Chocolate of the Month Club

Past Newsletters
Vol 3 No 8

In Pursuit of Chocolate

Hot Summer… get refreshed with chocolate!

Summertime, with its sizzling temperatures and high humidity, can be a rough season for all varieties of chocolate products… and for that matter, chocolate aficionados as well. Still, there’s no reason not to enjoy one of life’s great pleasures despite the heat. All it takes is a little creativity (That means anything goes!) to prepare a refreshing, chocolate smorgasbord that is guaranteed to assuage your cravings! This month, we’ve selected an absolutely lethal combination of chocolate sensations. You’ll find them to be rich and pleasantly decadent, but they’ll make you feel re-energized, and ready for another game of tennis or a swim in a cool lake.

Our world-traveling chocolate gourmands at Zingerman’s food emporium in Ann Arbor, Michigan have recently discovered two outstanding chocolate fondues made by Swiss Knight of Thun, Switzerland… a country that knows it’s chocolate. The first part of your gastronomic adventure is two of their fondues. Imagine finely ground hazelnuts swimming in thick milk chocolate! And then, if you can tear yourself away, conjure up everyone’s favorite these days… chocolate that is dark and reminiscent of Aztec potions, not too sweet, but certainly not bitter.

Not only are these two fondues awesome to taste, they make preparing an eye-catching, mouth-watering dessert, a summer breeze. Just pop them in your microwave and serve them with all those delicious fruits that abound this time of year. Now you may be thinking… "Cheese fondue I have experienced, but chocolate fondue?!?" Well, be ready to your passion for chocolate elevated to new heights! And of course, you can eat as much as you want to, because the fruit is "good for you!"

WARNING: Do not taste these two fondues with a spoon, because there won’t be any left to complement the fruit!

Now here comes the piece de resistance. Your second chocolate marvel is the delectable Chocolate Cherry Bread baked especially for you by Zingerman’s Bake House. Wondering why you received it with fondue? Well, just place a small piece on your fondue fork, then dip, and you’ll wonder no more! Again, please try to restrain yourself once you have savored "just a tiny little taste."

Chocolate Cherry Bread… what a wild and crazy idea!

And this wild and crazy bread has met with worldwide renown… Zingerman's was even asked to send a shipment to China. A chocolate lover's fantasy come true, this bread is made from the best Belgian and French chocolate (specifically Valrhona chocolate from France, and Callebaut chocolate from Belgium), along with dozens of Michigan dried cherries. (Michigan proudly claims to be the cherry capital of the world, and the state hosts an annual cherry festival to prove it.)

Not only is this Chocolate Cherry Bread delicious, it is downright addicting to the chocoholics among us. A few minutes in the oven and the chocolate chunks begin melting and the aroma of cacao fills the air. Spread it with just a hint of sweet butter, or set a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a warm slice, and you'll be sitting in front of the most decadent dessert you've consumed in years! But it’s healthy, right! After all, bread is the staff of life.

The inspiration for this bread came from “Black Forest Gateaux which is a chocolate cake made with cherries and cream. Is it really bread? You bet it is. It’s not a cake recipe made to look like bread. It’s a real bread recipe, yeast and all, with chocolate and cherries added to it. There is a big debate over whether it’s the chocolate or the cherries that make this bread so arresting. Mo Frechette, a Zingerman’s executive, says this bread wouldn’t be worthy of its remarkable acclaim without the two renowned chocolate ingredients and the incomparable Michigan Cherries.

Fondue TIPS and Serving Suggestions

Try Alpine strawberries and bananas, apricots (fresh or dried), pineapple and peach chunks, mangos and melons. We bet you have never tried chocolate fondue with figs or orange segments soaked in Grand Marnier… inconceivably phenomenal! This dessert is simple to prepare and a real crowd pleaser. Just make sure you have enough, or the crowd could get unruly! Another favorite of ours is dried orange peel, and of course the Chocolate Cherry Bread.

When you’re ready to warm the fondue, scoop out some of it so the glass is not completely full, and pop it in the microwave, but never warm it by itself. Even water heated in a microwave has been known to explode once you remove it. Just for safety, put a plastic or wooden spoon in the jar and warm it slowly. It may get hot spots, so you may need to stir it a couple of times. And PLEASE be very careful taking it out of your microwave.
If you don’t have fondue forks (most households don’t), just use wooden skewers, or regular forks. You can put different colored tape on each one to avoid a lot of confusion. If it’s a special occasion, stick some sparklers in the fruit and make your entry with a bit of flair!
When dipping food into fondue, swirl in a figure eight. This keeps the fondue from thickening toward the bottom.
Usually we like to prepare several medium sized platters (obviously, it’s important to keep the wet fruits away from the Chocolate Cherry Bread, biscotti, and the likes). Some fruits like strawberries don’t usually need to be cut (unless they are those giant ones from California), and they are much more appealing if they are not cored.
Perhaps the most important part of the presentation (until everyone starts to taste it) is the arrangement of the foods. If you are the creative type, forget all of the rules, but don’t be concerned if you are not. Remember that simplicity is a sophisticated art.
If you’re really going all out, add some edible flowers! They will definitely stimulate conversation, add color, and be an important design element in your presentation. And they won’t increase waistlines! We all know that will really be appreciated… especially during the summer months!

Fondue Legends

We are not sure when or how chocolate fondue came about, but we can certainly credit the Swiss as the inventors of that other celebrated fondue, cheese. Legend has it that the cheese version was spun out from a desire for connection. During the Reformation, it is said that Catholics and Protestants living in Switzerland demonstrated a spirit of reconciliation by sharing food. Some contributed the cheese, and others brought the vegetables and meats… and what we call “fondue was spontaneously born of good will. Maybe someone should suggest this concept to those engaged in creating and implementing our foreign policies, and in "Peace Making."

