Foot and Fire

Chocolat By Joanne Harris Fiction Softbound, 320 pages A happy read. Especially on this Lenten season. If one has seen the movie first before reading the book or vice verse, I must say that it does not matter. Both versions are justice to each other. But in my case, I saw the movie first and then read the book in years apart, mind you!  Set in an obscure town in France, this novel with magical realism genre is all about spirituality, no mere religion, about the essence of doing good to our fellowmen that showing off goodness, about acceptance of our human weaknesses and surviving it. I expected some concoction along the way but I failed. I wished there are incorporated recipes on chocolate or some sprinkles of academic facts on chocolate but it did not. What it has is an engaging story told through the eyes gypsy-like Vianne who struggles to find a home, an acceptance by giving people their little sweet indulgence and Fr. Francis Reynaud who struggles about h...

Like water for chocolate Laura Esquivel After reading this magical realism novel, I was not swept away by the plot unlike when I read the same when I was in my teens. All I think about when I read it this time is whether the recipes are indeed for real. After finishing the novel, I was unable to pick out one recipe to try out of the monthly installments. In the end, I did not mind at all. Now that I am into cooking, I most understand why the novel was given the title. To melt a solid chocolate for baking, water is not directly poured over it. Instead, the chocolate is placed on a stainless bowl and placed on top of a boiling water. The steam slowly and steadily melts the chocolate. This is indeed the case when Pedro married a sister of Tita just to be near her. Pedro is the hot water that melted Tita. I have not seen the movie made out of this novel but that must be an interesting watch. But while many see this novel as a a story of lust, I just could not agree ...

Which one evokes childhood memories? Long before chocolates and donuts come in many colors and heady varieties as well as confusing packaging, these two rocks our sweet tooth. Tootsie Roll and Curly Tops. Share your thoughts below... 

I took a photo of this article from the online version of RD March issue. It was a revelation for me. All I thought that our local cacao is the real cacao. It turns out I was wrong all along and this article reveals that it is Carob. Our local kakao is a robust pod with seeds in its cavities. The sour-sweet flesh surrounding the seeds can be eaten before sun-drying them. The sun-dried seeds will then be toasted and peeled and the "beans" inside will be ready for grinding. It is then molded in bamboo molder and we call the output, Tableya. Check out my earlier blog on how to make this. Click here. The real cacao, the ones mentioned when touching the Mayan culture and in the novels of Laura Esquivel (Malinche and Hot water for Chocolate) is actually a bean as it comes from a pod. That is what should be called cocoa, cacao or chocolate.

A bunch of bananas and a left-over chocolate:  Banana split (a name insisted by my nephew). *** A quick dessert. Peel 12 small bananas and pour some chocolate syrup.  Serve with a Smile.  *** Yummy and gone in seconds Banana and chocolate are like soul mates, very compatible. ***

I have a small bowl of chocolate in the fridge, a left-over from the chocolate fountain we served during the last birthday of my nephew. I also have small green bananas (balangon variety) hanging in our clothesline to ripen. So, an idea sparked: make a chocolate and banana cake. Since the banana is not over ripe, i did not mash it but instead, sliced it. For this recipe, I used the the following proportion times three. I churned out three 9 x 6 pans with 1 inch thick cake I cut into squares. So for a small pan, here is the proportion.... 2 cups sifted flour 1T baking powder 2 pcs chicken eggs 1 cup milk or water 1/2 cup canola oil (or may use butter/margarine) 1/2 cup sugar (or more if desired) 1 cup sliced banana (or mashed, if desired and I used a lot of this in this recipe)  1/4 cup chocolate syrup (or melted chocolate of choice) To melt chocolate from the fridge, I boil water in a small deep pan and place a stainless bowl of top of the pan. This will slowly melt the chocolate a...

This was already sliced and transferred in a transparent container, hence the topsy turvy look. The white must be on top the chocolate... I am posting here the Black Sambo made by my sister in law during her last visit so as to remind me later when i can get the cahnce to prepare one... 4 knoxx gelatine 1 packs cream 1 can condensed milk 1 big chocolate syrup Prepare 2packs of knoxx as directed in the package, add cream and milk and chill until firm in a rectangular serving dish. Prepare the remaining 2 packs of knoxx and add chocolate syrup and chill until firm... My sister in law sprinkled walnut on top... Oh she prepared the chocolate first and the cream next.... Chill and serve as dessert.

Choco Mixture... Wonder how chocolates are made? This is how the basic of all chocolates... The preparation of cacao... from humble seeds to grand hot choco... While sipping, remember the Mayans, on how they treasure every cacao bean during their times. Dried Cacao seeds Peanuts Mascuvado sugar Bake or roast cacao seeds.  Remove outer covering by twisting and then separate from the cacao seeds inside. Add roasted peanuts, if desired. Add mascuvado sugar. Let it grounded electrically in the market, otherwise mortar and pestle will be used to refine the mixture. The powder mixture is ready to be enjoyed as hot choco! Mascuvado *** cacao, not yet peeled. *** My lola roasting the cacao! *** The peeled cacao...

By GERLIE M. UY

 Toothpick 200g seedless grapes 100g sweetened chocolate bar, melted Pierce through each seedless grape with a toothpick to make a lolipop. Deep each lolipop in the melted chocolate. Chill oand/or stay in the fridge overnight to let the chocolate coat become firm. Ready to serve after each meal. By GERLIE M. UY <p><p><p><p><p> </p>&a...