alexandra’s kitchen: Dark Chocolate & Plastic Bulls

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Dark Chocolate & Plastic Bulls

A few months ago, Martha Stewart Living magazine reported the results of a study conducted in Europe regarding chocolate. Now I can't remember the exact findings, but the blurb read something like this: To maximize its antioxidant powers, chocolate must be consumed on a regular basis. In other words, eating an ounce of chocolate a day (it could have been two ounces a day) is more beneficial than, say, eating one large chocolate bar every Sunday evening.

In any case, what I got out of the article was this: I should eat chocolate every day. And now, I do. And this Chocolatour bar pictured above, made by Chocolove XOXOX in Boulder, CO is one of my favorite brands. When I lived in Philadelphia, I purchased these bars by the half-dozen every time I stopped by Joe Coffee Bar. I have sampled nearly every variety Joe carries including a spicy Chilies and Cherries in Dark Chocolate, but ultimately I prefer the simple, dark chocolate.

Now, I must be honest. I'm a real sucker for labels. I swear I continue to buy this one bottle of wine, Sangre de Toro, at the San Clemente Wine Shop only because a little plastic bull hangs from the cork. A small herd of bulls now greets Ben and me every morning at the breakfast table.

But seriously, have you ever seen a more beautifully wrapped bar of chocolate? The Chocolove bars even come with a romantic poem tucked inside.

I should note, too, that Chocolove bars are Fair Trade in every way but name. Just as many small farms cannot afford to pay for Certified Organic status, many chocolate, coffee, tea and nut companies cannot afford the Fair Trade licensing fees. These bars can be purchased on-line and from a number of large markets including Whole Foods and Target. Around here, I have seen them at Henry's Market, but a number of other shops including Ralph's and Mother's Market are listed on the Web site as well.

Last year, in preparation for Valentine's day, I made a slew of festive, heart-shaped desserts. Well, I guess only three, and they are all pictured below, along with some other appropriate treats for the season, if you are so inspired.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Two Heart Tarts for Two
Linzer Cookies
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Boozy Chocolate Truffles
Coeurs A La Creme

The Eggmobile

The eggmobile houses laying hens. It follows the herd of cattle, arriving to grass they've grazed on four days earlier.The hens peck at the four-day-old cow pies, eating various insects, larvae and parasites - rich sources of protein - and accomplishing a whole lot more along the way: By eating the fly larvae and parasites, they rid the land of potential pathogens and disease; by scratching through the droppings and spreading them across the grass, they enable the manure to sink into the ground and fertilize the soil; and by eating the pesky insects, they reduce the presence of one of the cows' biggest irritants.

The Barn

Joel Salatin stands in the open-sided shelter where his cows spends a portion of the winter. During the winter, the cows eat hay (dried grass accumulated throughout the growing season), and live on a bedding consisting of woodchips, sawdust and old hay to absorb the cows' excrement. When the heavy cows tread on their nitrogen-rich manure and on the carbon-rich bedding, packing it together, they allow the mixture to ferment (anaerobic composting). By adding corn to the bedding, Salatin entices his pigs to turn the bedding into compost: When the cows return to pasture in March, the pigs dig through the densely packed bedding, searching for the tasty fermented corn, aerating the pile and turning it into compost for the spring.

Corn Pudding