Foodista Blog » Chocolate

Chocolate of the Week: The Raleigh Bar

Kate — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:43:52 +0000

A full bar of chocolate can be quite hazardous. Shard by shard, they tend to disappear. And so, while perusing the specialty chocolate section, as I always do when there is one, I was drawn to the Raleigh Bar, a mere two inches in length (stocking stuffer?) and just three dollars.

Its creator is David Briggs of Xocolatl de David in Portland, Oregon. Briggs, once the sous chef at the Park Kitchen in Portland, keeps his culinary skills fresh by incorporating savory flavors into his chocolate bars. There’s the bar with Piment d’Espellete (a chili pepper from the Basque region), fried Marcona almonds and smoky paprika in the Almond and Pimenton bar, and a dark chocolate truffle filled with blue cheese.

But the Raleigh bar is less molecular gastronomy and more common sense. Few would argue that salted caramel and pecan chocolate nougat aren’t excellent partners. The caramel truly is salty – bits of fleur de sel linger on your tongue – but with the sweet nougat and slightly bitter edge of the 72% chocolate holding the whole thing together, it’s a good thing the bar is so small. Oh, and there’s also a bacon caramel version.

The name of the bar is an homage to North Carolina (”Plus, it sounds nice,” says Briggs on his blog) and can be purchased on the Xocolatl website.

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10 Things to Make with Zucchini

Melissa — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:19:08 +0000

The annual “Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day” was August 8th, and even if you happened to sneak several large squash into mailboxes, friend’s purses or onto co-worker’s chairs that day, the likelihood that you still have more zucchini than you know what to do with is pretty high. We figured you were not alone, so we have found 10 great recipes from Foodista and five more from food bloggers to help you get your creative juices flowing…oooh there’s one I forgot Zucchini Juice!

1. Raw Zucchini Pasta
2. Zucchini Pasta with Sausage
3. Stuffed Zucchini Boats
4. Zucchini Cookies
5.Savory Zucchini Pancakes
6. Zucchini Bread
7. Zucchini Parmesan
8. Green Curry with Zucchini
9. Zucchini Dip
10. Vegan Veggie Burrito

5 More Great Zucchini Recipes From Bloggers

All Things Nice Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Home Joys- Zucchini Crust Pizza

Cooks United Zucchini Fritters

Chocolate and Zucchini Zucchini and Mushroom Crumble

Kalyn’s Kitchen Zucchini Carpaccio

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Cocoa Nibs

Sheri Wetherell — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:11:00 +0000

In the far corner of my grandma’s kitchen, below the telephone and in the bottom drawer, is where my grandma stored all her old aprons. Most of them were the ones that tied around the waist, some of them the kind you wouldn’t really cook in they were so nice (like the sheer and frilly organza one), some I think were made by my great-grandmother. Whenever I was at my grandma’s house I’d make a beeline for that drawer and spend hours tying all the aprons around my waist to make a big poufy skirt. I’d twirl and twirl and twirl.

Sometimes my grandma would tell me to choose one apron and come help her in the kitchen. I’d sit on the shiny red vinyl stool at the big wooden island and wait patiently for instructions. I remember one such day when we were about to bake. She’d go in and out of her pantry and place what seemed to me countless ingredients on the island: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Then, the biggest bar of chocolate I’d ever seen. Mind you, I must have been around four or five years old and at that moment my grandma seemed like Willy Wonka. She saw the look in my eyes (she raised five daughters, she knew the look) and said to me,”That’s baking chocolate, honey, it’s not sweet.” I didn’t listen and the next time she turned her back for another pantry trip I bent down and scraped my little teeth on the big bar of chocolate.

“Eeeeeeew!”

“I told you, dear,” my grandma said sweetly, giggling a bit.

Oh how I loved those days. But apparently I didn’t learn much. On a trip to Mexico I found a bag of cocoa nibs at a sweets shop and bought them. Cocoa nibs are chocolate in their purest form. They’re roasted cocoa beans that haven’t been crushed and transformed into unsweetened chocolate. In a nutshell (or nib), they are definitely not sweet.

Barnaby said to me, just like my grandma all those years ago, “They’re not sweet, you know.” I knew (even though I’d never tasted one), but I popped one defiantly in my mouth anyway. It wasn’t the “Eeeeew!” I experienced in my grandma’s kitchen, but it wasn’t necessarily “yuuuum!” either, at least at first. After chewing it a bit I was able to get past the bitter taste and enjoy the lovely natural cocoa flavors.

