Dark Chocolate And Mint

The Best Dark Chocolate Bar

Where does a person buy the best dark chocolate bar? First let us determine what is the best one to buy. We can talk of the most familiar brands such as Hershey, Godiva, or Dove. Or, we can look into those areas beyond out borders where dark chocolate is more than a side grocery store stock item, but a craft.

In the Belgian Chocolate Factory you can get dark chocolates made fresh everyday. In the Belgian chocolate factories that I have seen show three main chocolate types, Milk, Dark, and White chocolate. Dark chocolate is my favorite. Popular, but exquisite manufacturers are Ghirardelli Chocolate, Almedei, Amore, Prestat, Zchocolat.

You have most likely seen some of the Hershey's chocolate products when you are shopping in stores, but if you go right to the source you will have the largest, most comprehensive selection available to you. Hershey's is one of the top names when it comes to chocolate, and whether you are looking for a dark chocolate bar or any other sort of chocolate bar, you are going to have some great options if you deal with them.

One of the best things about Hershey's is that they are always willing to offer nutrition information for each of their products, because whether you are looking for dark chocolate bar or another type, they want to make sure that you are aware of both the bad and good that is offered to you.

Ghirardelli Chocolate
With its heart in San Francisco bay, Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory brings over 150 years of the finest quality of manufactured chocolate. It is a huge factory of which my wife and I were privileged to see. They have mastered the art of taking only the finest of the cacoa bean and bringing it to perfection within their various chocolate selections.
The Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Bar is made of of perfectly roasted cacoa beans blended with cocoa butter and natural vanilla. Two of their incrediblely intense dark chocolate bars is Espresso Escape and mint Bliss. Another sample of their dark chocolate is the Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes. They even provide a recipe.
I will link you to this don't worry. I couldn't leave you hanging after that last one.

Origin Of The Mint

Mint, or Mentha as referred to, is a family of 25 species. Mint leaves are strong-scented, and exist throughout the year. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue and also pale yellow. They can grow to almost 120 cm tall with a potentially wide spread. In the world of food and drink, mint leaves can be used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, chocolate candies, and my favorite use - ice creams. I also read it is good to war off mesquitos, pretty cool.
Mint In A Chocolate Bar
Before we talk about it further, there is a great chocolate mint bar recipe from so check that one out too.

Mint is a powerful flavor. It has been used for decades as a soother to the stomach. Adding mint to chocolate, particularly dark chocolate can be even that much better. Chocolate mint bars possess a great flavor that is tolerable to the taste buds. For example, my wife and I go to the Olive Garden Restaurant whenever we can. What do they give us after we scoff down our pasta meals and bread sticks and salad, chocolate mint Andies candies?

Chocolate mint bars are great for all occasions, holidays, birthdays, social gatherings, and more. Many will appreciate having this particular type of chocolate around because of the health benefits of the mint itself. Many will reach for chocolate mint candies just because it is mint and they are thinking about their bad breath or stomach.

What can you make with mint chocolate? Tons of stuff! You can make mint chocolate chip cookies, mint flavored hot chocolate, mint toppings, mint chocolate fondue, mint chocolate drops, and more.

Well, I am sure you have your favorite recipes for chocolate mint bars or any other form of it. We would love to have your recipe and post it to our blog. Or, perhaps you have a great place to find chocolate mint bars or other. Let us know.

How Do I Eliminate Toxins From My Body?

Copyright (c) 2008 James Carden
Toxins are an integral part of our everyday lives. Pollution, pesticides, cigarettes, bad water and harmful cleaning products are only a few of the different sources of toxins that can cause our bodies to malfunction and that we come in contact with on a daily basis.
How can you rid yourself from such harmful elements?
Well, there are plenty of ways that you can clean your body from toxins, and it usually starts by making some changes to your lifestyle. One way to naturally detox your body is through exercise. Faithfully following an exercise plan will help you both release toxins through sweating but also increase the level of oxygen in the blood. This will provide you a higher level of energy and improve concentration. An oxygenated bloodstream will also help your body release toxins more easily.

Slight changes to your eating habits through diet will improve your bodies ability to release toxins. Vitamin C, for example, has been proven to stimulate the production of glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins. Fiber has also been shown to be beneficial in the detoxification process too.

One of the latest developments in the detox field is the detox foot spa. It works by sending a small current of energy through the body to energize the body and help it return to its natural state of energy and balance. The body can also absorb negative ions produced by the detox foot spa through the feet. While it may seem like quackery at first, there has been nothing but rave reviews about the detox foot spa and it is being prescribed in more and more chiropractic and alternative medicine clinics across the country. The detox foot spa which is also known as a detox foot bath been proven to relieve headaches including migraines, sports injury's and skin problems of all types including edema, just to name a few.

