culinary showcase | Jen's Perspective Blog

On February 1st, National Dark Chocolate Day reminds us to indulge a little. Many tout dark chocolate as the healthier chocolate. However, for some, it can be an acquired taste.

Also known as bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate is different from milk chocolate. Candy makers add milk or butter to milk chocolate, giving it a creamier consistency. Dark chocolate includes no added milk or butter. Instead, the percentage of cocoa solids remaining in the chocolate determines how dark the chocolate is. The higher the ratio, the darker the chocolate. It may also have a slightly bitter taste.

Chocolate Bliss: 150 Easy Chocolate Recipes: A Chocolate Cookbook – Cookies, Cakes, Bars, Candy, Brownies, Pies

175 Dark Chocolate Recipes: A Dark Chocolate Cookbook for All Generation

YORK Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties, Valentine’s Day Candy Party Pack, 35.2 oz

Blue Diamond Almonds Oven Roasted Dark Chocolate Flavored Snack Nuts, 25 Oz Resealable Bag

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. We have been cultivating cacao for at least three millennia, and the plant grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. Our earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds dates to around 1100 BC.

Fermentation helps develop the flavor of the cacao seeds. Otherwise, the seeds are too bitter to eat. Once fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. Processors then ground the cocoa nips into cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Next, they usually liquefy the cocoa mass and mold it with or without other ingredients. At this point in the process, it is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Besides being lower in calories and fat, dark chocolate has many other health benefits. It also serves as a decadent ingredient in many desserts and sauces.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY

Eat some dark chocolate. Bake with dark chocolate. Add dark chocolate to a savory dish. Share dark chocolate recipes. Host a dark chocolate tasting. Learn about the health benefits of dark chocolate. Use #NationalDarkChocolateDay on social media.

DOVE PROMISES Valentine’s Day Individually Wrapped Dark Chocolate Candy Assortment, 15.8 oz Bag

BROOKSIDE Dark Chocolate, Acai and Blueberry Flavored Snacking Chocolate Bag, 21 oz

ChocZero 92% Cocoa Ultimate Dark Chocolate – Sugar Free, Low Carb, All Natural – Keto Friendly (48 Bars – 19.2 Ounce Tin)

Lindt LINDOR Assorted Dark Chocolate Candy Truffles, Assorted Chocolate with Smooth, Melting Truffle Center, 15.2 oz. Bag

Ice cream and cake come together on February 1st in a celebration called National Baked Alaska Day.

An elaborate dessert that is also known as “Omelette Norvegienne,” Baked Alaska is made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and covered in a shell of toasted meringue.

In the United States in 1867, an earnest debate erupted over the potential purchase of Alaska from Russia. Secretary of State William Seward agreed to a purchase price of $7 million, and Alaska became a United States territory in 1868. Those of the opinion that the purchase was a giant mistake referred to the purchase as “Seward’s Folly.”

Enter Charles Ranhofer, the chef at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City. He was notorious for naming new and renaming old dishes after famous people and events. Capitalizing on the heated controversy surrounding the purchase in the frozen north, Baked Alaska fit the bill. It was cold, nearly frozen, and quickly toasted in a hot oven before serving.

He served as the chef at Delmonico’s from 1862 to 1896. During his tenure, he also created Lobster Newburg, another famous dish honored with a national food holiday.

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NATIONALBAKEDALASKADAY

Cake and ice cream go so well together. What better way to enjoy it than with a topping of meringue? You can also take one of your favorite recipes and name it after an epic event in your life.

Use #NationalBakedAlaskaDay to post on social media.