Best of all, it made me remember that day spent baking with my grandma and the first time I snuck a taste of baking chocolate.

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Chocolate Dipped Palmiers

Sheri Wetherell — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:00:24 +0000

Oh how I love palmiers! Their delicate and flaky layers, their bits of caramelized sugar…and to make them even more naughtily delicious, dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts!

Mon dieu. So many French pastries, so little time.

Best of all, these little “palm leaves” are a snap to make (if you’re not making your puff pastry from scratch). In less than one hour you can bring a little bit of Paris to your guests in the form of these petite sweets.

Go to Foodista for the easy recipe.

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His and Hers Molten Chocolate Cakes

Sheri Wetherell — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:33:29 +0000

Photo: Barisione

What is sexier than yummy gooey chocolate? (Okay, maybe a silk negligee but we’re not that kind of website). I’ve always loved molten chocolate cake – partly because of the oh-my-God-this-is-so-flippin’-good factor, as well as its neat little individual size. I got this Molten Chocolate Cake recipe from Marco Barisione’s Weblog and decided to jazz it up a bit with a lil sumpin’-sumpin’ special. I want Grand Marnier added to mine and Barnaby wants Scotch. Since they’re made in little ramekins it’s easy to customize, thus making your honey happy on Valentine’s Day!

All you do is pour the batter into the ramekins, add 1-2 tablespoons of the liquor of your choice (depending on the size of the ramekin and according to your personal taste), give it a little stir and bake as instructed.

If this dessert doesn’t make you feel sassy, I don’t know what will! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Click here for the recipe.

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Secret Recipes

Barnaby Dorfman — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:50:34 +0000

Image: jessicafm

Though I can’t remember where, years ago I read about many American families guarding a secret family chocolate chip cookie recipe…often handed down from grandma on a yellowed note card. But it turned out that they all had the exact same recipe and that it matched the one on the back of the bag for Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies! If any of our readers remembers this and can share the source, we would appreciate it.

Even though “secret recipes” are as old as time, at Foodista, we believe there is great value in openness and sharing. Since we encourage our users to contribute recipes, below are some simple information resources to help you understand some of the legal doctrines regarding recipes and intellectual property.

Copyright
Can a recipe be copyrighted? In short, no. Recognizing this is a common question, the U.S. Government created a special page on the Copyight Office Website .

Here’s an excerpt:

“Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds, or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, when a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection.

Protection under the copyright law (title 17 of the United States Code , section 102 ) extends only to ‘original works of authorship’ that are fixed in a tangible form (a copy). ‘Original’ means merely that the author produced the work by his own intellectual effort, as distinguished from copying an existing work. Copyright protection may extend to a description, explanation, or illustration, assuming that the requirements of the copyright law are met.” (Visited January 29, 2009)

So the basic components of a recipe, ingredients and the preparation method, cannot be copyrighted. Furthermore, the “substantial literary expression” and “original works of authorship” standard is hard to meet for many recipes since they tend to describe commonly understood cooking techniques. Read more about Copyright at Wikipedia.

Patents
On the surface, it seems most appropriate form of intellectual property protection for recipes would be a patent, but proving you invented a recipe would be difficult given how long people have been putting foods together and cooking them! Read more about Patents at Wikipedia.

Trade Secrets
Another way to protect intellectual property is through Trade Secrets. Rather than publishing an invention or creation, individuals keep them a secret and get anyone they share with to agree to keep it a secret by contract. Some of the most famous examples of trade secrets are the recipes for Coca-Cola and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “Eleven Herbs and Spices.” So it would be illegal for some who has been given access by those companies, under a non-disclosure agreement to share them, but if you figured out the ingredients and process independently in a lab, you would be free to share. Read more about Trade Secrets at Wikipedia.

Other interesting areas of law related to the use, modification, and publication of recipes are (links go to related Wikipedia pages):

Fair Use

Copyleft

Public Domain

Digital Millennium Copyright

At Foodista, we have adopted a Creative Commons License that gives everyone free and broad rights to reuse content from Foodista. We also encourage everyone to give credit where credit is due. Above all, we do not condone the violation of anyone’s rights.

