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Here are some easy Brazilian recipes for you. Two desserts (Maracujá Mousse and Pudim de Claras) and two “docinhos” - little candy.
In time, I will give you some delicious recipes of Brazilian food - believe me, Brazilian dishes and seasonings are among the best in the world!
Enjoy!!!
Bellatryx

There are a lot of different ways of making passion fruit mousse, including the recipe that uses the fresh fruit. Well, the fruit is not readily available in the US, so you can make it with frozen passion fruit juice from Venezuela which you can find in Latino markets. It is very good and you also may also use it for batida de maracujá. Take it out of the freezer and let it thaw before you use it.
It is a delicious Summer dessert, and it tastes heavenly!

1 can sweetened condensed milk

same measure of passion fruit juice

3 egg whites

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin

Blend condensed milk and passion fruit juice. Dissolve gelatin in a cup of water (sprinkle it on water, stir and let it stand for a minute). Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Add gelatin. Wet a ring mold and pour the mousse into it. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Unmold and serve with a crème anglaise. Here’s the Brazilian version of it. It’s a perfect combination of colors and flavors because the mousse will be on the tart side.

Creme de leite
2 cups of milk

4 egg yolks (the three left from the mousse plus one)

1 cup of sugar

Half a cup of grated coconut

Dissolve sugar well in milk. Beat egg yolks slightly with a whisk - or in a pinch with a fork - and add to milk and sugar mixture. Strain the mixture and cook over low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it starts to simmer. DO NOT let it boil, it will curdle on you! Refrigerate. To serve, put a slice of mousse on a plate and spoon creme on top.
Decorate with a the grated coconut.

Brigadeiros

(Brigadiers)
(Also known as Negrinhos in Rio Grande do Sul)

These sweets made with condensed milk and chocolate belong to that marvelous category of Brazilian “docinhos.” They are perpetual favorites with children and adults alike. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Brazilian birthday party without them and they are a huge success with Americans too. Now, the name. Don’t ask me why, but they were named after Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, a very famous Air Force commander from the forties. Actually, a considerable number of Brazilian desserts are named after a famous personality; one that comes to mind is Martha Rocha Torte, named after the beauty from Bahia who was Miss Brazil sometime in the fifties.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 stick of butter or margarine (you can use only 1 Tbsp and it will still work out)

2 heaping Tbsp of Nestlé Quick or 1 Tbsp of Quick and 1 of Hershey’s Cocoa. I actually even use Suchard breakfast chocolate when I can get it from Switzerland.

In a heavy saucepan mix chocolate with condensed milk and add the margarine. Cook in low heat stirring constantly until you can see the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir for another two minutes. Pour onto a plate and let cool completely before you form the little balls (I usually leave it in the cupboard until next day). Butter your hands slightly to form the little balls. Roll the balls in chocolate powder or jimmies and put them in small paper cups.

A little cultural note: Have you noticed how many Brazilian recipes are made with condensed milk? It came to Brazil from Switzerland over a hundred years ago. It’s made by Nestlé and because the label featured the picture of a milkmaid, the cans became known as the “maid milk’ and that’s what condensed milk is called to this day (Leite Moça).

Check out our Docinhos page and others for more pictures and recipes.

Olhos de Sogra
(Mother-in-law’s Eyes)

Here’s another example of the Brazilian sense of humor, this time in the dessert department. If you look at these “docinhos” ( a whole wonderful category of Brazilian desserts, these little sweets!), as they are called in Portuguese, if they have a clove stuck in the center, they really DO resemble a pair of eyes staring at you.And this is why people call these “docinhos” “Mother-in-law-Eyes”…Because they are always open (to find fault, say the malicious people…). In Brazil, these are some of the most popular little sweets served at parties and I’ve always loved them. Perhaps because they aren’t too sweet, since they’re made with prunes. But you can use dates as well.

24 oz of large pitted prunes

1 lb of grated coconut (I measured: one coconut yields about 1 lb of grated coconut)

1/2 lb of sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup water

a box or jar of cloves (whole)

Choose only the moist prunes and form them into boat shapes. Prepare the filling: melt the sugar in the water in a saucepan on low heat, then add the coconut and the egg yolks. Mix well and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon.
Stuff the prunes with the coconut sweet while it’s still warm and stick a clove in the center of each “docinho” to form the pupil of the eye. Serve in small paper cups, which you should be able to find in better cooking stores or party favors shops in the US. An alternative filling I like very much is coconut kisses. Prepare the recipe, but instead of making the little balls use it to fill the prunes.

In Brazil, everyone knows you’re not supposed to eat the clove, but you might want to tell your guests that they’re in the sweets as a decoration only!

Pudim de Claras
(Meringue Soufflé)

This is one of my favorite desserts…but I could never make it as well as my grandma or these people at Petits Fours (the pudim is behind the passion fruit mousse on this yummy photograph), a sweet shop in Leblon, my favorite neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Here it goes, though:

Preheat oven to 500° F. Prepare a caramel like you would for pudim de leite (Brazilian sweetened condensed milk flan).

Put the sugar in the ring mold. Place the mold directly over medium heat. Keep turning the mold until the sugar melts into a golden brown caramel and spoon it up the sides of the mold. Be careful not to burn the sugar and yourself. I use an oven mitt to hold the mold in my left hand and a large spoon for the sugar in my right hand. This way I can keep turning the mold and spooning the sugar. Let the mold cool.

1 cup sugar (for the caramel)

5 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

Gradually whisk the egg whites until foamy (we used to do it by hand, but now, of course, there are electric mixers…). Increase the speed and add the sugar by spoonfuls. When the meringue forms stiff peaks, fold in the lime zest. Use a rubber spatula to gently spoon the meringue into the mold. Bake until the surface is golden brown (about 5 minutes in my oven, which is really hot). Cool and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Just before serving, run the tip of a knife around the inside of the mold. Place a deep platter over the mold and invert: the pudim should slide out easily. If not, give the mold a firm but careful shake. Spoon the caramel sauce on top and serve. Serves about 10. Totally yummy! I love to eat this with the passion fruit mousse…

Source : Maria Brazil Cookbook , texts by Bellatryx

Champagne is meant for special ocasions, it sparkles,bubbles and the wonderful taste brings more light and joy to comemorations.
I love champagne. It always cheer me up.
But champagne has a very interesting history, which not too many know.
(Bellatryx)

“I drink champagne when I win,
to celebrate . . . and I drink champagne when I lose,
to console myself.”
– Napoleon Bonaparte

CHAMPAGNE WAS A REGION long before it was a sparkling wine. The region lies at a crossroads of northern Europe – the river valleys leading south to the Mediterranean and north to Paris, the English Channel and Western Germany – and thus has been the setting of many dramatic events in the history of the French nation. As a convenient access point, it has been for hundreds of years, the chosen path of many invaders including Attila the Hun. The Hundred Years’ War and the Thirty Years’ War brought repeated destruction to the region as armies marched back and forth across its landscape. By the 17th century, the city of Reims has seen destruction seven times and Epernay no less than twenty-five times.
But crossroads also bring trade. Champagne gained importance in its own right, during the middle ages as a center of European trade. The medieval counts of Champagne were wise enough to encourage commerce and strong enough to protect the traveling merchants. They created the then famous, Fairs of Champagne. Though these fairs were mainly about cloth, they were of obvious benefit for the wines of Champagne as it gave them easy exposure and access to important wine markets.

Champagne also benefited when the cathedral at Reims was chosen in 987 AD, as the coronation site for the French king Hugh Capet and establishing Reims as the spiritual capital of medieval France. In fact, thirty-seven kings of France were crowned there between 816 and 1825. The monasteries in Champagne with the economic assistance of the crown, were to make wine production a serious venture until the French Revolution in 1789.

Before the mid-1600’s there was no Champagne as we think of it. For centuries the wines were still wines and were held in high regard by the nobility of Europe. But the cool climate of the region and its effect on the wine making process was to play an important part in changing all of that.

We owe a lot to Dom Pérignon as any inventor owes those who have come before him. He is not however the inventor of champagne as is often thought. Pierre Pérignon was a Benedictine monk who, in 1688, was appointed treasurer at the Abby of Hautvillers. The Abby is located near Epernay. Included in Dom Pérignon’s duties was the management of the cellars and wine making. The bubbles in the wine are a natural process arising from Champagne’s cold climate and short growing season. Of necessity, the grapes are picked late in the year. This doesn’t leave enough time for the yeasts present on the grape skins to convert the sugar in the pressed grape juice into alcohol before the cold winter temperatures put a temporary stop to the fermentation process. With the coming of Spring’s warmer temperatures, the fermentation is again underway, but this time in the bottle. The refermentation creates carbon-dioxide which now becomes trapped in the bottle, thereby creating the sparkle.
For Dom Pérignon and his contemporaries, sparkling wine was not the desired end product. It was a sign of poor wine making. He spent a great deal of time trying to prevent the bubbles, the unstableness of this “mad wine,” and the creation of a decidedly white wine the court would prefer to red burgundy. He was not able to prevent the bubbles, but he did develop the art of blending. He not only blended different grapes, but the juice from the same grape grown in different vineyards. Not only did he develop a method to press the black grapes to yield a white juice, he improved clarification techniques to produce a brighter wine than any that had been produced before. To help prevent the exploding bottle problem, he began to use the stronger bottles developed by the English and closing them with Spanish cork instead of the wood and oil-soaked hemp stoppers then in use. Dom Pérignon died in 1715, but in his 47 years as the cellar master at the Abby of Hautvillers, he laid down the basic principles still used in making Champagne today.

Although sparkling Champagne was only about 10% of the region’s output in the 18th century, it was enjoyed increasingly as the wine of English and French royalty and the lubricant of preference at aristocratic gatherings. Its popularity continued to grow until, in the 1800’s, the sparkling wine industry was well established.

The face of the industry really began to change when Louis XV allowed the transport of wine in bottles in 1728. A year later, Ruinart became the first recorded Champagne house. By 1735, a royal ordinance was instituted to dictate the size, shape, and weight of champagne bottles, the size of the cork they should use and that they be secured with strong pack thread to the collar of the bottle. Claude Moët founded, in 1743, what was to become the largest champagne house today, the House of Moët.
The complexity and capital intensity of making champagne ultimately lead to the replacement of the monastic and aristocratic growers with the champagne merchants. With their capital, the merchant’s or maisons, had to ability to perfect the otherwise still unpredictable fermentation process, age, distribute, market and export the wine.

Dégorgement was first practiced in 1813. It was perfected in 1818 by the Widow Clicquot’s cellar master Antoine Muller. He developed a process of “riddling” the wine in order to get the sediment of dead yeast cells into the neck of the bottle so it could be removed without the time consuming task of decanting each bottle. This process also saved most of the gas.

The 1820’s and 30’s saw the use of corking machines and wine muzzles. Finally in 1836, a pharmacist in Châlons-sur-Marne, M. François, invented an instrument, called a sucere-oenomètre, to measure the amount of sugar in wine. With this invention, the amount of sugar needed to stimulate the second fermentation could be reliably determined, and the bottle burst-rate dropped to 5%. It was now a little more safe to take a spring walk through a champagne cellar.

In the 1920’s four well known houses were established – Bollinger, Irroy, Mumm, and Joseph Perrier. By 1853 total sales of sparkling champagne reached 20 million bottles up from just 300,000 bottles at the turn of the century.

Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne!

– Winston S Churchill, 1918 World War I again brought devastation to the region. The early months of the war saw a rapid German advance into northern France and during the fall of 1914, they were camped south of the river Marne. By 1915 they were driven back just north of the city of Reims. The enormous caves – Roman chalk quarries – beneath Reims that were used for the storage and production of champagne, now became shelters from the 1000 days of bombardment the city endured from 1914 to 1918. After the war, the city had to be completely rebuilt.

The years after the Great War were difficult. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, Prohibition in the United States, and then the Great Depression saw the champagne market dry up. The champagne houses stopped buying grapes, so the growers formed the first champagne cooperatives at this time. With the ending of Prohibition in 1934, the industry began to turn around. The influential head of Moët & Chandon, Robert-Jean de Vougë, was most instrumental in securing its future. He proposed that the purchase price of champagne grapes be set at a level that ensured a decent living for the growers, and in 1941, during the German occupation of France, became the driving force in persuading the Germans to establish the very successful Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne – C.I.C.C.
Since World War II champagne sales have climbed upwards, nearly quadrupling between 1945 and 1966. Champagne has trickled down the social scale and is no longer considered just a luxury. Today, more champagne is being drunk, by more people, than at any previous time in history. The new millennium looks good for champagne.

