_It is a scientifically proven fact: eating chocolate  (in moderation of course) can make you live longer! A few pieces of chocolate every month may increase longevity according to the Harvard School of Public Health**.

Every year, Americans consume more than 3 billion pounds of chocolate, an average of 12 lbs per person, placing the United States ahead of France...  If you fit the profile and eat about a pound of chocolate a month, (or do you peak  during the holidays? hummm...) and you are neither a diabetic nor prone to diabetes, you may be surprised to learn that your health may actually benefit from increasing your consumption!

First of all, don't worry about acne, there is no scientific proof that links it to chocolate.  Secondly, research seems to indicate that the antioxidants in cocoa reduce the risk of heart disease, one of the deadliest killers in America. Even more impressive: Epicatechin, an antioxidant found in cocoa, (and in green tea) has been shown to inhibit the formation of benign skin tumors in mice. In fact, cocoa contains flavonoids (plant nutrients) . Flavonoids can trigger enzymes that reduce the risk of certain cancers. Great, you'll say.  All nice and dandy. But what about tooth decay? Nope: an anti-bacterial agent that inhibits plaque formation has been found in chocolate. Migraines? Chocolate doesn't trigger them. That would be PMS and stress, which actually call for chocolate (as in craving).

Now obviously, if you are allergic to chocolate or to some of the ingredients commonly used in its confection, you probably are not interested to learn about its health benefits. But maybe you  happen to be lactose intolerant and would like to hear about milk? As it happens, chocolate may improve your ability to digest milk by stimulating the enzyme that breaks down lactose.
 
Still feeling guilty about eating chocolate? Just remind yourself: obesity is not a major concern in Switzerland where yearly consumption averages 23 lbs per person....
So let's catch up and enjoy some chocolate!!

**A survey of healthy 65-year-old men revealed that those who ate sweets containing chocolate reportedly lived longer. Mortality was lowest among those consuming chocolate 1-3 times a month and higher among those who indulged in the habit 3 or more times a week. Surprisingly non-consumers had the highest mortality of all. As with most things in life, moderation seems to be paramount. Chocolate is considered a major source of dietary copper, which is required for a healthy lifestyle. Cocoa and chocolate are also rich in minerals, such as magnesium and iron. Chocolate is a short term source for energy due to antioxidants and phenolics it contains. This energy source was even utilized by soldiers during heavy combat situations. A 40 gram chocolate bar contains the same amount of phenol as a glass of red wine and can be a positive source of dietary antioxidants. These anti-oxidants have been proven to reduce the risk of developing cancer or heart disease.
Source: The World of Atlas Chocolate
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Whether you are a true connoisseur or simply an amateur of fine wine, you have probably been tempted at some point in your wine tasting life to try a jus  (wine) with some chocolate. And chances are, the result was a disaster. Pairing wine and chocolate is not an easy task and you may well ruin the flavor of both if you don't choose carefully.

So if you love wine and chocolate but dread to put them together, here is some advice to help enhance your pairing experience. When it comes to fruit ganaches, Framboise dessert wine, orange muscat, marsala, pinot noir, port or champagne rose are fine choices.

A fruity Pinot Noir enhances the fruitiness in fine ganache coated chocolates and also pairs well with delicate creme fillings. And guess what? Your health might just benefit from a glass of Pinot Noir once in a while as it has been proven to contain a high level of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant with beneficial cardiovascular effects.

Aficionado Chocolates also recommends:
Pacific Rim, a company in Washington State is not only passionate about crafting beautiful Rieslings, but also commits to sustainable vineyard practices and biodynamic wine. Their Pacific Rim Framboise is made from raspberries grown exclusively for this product by Mike and Jean's Berry Farm in Mount Vernon, Washington. This intensely fragrant hybrid between liquor and wine simply tastes like liquid raspberries. Sweet!
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PGPR emulsifier 04/21/2010
 
Always on the lookout for another piece of chocolate, (of course, I am an aficionada :) I was happy to oblige when the friend I was visiting proudly served me a tray of little chocolate caramel cups that she claimed were "elegant, delicious, European-style and a fraction of the cost of what your website offers".
As I was pondering if I should feel offended or just enjoy the offering, I gobbled up the sweet piece (of which I won't reveal the brand as a courtesy, considering what follows). It tasted quite nice. The milk chocolate ganache-like shell was hard enough (I don't like an easy give), and not too sweet for what I believe to be my educated palate. The caramel inside was yummy, not too gooey either. "Not bad, may I see the packaging?" I asked. I was curious to see how much perfection had been truly achieved. My friend handed me the bag (no, it wasn't even a box, the manufacturer had managed to make them keep a perfect appearance in a ziplock type bag).
I quickly browsed through the ingredients: milk, cocoa butter, corn syrup... I was almost disappointed that nothing seemed totally unacceptable. Until four letters caught my eye. "PGPR". I read again. "PGPR emulsifier". What was that? My friend looked as puzzled as me. I looked at the bag again. It did say "fine quality chocolate" offered for several decades so I was tempted to trust that we weren't seeing proof of the dreaded GMO presence. I decided to look up the acronym on the internet.