Our guess is the French probably took it from there (fondue is the French word for melted), and created a version of the sublime Fondue au Chocolate you will soon be enjoying. A word of caution: Try not to eat it all from the jar before you get to try a fondue!

Rules of the Road: If a man loses his morsel in the pot, he must buy the next pot of fondue, a round of drinks, or bottle of wine. If a woman loses her morsel, her seating is definitely important, since she must kiss the person to her right!

Check Out Michigan’s National Cherry Festival

The National Cherry Festival annually brings together hundreds of thousands of cherry lovers to promote the industry, cultivate the business, exchange the latest trade information and, of course, celebrate the noble cherry itself by sampling a large assortment of cherry products. This year’s festival, held in mid-July in Traverse City, Mich., attracted an estimated 500,000 attendees who participated in more than 150 different events, including an air show, a cherry parade, a concert series, and even a cherry pit spitting competition!

The festival began in 1926, originating from a spring ceremony known as "The Blessings of the Blossoms to celebrate the cherry harvest. Now the event has become a major highlight, contributing $15 to $20 million annually to the regional economy. It includes tours of cherry orchards, visits from the Cherry Queen, a cherry farmers’ market, and even a cherry museum exhibit.

So where do cherries come from?

Cherries have pleased the palates of food lovers for centuries. Their ruby-red color and tangy taste won cherries a prominent place on the tables of Roman conquerors, Greek citizens, and Chinese noblemen. Later, French colonists from Normandy brought pits that they planted along the Saint Lawrence River and on down into the Great Lakes area. Cherry trees were part of the gardens of French settlers as they established such cities as Detroit, Vincennes, and other Midwestern settlements.

Modern day cherry production began in the mid 1800s. Peter Dougherty was a Presbyterian missionary living in northern Michigan. In 1852, he planted cherry trees on Old Mission Peninsula (near Traverse City, Mich.). Much to the surprise of the other farmers and Indians who lived in the area, Dougherty’s cherry trees flourished and soon other residents of the area planted trees. The area proved to be ideal for growing cherries because Lake Michigan tempers Arctic winds in winter and cools the orchards in summer.

The first commercial tart cherry orchards in Michigan were planted in 1893 on Ridgewood Farm near the site of Dougherty’s original plantings. By the early 1900s, the tart cherry industry was firmly established in the state with orchards not only in the Traverse City area, but all along Lake Michigan from Boston Harbor to Elk Rapids. The first cherry processing facility, Traverse City Canning Company, was built just south of Traverse City, and the ruby-red fruit was soon shipped to Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee.

The Montmorency is the primary variety of tart cherry. It was planted in the early orchards and is still used today. The fruit is excellent for pies, preserves and juice. The newest American variety of tart cherry is the Balaton. Dr. Amy Lezzoni developed this cherry variety at Michigan State University. It currently has a limited production, but has great potential for the fresh market and for juice.

The most famous sweet cherry variety is the Bing cherry. The Bing, Lambert and Rainier varieties together account for more than 95 percent of the Northwest sweet cherry production. Maraschino cherries are made from sweet cherries and originated in Yugoslavia and northern Italy. Merchants added a liqueur to a local cherry called the “Marasca. This cherry product was imported to the United States in the 1890s as a delicacy to be used in the country’s finest restaurants and hotels. In 1896 U.S. cherry processors began experimenting, using a domestic sweet cherry called the Royal Anne. Less liqueur was used in processing and almond oil was substituted for some of the liqueur. Finally, the liqueur was eliminated altogether. By 1920, the American maraschino cherry was so popular that is had replaced the foreign variety in the United States.

Today, the U.S. cherry industry produces more than 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries each year. Michigan grows about 75 percent of the tart cherry crop. Oregon and Washington harvest about 60 percent of the sweet cherry crop. Other states with commercial cherry crops are Utah, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and California.

Recipes

Aztec Chocolate Fondue for the Courageous

2 Dried Habanero Peppers (Also known as Scotch Bonnet, Habanero is the world's hottest pepper. Scoville Heat Units of 200,000 - 500,000.)
1 large bar of dark bittersweet chocolate
Strawberries

Bring a cup of water to a boil, toss in the habs, and cover for 10 minutes, or until the habs are mushy-soft. Chop them as fine as can be, then mash them to a pulp.

Melt chocolate slowly in a double boiler. We don’t recommend using a microwave, since the chocolate could explode, (even after you have removed it from the microwave) and burn anyone in the vicinity. You could also over-cook the chocolate very easily. Add the habanero pulp, stir, and heat slowly again until the chocolate is a thick & creamy yet liquid enough for dipping the strawberries.

For more information about the Habanero Pepper try Americanspice.com

Chocolate Fondue 1

Three 3oz bars of fine chocolate
1/2 cup of light or heavy cream
2 tbsps of Kirsch, brandy, rum, or Cointreau

Break the chocolate into many pieces. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan or small chafing dish. Stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Serve in a chafing dish over low heat.

Chocolate Fondue 2

15 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar, or to taste

In top of a double boiler (or a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water), melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and stir in butter. In heavy saucepan heat cream over moderate heat until hot, but do not boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add cream mixture to chocolate by cupfuls, stirring until cream is blended before adding next cupful. Makes about 3 1/2 cups chocolate fondue, serving 6 to 8.