NOTE: I am not a lawyer, the above analysis is my own understanding of these issues after a lot of reading, but should not be considered professional legal advice.

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Dark Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves

Sheri Wetherell — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:00:00 +0000

When I was a wee little girl I had a nightmare about a monster whose face looked like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Strange, I know. The funny thing is, you’d think the horror would’ve turned me off of mint chocolate chip ice cream for life, but no, it’s my favorite. That nightmare I had about water, however, sure did the trick!

The mint in our garden is going crazy. Nothing else wants to grow, but the mint is flourishing. That’s just mint’s thing: it’s so hearty it could grow in the worst corner of your yard, in the worst soil. My kind of gardening!

If you, too, like mint and chocolate (no need to have had the freaky green monster nightmare) then you’ll love this fresh little dessert. I plucked a few leaves from my plant, dipped them in dark chocolate, then popped them in the freezer for a half hour. They are wonderful on their own or as a beautiful garnish to any dessert.

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4th of July Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sheri Wetherell — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:30:25 +0000

Why is it we love cupcakes so much? By “we” I mean us girls because, let’s face it, they’re pretty girlie. I’ve never heard a guy say, “Oh! Let’s stop and get a half dozen cupcakes! Won’t that be fun!?” Nope. I’m fairly certain I will never hear those words out of Barnaby’s mouth.

I found these little Red Velvet 4th of July cupcakes in a local bakery, and thought the gang of kids at the party today would really dig them.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Makes about 14-16 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces water
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake tins with cupcake papers.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and blend well.
Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to the butter mixture.
Sift flour and salt together into the above mixture.
One at a time, add the buttermilk, vanilla, and water.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Fold it into the cake batter, making sure it’s incorporated, but don’t beat it.
Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.
Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes, then turn the cupcakes out of the tins and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Vanilla Frosting

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Stir constantly over medium heat cook until the mixture becomes thick and begins to bubble (approx. 10-15 minutes).

Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature (approx. 30 minutes).In a large bowl beat the butter for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (exactly 15 minutes – set a timer!). Use immediately.

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Mexican Hot Chocolate

Sheri Wetherell — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:21:08 +0000

Normally this time of year I’d be writing about wine spritzers or something refreshing. Certainly not hot chocolate. But it’s been so cold here in Seattle I would swear it’s winter. Mark Twain once said, “The coldest summer I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” Well, I’m sure he’d say the same about Seattle right now. Didn’t we just have a heat wave?!

So to take the chill off I cranked the heat up, threw an extra blanket on top of the already-down-quilted bed, and made a big mug of Mexican hot chocolate.

Mexican hot chocolate makes Swiss Miss taste like pond water. Rich dark chocolate that’s laced with cinnamon and coarse sugar, it’s thick, frothy and warms you up like a hug from Granny. In fact, one of my favorite brands, Abuelita, means Little Grandma.

Break one tablet into 4 cups of milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture frequently with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and frothy. Traditionally, Mexican chocolate is beaten to a froth with a whisk-like wooden implement called a molinillo. Since most of us don’t own such an item you can pulse a small amount of the cocoa in a blender, then ladle on top of your beverage, much like a barista does with the foam of your latté. Drink immediately (you won’t want to wait anyway).

If you really need to take the edge off, add a splash of whiskey. A dash of chili powder is pretty good, too.

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Lillet

Sheri Wetherell — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:41:06 +0000

Between 1852 and 1870 France experienced an economic boom called the Second Empire, a time in which new companies prospered, especially the wine culture in Bordeaux. As techniques improved in viticulture and vintaging, Bordeaux confirmed its place in the world as a leader in wine.

It was during this time that fine wine and spirits distillers/merchants, Paul and Raymond Lillet, came into focus. Bless them, for they created my eau de vie – Lillet! Lillet is an apéritif created from a blend of fine wines (85%) and fruit liqueurs (15%). Not to diminish the careful blending and creating process, for which there is no recipe, both red and white varieties of Lillet is essentially blended and aged for 12 months before it is enjoyed by aficionadas like myself.

I personally prefer my Lillet on ice with an orange twist. James Bond invents the “Kina Lillet Martini,” which he calls the “Vesper” in Casino Royale. This sexy drink is made of “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. “ Kina Lillet being the original, more bitter, quinine version of the current liqueur. History aside, the next time you’re looking for a refreshing aperitif, give Lillet on the rocks a try!

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