Recently in Chocolate - Misc. Category
I have to admit, when I first heard about chocolate tortilla chips, the first thing I thought of was something I called choco nachos when I was a kid. Now, I'm not talking about Klondike's Choco Tacos, which you can rarely find these days; those are different, and we'll speak of them anon.
No, my choco nachos were tortilla chips with chocolate syrup poured on them. Don't try this at home, kids. I can't imagine now why I liked them then, but maybe it was that sweet/salty knockout combo you get when you bite into them. Of course, if you like that sort of thing, go for it.
All well-done liquid-soaked pastries, from Caribbean rum cake to Mexican tres leches, have their attractions; but for the chocolate lover, it's hard to beat the French delicacy known as gateau l'opera (opera cake). Never heard of it? Well then, sit back and let us tell you all about it.
The combination of chocolate and coffee isn't necessarily an extreme one, but it's usually extremely delicious. If you've ever had a mocha latte (and what chocolate extremo hasn't?), then surely you know what I mean. Ain't it great to be able to combine two perfectly legal mind-altering substances in perfectly legal ways?
There are many options for imbibing your coffee/chocolate combos, and in this article, we'll discuss a few interesting ones. But first, this public service message!
In Part I of this article, we introduced chocolate-based mole negro (black mole) sauce, and began the brilliantly complex recipe... no doubt leaving you cursing at the cliffhanger ending. So with no further ado, let's proceed!
To native English speakers, the term "black mole" may conjure up images of dark-haired little dirt-digging rodents. But the mole in this case is pronounced "moh-lay," and refers to the chocolaty Mexico sauce typically served as a festival food at weddings and special birthdays.
At first taste, you may find mole in general (and black mole in particular) a bit surprising. Lacking sugar, the ancient Mexicans mixed a local standby into their cocoa: chili peppers. One result, black mole sauce, was one of the native culinary creations co-opted into modern Mexican cuisine.
As chocolate extremos, we're well aware that our favorite food can do many things -- but would you believe that you can fight tooth decay with chocolate?
I'm not channeling Maxwell Smart here. According to real, live scientists, moderate chocolate consumption not only thwarts the bacteria that cause tooth decay, a certain famous chemical in cocoa makes a dandy addition to toothpaste. Let's take a closer look!
You know, we wouldn't put it past some crazed chef to develop a chocolate salami that's actually made of chocolate-flavored meat, and wouldn't that be something to write home about? However, as far as we know no one has gone quite that far yet, the operative word being "yet."
Three words, after all: chocolate-covered bacon. That's been a reality for years now. There are candy bars and everything.
