These days, fashions and styles aren’t limited to just your clothes. Food has trends of its own and these days nothing shows that more clearly than chocolate!
From the wonderful artisan chocolate makers comes a surge of exciting, sometimes odd, but always delicious new combinations. First, there was the beloved grey-salt-topped truffles from Fran’s Chocolate. The newest chocolate flavor pairing: the avant-garde Vosges Mo’s Bacon Bar made with “applewood smoked bacon + alder wood smoked salt + deep milk chocolate.”
Local and organic are big, too. Green and Black’s organic bars are super tasty – my co-workers went nuts for the toffee milk-chocolate bar. And who doesn’t love to indulge in a Fran’s Gold Bar!
Seattle-based chocolate company Theo produces premium, organic, Fair Trade and specialty chocolate. Inspired by their 3400 Phinney Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate bar, I created the recipe for Bollywood Spiced Cocoa, which I made with Theo’s 75% chocolate bar and whole milk infused with fresh ginger, cardamom and cumin and then finished off with unsweetened coconut milk. This unique cocoa is great as an after-dinner or before-bedtime sip by the fire. It’s definitely not for everyone, but those who are adventurous with their chocolate and enjoy sweet-and-savory chocolate combinations should give it a try.
So check out the chocolate section of your favorite gourmet grocery store or, if you’re in the Seattle area, check out Chocolate Box downtown or Chocolopolis on Queen Anne.
Bollywood Spiced Cocoa
Made with Theo’s Fair-Trade-certified Ghana Panama Ecuador 75% Cacao dark chocolate bar and uniquely spiced with Indian flavors and unsweetened coconut milk for a very distinctive, sweet-and-savory hot chocolate.
Makes 2 servings
1 cup milk
2 cardamom pods, crushed
2 1/4-inch-thick slices, peeled fresh ginger
tiny pinch ground cumin
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 bar Theo’s Ghana Panama Ecuador 75% Cacao bar, grated, or use 1 1/2 ounces other high-cacao-content chocolate
In a small heavy-bottom saucepan, heat the milk, cardamom, ginger and cumin till hot but not simmering or boiling.
Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Then remove the cardamom pods and ginger and discard.
Place the pan back on the heat and add the coconut milk and chocolate. Whisk and heat until hot—but do not overheat. Serve immediately. ©2009 by Kathy Casey Food Studios®
Cha Cha Hot Chocolate
Makes 1 serving
about 3 tablespoons Cha Cha Hot Chocolate Mix, depending on how chocolaty you like your cocoa (recipe follows)
3/4 cup hot milk
Place the chocolate in a serving cup and stir in the hot milk, mixing well.
Cha Cha Hot Chocolate Mix
Makes 2 cups, enough for 10 to 12 servings
1 1/2 cups superfine or baker’s sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
In a medium bowl, combine the sugars and vanilla extract together with a whisk. Then add the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute the cocoa and spices.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 months in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. Shake thoroughly before using to remix the ingredients. ©2009 by Kathy Casey Food Studios®