SERVING CHAMPAGNE with style — removing the cork quietly, cooling the wine to right temperature, and to keep it in the glass and off your guests — is not a natural gift. It requires a little dexterity, concentration, and a good dose of practice.
Champagne should be served in long-stemmed flutes or tulip shaped glasses. These are designed to enhance the flow of bubbles to the crown and to concentrate the aromas of the wine. Never chill or ice the glass as it would take away from the enjoyment of the wine. Incidentally, since the surface texture of crystal is rougher than ordinary glass, more bubbles form on these glasses.

What one drinks champagne out of has often been dictated by fashion. The champagne coupe or saucer-shaped glass, while very popular, was never designed for drinking champagne. It is unstable and does not allow you to fully appreciate the benefits of the wine. There is a legend that it was modelled from the bosom of Marie-Antoinette. Hugh Johnson states that this is not entirely without foundation. “The Sèvres porcelain factory did take a cast from this august model and produced four detailed white bowels that were mounted on elaborate bases of three goat’s heads to adorn the Queen’s Dairy Temple at the Château de Rambouillet near Versailles. The dairy still exists; as does one of the four coupes.”

Champagne is to be served cold at about 43 to 48°F (7°C). In this range the smell and taste of the wine can be fully appreciated. This temperature can be achieved by placing the unopened bottle in an ice bucket — one-half ice and one-half water — for 20 to 30 minutes. Or, you may refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hours. The refrigerator temperature is too cold for the bottle to be left in there for extended periods. It should never be placed in the freezer.

The champagne cork is not a toy. There is about 70 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure behind it, thus making it a formidable missile. It helps if the champagne is properly chilled — at 45°F the gas is reduced one atmosphere of pressure — and you avoid shaking it as much as possible before opening it.

“I drink champagne when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”
– Madam Lilly Bollinger

“I drink champagne when I win,
to celebrate . . . and I drink champagne when I lose,
to console myself.”
– Napoleon Bonaparte

Only remove enough of the foil to be able to loosen or remove the twisted-wire hood. It is wise to keep a finger or thumb over the cork at this point as it could pop out of its own accord. If the cork is loose, remove it carefully with the wire hood. Most often though, the cork has to be eased out. To do this, hold the bottle away from you and anyone else, at a 45 degree angle. It is prudent to place the mouth of the bottle nearest the first champagne glass to be filled in case the removal of the cork is mishandled and the wine begins to gush out of the bottle. Hold the cork and gently turn the bottle in one direction. Turn the bottle and not the cork.
The cork should not pop. As the saying goes, “The ear’s gain is the palate’s loss.” You waste bubbles when you pop the cork. When properly executed it should come off with a quiet sigh.

Before pouring, the neck should be wiped with a clean linen.Then begin by pouring a little — an inch or so — into everyone’s glass allowing the froth to settle. Then go around and top up to about two-thirds. This will prevent any frothing over.

The correct way to pour a bottle of champagne is to hold the base firmly in one hand with the thumb in the punt and the fingers spread out along the barrel of the bottle.

Champagne has reached its maturity and is ready for immediate consumption as soon as it leaves the champagne house. See Champagne Vintage Chart. However, champagne may be stored in cellar-like conditions for several years. (see Basic Storage Conditions) The important conditions are a constant, cool temperature and no light. The bottles must be stored horizontally to keep the cork moist and thus retain its elasticity. This will keep the gas in and the air out.

Once opened, a bottle of champagne need not be consumed in one sitting. If properly closed – inexpensive champagne stoppers are made just for this purpose – and it is placed in a refrigerator, it should be good for another “bubbling” for up to several days. More of a popular myth than a solution, placing the handle of a silver spoon dangling into the neck of the bottle, will keep the wine sparkling for a few hours. This may be a quaint “solution” if you run out of stoppers.

THE HEART OF THE Champagne region lies 90 miles (145km) northeast of Paris near the Belgian border. It is generally divided into three parts – the Montagne de Reims, the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs. The Aube, 70 miles to the southeast, is important for wines they produce that go into many of the nonvintage blends of the major champagne houses.
Of the regions 75,000 acres of vineyards, most and the greatest vineyards of Champagne, are planted in the département of the Marne. The vineyards are not owned by great landowners but by thousands of growers, often working part-time.

All of the vineyards are situated on deep chalk soils. Champagne is situated on the same great basin that also forms the famous white cliffs of Dover in southern England. The chalk, a natural moisture regulator, provides good drainage (chalk can absorb up to 40% of its volume in water) and reflects precious sunlight and its heat. The thin layer of arable topsoil constantly needs a top dressing of fertilizer to do its job. Laws dictate which of the three permitted grapes may be planted where. Trial and error over time has shown the wine growers the grape types best suited for each zone of production.

In a region where the annual temperature is just slightly above the minimum temperature required to ripen grapes — 50°F(10°C) — slight variations of slope and aspect are crucial. Most of the best vineyards are planted on slopes at an altitude high enough to be clear of frost (usually above 300ft or 90m), but low enough (below 690ft or 210m) to be sheltered from extreme weather conditions. Lying on a deep bed of crustaceous chalk beneath a thin layer of topsoil, the slopes of the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs provide the best vineyards. The greatest concentration of villages designated as Grand and Premier Cru are found in these two areas.
The Montagne de Reims is planted mainly with Pinot Noir. Although it contains the northernmost vineyards – some even north-facing – its peculiar microclimate is well suited for the growing of the Pinot Noir grape. The Montagne is a forested plateau south of Reims. Its wines give the great champagnes their backbone – their weight and richness.

Along both banks of the River Marne, is the Vallée de la Marne. With mostly south-facing, lower-lying vineyards, this zone produces the fullest, ripest wines, predominately from the Pinot Meunier and to a lesser extent the Pinot Noir grapes. Some Chardonnay is beginning to make inroads into the area.

Extending south from Epernay for about 13 miles (21km) is the Côte des Blancs. The ridge is planted on both slopes, but the best vineyards are on the eastern side. The chalk subsoil combined with its relative warmth, produces the fine Chardonnay that give freshness to the blend and encourages the sparkle.

The Aube is Champagne’s most southerly zone. Located about 65 miles (112km) south of Epernay, its climate has more extremes in temperature and the grapes achieve greater ripeness. Though rarely talked about, its wines are an important component of the nonvintage wines of the big houses.

A newcomer to Champagne is Côte de Sézanne. Planted in the 1960’s almost exclusively with Chardonnay, its southern location means that its grapes ripen better than most of the other zones.
The classification system in Champagne is based on vineyards and is established by the Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (C.I.V.C.). The land is given a grade based on its suitablilty for growing white grapes or black grapes. A grade of 100% percent has been given to the 17 Grand Cru villages. The 38 Premier Cru villages have grades from 90 to 99%. The rest have a grade ranging from 80 to 89%. Champagne houses use the average percentage rating of the grapes used in their blends to establish the quality of their raw materials. The price a grower gets for his grapes is also determined by this percentage system. A grower with a 100% vineyard may ask the full price while the others would get a percentage based on the 100% price.

Champagne Vintage Chart
THE RESTRAINED RICHNESS of champagne wines owes a lot to the cold climate of northern France. Over time the region’s wine makers have created their own techniques to overcome the cold winters and short growing seasons. The fact that the grapes ripen very slowly has its benefit too, as the grapes have time to pick up important favouring components. But when the grapes are harvested, they are rarely ripe enough to make table wine without the addition of inordinate amounts of sugar. The producers have gotten around this by making a wine low in alcohol and then putting it through a second bottle fermentation to raise the alcohol and add the bubbles.
The bubbles in champagne are a natural phenomenon that is today a managed affair. The second fermentation in the bottle causes the bubbles. When the cork is removed, the result is upwardly mobile bubbles of carbon dioxide making their escape.

Three grape varieties are used in Champagne — Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pinot Meunier dominates the vineyards, growing on about 40% of the total acreage It is easier to grow and is less prone to frost damage. This grape makes up the base wine for all but the very finest champagnes and is grown only in Champagne. Pinot Noir is second with about 35%. It is responsible for the depth of fruit and longevity of the wine. Chardonnay accounts for the remaining 25% and adds lightness, elegance and breeding to the blend. The lack color in most champagne is the result of a gentle pressing, so as to extract the juice but not the color of the black grape skins.

The chief difference between the various Champagne brands or houses, is in the making of the cuvéee, or the blend, as introduced by Dom Pérignon. A house builds a reputation based on the particular style of blend of its nonvintage wines. So each year the wine must be consistent. The large houses store millions of gallons of wine from various vineyards and grapes for blending purposes. It is reasonable to assume that once you find a house style you like, it will be available year after year as long as that house exists.
The theory of producing a great champagne is to blend together the best qualities from each of the best grapes grown in the region. The blending of the still wines before the second fermentation called the assemblage and the wine and sugar that is added after the second fermentation and aging called the dosage, are the two most important steps in the determination of the house style.

In especially good years, some vintage champagne is produced. Some feel that the extra depth in taste is well worth the extra cost of these wines. Eighty percent of the contents of vintage champagne must contain grapes from the declared year. Not all of the grapes from a declared year go into vintage champagne. Twenty percent are held back to be used for blending purposes.

Champagne is bottled
in 10 different sizes:

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Quarter bottle

– 18.7cl / 6.3 fluid ozs
Half bottle

– 37.5cl / 12.7 fluid ozs
Bottle

– 75cl / 25.4 fluid ozs
Magnum (two bottles)

– 1.5 litres / 50.8 fluid ozs
Jeroboam (four bottles)

– 3 litres / 101.6 fluid ozs
Rehoboam (six bottles)

– 4.5 litres / 147 fluid ozs
Methuselah (eight bottles)

– 6 litres / 196 fluid ozs
Salmanazar (12 bottles)

– 9 litres / 304.8 fluid ozs
Balthazar (16 bottles)

– 12 litres / 406.4 fluid ozs
Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles)

– 15 litres / 508 fluid ozs

Only the half-bottle, bottle and magnum are always released in the bottle in which they underwent the second fermentation. For this reason and because it is the largest of the three, the magnum is the preferred size. The three largest sizes are rarely made today. The sugar content of the dosage added after the second fermentation will determine the wine’s style and relative sweetness. Thus you will find champagnes labeled by their sugar content. They are as follows:
Extra Brut, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Brut Intégral or Brut Zéro — These wines are bone dry with less than .6% of residual sugar per liter. In this case the dosage is of the same wine and not the usual solution of cane sugar and still wine. This wine is rarely made.

Brut — This is the most popular style of champagne. The best blends are always reserved for the brut and is the mainstay of the business. It has less than 1.5% residual sugar and is very dry.

Extra Dry, Extra Sec — Sweetened with 1.2 to 2% residual sugar per liter, it is dry. It goes well with desserts and wedding cakes.

Sec — Although it means “dry” in French, it means “moderately dry” or “slightly sweet” as it pertains to champagne. It has 1.7 to 3.5% residual sugar per liter.

Demi-Sec — This style is distinctly sweet or medium sweet and is rarely seen in the United States. It contains between 3.3 to 5% residual sugar per liter.

Doux — This is the sweetest style of champagne. It is very sweet and is more of a dessert-style wine. It has a minimum of 5% residual sugar per liter.

Occasionally you will find Blanc de Noirs. This style is made entirely from black grapes but is white. It offers a wine that is fuller than those with Chardonnay in the blend. More often you will encounter a Blanc de Blancs. This wine is made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape and is the most delicate of champagnes. As only 25% of Champagne is planted with Chardonnay, it is generally a more expensive option.

Bollinger — The Champagne Of James Bond In
GoldenEye

James Bond, legendary hero of fiction and film, is devoted to the Crown and to his cup of Bollinger Champagne. Just as Bollinger has been awarded the Royal Warrant by seven British monarchs since 1884, so has Bond pledged his loyalty to Bollinger. For more than four decades - since Ian Fleming penned his first James Bond, Agent 007 thriller in 1953 - Bond has enjoyed his Bollinger Champagne.
Continuing the tradition, Bollinger Champagne is featured in the 1995 Bond saga, GoldenEye. This film is the 18th film to be based on Fleming’s spy novels and the seventh in which Bollinger Champagne has been featured. Following a furious car chase about 30 minutes into the film, Bond, played by actor Pierce Brosnan, is asked what he does for relaxation by a woman psychiatrist sent by his boss to evaluate him. In response, Bond presses a

button on his Aston Martin’s dashboard to reveal a secret refrigerated compartment cradling a frosty bottle of Bollinger Grande Annee 1988 and two glasses. Smiling impishly, he kisses her and pours her a class.
In discussing the film, Guy Bizot, export director of Bollinger Champagne and great-nephew of famed Champagne widow Lily Bollinger, said, “Great taste is always in great taste. Many people think of Bollinger as Champagne’s most traditional house. While it’s true we emulate the old-fashioned practices that enable us to create great hand-crafted wines, we are also very much in the 20th century. What could be more stylishly up-to-date than James Bond?”

