To finish up our study of chocolate, I have researched and put together a menu of chocolate from start to finish. I hope you find great joy in discovering Chocolate in a whole new way. Share this menu with someone you love and as you dazzle them with your culinary skills, why not dazzle them with your new found knowledge of chocolate and the origins there of? I truly hope that you have enjoyed learning about chocolate and the ways in which it has touched the world via the Hispanic Culture. What follows is several recipes that will introduce you to Chocolate as a nutty ingredient, a savory, an enhancer and then naturally as the sweet and perfect finish to any meal. And don't forget the chocolate bath that follows. They were assembled for ease in preparation as well as uniqueness. Enjoy!
Salad for starters? (Americana)
Crunchy Baby Greens
Mixed Baby Greens, rinsed and spun dry Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Fine Red Wine Vinegar Cocoa Nibs
Toss the greens with just enough oil to coat, then add a generous amount of the vinegar. Toss a second time. Serve on individual plates and then dress with sea salt, fresh black pepper and a sprinkle of the cocoa nibs. The cocoa nibs will add a crunchy nutty flavor to the salad that is earthy and clean. Serve with a good hard bread.
Appetizers A La Chocolate! (French)
Chopped Chicken Livers with Sherry-Cocoa Pan Sauce
1/4 C Raisins Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 C Dry Sherry 2 tsp. Natural Cocoa Powder
Olive Oil 2 Tbsp. Water
1/2 C Diced Yellow Onion
Sea Salt
10 Oz. Chicken Livers, Rinsed,Trimmed,
and Cut into Quarters
Coarsely chop raisins and put them in a cup of sherry. Set aside.
Film the bottom of a medium nonstick frying pan with olive oil. Add the onions and cook slowly over medium-low heat, allowing them to caramelize. Sprinkle with salt. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the pan and saute' the chicken livers gently until brown on the outside but still red within. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the sherry and raisins over the livers. Add the cocoa and water and stir to blend. Cook, stirring until the liquid is reduced and thickened and the livers are barely pink inside. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and let cool slightly.
On a cutting board chop the livers into a coarse paste. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve warm with warm toasted pita triangles or chilled on crackers.
Intrigue with your Freshness!(Italiana)
Nibby Asparagus with Prosciutto
1 to 1 1/2 lbs Asparagus 2 Tbs. Lightly Crushed Cocoa Nibs
1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 to 3 Thin Slices Prosciutto Cut
Into Thin Slices
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Snap the woody ends from the asparagus and peel the stems. Cook the asparagus in boiling water just until barely tender and still bright green. 3-5 minutes.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, warm the olive oil with the nibs over the lowest heat to infuse the oil with the nibs flavor; do not simmer.
When the asparagus is tender, spread out on paper towels and let stand for a minute to absorb excess moisture. Transfer asparagus to serving plates or platter and dress with warm oil, nibs and sliced prosciutto. Serve hot or warm as a wonderful first course.
Something to Spice Up the Night! (Mexicana)
Mole Poblano (pronounced MOE-lay puh-BLAH-no)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove minced
2 Tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
3 whole cloves, crushed
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 slice bread, shredded
1/4 tsp crushed anise seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
3-4 Tbsp ground chile
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
1 1/2 oz Mexican chocolate, grated
1 chicken, cut up
Put the onion, garlic, and butter in a large frying pan. Cover and cook on medium low, or until butter is melted and the onion is starting to soften. Add to a large crock pot and mix in the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate. Cover and cook on high until the chicken is fork tender, meaning to fall off the bone. When the chicken is done, stir in the chocolate until it's melted and sauce is thickened.
Mexican chocolate comes in round tablets about 3 inches in diameter. If you can't find any in the grocery store, use a piece of a dark chocolate candy bar (or semi-sweet chocolate chips) instead, and add an additional 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
You can substitute pine nuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, or raisins for all or part of the almonds.
This dish is traditionally served with Handmade tortillas, but you can serve it with brown rice to really bring out the nutty flavor of the chocolate and cool down the heat if you are not accustomed to spicy foods. Also feel free to adjust the heat in this dish to your personal tastes.
Dessert... or maybe the first dish! (France, Switzerland, Belgium)
Chocolate Fondue
1/2 C Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbs. Unsalted Butter, Cut into Small Pieces
6 Oz. Top-Quality Bittersweet Chocolate, Chopped
3 Oz. Top-Quality Milk Chocolate, Chopped
Small (miniature) Crock Pot
Add Cream and butter into crock pot and heat on medium until warm and butter melts. While cream and butter are heating wash, dry and arrange your favorite fresh fruits onto a serving platter with chunks of pound cake and marshmallows on wooden skewers. Lower heat to low and stir chocolate into the cream mixture and continue stirring until melted and completely smooth. Place the Small crock pot in the center of the platter or place crock pot on a table plugged in and on low with the fresh fruit plate aside as a warm place to linger and enjoy the good company after the meal.
Salud! (Recommended Drinks)
Crunchy Baby Greens: Serve with a Chardonnay
Chopped Chicken Livers with Sherry-Cocoa Pan Sauce: Serve with a small amount Sherry used in cooking (Do not ever cook with anything you would not drink hence the perfect accompaniment for this drink is naturally the mirroring Sherry used in it's preparation)
Nibby Asparagus with Prosciutto: Serve with a Zinfandel or continue enjoying the Chardonnay from the first dish
Mole Poblano: Enjoy with a fruity Sangria or as this is a poultry dish either of the previous lighter wines would be fine also
Chocolate Fondue: A wonderful way to end any evening is with Champagne if this is a special celebration, a fine sparkling water to cleanse the palette between fruits is also a wonderful offering.
If this is a romantic evening you can take your dessert in a bath of chocolate. There are many specialty bath stores that offer a variety of bath accouterments to share and enjoy or you can improvise and go all natural by adding fresh milk and natural chocolate from the dinners ingredient list into a warm bath. Either will result in a soothing experience for you body, soul and spirits.
To learn more about chocolate history please see the links below to find more reading and resources at Amazon.com.
If you love poetry check out my book at Amazon.com
Lamentations of the Caves By Rebecca Cuevas De Caissie
Save to Del.icio.us
