Coffee, Tea, Wine and Chocolate

How Chocolate is made

The Geography of Chocolate

Chocolate Economy

Chocolate Health

Dark, Milk and White Chocolates

Fair Trade Chocolate

Coffee, Tea, Wine and Chocolate Part II

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Wine and Chocolate

But let's not leave out wine, the other drink in our top four world favorites. Restaurants are forever trying to pair wine and chocolate, with varying success. Some experts say that when it comes to creating a happy marriage of the grape and the nib, wine and chocolate are doomed. Others say, it depends on the vintage. This writer agrees: try pairing a heavy, semi-soft fruity wine with a milk-free dark chocolate of say, 70%, and you could have a thing of beauty. The key is in noting and matching the fruit and sugar aspects of both: wine and chocolate often share a hint of blackberry or cherry flavors. If you're going for white chocolate, try a soft red or white dessert wine-perhaps an ice wine. The idea is not to compete too heavily with the vanilla flavors in the white chocolate, or to make the wine seem sour and acidic by comparison

For this writer's money, the ne plus ultra of a chocolate-wine pairing is a marvelous wine I once tasted (and promptly purchased) at the Rosenfeld winery in California. It was called a chocolate port, and it was magnificent. Full, fruity, dark and luscious, the wine (made only of grapes and fortified as all ports are) contained an abundance of chocolate flavor. I took home three bottles and drank them with pieces of Death by Chocolate cake -what a way to go!

Why do we love this stuff? Because it's good for us, certainly. It wakes us up and starts each day with a treat. It's exotic, all of it having been through growing, fermenting, aging, brought from far away to our very kitchens. It comes wrapped in gold and ribbons, steaming in porcelain cups and filling pots of stoneware and silver from here to Thailand and back again.

No matter where we live, our favorite beverages tease our tastebuds with dozens of varieties-mellow or powerful coffees from Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia, Nicaragua, teas ranging from the palest of whites and grassy greens that taste of summer, to hearty black teas perfect with sugar and milk; and wines from everywhere, bringing to our mouths the flavors of oak, fruit, vanilla-and chocolate-tropical, flavorful, magical.

Let's wind up this ecstatic meditation with a recipe for chocolate ganache. If you only master one chocolate recipe in your life, let it be this one, because it's multi-purpose and wildly popular. It's simple-four ingredients. Chilled, you can roll it into small balls and dust with cocoa powder for elegant chocolate truffles; use it still warm to pour over a cake for a glossy, perfectly rich chocolate icing worthy of a world-class kitchen. Add extra milk and reheat, and you have a lovely pot do chocolate-serve it after a light, elegant meal in the tiniest bowls with coffee, tea or a dessert wine.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

While not as many people drink a morning cup of hot chocolate or cocoa, those who do find it cheering in more than one way. For the caffeine sensitive, cocoa provides one-tenth the caffeine of coffee while still handing out a sugary boost and enough antioxidants to add a note of virtue to the whole endeavor. The creamy taste of a morning cup of chocolate matches beautifully with a breakfast croissant, and makes even plain buttered toast into a meal approaching the sublime. But those who love both French or Italian Roast as well as fine forestero chocolate have long know the way to compromise: mixed half and half with just a touch of milk, sugar and cream, a spectacular morning mocha is achieved. In fact, this writer wonders if anyone has tried to make an espresso out of ground cocoa nibs. Imagine a drink that's one half espresso, half cacao espresso, with a bit of steamed and frothed milk on top. Now, add some natural sugar, or even better, vanilla sugar. Yum.

Another way to get your coffee and chocolate too is by laying in a supply of chocolate covered coffee beans. A large supply, because everyone who drops by your desk or visits your house will want a handful or six.

12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine (or use dark chocolate chips!)

6 ounces heavy cream

2 Tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla (or brandy)

Heat the cream to boiling and pour over the chocolate and butter. Stir until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Add vanilla and stir until blended.

For truffles, chill until semi-soft, then scoop with a small spoon and roll between hands to form balls. Dust with cocoa and refrigerate.

To frost a cake, cool cake completely, then pour the still-warm ganache over the top and down the sides. Let cool.

For pot de chocolate, add another four ounces of cream to the mixture. You may also decide to flavor the pot de chocolate by adding a dash (3 TBS) of espresso or your favorite liqueur (some favorites include Amaretto, Frangelico, Brandy). Pour into very small bowls (this is an exceedingly rich dessert) and chill. You may garnish this dessert with chopped hazelnuts or pecans, wafer thin cookies, or slices of almond paste (marzipan).

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