Bollinger Champagne was thrilled that the Broccoli production team once again invited Bollinger to be James Bond’s Champagne of preference. Speaking for the Broccoli team, producer Michael Wilson said, “Bollinger has become a reassuring institution. Its Champagnes represent an exacting but delicate blend of terroir, traditional values and talent. Enjoying a bottle of the inimitably styled Bollinger remains a unique pleasure”.

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Piper-Heidsieck is the Official Champagne of the Cannes Film Festival

Since its first appearance on the screen in 1934, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne has extended its cinematic role among journalists, actors, directors and producers. It is the official champagne of the festivals in Cannes and Deauville, as well as the Sundance Film Festival. Piper-Heidsieck is also the champagne of major film award ceremonies, including the Oscars in Hollywood and the Cesars in Paris.

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The Movie Gigi Celebrates
The Night They Invented Champagne

In a movie as bubbly as champagne itself, the wine is celebrated in a memorable scene with the Lerner and Loewe song, The Night They Invented Champagne. The movie is set in turn-of-the-century Paris. Adapting Colett’s novel Gigi, the cast includes Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold and the unforgetable Maurice Chevalier. Whether singing the praises of young love – Thank Heaven for Little Girls – or love long past – I Remember It Well – Chevalier is Gallic gallantry personified. Enjoy it again.

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Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, Max Ophuls’ classic romantic tale of doomed attraction stars Joan Fontaine as Lisa, whose life is consumed by her passion for Stefan (Louis Jourdan), a womanizing musician. Stefan seduces the vulnerable Lisa, leaving her to bear his illegitimate child and enter into a loveless marriage.
The film’s literate screenplay was adapted from a 1922 short story by Stefan Zweig, by Academy Award winner Howard Koch (screenwriter for Casablanca - 1942). Although the film was not a commercial success upon its release and criticized as sentimental soap-opera, it has attained well-deserved status as one of the greatest films of its kind.

The delightfulness of champagne is made evident at one point in the film with the remark, “Champagne tastes much better after midnight, don’t you agree?”

Source :
http://www.intowine.com/champagne.html#history

The smell of freshly baked bread is simply wonderful. It permeates the house with a cozy aura of anticipation of a delightful meal…My mother bakes splendid bread recipes (as well as the most delicious jams you can imagine), and the five o’clock tea with these special treats is something else!
Here I gathered something about the History of bread as well as two special recipes of handmade bread.
It is very interesting knowing everything from the very start!
(Bellatryx)

History and recipes of bread

Wheat has been cultivated by man since before recorded history. It is conjectured by anthropologists that hungry hunter/gatherers first stockpiled the grain as a storable food source. When it got wet, it sprouted, and people found that if the grain was planted it yielded yet more seeds.
Grown in Mesopotamia and Egypt, wheat was likely first merely chewed. Later it was discovered that it could be pulverized and made into a paste. Set over a fire, the paste hardened into a flat bread that kept for several days. It did not take much of a leap to discover leavened (raised) bread when yeast was accidentally introduced to the paste.

Instead of waiting for fortuitous circumstances to leaven their bread people found that they could save a piece of dough from a batch of bread to put into the next day’s dough. This was the origin of sour-dough, a process still used today.

In Egypt, around 1000 BC, inquiring minds isolated yeast and were able to introduce the culture directly to their breads. Also a new strain of wheat was developed that allowed for refined white bread. This was the first truly modern bread. Up to thirty varieties of bread may have been popular in ancient Egypt.

It was also during this time that bread beer was developed. The bread was soaked in water and sweetened and the foamy liquor run off. Beer was as popular in ancient Egypt as it is in America today.

The Greeks picked up the technology for making bread from the Egyptians; from Greece the practice spread over Europe. Bread and wheat were especially important in Rome where it was thought more vital than meat. Soldiers felt slighted if they were not given their allotment. The Roman welfare state was based on the distribution of grain to people living in Rome. Later the government even baked the bread.

Through much of history, a person’s social station could be discerned by the color of bread they consumed. The darker the bread, the lower the social station. This was because whiter flours were more expensive and harder for millers to adulterate with other products. Today, we have seen a reversal of this trend when darker breads are more expensive and highly prized for their taste as well as their nutritional value.

In the middle ages bread was commonly baked in the ovens of the lord of the manor for a price. It was one of the few foods that sustained the poor through the dark age.

Bread continued to be important through history as bread riots during the French Revolution attest. The famous quotation attributed to Marie Antoinette that if the poor could not get bread for their table then “let them eat cake,” became a famous illustration of how royalty had become ignorant of the plight of the lower classes. Actually, Marie Antoinette never said this and was merely being slandered by her detractors.

Still thought of as the “staff of life”, for centuries bread has been used in religious ceremonies. Even the lord’s prayer requests of God to “Give us this day our daily bread” - meaning not merely loaves, but moral sustenance.

Today, even with the competition of a growing variety of foods, bread remains important to our diet and our psyche. It has a prominent place in at the local market, in our cupboards and even in our language. The word “bread” is commonly used as a slang term for money. It connotes importance as when we say that some aspect of our work is “our bread and butter”. In many households bread is still served with every meal.

Bread has a long history for a reason. It is a healthy and nutritious food that fills the stomach as well as the soul.

From http://www.breadinfo.com/recipesha.shtml

Standard White Bread

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 F or so)
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Heat the shortening, salt sugar and milk in a saucepan until it is warm (115 F or so - shortening should be just melted) - remember to stir constantly. Pour this heated mixture into a good sized mixing bowl.

Stir in two cups of the flour and beat well. Now add the yeast and stir until mixture is smooth. Continue to add flour until a spoon will no longer stir.

Pour out mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough moderately stiff. Shape the dough into a ball. Place ball into a lightly greased bown and cover and let rest in a warm place until the dough doubles in volumn. (This should take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.)

Punch down the dough ball on a lightly foured surface. Devide the dough in half and shape it into two balls. Again, cover the dough and let rest (this time for about 10 minutes.) Meanwhile, grease two 8X4X2-inch loaf pans. Shape the two balls into loaves and place them in the pans.

Brush some melted butter onto the exposed surface of the loaves. Cover and let rise yet again until the loaves double in size. (Takes about 45 minutes to one hour.)

Bake the loaves in a 375 F degree oven for about 45 minutes or until top is sufficiently browned and tapping on the top of the loaf yields a hollow sound. It is best to cool on a wire rack to avoid condensation.

This recipe will make two loaves.

Potato Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm potato water
2 package active dry yeast
4 tablespoons honey
6 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs - beaten lightly
1 cup riced or thoroughly mashed potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups bread flour
Directions:
Potato water is made by placing 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into a saucepan. These are covered with water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until mushy. Drain off the potato water into a separate container and let cool. Thoroughly mash the potatoes and set aside; they will be needed later.

Add yeast to the cooled potato water (should be just over 100 degrees) and stir until yeast has dissolved. Now add 2 tablespoons of the honey. Beat in a cup of the unbleached flour until a smooth batter results. Cover the dough and set aside for about 30 minutes.

Blend the milk, butter, eggs, potatoes, salt, the remainder of the honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the risen dough and stir well. Beat in the bread flour until the mixture is smooth. Now gradually add unbleached flour until the dough is soft and workable and pulls away from the side of the bowl.

Pour the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. Round the dough into a ball and place in a warm, buttered bowl. Be sure to coat the entire ball with the butter. Let the dough rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

Butter three loaf pans (8 1/2-inch). Punch down the dough…and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough lightly for a only a minute or two. Now divide the dough into three equal portions and form them into loaf shapes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The loaves should bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

In making bread, as in any other culinary endeavor, it is wise to be certain that the proper ingredients are gathered.
There are several basic ingredients to bread, but one is common to all. Yeast is required. It is a living organism that is added to the dough to raise the bread. There are many types of yeast available. We recommend the packaged yeast that can be bought in any grocery store.

You will likely also need flour (made from wheat - because wheat glutten is a vital element), sugar, salt, butter (or oil) and milk (or water). Recipes call for varying amounts of each ingredient. As you explore bread-making you will find a whole host of other additives.

In making bread by hand there is a definite technique which must be followed to ensure a good product. Even the process of mixing the ingredients requires a degree of care. For once the ingredients are brought together at an appropriate temperature the resulting dough must be kneaded.

Kneading is a technique of folding over the dough and pushing it down over and over. This is necessary because the glutten in the flour, when rubbed together becomes elastic and helps the bread both rise and set. The dough should be kneaded on a floured surface. If the dough is soft or sticky , add more flour and knead until it shines and has an elastic feel. Be careful not to OVER-knead the dough.

After kneading the bread is placed in a large oiled or buttered bowl. Oil the dough ball. Cover with a towel or plastic sheet and place in a warm draft-free place. Generally, you will want to let the dough rise (the action of the yeast allowed by the glutten) until it doubles in size. This usually takes about an hour.

At this point the dough should be “punched down” and perhaps kneaded a few more times. Place it back into the bowl to rise again or shape your bread into loaves or buns and put it into greased pans - depending on the recipe. The dough should rise for another half an hour or so.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to the appropriate temperature. When the bread has risen place it in the oven to bake until it reaches the desired color. When done, loaves should feel hollow when you tap them with your finger.

The bread can be eaten hot or put on a rack to cool. If it is wrapped too early, it will get soggy. Bread lasts 4 days to a week in the bread box. It may also be frozen, but should be eaten quickly after it has thawed.

Making bread is a fair amount of work, but done properly it can reward the baker in treasures far surpassing the time, effort and materials expended

From http://www.breadinfo.com/hand.shtml

This is a delicious combination of smells : chocolate and coffee. History facts and a wonderful recipe of “gourmet coffee” that is worth trying…Coffee making has its secrets, and this fragrant delight can be served in a dozen different ways.
Chocolate also has special recipes. One of the simplest is “Submarine Chocolate” : break a chocolate bar in tiny pieces anto a cup and fill it with sugared boiling milk. Sprinkle cinnamon and granulated chocolate.
As you stir it, the molten chocolate makes beautiful patterns against the whiteness of milk. The smell is irresistible and the flavor is simply marvelous.
(Bellatryx)

EARLY HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE
The earliest record of chocolate was over fifteen hundred years ago in the Central American rain forests, where the tropical mix of high rain fall combined with high year round temperatures and humidity provide the ideal climate for cultivation of the plant from which chocolate is derived, the Cacao Tree.

The Cacao Tree was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, Cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning “God Food” hence the tree’s modern generic Latin name ‘Theobrama Cacao’ meaning ‘Food of the Gods’. Cacao was corrupted into the more familiar ‘Cocoa’ by the early European explorers. The Maya brewed a spicy, bitter sweet drink by roasting and pounding the seeds of the Cacao tree (cocoa beans) with maize and Capsicum (Chilli) peppers and letting the mixture ferment. This drink was reserved for use in ceremonies as well as for drinking by the wealthy and religious elite, they also ate a Cacao porridge.

The Aztecs of central Mexico also prized the beans, but because the Aztec’s lived further north in more arid regions at higher altitudes, where the climate was not suitable for cultivation of the tree, they had to acquire the beans through trade and/or the spoils of war. The Aztecs prized the beans so highly they used them as currency - 100 beans bought a Turkey or a slave - and tribute or Taxes were paid in cocoa beans to Aztec emperors. The Aztecs, like the Mayans, also enjoyed Cacao as a beverage fermented from the raw beans, which again featured prominently in ritual and as a luxury available only to the very wealthy. The Aztecs called this drink Xocolatl, the Spanish conquistadors found this almost impossible to pronounce and so corrupted it to the easier ‘Chocolat’, the English further changed this to Chocolate.

The Aztec’s regarded chocolate as an aphrodisiac and their Emperor, Montezuma reputedly drank it fifty times a day from a golden goblet and is quoted as saying of Xocolatl: “The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food”

In fact, the Aztec’s prized Xocolatl well above Gold and Silver so much so, that when Montezuma was defeated by Cortez in 1519 and the victorious ‘conquistadors’ searched his palace for the Aztec treasury expecting to find Gold & Silver, all they found were huge quantities of cocoa beans. The Aztec Treasury consisted, not of precious metals, but Cocoa Beans.

CHOCOLATE IN EUROPE
Xocolatl! or Chocolat or Chocolate as it became known, was brought to Europe by Cortez, by this time the conquistadors had learned to make the drink more palatable to European tastes by mixing the ground roasted beans with sugar and vanilla (a practice still continued today), thus offsetting the spicy bitterness of the brew the Aztec’s drank.

