Archive for September, 2007

Chocolate: The Perfect Gift
by Nathalie Fiset M.D.

Are you a chocolate lover yourself? Do you often flip through the pages of magazines or recipe books to spot some wonderful variants of chocolate recipes? If you do, then most probably other people also crave for chocolates as much as you do. There are various chocolate recipes that you have surely fallen in love with that you are driven to give it to others as some kind of special gift. These chocolate treats are definitely unique. Try to give it to someone on a special occasion and you’ll certainly receive a warm delightful response from the recipient. What is behind this so called perfect gift for all occasions?

A Brief Looking Back

Chocolate, or that which is otherwise known as “kah kow” had been discovered around 2000 years ago within the tropical rainforests of the Americas. Through time, several cultures adopted the “kah kow” into their religious rituals until such time that we come to know it by the name chocolate. Spain had its first glance at chocolate as soon as Columbus got back from America. He had with him some cocoa beans which were dark brown in color. The Aztec Indians termed it as “food of the Gods”. Then, Emperor Montezuma served all the Spaniards with such hot liquid placed in the golden goblets. They thought it as bitter so they put on some cane sugar. Up to now, even that several centuries had passed, chocolate remains as the food to be basically indulged at. There are wonderful products and recipes that are good to give to others as a perfect gift.

Chocolate Trend

Okay, so a special occasion is coming up and you are in deep thought about what kind of gift would be best to some special someone of yours. The event could either be an anniversary, a birthday, a graduation, and the likes. The basic question that you need to ask yourself is, what kind of person is the recipient? Think of the stand out qualities of the recipient. In most cases, the chocolate is always one of the safest and delicious gifts to hand in to the recipient. To date, the chocolate gift baskets are becoming so popular that many people have craved ordering these things as gifts to friends, family, relatives, and most especially, to their romantic partners. The hype about shopping for chocolates severely increases during Mother’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Birthdays. More so, with the onset of the online business, getting your hands on the chocolate collection is too easy and safe, so to speak. There are specialty shops which sell special variants of chocolates. Indeed, chocolate is a food of love that many people would love to taste over and over again.

Here are some notable ways on how chocolates could be shared to the other fanatics of this food:

Romantic Interludes. Romantic dates, Valentine’s Day celebration, and anniversaries could never be complete without chocolates. Chocolate prompts romance to be high up in the air.

Holiday Seasons. Chocolates could either be the main gift or simply an addition to the principal gift. The holidays would be all the more hyped up with chocolates on the list. As it goes, the chocolates are of course said to be the most traditional gift that stands perfect on almost all occasions. Business presents. Chocolates are also given off as gifts by the employers to show how thankful they are by the faithfulness and loyalty of their staff.

Chocolate gift baskets. Most often than not, several companies provide their regular clients with these presents as a simple way of saying “thank you” for their patronage.

Among the chocolate variants which could serve as a perfect gift are chocolate vanilla ice cream filled with strawberry dips, chocolate mousses, truffles black, chip zucchini, bread chocolate, chocolate cheesecake, toffee fluffy, torte rich chocolate cake, and several other chocolate recipes.

Check out some online stores for specialty chocolates that you could order. Remember that it is the thought that counts as you give gifts to other people. Hence, chocolates serve their purpose of being a perfect gift for all. Try it out and you could never fail in your expectations. Put a smile on the face of the recipient now.

About the Author

For more information on chocolate, please visit: http://www.chocolatedotcom.com/ http://www.chocolatedotcom.com/Order_Chocolates_Online.html http://www.drnathaliefiset.com

The first time I ever encountered mascarpone cheese was in Italy. I remember being totally enchanted with the experience. I use the word experience because that’s what mascarpone is for your taste buds. Perhaps it’s the creaminess or the slightly sweet aura that envelopes your senses…..what ever it is, the experience is sublime and totally different from any food I had ever eaten in the US. For those who have never sampled this very simple food, mascarpone is one of the main ingredients in Tiramisu and Zabaglione both legendary Italian desserts. It’s actually a triple cream soft cheese that is made from cows that have a diet of special grasses, herbs , and flowers. The origin dates back to the area above Tuscany called Lombardy in the late 16th century.

Mascarpone is made by allowing cows milk to set until the cream floats to the top. This is poured off and heated to 185 degrees. Tartaric acid is added, and the mixtures is allowed to thicken, and rest,. When the whey is separated, the remaining mass is pored into special cloth bags, and refrigerated so the rest of the whey is shed after 24 hours….. then presto….mascarpone.

Real mascarpone cheese comes from Italy and is available at Italian markets such as Giglio’s in St.Clair Shores, MI (586-774-3767) You can also find domestically produced mascarpone from Bel Gioioso in Denmark, WI, (www.belgioioso.com) and Castelli USA, Little Falls, NJ.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy mascarpone is spread it on just baked foccacia bread or in risotto dishes. Here is a simple recipe for Shrimp & asparagus risotto with mascarpone.

Shrimp & asparagus risotto with mascarpone Creamy Arborio rice with shrimp, asparagus & mascarpone cheese

• ¾- 1 cup raw roughly chopped shrimp (or tiny salad shrimp)
• ¾ cup minced white onion
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 cup Italian Arborio rice
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ tsp salt/pepper
• 2-3 cups brodo (broth)

1. Sauté rice in olive oil (rosolare), until white dots appear (do not brown)
2. Add onions and cook until translucent, add wine, reduce slightly, add stock slowly
3. Continue to simmer slowly while adding a little stock at a time. (20 minutes)
4. Continue to add stock
5. After about 18 minutes and the rice is creamy, add mascarpone , shrimp & asparagusWhen all ingredients are in add salt/pepper to taste
6. Risotto should be slightly adente, but still creamy and slightly loose in pan “on the wave” or “al onda” Risotto will “tighten up” when plated.
7. Serve immediately

Makes about 4- 6 servings

Buon Appetito,

Chef Doug Cordier “Cooking With Cordier”
www.ufoodi.com