Another great way to detox your body is through fasting. Not only does fasting allow your body to purge built-up toxins and waste, but it also helps making your metabolism more efficient and allows you to absorb more nutrients from the food you're eating. Fasting is not that easy, but it is still considered as one of the most efficient ways to naturally release toxins from the body.
I hope I was able to shed some light on the detox process and assist you in reaching your goal of enjoying a better quality of life. Make sure you take advantage of all the possibilities available to you so you will be able to see which option works the best for you.

Lemony Chicken Curry with Coriander

This recipe comes from my friend Betsy. During a recent girls' weekend we were discussing that nagging question of what we all fix for dinner each night. She suggested this easy Indian dish that sounded fabulous. After trying it, I can say it is! And it's not as intimidating as those in my many Indian cookbooks that I have seldom attempted.

Ingredients:

5-6 Tablespoons vegetable oil Approx 2½ pounds chicken thighs and/or legs, skinned and seasoned with salt and pepper 2-inch hunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ habanero chile, seeded and diced ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt 2 bunches of cilantro, cleaned, stemmed and finely chopped 2/3 cup of water Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

Place ginger in bowl of a food processor and blend with ¼ cup of water until pureed.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil. When hot, but not smoking, add chicken and brown on both sides for at least 10 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add ginger puree to the pot used to cook the chicken and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. Add garlic, spices and salt. The mixture will become pasty, which is a good thing. Add cilantro and stir. Add water, lemon juice and return the chicken to the pot.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender and starting to fall off the bone. This should take about 45 minutes.

While the curry cooks, prepare some rice to serve with the curry. Serves four as a meal.
Note: the curry is quite tasty without the habanero chile. Use the chile only if you like it hot.

Tilapia Recipe

The tilapia is a great fish. A great bang for your buck, affordable and nutritious and there is so much you can do with this fish. Tilapia Recipe are everywhere and it does not take too much effort to find a recipe that will fit your budget and taste.
You can bake it in your regular oven or microwave it, grill, fry, pan or deep fried, bronze, blacken, poach. There is just so much you can do with it.
Having seen tons of tilapia recipes myself, you would notice that most of the recipes you will see are almost alike. Following the directions on each recipe is recommended to get the recipe right on the first time or if you really like the amount of ingredients or the ingredients themselves. But you can really surprise yourself and those you will serve your masterpiece by experimenting.
Choosing substitute to give your recipe its own taste.
Creativity is they key to innovation. And sometimes accident too! Penicillin is such accident that turned out just right. But of course you could also ruin the stuff if you do not get it right, you could end up with something that tastes like crap. So in line with that, I would think that it would be best to follow the directions by the letter first and after gaining some experience with the specific recipe, then one could try modifying the ingredients.
To some, cooking is nothing more than something that you have to do routinely but to some it is a passion. Ask a cook and you probably will get some response close to how Picasso, if he is alive, would talk about his drawings. It is an art.
To some people cooking is a hobby and trying out new recipes is a challenge. Mixing and matching can really be fun. But if something goes wrong, I am sure those who you cooked it for would still appreciate it, especially newly weds.
Funny story, but I heard a new bride cooking for her husband and the new husband saying it was really great and continued eating. And when the wife had a taste of her own cooking she realized that It tasted like she had scraped something she had stepped in off her shoe and put it over the tilapia fish.
But do not be deterred by such experience she learned something from that attempt. And that is to order pizza. But actually, after reading that story, I read it again and she did not mention that she had a cookbook in hand.
And the Tilapia fish being very affordable, you can actually afford to experiment on different Tilapia Recipe without worrying too much about the cost.

Chinese Food

Many non-Chinese think that dim sum is just a steamed dumpling with maybe a dipping sauce to accompany it. However, although that is one type of dim sum, the term "dim sum" does not refer to a single recipe but to a style of serving a vast selection of different snack type items. Usually, these will be provided on a trolley which trundles between tables for diners to make their choices.

Dim sum originated in the Canton province of China and was always served with tea. The custom soon spread to other provinces and indeed, around the globe. Whether at home or in a restaurant, dim sum can be enjoyed and because of the many choices, there is always something for everyone. Dim sum is particularly good for large goups of friends because part of the fun is sharing and tasting a lot of different dishes but it can't really be recommended for couples as the noise and bustle isn't really conducive to a romantic dinner.

Dumplings are indeed popular and are generally made with flour and steamed, resulting is a soft, slightly sticky ball. Nonetheless, it is the filling which differentiates and here there are a huge variety of options.

One type of dumpling is Gau or Gau Ji which consists of a quite fragile rice flour paste stuffed with various vegetables, such as picked cabbage or tofu. These dim sum are quite hard to make because of the delicacy of the past but are full of flavour.