The first chocolate factories opened in Spain, where the dried fermented beans brought back from the new world by the Spanish treasure fleets were roasted and ground, and by the early 17th century chocolate powder - from which the European version of the drink was made - was being exported to other parts of Europe. The Spanish kept the source of the drink - the beans - a secret for many years, so successfully in fact, that when English buccaneers boarded what they thought was a Spanish ‘Treasure Galleon’ in 1579, only to find it loaded with what appeared to be ‘dried sheep’s droppings’, they burned the whole ship in frustration. If only they had known, chocolate was so expensive at that time, that it was worth it’s weight in Silver (if not Gold), Chocolate was Treasure Indeed!

Within a few years, the Cocoa beverage made from the powder produced in Spain had become popular throughout Europe, in the Spanish Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and - in about 1520 - it arrived in England.

The first Chocolate House in England opened in London in 1657 followed rapidly by many others. Like the already well established coffee houses, they were used as clubs where the wealthy and business community met to smoke a clay pipe of tobacco, conduct business and socialise over a cup of chocolate.

BACK TO THE AMERICA’S

Event’s went full circle when English colonists carried chocolate (and coffee) with them to England’s colonies in North America. Destined to become the United States of America and Canada, they are now the worlds largest consumers - by far - of both Chocolate and Coffee, consuming over half of the words total production of chocolate alone.

THE QUAKERS

The Quakers were, and still are, a pacifist religious sect, an offshoot of the Puritans of English Civil War and Pilgrim Fathers fame and a history of chocolate would not be complete without mentioning their part in it. Some of the most famous names in chocolate were Quakers, who for centuries held a virtual monopoly of chocolate making in the English speaking world - Fry, Cadbury and Rowntree are probably the best known.

It’s probably before the time of the English civil war between Parliament and King Charles 1st, that the Quaker’s, who evolved from the Puritans, first began their historic association with Chocolate. Because of their pacifist religion, they were prohibited from many normal business activities, so as an industrious people with a strong belief in the work ethic (like the puritans), they involved themselves in food related businesses and did very well. Baking was a common occupation for them because bread was regarded as the biblical ” Staff Of Life”, and Bakers in England were the first to add chocolate to cakes so it would be a natural progression for them to start making pure chocolate. They were also heavily involved in breakfast cereals but that’s another story.

What is certain is that the Fry, Rowntree and Cadbury families in England among others, began chocolate making and in fact Joseph Fry of Fry & Sons (founded 1728 in Bristol, England) is credited with producing and selling the worlds first chocolate bar. Fry’s have now all but disappeared (taken over by Cadbury) and Rowntree have merged Swiss company Nestle, to form the largest chocolate manufacturer in the world. Cadbury have stayed with chocolate production and are now, if not quite the largest, probably one of the best known Chocolate makers in the world.

From their earliest beginnings in business the Quakers were noted for their enlightened treatment of their employees, providing not just employment but everything needed for workers to better themselves such as good housing etc. In fact, Cadbury built a large town for their employees around their factory near Birmingham, England. Complete with libraries, schools, shops and Churches etc, they called it Bourneville. So next time you see Cadbury’s chocolate with the name Bournville on it you will know where it comes from and what the name relates to.

CHOCOLATE AS WE KNOW IT
The first mention of chocolate being eaten in solid form is when bakers in England began adding cocoa powder to cakes in the mid 1600’s. Then in 1828 a Dutch chemist, Johannes Van Houten, invented a method of extracting the bitter tasting fat or “cocoa butter” from the roasted ground beans, his aim was to make the drink smoother and more palatable, however he unknowingly paved the way for solid chocolate as we know it.

Chocolate as we know it today first appeared in 1847 when Fry & Sons of Bristol, England - mixed Sugar with Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Butter (made by the Van Houten process) to produce the first solid chocolate bar then, in 1875 a Swiss manufacturer, Daniel Peters, found a way to combine (some would say improve, some would say ruin) cocoa powder and cocoa butter with sugar and dried milk powder to produce the first milk chocolate.

From http://www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk/history_chocolate.htm

HOW CHOCOLATE IS MADE
Producing chocolate is a time consuming and complicated process, but we have endeavoured to provide a simplified guide which we hope you will find easy to understand:

The first step is the harvesting of the cocoa pods containing the cocoa beans.

The Pods are crushed and the beans and surrounding pulp extracted and fermented naturally for about six days in either open heaps or boxes after which the beans are dried.

The finest chocolate is produced when the drying process is done naturally by the sun for 7 days or more.

Accelerated or artificial drying is quicker, but produces inferior chocolate mainly used in mass produced products.

The next process is shared with coffee in that the beans are first graded, then roasted.

Light Crushing separates the kernel or ‘Nib’ from the shell or husk which is then separated or ‘winnowed’ out and discarded.

At this stage most manufacturers put the Cocoa Nibs through an alkalisation process to help develop flavour and colour. However, some purists producing the finest chocolate prefer to rely on the quality of the beans and natural processing to produce the best colour and flavour.

The nibs, which are very high in fat or cocoa butter, are then finely milled and liquefy in the heat produced by the milling process to produce cocoa liquor. When cocoa liquor is allowed to cool and solidify it is known as cocoa mass.

At this point the manufacturing process splits according to the final product. If the end product is chocolate, some of the cocoa liquor is reserved, the rest is pressed to extract the cocoa butter leaving a solid residue called press cake. Press cake is usually kibbled or finely ground to produce the product known to consumers as Cocoa Powder.

The retained Cocoa Liquor and/or solid Cocoa Mass is blended with Chocolate Butter and other ingredients to produce the various types of chocolate as follows:

BLENDING

Cocoa Liquor and/or Cocoa Mass is blended back with cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate. The finest plain or dark chocolate should contain 70% Cocoa solids or more, whereas the best Milk Chocolate contains 30% or more Cocoa solids and the best White Chocolate contains 25% or more Cocoa Butter. In addition most chocolate contains a sweetener, usually sugar, this is because without some kind of sweetener, chocolate would be so bitter as to be virtually inedible. The other most commonly added ingredients are natural Vanilla or artificial Vanilla (Vanillin) for flavour and Lethicin as an emulsifier. The basic blends that we use provide a good illustration:

Our Plain Dark Chocolate contains:

cocoa mass and cocoa butter (70%+), sugar (29%), vegetable Lethicin and Vanilla.

Our Milk Chocolate contains:

cocoa butter and cocoa mass (39%), sugar (37%), whole milk powder (20%), Lactose, vegetable Lethicin, Vanilla (4%).

Our White Chocolate contains:

sugar (52%), cocoa butter (30%), whole dried milk and whey powder (18%), vegetable Lethicin, Vanilla.

Different manufacturers use different variations of the above formulas.

Inferior and/or mass produced chocolate generally contains much less cocoa solids, (as low as 7% in some cases), with most or all of the chocolate butter replaced by vegetable oil or other fat. In fact, the low or virtually non-existent cocoa content of these “Brand Name” and other chocolate products means that strictly speaking, they should not really be classed as chocolate at all.

REFINING AND CONCHING

The blended Chocolate then goes through a refining process involving heavy rollers, this helps to smooth and improves the texture.

This is followed by the penultimate process called “conching”, a conch is a type of container in which the refined and blended chocolate mass is continually kneaded and further smoothed, the fractional heat produced by this process keeps the chocolate liquid. The length of time given to the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of chocolate. The finest chocolate is conched for a minimum of a week. After the process is completed the chocolate mass is stored in heated tanks at about 46°c (115°f), ready for the final process called Tempering.

TEMPERING

Because cocoa butter exhibits a polymorphous or unstable crystal structure, the chocolate must be heated and cooled in a very precise manner to encourage the stable crystal formation needed to produce the desirable properties for good tasty chocolate. This final process is called Tempering.

First, we need to start from a melted chocolate blend at about 46°c (115°f), the chocolate is then cooled to about 29°c (84°f) and warmed up again to about 31°c (88°f), it can be held ‘in temper’ at this temperature for use as required.

The chocolate is now ready for use as coverture, for coating chocolates, chocolate biscuits and other coated products, or poured into moulds and cooled for sale as the finished product such as solid chocolate bars, but every time it is allowed to harden and is re-melted it will have to be tempered again.

Well tempered chocolate has a good shiny gloss, a snappy or brittle bite and a smooth tender melt on the tongue, coating the palate with long lasting flavour and tasting wonderful.

Note: One of the reasons that producers replace chocolate butter with vegetable oil (or other fat) is that they don’t then have to worry about tempering the resulting concoction. An added bonus (as far as they are concerned) is that vegetable oil is much cheaper than chocolate butter, but it’s addition results in a vastly inferior product.

MASS PRODUCED CHOCOLATE
The average cocoa solids content of these mass produced products is generally less than 20% by volume. The principle ingredient of commercial mass produced chocolate is not chocolate or cocoa solids, but sugar, powdered milk and sundry artificial and other additives, in addition chocolate butter is substituted with saturated and vegetable fats. These are the dietary villains responsible for chocolate’s undeserved reputation as being fattening, tooth-decaying and generally unhealthy.

But all’s not doom and gloom, we are becoming more discerning in our tastes, with demand for high quality, high cocoa content dark chocolate products increasing year on year. Real chocolate, containing at least 70% cocoa solids for plain chocolate and much less sugar than the typical mass produced “brand name” product, is much healthier by far - see Chocolate - Health Benefits. for more on this.

WHO LOVES CHOCOLATE?
It’s a well established fact that most people love chocolate, last year chocolate lovers in the UK alone, spent over £3 billion ($4.5 billion) on over half a million metric tons of chocolate products (including biscuits etc)!

U.S. Consumers spent more than $7 billion (£5½ billion) and ate 2.8 billion pounds (1.27 billion kilo’s) of chocolate alone (not including coated biscuits etc), representing nearly half of the world’s entire chocolate production.

The average U.S. citizen eats 12 lbs (5.45kg) of chocolate annually, second only to the Swiss who consume a staggering 22lbs (11kg) per person per year, unfortunately the bulk of the money spent by the average Briton and American is wasted on mass produced, low grade high fat, high sugar products.

On the other hand, the Swiss spend their money far more wisely, as anyone who has tasted Swiss chocolate will testify, but you don’t have to go to Switzerland to get good Chocolate!

Aphrodite chocolates are made from only the finest quality Coverture:

70%+ cocoa solids for plain Dark Chocolate

40%+ cocoa solids for Milk Chocolate

33%+ chocolate butter for White Chocolate

and finest natural ingredients with little or no added sugar.

From http://www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk/how_chocolate_made.htm

According to legend, Coffee was discovered in ancient Ethiopia, when a goatherd noticed that his goats became frisky and playful as they browsed on on a small shrub covered in red berries. Curious, He tried some of the berries and found they helped him stay awake as he stood guard over his herd all night. Word soon spread about the berries and somewhere along the line, someone discovered that if you roasted and ground the seeds found inside them you could make a delicious drink. The rest, as they say; is history.

There is no finer way to finish off a meal than by enjoying a pot of good, freshly brewed coffee, complemented by our fine hand made chocolates. Good coffee and fine chocolate can even rescue an otherwise mediocre culinary experience. In fact there’s nothing more enjoyable than an excellent cup of coffee and fine hand made chocolates to give you a lift at any time of day.

You would think making a cup of gourmet coffee would be easy, wouldn’t you? Not so! If you want to make perfect coffee you need to to pay attention to the finer detail, only then will you be able to make and enjoy that perfect cup of gourmet coffee. So here are a few pointers to help with your quest….

You can safely leave the quality of the chocolate to us, but your on your own when it comes to making the coffee, so here’s a few tips to help you learn to make that perfect cup of gourmet coffee, as good as any you will find in a coffee shop..

Brewing the perfect cup of gourmet coffee is not difficult, just follow the steps…

Buying & Storing Coffee
Coffee Makers
Water for Coffee
Coffee to Water Ratio
Brewing Gourmet Coffee
Serving Tips
Flavouring Coffee
Finally
1. BUYING AND STORING COFFEE:
Buy best quality coffee beans or ground coffee from small specialist retailers rather than supermarkets. If you have a coffee grinder buy your coffee as beans and grind them yourself, that way you can always be certain of fresh product. If you don’t have a grinder a vacuum packed blend is the perfect choice, vacuum packing seals in the wonderful aromas and flavours of freshly ground coffee.

