident of the chafing dish in which the dessert was being prepared, anxious Henri took a bite of his accidental dish and couldn’t believe what the flame had created. It was then served to the king with great feedback. During the meal the King had politely requested to change the name to Crepes Suzette. Just like the king, we are eternally grateful that his hard work caught on fire.

Start cooking!!

Crepe Suzette Ingredients:

Plain flour - 1.5 cups (shifted)

Eggs- 2
Butter- 50g

Pinch of salt

Caster sugar- 1tbsp

Milk- 200 ml

Orange- Half sliced

Sauce Ingredients:

Orange juice - 2 oranges

Orange zest - 1

Small lemon - 1

Caster sugar - 1 tbsp

Unsalted butter- 50g

Recipe:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Poke your way in the middle to make a deep dent in your dry ingredients and break the eggs into it. then whisk the eggs and flour till its incorporated well.

While mixing add milk gradually into the bowl, mix till all the lumps break and the batter becomes thin and smooth. Add little drops of orange juice to the mix. (Avoid over adding the orange as the sauce already contains enough flavour)

Now heat butter at a medium flame in a small pan. Take any access flowing butter and add your batter into the pan. Start from the center and use your pan to spread it around the pan. Remember that crepes are much thinner than the basic pancakes. To make life easier you could use a spoon to help you level it.  It shouldn't take more than 30-40 seconds to cook. Flip and cook both sides till slightly golden. I love mine crisp and dark golden.

After you've made your crepes, time to make the sauce!

Sauce:

Mix all the ingredients except butter into a bowl. In a small pan melt your butter add it too the bowl with all the ingredients. Yup yup!We're ready!!

Plate up!

Take your crepe and pour your sauce in the middle. Spread it with the help of a spoon. Now fold your crepe into two halves which will inturn give you a beautiful fan like shape. Do the same with another crepe. Your crepe is now ready to be served!

Stack one crepe above the other. Garnish by sprinkling icing sugar with a shifter and some orange sliced up.

Enjoy!!!

Burning it and flipping it-ly yours-

-A