Prawns and shrimps of various types are often used to stuff dim sum dumplings. These may be ground up and used alone or combined with spices, nuts or flavoured oils. Crab roe with Chinese mushrooms is a common filling for dumplings fried squid or other seafood may also be found on the dim sum trolley.

Another variety of dumpling is Chiu-Chao and these are usually filled with prawns or pork combined with mushrooms or peanuts, garlic, spring onions and other flavourings.
Bau is a dumpling glazed with sugar, which turns it from white to brown and which is referred to as a bun. These are stuffed with roast pork and spring onions and are a real delicacy.
Dim sum is ideal for vegetarians as the trolley will often offer rolls stuffed with shredded vegetables such as carrots, cabbage or mushrooms.
So, we've touched on a few of the many varieties of dumplings, buns and rolls but dim sum doesn't stop there.
Other possibilities include a rice porridge called Congee and of course, desserts. Thousand layer cake (Chien Chang Go), made from a sweetened dough with egg is one such and a steamed sponge cake sweetened with molasses is another. For a lighter finish to a meal, tofu drizzled with ginger syrup is a favourite.
We've hardly begun to explore the possibilities of dim sum which, although usually steamed or deep fried, can consist of almost anything snack-like in a small portion. This can include sesame toasts, meatballs, spareribs or even steamed chickens feet. There really is something for everyone so do give it a try.

Espresso - The Morning Wake Up Call

What is Espresso?

The word espresso comes from the Italian words caffè espresso which literally means pressed-out coffee. Espresso is brewed by forcing very hot water under high pressure through coffee that has been ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. This process extracts a very flavorful concentrated coffee beverage. In Italy, good espresso is defined by the "four Ms" - Miscela, Macinazione, Macchina, Mano. These four words loosely translates to: blend of coffee beans, the grinding process, the machine, and the person making the espresso.

Espresso was developed in Milan, Italy in the early 20th century, but up until the mid-1940s it was a beverage produced solely with steam pressure. A simple espresso machine uses a pot, a filter, ground coffee and a spout. The as water in the pot is heated pressure builds inside the pot, and the only way for it to escape is up the spout, through the coffee and out of the spout in the top. Since the end of the spout is under water, the pressure forces the hot water up through the spout. Modern day espresso machines have really caught on since the invention of the spring piston lever machine. This machines commercial success changed espresso into the beverage we know today. Starbucks has taken espresso production to a new level and the market continues to grow each year.

How does Espresso Differ from Coffee?

So what makes espresso so much different than regular coffee? For starters it has a thicker consistency than standard drip coffee. It also contains a higher amount of dissolved solids than drip coffee per relative volume. And probably the most noticeable thing when you pay $6 bucks is that the serving is much smaller. Espresso is usually measured in shots, which are between 25 and 30 ml (around 1 fluid ounce) in size. Espresso is also chemically complex and somewhat volatile, with many of its chemical components quickly degrading from oxidation or loss of temperature. Just by looking at it, the most distinguishing characteristic is "crema". Crema is the reddish-brown foam that floats on the surface and is composed of vegetable oils, proteins and sugars. Crema has elements of both emulsion and foam colloid.

Because of the high pressure brewing process, espresso tends to be a very highly concentrated "shot" of coffee. While there can be significant variation, on a per-volume basis, espresso contains approximately three times the caffeine content of regular brewed coffee. In most cases, 1 shot of espresso will have about half the caffeine of a standard large coffee. For this reason, it has become the base ingredient for other drinks, such as lattes, cappuccino, macchiato and mochas.

Which type of coffee beans is used to make espresso?

Contrary to popular belief, there is no specific coffee bean type or roast required to make espresso. Remember, espresso is made from the process, not the bean or blend. Typically, espresso is made from a blend of beans that can be roasted ranging between dark and light. Depending on the consumer, the blend chosen is purely a decision on taste. Commercial espresso makers like Starbucks go with a darker roast of beans to produce their traditional flavor.
What the heck is a Barista?

Barista is the Italian word for bartender. So an expert operator of an espresso machine is considered a barista. Starbucks uses this term to refer to their counter staff and thus the term has gained popularity in the U.S. A "home barista" is one who enjoys making espresso at their home.

A final word on espresso

As more and more Americans pour (no pun intended) into the local Starbucks or the Seattle's Best coffee shops, the popularity of espresso grows. Owning your own espresso maker has become quite popular in recent years and there are many styles of machines to choose from. Some operate with just the touch of a button. I encourage you to do your research before you buy there are many different options and many different price ranges to consider. Good luck on your quest for the perfect cup of espresso be it home brewed or Starbucks original.