Here are a few tip’s on the best way to keep your beans and ground coffee fresh for as long as possible:

Although ‘Air’ is indispensable to us humans, it’s ground coffee’s “public enemy no 1″ as it deteriorates rapidly once exposed to air. So only grind beans or open a vacuum pack when you are ready to use it, transfer leftover coffee to an airtight container (preferably glass or crockery) immediately.
Store in a cool dark place, preferably not in the fridge.
Do not store near strongly aromatic foods as both ground coffee and coffee beans are easily tainted.
Consume stored coffee within within days to enjoy it at it’s very best or 2 weeks at most if you must.
If you wish to store ground coffee or beans for longer periods, freezing in an air tight container protects both the flavour and aroma for up to 3 months for ground coffee & 6 months or so for beans. Tip: frozen ground coffee can be used straight from the freezer.
2. COFFEE MAKERS:

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes coffee makers, however for simplicity of use and the quality of the coffee it produces, a good Cafetiere is difficult to beat. Our blend is ideal for cafetieres and many other methods.

3. WATER FOR COFFEE
Coffee connoisseurs recommend using refrigerated bottled spring water for coffee making, but if you are using water from the tap or faucet, run the water for a few minutes until it runs cold, the colder the water the more Oxygen it contains and the more Oxygen in the water the better the Coffee (or Tea). DO NOT use tap or faucet water with an odor or pronounced taste, some (in parts of London, New York and other cities for instance) are highly chlorinated with a very distinct taste and odor. If you are unfortunate enough to live in one of these areas it’s well worth doing as the connoisseurs do and using a good bottled still spring water (not mineral or carbonated water), you will be amazed at the difference.

4. COFFEE TO WATER RATIO
I recommend 1 level tablespoon of ground coffee per cup capacity of the coffee maker. This measure will give a strongish brew, for even stronger coffee use rounded or heaped tablespoon measures, for weaker coffee use dessert spoon measures or reduce the measure by 1 cup at a time i.e. 4 tablespoons in a 5 cup capacity coffee maker. Experiment to learn your preference but note that ratios will vary for different coffees and remember, although not ideal, you can always add more fresh boiled water if it’s too strong, but you can’t make a weak brew stronger.

Note: A 1-cup measure is generally taken to mean 5 fluid ounces (150ml), if your not sure of your coffee makers capacity, use a measuring jug to measure water into it to about 1″ (2 cm) below the lip.

5. BREWING YOUR COFFEE
This method is for a Cafetiere but will suite other types of coffee maker.

Fill the kettle with fresh drawn water and put it on to heat, while it heats up warm the Cafetiere, our Cafetiere has a glass container so I do this by putting the container (without the metal bits) in the microwave for a minute or two, for metal containers or if you don’t have a micro-wave you can use a warm oven or hot water but remember to dry the container before the next step.
Measure the coffee into the container using the above formula in para 4.
When the kettle boils remove it from the heat and leave it for about 15 seconds or so, unlike tea, for best results coffee should be brewed with water that’s just off the boil.
Fill the Cafetiere to within about 1″ (2cm) of the top with the boiled water.
Stir and let it brew.
When the coffee grounds start to settle, replace the plunger and push it down smoothly until fully depressed. If you feel resistance don’t try to force it just wait a few seconds and the pressure will dissipate.
If you’ve done it correctly the coffee is now brewed to perfection with a lovely thick, creamy aromatic ‘ espresso like’ froth on the surface, it smells wonderful and is now ready to pour.
TIP: Did you know that you can also use a Cafetiere for making excellent loose leaf tea?

6. SERVING YOUR GOURMET COFFEE
Unlike commercial coffee which is deliberately served scalding hot to mask the bitterness of low grade blends, the subtle flavours of good coffee improve and mellow as it cools. I recommend Using a tea towel or tea cozy to keep coffee warm and ensure it cools gently. If the coffee is too cold, try warming your cup (in the micro-wave or hot water?) not the coffee. It’s far better to have the coffee go cold and gently reheat it than use a hotplate. If you must use a hot plate, leave the coffee on it for no longer than 15 minutes or so, or it will start to burn and turn bitter.

7. FLAVOURING COFFEE
The flavoring of coffee is an ancient tradition dating back to nomadic Arab tribesmen who added a pinch of ground Green Cardamom (not Brown Cardamom) or other spice to coffee before brewing. You can experiment with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice etc (the fresher the spices the better) and flavorings like vanilla (pods not flavouring drops) or Liqueurs & Spirits like Amaretto etc. But remember, the idea is to add just enough to compliment the flavour of the coffee, not destroy it.

8. FINALLY

Clean your cafetiere or other coffee maker thoroughly in fresh hot water after every use, old coffee residues or highly perfumed washing up liquid can taint the flavour. The care you take will only increase the ultimate pleasure of your coffee drinking experience.

From http://www.aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk/how_make_gourmet_coffee.htm

Ice Cream is one of the most delicious things in the world, hummmmmm….
I simply love ice cream!
Here is a savory subject . At the foot of the issue, there are two links to wonderful ice cream recipes, including ice cream for diabetics. A very interesting collection.
I am frequently creating new tempting recipes for my father ( he is diabetic for many years), and I found out that the secret for making an outstanding sugarless ice cream, is beating the almost frozen
dough - then let it reach the soft freezing point and beat it again, repeating the process some times.
The ice cream obtained is very soft and creamy (diet ice cream usually is not so creamy).
Enjoy this mouthwatering issue and recipes.
(Bellatryx)

The following information is from the Zinger’s Homemade Ice Cream “History” page on their website

“www.zingersicecream.com”
Click to go there!

Thank you, Mr . Exinger, for your kindness, giving me permission to publish it!

A Brief History Of Ice Cream
revised and updated June, 2004

Seaside has long been a popular beach resort town, and what trip to the beach would be complete without ice cream? In fact, ice cream has been a part of Seaside ever since the first tourists dipped their toes into the Pacific, and there may even be a historical footnote to the history of the ice cream cone because of Seaside. But first, let’s go back, way back in time to the days before ice cream cones existed (certainly an uncivilized time)…

Ancient History – And Myths
Much of what is written about the history of ice cream begins centuries ago…and it’s the stuff of legends. The claims of Nero (1st century A.D.) and the ancient Chinese (via Marco Polo) enjoying an “ice-cream-like dessert” are used to bolster ice cream’s long-standing popularity. Well, bunk. These desserts, while frozen, are not ice cream as we know it, but more like sorbet or probably a sno-cone! Nero would have servants run to the mountains for fresh snow, and then race back (before it melted) to his palace where he would enjoy the frozen treats topped with fresh fruits. Again, it’s not the dairy treat we enjoy today, and further – it was something only royalty enjoyed (not everyone could have servants sent to the mountains, y’know).

The Dawn Of Ice Cream As We Know It
Ice cream as a dairy delight was probably “discovered” in the 1600’s. The concept of flavored ices evolved, but no one is sure how. We do know that Charles I of England, or rather, his chef (either French or Italian), made ice cream a staple of the royal table. Depending on which version you read, either the chef had a secret recipe for ice cream and the king paid him a handsome reward to keep it a secret, or the chef was threatened with death if he divulged the recipe. Either way, once Chuck-One was beheaded in 1649, the chef blabbed. Soon nobility in Europe knew of, and enjoyed, “crème ice.”

Ice Cream Comes To The Colonies
The still-for-the-rich “iced creams” were widely known in the 18th century on both sides of the Atlantic. Several recipes appear in a 1700 French cookbook, “L’Art de Faire des Glaces”, and here in the soon-to-be United States, ice cream was also known. Thomas Jefferson had a recipe for Vanilla ice cream, George Washington paid almost $200 (a chunk of money then) for a specific recipe, and James and Dolley Madison served ice cream at their second inaugural ball. Still, ice cream was limited in quantity and popularity, due to the enormous effort needed to make it (think two large bowls, lots of ice and salt, and 40 minutes of shaking one bowl while stirring the other – whew!).

If You Want Something Done Right, Ask A Woman
Give credit to Nancy Johnson. In 1847 she developed the first hand-crank ice cream maker, and despite what you might read elsewhere, received a patent for it. Much of the confusion (and lack of credit) to Ms. Johnson comes from the fact that she sold her rights to William Young for just $200 (still a pretty good sum in those days). He at least had the courtesy to call the machine the “Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer.”

Mass Production – Finally, Ice Cream To The People!
The hand crank might have been fine for backyard picnics, but no one considered ice cream making as an industry – until Jacob Fussell in 1851. The milk dealer was looking for a way to keep a steady demand for his cream. He discovered that he could do so by turning it into ice cream – and he could get twice the price! His Baltimore factory utilized icehouses and a larger version of Johnson’s machine, and by the start of the Civil War he had additional ice cream plants in New York, Washington, and Boston. Ice cream still didn’t become a widespread phenomenon until the 20th century, when advances in refrigeration and power allowed for the dramatic increase in production as shown in the chart below:

Year
U. S. Production
(in gallons)
1899
5 million

1909
30 million

1919
150 million

However, before supply came demand…and the controversial “inventions” of the ice cream sundae and the ice cream cone.

The Birth Of The Sundae – Fact Or Fiction?
There are several stories as to the birth of the ice cream sundae (as there are to its predecessor, the ice cream soda). Most of these “true accounts” revolve around concentrated efforts by Midwestern religious leaders in the late 19th century against “sucking soda” (I am not making this up). Evanston, Illinois was one such town, as was Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Both claim to have locals who circumvented the soda ban by serving ice cream topped with syrup, and they did it on Sunday, and then changed the name slightly to avoid any connection with the clergy…

Who REALLY Invented The Ice Cream Cone?
And if you thought the invention of the sundae was confusing, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Many histories proclaim that the ice cream cone was invented in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair (the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), when Syrian immigrant Ernest Hamwi gave some of his “zalabia” (a waffle-like pastry) from his pastry cart to neighboring Arnold Fornachou, who had run out of paper dishes to serve his ice cream in at his adjoining ice cream cart at the fair. Another version has Hamwi teaming up with a different ice cream vendor named Charles Menches, who also ran out of dishes.

Well, wait…yet another vendor named Abe Doumar said he created the cone and sold it nightly at the fair. Hang on…fair vendor David Avayou said the same thing, claiming he knew of “cones of pastry” from France. All in all there were about 50 ice cream vendors and more than a dozen waffle stands at the fair, so it’s very likely there were several vendors selling some version of an ice cream cone. Certainly, the cone became universally popular after this date. Despite the number of claimants, most ice cream experts and associations give the credit to Hamwi (see why below).

But - let us seriously consider Italo Marciony (also spelled Marchioni and Marcioni)– who claimed he created the ice cream cone on September 22, 1896! He sold his cones from a pushcart in New York City, and his claim may be the best, since he had a patent for a waffle mold, granted in December, 1903, eight months before the St. Louis Fair! His invention was “…like a waffle iron and producing several small pastry cups with sloping sides.” I have a copy of it courtesy of Anthony Gullo of Hoboken, NJ, who also provided me with more about this fascinating, and little known inventor…

From Pushcart to Inventor - Italo Marciony
Italo Marciony emigrated to the United States in the late 1800s, and although he lived in Hoboken, NJ for a time his fame resides solely in New York City. He began his business selling his homemade lemon ice from a single pushcart on Wall Street, but his business quickly grew into many carts.

Although he was successful he still had a small problem that was causing him to lose money. At the time, most ice cream from vendors was sold in serving glasses called “penny licks” (because you’d lick the ice cream from the glass, and it cost a penny to do so). There was a major problem with sanitation (or the lack thereof), but Marciony’s problem was that many people would accidentally break the glasses, or not so accidentally walk off with them. His first solution was to make cone-like containers out of paper which worked fine until he was hit with a stroke of genius. He came up with the idea of making an edible container for his cool treat. So in 1896 he began baking edible waffle cups with sloping sides and a flat bottom - shaped like his serving glass - and it was an instant hit.

On September 22, 1903, he filed a patent application out of the city and state of New York, and U.S. Patent No. 746971 was issued to him on December 15, 1903. So although he lived in Hoboken for a time, while selling his wares in the big city, and although my home town web sites claims him as our own, his patent clearly states that he is “Italo Marciony of New York.”

So Who Really “Invented” The Ice Cream Cone?
As I mentioned earlier, most give Hamwi the credit. This is because:

he had been a sailor, and early ice cream cones were supposedly shaped around a sailor’s tool, which Hamwi had with him in his pastry cart (so the story goes), and
he eventually went on to start his own cone making company.
Many people today think Henry Ford invented the automobile, and Bill Gates invented the computer. Not so, but each made these machines more like what we know them today. This is the category that I feel Hamwi fits into, as he took what already existed and made it into the cone shape we know today.

But I side with those who give the credit to Marciony, because his patented design was FIRST, and it resembled the “packaging” of ice cream as it was known then (the penny lick glass). Hamwi improved upon this design, but the concept of ice cream in an edible container belongs to Marciony. Hence, in my view (and a few others), he is the father of the Ice Cream Cone.