What I found was that PGPR stands for Polyglycerol polyricinoleate, an emulsifier made from castor beans and used in candy bars to replace more expensive cocoa butter. A little reassured at first, I was even happy to read that it reduces the fat content of chocolate.  As I read on, the stuff seemed quite innocuous. A plant based ingredient also found in salad dressing and used by food manufacturers to reduce cost. The usual. I decided to look up castor beans, which I had first associated to the animal (castor is the beaver's latin name). We never stop learning. So much so that I discovered that not only has castor oil been considered for use as an insecticide but that it was also used to coerce opponents under the Mussolini dictatorship. Forcibly fed, the oil would cause severe diarrhea and dehydration, and ultimately death!
Although Wikipedia explains that the food manufacturers use castor oil at low levels, should I be worried? What about children? How much can they safely absorb?
As she pushed the candy tray in front of me, my friend laughed at my concern. "if it weren't safe, we would know and they wouldn't use it!" Would we? Wouldn't they?
I politely refused another serving of the tasty treat. "I will continue to favor ingredients I don't need to investigate", I said. With a bittersweet chuckle.
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Watch this video to find out how.
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I once received a hateful letter from a mom after I had sent my kindergarten boy to school with non-food favors and Valentine cards for his schoolmates, recommending they ask their parents to enlighten them about the dangers of chemically-loaded candy. My son, trained to enjoy more nutritious snacks, had personally shunned the overly sweet -albeit well marketed- Valentine treats he had got from his friends and favored the fun collector items that accompanied them.
As a health-conscious parent, I fight an ongoing battle to keep my child safe from chemicals in his food and his environment.  I teach him to develop healthy eating habits and together, we decrypt the labels at the supermarket. What a better way to bring awareness at an early age than by setting an example and calling parents on the dangers of too much sugar and additives? I assumed the bit of healthy advice my son and I crafted together would be welcome. Not so. I felt sorry for the mom's reaction and even more sorry for her kid. Not sure what the other parents thought.
What would you think? I know I am not the only one out there! If you too are concerned with what your kids are being brainwashed to eat, you will find a lot of info on Hip Organic Mama's blog. My child and I certainly enjoy exploring it.
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Everyone knows what a croissant is. But have you ever tried to make one (from scratch that is)? If you assume that this flaky treat is as easy to bake as it is to wolf down, think again! I tried to make eclairs once and I must say the reward was in the actual effort rather than the tooth-chipping result I produced. If you have intermediate skills in the kitchen and you love French cuisine, the insider view provided by Chocolate and Zuchini will surely help you graduate to the advanced level. Not only that,  you may also learn one or two very French sayings that will  add that sophisticated flair  to the Chef in you, such as "avoir la peche" (pronounce "ah-v-war lah pesh'' and know that "peche" is a peach in French but translate: "to be full of beans"). There are even audio links so you can work on your pronunciation.  How clever! Explore this and other yummy enterprises on this lovely site we love!
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What better combination than fine 73% Criollo cocoa high-end French chocolates and luxurious cigars? I used to smoke cigars, drink scotch and play poker consistently in another life. I sometimes long for this hedonist in me. Way back when before parenting took over my life to enchant it... in a different way. Well, I still do the scotch, though. On occasions. If you, however, are (still) a cigar Aficionado, you might enjoy pairing a cigar with a handsome piece of dark chocolate. According to the cigars connoisseurs, 70% dark and higher tastes best. See a video of  someone who actually tried.
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This is the title of a new blog we love! Chop Chop magazine has just launched. Initiated by cookbook writer Sally Sampson, it is a fun magazine for kids to learn how to cook real, healthy food. Guided by health conscious experts... and advised by kids! Find out about one of them, a 13 year-old vegetarian who raises... happy chickens! Read more
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 It is a scientifically proven fact: eating chocolate  (in moderation of course) can make you live longer! A few pieces of chocolate every month may increase longevity according to the Harvard School of Public Health**. Read more


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Beyond Fair Trade, the Fair Tracing project, started in 2006, aims to support Ethical Trade by implementing IT Tracking and Tracing Technologies in supply chains to provide consumers and producers with enhanced information. Read more
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