Seaside’s Historical Footnote To The Cone Controversy?
I used to joke that, indirectly, Lewis and Clark were responsible for the ice cream cone, since they explored the Louisiana Purchase, and since the ice cream cone was made popular at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis a hundred years later. Now, almost another century since then, a picture caption from a historical record may bring it full circle.

In “A Pictorial History of Seaside & Gearhart” there is a picture of a small business with the caption, “First ice cream cone shop in Seaside near the turn of the century” (emphasis mine).

Now, given what we know about the birth of the cone, one of three things is possible:

By “turn of the century” the caption refers to several years (at least four or five) after the turn of the century, or
The caption is incorrect and should read “…an ice cream shop…” (no cone), or
Seaside was enjoying ice cream cones before the folks in St. Louis had their fair.
Obviously further research is needed. If anyone has any additional information on Seaside’s early ice cream businesses, and can clarify this or other early ice cream history, this ice cream lover would enjoy hearing it. Still, it’s clear that Seaside visitors had, and still have, a love affair with scoops of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla…

And History Is Still Being Made Today…
In April, 2004, Zinger’s Ice Cream began making homemade ice cream. Partly to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ice cream cone (or 101st, if you are in the Marciony camp), and partly to offer visitors a better ice cream with more diverse flavors, “Zinger’s Homemade” is a combination of old-fashioned creaminess and 21st Century flavors.

From http://www.zingersicecream.com/history.htm
For further information, contact Mr. Mike Exinger, who wrote the text above, as you can see at the URL I posted here, to give Mr. Exinger credit.

Wonderful Ice Cream RecipesMike Exinger, Ice Cream Czar
Zinger’s Homemade Ice Cream
P.O. Box 647
Seaside, OR 97138-0647
homemade@zingersicecream.com

Special Ice Cream Recipes (Diet, Ice Cream secrets,ice cream recipes and more)

These are selected recipes for diabetic children. Delicious desserts, apetizers, things that will make their mouths fill with water!
I chose the most easier to do. At the foot of the issue, you will find the address to more .I already tested some of them and they are really good!
(Bellatryx)

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

From NutraSweet.
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
10 3/4 teaspoons Equal® Measure or 36 packets Equal®
1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel (optional)
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 to 2 drops yellow food color (optional)
Baked 9-inch pie shell
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® Measure or 12 packets Equal®

Directions

Mix water, lemon juice, 10 3/4 teaspoons Equal® Measure, and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Beat eggs and 2 egg whites in small bowl; stir in about 1/2 the hot cornstarch mixture. Stir this egg mixture into the remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan; cook and stir over low heat 1 minute. Remove from heat; add margarine, stirring until melted. Stir in food color. Pour mixture into baked pie shell.

Beat 3 egg whites in medium bowl until foamy; add cream of tartar and beat to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® Measure, beating to stiff peaks. Spread meingue over hot lemon filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinking or weeping.

Bake pie in preheated 425-degree F oven until maringue is browned, about 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting

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Ingredients
4 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Diabetisweet®
3/4 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 standard cup, mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degree F. Spray a 9 inch X 13 inch with low-fat pan spray. Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler set at a gentle simmer.

Sift the dry ingredients. Add the Diabetisweet® to the chocolate and butter and stir to blend. Add the applesauce, yogurt, egg products, extracts and blend thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Add chocolate chips or optional nuts and stir until combined.

Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

MAPLE FLAVORED SYRUP

From NutraSweet.
Ingredients
1 cup apple juice
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter
6 packets Equal® or 1 3/4 teaspoons Equal® Measure
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine apple juice and cornstarch. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in margarine, Equal®, maple flavoring and vanilla. Serve over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

Rich Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients
1/2 cup skim milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into small pieces
3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® MeasureTM or 12 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal® SpoonfulTM

Directions

Heat milk and chocolate in small saucepan, whisking frequently, until almost melted; remove from heat and whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in Equal®. Cool to reoom temperature, refrigerate glaze, if necessary, until thickened enough to spread.

Fresh Fruit and Flowers
(6 servings)

3 medium apples
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice mixed with 1/2 cup (120 ml cold water
3 large kiwis
fresh edible flowers such as nasturtiums, violets, etc.

Cut the apples into leaf shaped slices and acidulate them in lemon water until ready to serve.
Slice the kiwis in half. Peel and make into flowers by cutting triangles out around the tops.
Place the apples and kiwis on a dessert plate and decorate with the edible flowers.

Mango Mousse
(makes 4 servings)

1 large ripe mango, about 12 ounces (360 g)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) honey
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh orange juice
1 cup (64 g) reduced-fat frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed
4 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish (optional)

Peel mango, cutting the flesh away from the seed. Coarsely chop the flesh and put in a saucepan with water and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in cornstarch and orange juice mixture. Continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, stirring once.
Just before serving, put mango in the workbowl of a food processor or blender. Add whipped topping and process until smooth. Pile into dessert dishes and garnish with a sprig of mint (if using)

Pineapple Squares
(makes 25 squares)

oil and flour aerosol spray
3/4 cup (299) juice-packed canned pineapple chunks, drained
1 large egg
1/2 cup (80 ml) unsweetened pineapple juice
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml ) orange extract
1 tablespoon ( 15 ml) vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups (211 g) flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F (180° C, Gas Mark 4). Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with aerosol spray.
Measure out 1/4 cup (100 g) of the pineapple chunks. Puree until smooth in a food processor or blender. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together pureed pineapple, egg, pineapple juice, orange extract, and oil. Add the flour, baking soda and powder and beat again Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup (199 g) pineapple chunks.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake for 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and cut into 25 squares.

Simplified Tiramisu
(makes 4 servings)

6 ounces (180 g) fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 ml) confectioner’s sugar
4 teaspoons (20 ml) hazelnut liqueur or brandy
1 cup (64 g) frozen light nondairy whipped topping, thawed
3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly brewed espresso or strong coffee
4 ladyfingers, pulled in half
1 tablespoon (15 ml) finely chopped hazelnuts
2 teaspoons 910 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder

In a bowl and using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar until fluffy. Beat in 2 teaspoons hazelnut liqueur. Fold in nondairy whipped topping.
Combine the espresso and remaining 2 teaspoons hazelnut liqueur in a bowl. Cut each ladyfinger half in half again crosswise. Quickly dip the ladyfingers quarters, one at a time, into this mixture. Line 4 individual dessert dishes or wine goblets with the ladyfingers quarters.
Spoon in the cream cheese mixture and chill until ready to serve.
Just before serving, garnish each serving with some of the hazelnuts, Using a very small strainer, sift cocoa powder over the top.

The Best Pineapple Cheesecake
(makes 6 servings)

Graham Cracker Crust:
butter-flavored cooking spray
14 double graham cracker cookies, finely crushed (1 cup)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Pineapple Cheesecake:
1/2 cup non-fat buttermilk
1 slice white bread
1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons natural vanilla
6 packets DiabetiSweet
1/4 cup water
1 12-ounce can crushed pineapple, packed in natural juice, well drained

To prepare crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9″ pie pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. (Since ovens vary in temperature, check after 12 minutes. Do not allow it to over-brown.) Cool before filling.
To prepare filling: In a food processor or blender, combine everything except the pineapple. Process until smooth. Fold in crushed pineapple.
Bake for 45 minutes, until set. Cool in refrigerator.

Ambrosia
(makes 4 servings)

2 large navel oranges
2 large blood oranges
2 tablespoons (15 g) unsweetened flaked coconut

Using a very sharp knife, peel the oranges over a medium bowl to catch any juice, remove all peel and white pith. Slice the knife down the sides of each segment, cutting the flesh away from the white membrane. Twist the blade under the segment to lift it out and place in the bowl with the juice. Continue until all oranges are sectioned.
Squeeze any juice remaining in the membranes over the fruit. Arrange the sections in a decorative pattern on a large serving platter. Spoon any reserved juice over the oranges. Mound the coconut in the center of the platter and chill until ready to serve.

Banana-Nut Cake

From Sugar-Free Desserts
Reproduced with permission of Favorite Brand Name Recipes magazine.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 6 medium bananas)
3/4 cup thawed frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Glaze (see below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except walnuts and Cream Cheese Glaze; mix well. Stir in walnuts; spread into well-greased Bundt or tube pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; turn cake out onto wire rack. Cool completely. If desired, prepare Cream Cheese Glaze. Spoon over top of cake, letting excess glaze drip down sides. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 12 servings

Chocolate Lace Cake

Ingredients

4 tablespoons margarine, softened
1/4 cup light raspberry preserves with NutraSweet® brand sweetener or raspberry spreadable fruit
1 egg
7 1/4 teaspoons Equal® for RecipiesTM or 24 packets Equal® sweetener or 1 cup Equal® SpoonfulTM
1/2 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons Dutch process or European process cocoa
It is essential to use Dutch process or European process cocoa for this recipe to succeed.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Glaze
1/2 - 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, optional to garnish
Fresh raspberries, as garnish

Directions

Beat margarine, preserves, egg, and Equal® in a medium bowl until smooth. Mix milk and cocoa in a glass measuring cup until smooth.

Mix combined flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into cake-margarine mixture atlernately with milk and cocoa, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

Place cake on serving plate, spread with Chocolate Glaze. Refrigerate until glaze has hardened, 15 to 20 minutes. Melt chocolate over low heat in small saucepan, stirring frequently; drizzle over top of cake in “lace” pattern. Refrigereate until chocolate has hardened, about 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Chocolate Pudding

From Jell-O®.
Ingredients

2 cups cold skim milk
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Reduced Calorie Pudding & Pie Filling
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping

Directions

Pour cold milk in medium bowl. Add pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat with wire whisk 1 minute. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Peach Preserves

From NutraSweet.
Ingredients
2 1/2 to 3 pounds ripe peaches (10 to 12)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 3/4 ounce package pectin for low-sugar preserves (low-methoxyl pectin)
24 packets Equal® or 7 1/4 teaspoons Equal® Measure

Directions

Peel, pit and finely chop peaches; measure 4 cups into a large bowl. Stir in lemon juice and pectin. Let mixture stand 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in Equal®. Skim off foam, if necessary.

Ladle at once into freezer containers or jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Seal; label. Let stand at room temperature 4 to 6 hours or till set. Store up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

EGGNOG

A holiday favorite with no added sugar!
2 cups skim milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3 1/2 teaspoons Equal® Measure or 12 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/2 cup Equal® Spoonful
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups skim milk, chilled
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Mix 2 cups milk, cornstarch, and Equal® in a small saucepan; heat to boiling; boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Mix about half the milk mixture into the eggs; then add this egg mixture to remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate until chilled, or until serving time.

Stir 2 cups milk into custard mixture; serve in small glasses or punch cups. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Variation: If desired, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons run or brandy extract can be stirred into the eggnog.

My family always cultivated the “five o’clock tea” habit. It is a delicious pause in the day’s busy routine. My mother makes wonderful jam of several fruit, but my very favorite is tangerine’s.
I remember the late afternoons when my mother also baked delicious muffins and shortbreads to go with the jam. During a lot of time, we drank “Earl Gray” tea, but then Brazilian tea became a wonderful alternative, it is really very good.There are several blends , but the orange pekoe is a great favorite.
There are tea plantations in the region of São Paulo State, where I live - the name of the place is “Vale do Ribeira” (Ribeira Valley), and it became nationaly famous.
I love black tea, green tea and mate tea, largely consumed in Argentina and South of Brazil.
During the day, we use to drink herb tea, medicinal type. They can be simply delicious. When the weather is very hot, in Summer, they can be drank iced, with lemon or ginger added.
And in Winter, we gather around the table, with the fragrant teapot , the jam and hot bread ( and crackers! I love crackers).
I always thought the British were responsible for spreading the five o’clock tea habit and made a tradition of it in several Countries- many people think like I did- but recently I found out that it was a Portuguese Princess, Catherine de Bragança, married to Charles ll, the happy prince, as he was called. Her dowry was the richest in Europe, Portugal was then a very rich and sophisticated court.
She also introduced tangerines(her favorite fruit) in England. In China, they were called mandarines, but Queen Catherine’s plantations were in Tangiers, hence the name “tangerines”.
Yet further, the word ‘marmalade’, which in English means a citrus preserve, became common. Marmelada is the Portuguese word derived from marmelo, quince, describing quince jelly. Hence the Queen’s jam and oranges were combined to add a new word to the English language.
I think this brief history of tea is very interesting. I hope you enjoy it!
(Bellatryx)

The Legendary Origins of Tea
The story of tea began in ancient China over 5,000 years ago. According to legend, Shen Nung, an early emperor was a skilled ruler, creative scientist and patron of the arts. His far-sighted edicts required, among other things, that all drinking water be boiled as a hygienic precaution. One summer day while visiting a distant region of his realm, he and the court stopped to rest. In accordance with his ruling, the servants began to boil water for the court to drink. Dried leaves from the near by bush fell into the boiling water, and a brown liquid was infused into the water. As a scientist, the Emperor was interested in the new liquid, drank some, and found it very refreshing. And so, according to legend, tea was created. (This myth maintains such a practical narrative, that many mythologists believe it may relate closely to the actual events, now lost in ancient history.)

The Chinese Influence
Tea consumption spread throughout the Chinese culture reaching into every aspect of the society. In 800 A.D. Lu Yu wrote the first definitive book on tea, the Ch’a Ching. This amazing man was orphaned as a child and raised by scholarly Buddhist monks in one of China’s finest monasteries. However, as a young man, he rebelled against the discipline of priestly training which had made him a skilled observer. His fame as a performer increased with each year, but he felt his life lacked meaning. Finally, in mid-life, he retired for five years into seclusion. Drawing from his vast memory of observed events and places, he codified the various methods of tea cultivation and preparation in ancient China. The vast definitive nature of his work, projected him into near sainthood within his own lifetime. Patronized by the Emperor himself, his work clearly showed the Zen Buddhist philosophy to which he was exposed as a child. It was this form of tea service that Zen Buddhist missionaries would later introduce to imperial Japan.

The Japanese Influence
The first tea seeds were brought to Japan by the returning Buddhist priest Yeisei, who had seen the value of tea in China in enhancing religious mediation. As a result, he is known as the “Father of Tea” in Japan. Because of this early association, tea in Japan has always been associated with Zen Buddhism. Tea received almost instant imperial sponsorship and spread rapidly from the royal court and monasteries to the other sections of Japanese society.

Tea was elevated to an art form resulting in the creation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony (”Cha-no-yu” or “the hot water for tea”). The best description of this complex art form was probably written by the Irish-Greek journalist-historian Lafcadio Hearn, one of the few foreigners ever to be granted Japanese citizenship during this era. He wrote from personal observation, “The Tea ceremony requires years of training and practice to graduate in art…yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible”.

Such a purity of form, of expression prompted the creation of supportive arts and services. A special form of architecture (chaseki) developed for “tea houses”, based on the duplication of the simplicity of a forest cottage. The cultural/artistic hostesses of Japan, the Geishi, began to specialize in the presentation of the tea ceremony. As more and more people became involved in the excitement surrounding tea, the purity of the original Zen concept was lost. The tea ceremony became corrupted, boisterous and highly embellished. “Tea Tournaments” were held among the wealthy where nobles competed among each other for rich prizes in naming various tea blends. Rewarding winners with gifts of silk, armor, and jewelry was totally alien to the original Zen attitude of the ceremony
Europe Learns of Tea
While tea was at this high level of development in both Japan and China, information concerning this then unknown beverage began to filter back to Europe. Earlier caravan leaders had mentioned it, but were unclear as to its service format or appearance. (One reference suggests the leaves be boiled, salted, buttered, and eaten!) The first European to personally encounter tea and write about it was the Portuguese Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz in 1560. Portugal, with her technologically advanced navy, had been successful in gaining the first right of trade with China. It was as a missionary on that first commercial mission that Father de Cruz had tasted tea four years before.

The Portuguese developed a trade route by which they shipped their tea to Lisbon, and then Dutch ships transported it to France, Holland, and the Baltic countries. (At that time Holland was politically affiliated with Portugal. When this alliance was altered in 1602, Holland, with her excellent navy, entered into full Pacific trade in her own right.)
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Tea Comes to Europe
When tea finally arrived in Europe, Elizabeth I had more years to live, and Rembrandt was only six years old. Because of the success of the Dutch navy in the Pacific, tea became very fashionable in the Dutch capital, the Hague. This was due in part to the high cost of the tea (over $100 per pound) which immediately made it the domain of the wealthy. Slowly, as the amount of tea imported increased, the price fell as the volume of sale expanded. Initially available to the public in apothecaries along with such rare and new spices as ginger and sugar, by 1675 it was available in common food shops throughout Holland.

As the consumption of tea increased dramatically in Dutch society, doctors and university authorities argued back and forth as to the negative and/or positive benefits of tea. Known as “tea heretics”, the public largely ignored the scholarly debate and continued to enjoy their new beverage though the controversy lasted from 1635 to roughly 1657. Throughout this period France and Holland led Europe in the use of tea.

As the craze for things oriental swept Europe, tea became part of the way of life. The social critic Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, the Marquise de Seven makes the first mention in 1680 of adding milk to tea. During the same period, Dutch inns provided the first restaurant service of tea. Tavern owners would furnish guests with a portable tea set complete with a heating unit. The independent Dutchman would then prepare tea for himself and his friends outside in the tavern’s garden. Tea remained popular in France for only about fifty years, being replaced by a stronger preference for wine, chocolate, and exotic coffees.
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Tea Comes to America
By 1650 the Dutch were actively involved in trade throughout the Western world. Peter Stuyvesant brought the first tea to America to the colonists in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam (later re-named New York by the English). Settlers here were confirmed tea drinkers. And indeed, on acquiring the colony, the English found that the small settlement consumed more tea at that time then all of England put together.
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Tea Arrives in England
Great Britain was the last of the three great sea-faring nations to break into the Chinese and East Indian trade routes. This was due in part to the unsteady ascension to the throne of the Stuarts and the Cromwellian Civil War. The first samples of tea reached England between 1652 and 1654. Tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale as the national drink of England.

As in Holland, it was the nobility that provided the necessary stamp of approval and so insured its acceptance. King Charles II had married, while in exile, the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza (1662). Charles himself had grown up in the Dutch capital. As a result, both he and his Portuguese bride were confirmed tea drinkers. When the monarchy was re-established, the two rulers brought this foreign tea tradition to England with them. As early as 1600 Elizabeth I had founded the John company for the purpose of promoting Asian trade. When Catherine de Braganza married Charles she brought as part of her dowry the territories of Tangier and Bombay. Suddenly, the John Company had a base of operations.
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The John Company
The John Company was granted the unbelievably wide monopoly of all trade east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of Cape Horn. Its powers were almost without limit and included among others the right to:

Legally acquire territory and govern it.
Coin money.
Raise arms and build forts.
Form foreign alliances.
Declare war.
Conclude peace.
Pass laws.
Try and punish law breakers.
It was the single largest, most powerful monopoly to ever exist in the world. And its power was based on the importation of tea.

At the same time, the newer East India Company floundered against such competition. Appealing to Parliament for relief, the decision was made to merge the John Company and the East India Company (1773). Their re-drafted charts gave the new East India Company a complete and total trade monopoly on all commerce in China and India. As a result, the price of tea was kept artificially high, leading to later global difficulties for the British crown.
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Afternoon Tea in England
Tea mania swept across England as it had earlier spread throughout France and Holland. Tea importation rose from 40,000 pounds in 1699 to an annual average of 240,000 pounds by 1708. Tea was drunk by all levels of society.

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals-breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788-1861) experienced a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o’clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields.” (London at that time still contained large open meadows within the city.) The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon merged. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation.
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Tea Cuisine
Tea cuisine quickly expanded in range to quickly include wafer thin crustless sandwiches, shrimp or fish pates, toasted breads with jams, and regional British pastries such as scones (Scottish) and crumpets (English).

At this time two distinct forms of tea services evolved: “High” and “Low”. “Low” Tea (served in the low part of the afternoon) was served in aristocratic homes of the wealthy and featured gourmet tidbits rather than solid meals. The emphasis was on presentation and conversation. “High” Tea or “Meat Tea” was the main or “High” meal of the day. It was the major meal of the middle and lower classes and consisted of mostly full dinner items such as roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, and of course, tea.
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Coffee Houses
Tea was the major beverage served in the coffee houses, but they were so named because coffee arrived in England some years before tea. Exclusively for men, they were called “Penny Universities” because for a penny any man could obtain a pot of tea, a copy of the newspaper, and engage in conversation with the sharpest wits of the day. The various houses specialized in selected areas of interest, some serving attorneys, some authors, others the military. They were the forerunner of the English gentlemen’s private club. One such beverage house was owned by Edward Lloyd and was favored by shipowners, merchants and marine insurers. That simple shop was the origin of Lloyd’s, the worldwide insurance firm. Attempts to close the coffee houses were made throughout the eighteenth century because of the free speech they encouraged, but such measures proved so unpopular they were always quickly revoked.
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Tea Gardens
Experiencing the Dutch “tavern garden teas”, the English developed the idea of Tea Gardens. Here ladies and gentlemen took their tea out of doors surrounded by entertainment such as orchestras, hidden arbors, flowered walks, bowling greens, concerts, gambling, or fireworks at night. It was at just such a Tea Garden that Lord Nelson, who defeated Napoleon by sea, met the great love of his life, Emma, later Lady Hamilton. Women were permitted to enter a mixed, public gathering for the first time without social criticism. As the gardens were public, British society mixed here freely for the first time, cutting across lines of class and birth.

Tipping as a response to proper service developed in the Tea Gardens of England. Small, locked wooden boxes were placed on the tables throughout the Garden. Inscribed on each were the letters “T.I.P.S.” which stood for the sentence “To Insure Prompt Service”. If a guest wished the waiter to hurry (and so insure the tea arrived hot from the often distant kitchen) he dropped a coin into the box on being seated “to insure prompt service”. Hence, the custom of tipping servers was created.
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Russian Tea Tradition
Imperial Russia was attempting to engage China and Japan in trade at the same time as the East Indian Company. The Russian interest in tea began as early as 1618 when the Chinese embassy in Moscow presented several chests of tea to Czar Alexis. By 1689 the Trade Treaty of Newchinsk established a common border between Russia and China, allowing caravans to then cross back and forth freely. Still, the journey was not easy. The trip was 11,000 miles long and took over sixteen months to complete. The average caravan consisted of 200 to 300 camels. As a result of such factors, the cost of tea was initially prohibitive and available only to the wealthy. By the time Catherine the Great died (1796), the price had dropped some, and tea was spreading throughout Russian society. Tea was ideally suited to Russian life: hearty, warm, and sustaining.

The samovar, adopted from the Tibetan “hot pot”, is a combination bubbling hot water heater and tea pot. Placed in the center of the Russian home, it could run all day and serve up to forty cups of tea at a time. Again showing the Asian influence in the Russian culture, guests sipped their tea from glasses in silver holders, very similar to Turkish coffee cups. The Russians have always favored strong tea highly sweetened with sugar, honey, or jam.

With the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railroad in 1900, the overland caravans were abandoned. Although the Revolution intervened in the flow of the Russian society, tea remained a staple throughout. Tea (along with vodka) is the national drink of the Russians today.
BACK TO TOP Tea and America
It was not until 1670 that English colonists in Boston became aware of tea, and it was not publicly available for sale until twenty years later. Tea Gardens were first opened in New York City, already aware of tea as a former Dutch colony. The new Gardens were centered around the natural springs, which the city fathers now equipped with pumps to facilitate the “tea craze”. The most famous of these “tea springs” was at Roosevelt and Chatham (later Park Row Street).

By 1720 tea was a generally accepted staple of trade between the Colony and the Mother country. It was especially a favorite of colonial women, a factor England was to base a major political decision on later. Tea trade was centered in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, future centers of American rebellion. As tea was heavily taxed, even at this early date, contraband tea was smuggled into the colonies by the independent minded American merchants from ports far away and adopted herbal teas from the Indians. The directors of the then John Company (to merge later with the East India Company) fumed as they saw their profits diminish and they pressured Parliament to take action. It was not long in coming.

Sources http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2998461
http://www.stashtea.com/facts.htm

I commented, on a post, that I am always preparing delicious things for my father, who is diabetic, and some people asked me to display here some special recipes.
I did not test these ones, they were collected from Internet.With time, I will add some others, not only for diabetics, but also for vegetarians (I am almost vegetarian…).
All of us , at home, think that Splenda is the better sweetener. It really tastes like sugar. My father loves it, and the recipes really tastes better when I use Splenda.
(Bellatryx)

Strawberry and orange jam

1 medium orange
2 1/2 pints (1.25 L) strawberries
1 1/2 cup (375 ml) Splenda Granular
1 pkg (45 g ) Garden Fare ® freezer jam gelling powder

1. Grate 1 1/2 tsp. (7 ml) orange rind from orange. Cut all peel from orange, including white pith and seeds; discard. Chop fruit and place in measuring cup. Crush strawberries, add to orange pieces to measure 4 cups (1 L) fruit mixture. In large bowl, combine fruit, orange rind and Splenda Granular. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. Slowly sprinkle gelling powder into fruit while stirring for 3 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir for 1 minute. Pour into steralized jars, leaving 1/2 inch (2 cm) head space. Seal. (To sterilize, place both jars and lids in boiling water for 15 minutes prior to filling.)

Store in freezer for up to 1 year or in refrigerator for 6 weeks.

Makes about 4 cups (1 L).

Splendid Fudge Sauce

1/3 cup (75 ml) Splenda Granular
1/3 cup (75 ml) Fry’s® unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. (7 ml) cornstarch
1 tsp. (5 ml) instant coffee granules
1 can (160 ml) 2% evaportated milk
1/3 cup (75 ml) water

In small saucepan, combine Splenda Granular, cocoa powder, cornstarch and instant coffee.. Stir in evaporated milk and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Pour into bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Serve warm or chilled. Store in refrigerator.

Makes about 1 cup (250 ml)

Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup (250 ml) chocolate wafer crumbs
2 tbsp (25 ml) Splenda Granular
2 tbsp (25 ml) margarine, melted

Filling:
2 cups (500 ml) 2% cottage cheese (500 g container)
1 pkg. (250 g) light cream cheese, softened, cut into cubes
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 ml) light sour cream
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) Splenda Granular
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. (15 ml) cornstarch
1 square semi-sweet chocolate, melted (optional)

1. Combine all crust ingredients. Press evenly onto bottom of 8″ (20 cm) spring-form pan. Bake at 325°F. (160°C) for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in food processor, process cottage cheese until smooth. Add cream cheese and process until blended. Add remaining ingredients and process just until blended. Pour into pan.
3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until firm around edges and slightly soft in center. Run knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen from pan. Cool on rack. Cover and chill. Garnish as desired (eg. fresh raspberries and chocolate curls).

Strawberry Angel Pie

Fresh or frozen strawberries work equally well in this colorful, light-tasting pie.

3 cups (750 ml) frozen unsweetened or fresh strawberries
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch
1 egg, separated
Artificial sweetener equivalent to 14 tsp (70 ml) sugar (14 aspartame tablets, crushed)
1 tsp. (5 ml) vanilla
1/2 tsp (2 ml) almond extract
1/4 cup (50 ml) instant skim milk powder
1/4 cup (50 ml) ice water
9 inch Graham Cracker Crust
(Recipe)
Graham Cracker Crust
A touch of cinnamon and nutmeg makes this popular pie crust tasty, and there is no need for the addition of sweetener.
3/4 cup (200 ml) graham wafer crumbs
3 tbsp (45 ml) melted butter or margarine
1/4 tsp (1 ml) each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine graham wafer crumbs, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Press into a 9 inch (1 L) pie plate or 8 inch square pan or 9 inch spring form pan. Chill in refrigerator 2 hours before filling. If desired, reserve 2 tbsp (25 ml) of the crumb mixture to sprinkle on top of the filling.
Slice strawberries. Pour water over strawberries; let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Drain water from strawberries into a saucepan; reserve strawberries. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp (25 ml) of liquid drained from strawberries. Whisk cornstarch and egg yolk into remaining water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add softened gelatin, sweetener, vanilla and almond extract, stirring until gelatin and sweetener dissolve. Stir in strawberries. Chill about 30 minutes or until mixture is partially set. Beat egg white, skim milk powder and ice water in a chilled bowl. Fold into thickened strawberry mixture. Spoon into Graham Cracker Crust. Chill, about 4 hours, until completely set.

Chocolate and cherry tarts

2 packages (8 oz each) Neufchatel (light) cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 Keebler® 30% reduced-fat chocolate wafers
1 can (21 oz.) light cherry pie filling
Makes 24 Tarts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with foil & paper cupcake liners (do not use plain paper liners!). Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Place a chocolate wafer in each muffin cup; top with a dollop of cheese mixture. Bake 18 to 20 minutes; remove from tins and let cool. Top with cherry pie filling. Chill overnight before serving.

Caramel apples

6 medium-sized tart apples - (Granny Smith or Jonathans are best)
6 craft sticks (I prefer to use the fat craft sticks available at craft stores because they are sturdier)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups Brown Maltitol
1 cup Sugar-free Vanilla Syrup
1 cup pecans finely chopped

Makes 6 Servings

Remove any stems, wash, dry and chill the apples the day before.

When ready, line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper and push the craft sticks into the center of each apple. Put the pecans nearby in a shallow bowl.

Mix together cream, Brown Maltitol, and Vanilla Syrup, in a heavy 2 quart pot, stirring often and cook on medium heat to 240° or softball stage. This volume can take up to 20-25 minutes to reach this temperature so you must be patient. It will reduce down by half and begin to thicken.

Leave in the pot but turn off the heat. Place each apple in the center of the pot and using a long handled wooden spoon scoop up the caramel to coat the apple while turning it with the stick. Be careful this mixture can burn. When coated, lift up the apple and let the excess drip off for a few seconds. Immediately dip the bottom of the coated apple in the pecans and transfer to the parchment paper. Repeat until all six apples are coated.

Delicious orange candy

3/4 cup cocoa butter
2 tablespoons Keto® OJ Powdered Drink Mix
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup Maltitol, powdered
1/4 teaspoon Stevia (optional)
1/2 cup Orange Sugarfree Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 drops orange flavor concentrate
1/4 teaspoon orange candy color paste
Makes 48 Candies
Melt chunks of cocoa butter in a double boiler, then remeasure to 3/4 cup. Turn off heat and set aside until needed.

Mix all dry ingredients together thoroughly. In a separate small container, mix together the orange syrup, vanilla, flavor concentrate and color paste. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Add the cocoa butter and mix. Chill this mixture for 30 minutes or until it will hold a shape.

Measure out a walnut-sized amount with a teaspoon and roll in the palms of your hands until smooth and round. Place each ball in a paper bon-bon cup. These keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator but do not place in the paper cups until ready to serve.

Red velvet cake

1 1/2 C vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1/2 C sugar-free chocolate syrup (such as Da Vinci brand)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C vital wheat gluten
1/2 C almond flour
1 1/2 C Malitol
3/8 teaspoon Stevia
4 teaspoons dry unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1 stick (1/2 C) butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 C malitol
1/4 teaspoon Stevia
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle:
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Serves 16

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Blend Together first 6 ingredients. Then add remaining cake ingredients. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Divide equally between two 9 inch cake pans that have been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the center of the cake springs back or tests dry.

Beat frosting ingredients together until smooth. Coat one cake layer with 1/3 of the frosting, then put on the second layer and frost the sides and top.

Prepare chocolate drizzle: Melt 1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate in a small cup in the microwave. Add a tablespoon of hot cream until thin enough to drizzle over the cake with a spoon.

Chantilly Cream
(makes 1 1/2 cup (355 g )

1 cup (227 g) fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup (128 g) fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) almond or vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, spoon some of the Chantilly Cream on dessert plates alongside the fruit serving of choice for dipping.
Per 3 tablespoon (45 ml) serving: 45 calories (0% calories from fat), 2 g protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 8 g carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 30 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1/2 carbohydrate (1/2 bread/starch)

Fresh Strawberry Pie
(makes 8 servings)

1 0.5 ounce (15 g) package sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) boiling water
3 cups (498 g) sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups (453 g) plain nonfat yogurt
1 9-inch (22.5 cm) graham cracker crust
8 perfect whole strawberries, washed but not hulled

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Chill until slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in strawberries. Chill another 10 minutes.
Fold in yogurt and pour mixture into graham cracker crust. Chill until firm or at least 4 hours.
To serve, cut into 8 wedges and top each serving with a whole strawberry. Serve cold.
Per serving: 177 calories (33% calories from fat), 6 g protein, 7 g total fat (1.6 g saturated fat), 24 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 1 mg cholesterol, 208 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch, 1/2 fruit), 1 fat

Mexican Chocolate Mousse
(makes 16 servings)

1/2 cup (64 g) Kahlua-flavored instant coffee beverage
1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons (45 ml) boiling water
3 3/4 cups (885 ml) skim milk
2 (6 serving) packages chocolate flavored fat-free sugar-free instant pudding mix
1 16-ounce (450 g) package frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
8 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed

In a large metal bowl, dissolve coffee beverage and cinnamon in boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved. Stir in skim milk.
Whisk in pudding mix; beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and smooth.
Fold in whipped topping. Spoon mixture into 16 small dessert dishes.
Chill for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle tops with cookie crumbs.
Per serving: 95 calories (6% calories from fat), 3 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.2 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 1 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium
Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch)

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
Adapted from The Joslin Diabetes Quick and Easy Cookbook

(makes 6 servings)

buttered-flavored cooking spray
3 cups cubed day-old French bread
3 cups skim milk
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-calorie margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped dried cherries (no sugar added)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar substitute, or to taste
6 tablespoons liquid egg substitute

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat six 2-cup soufflé dishes with cooking spray.
Divide the bread cubes between the prepared dishes. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and margarine. Scald the milk. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest, dried cherries, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar substitute, and egg substitute. Pour over the bread cubes.
Place the soufflé dishes on a baking sheet since the mixture may bubble over. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is crisp and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Splenda recipes http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splenda/recipes/library.inc
Source http://www.maxpatch.com/recipes.html

Many people are absolutely desperate about losing weight. For some reason, maybe hormones, maybe genetic heritage, it is a problem affecting more women than men.The reasons are many, but being healthier and more elegant are the more common.
I was watching TV this weekend and was amazed by the high number of commercials about diets and revolutionary methods promising permanent results.
That is a lie, and I was so angry because those hollow promises give hope to people, make them believe that a magic potion will make them young, beautiful, and will grant them their most cherished wishes…
Because of that, I am here giving my fifty cents of advice. Because of my volunteer work in several places, I came to study a lot of things, and I am a very well informed person, and I memorized everything I read, my memory is really excellent.
There is not such a thing as “a permanent result” method. Because each seven years the cells of our body are replaced, and only a change in habits can make a person loose weight.
It is easy to see what modern habits of eating were doing to people. If you watch people walking in the street you will notice that they are becoming fatter and fatter.Their health is far from improving, and to make things worse, they look older.
I remember my great grandmother. She was a beautiful woman and when she died, at eighty, it was amazing to see that she had no wrinkles . That was the first thing I thought when I decided to find out why , with all the technology we have at our service today, scientists or genetic researchers do not find the “final solution”!
It is because it is not a matter of medicine nor revolutionary diets. Each body reacts in a different ways, so it is not logical that the same method works the same way on two totally different bodies.
Well, now I am going to proceed with my own observations : one of the most imprtant things EVER, is water.Pure, crystaline water,buckets of it, to lubricate the cells, make the skin softer and more luminous, hair more shiny, eyes more brilliant.And also fruit juice, deliciously fresh and natural.
Medicines can give the temporary impression of helping loosing weight, but what they do is messing up other functions in our bodies.How many times I have listened my mother saying that the medicine she took for her column gave her an ulcer?
I am digressing again! I was talking about food! Have you ever heard about negative calories?I did not, until very recently.
Negative calories is a good name for that kind of food that have so few calories that you spend more calories to digest them than they have in store to fatten you.
Makes sense, huh?
I will give here a list of some of these things:

asparagus
beets
broccoli
cabbage (green)
carrots
cauliflower celery
chicory
chili peppers
cucumbers
endive
garlic lettuce
onions
papayas
spinach
turnip
zucchini

Fruits
apples
cranberries
grapefruit
lemons mangos
oranges
pineapple raspberries
strawberries
tangerines

Take the time to look for the characteristics of these vegetables in Google. Each one of them has a magnificent propriety which helps the health as well as looks.
The idea is eating as much of these things as you can, and then have your regular meal. Eat the negative calories and five minutes later (when your brain had already sent the notice that you ate), eat your meal.
It is not a diet, since people can eat whatever they want, provided that they also eat

Another tip is homeopathy: 8 drops of Phucus Vesiculosus three times a day, to help your intestines to work like a clock. Phucus is an algae.It has a treasure in mineral salts and other precious proprieties. Homeopathy is largely prescribed in Brazil, and TV and movie stars are discovering its effects, and having their bodies sculpted by homeopathic medicines.
I am not a doctor, but I am an observer, a very curious one.
I have seen people with very serious health problems because of the need of loosing weight to be healthier…A paradox.
And remember that in the past people were not fat as they are today…Have you asked yourself why?
Another side effect of obesity is apathy, lack of energy, depression, sadness…
This is something I decided to add to my blog because I think it may help some people who could eventually read me.

Ah! Before I forget,if you do not have alcoholism problems, you are allowed half a glass (half a coffee cup , if you have problems with your blood pressure) of red wine at lunch and dinner, to “fight away” the free radicals! Enjoy !

Source : Bellatryx’ head…