Sipping chocolate

Instead of snuggling under the covers, alone, as I planned, I am now sipping chocolate. I was converted from hot chocolate to hot cocoa several years ago at Williams-Sonoma, and have not been the same. I was pleasantly surprised, such that I exclaimed out loud when I saw that TJs stocks sipping chocolate. I am going to adulterate this chocolate with whipped cream from a can (Cabot's premium natural) - we'll see if it tastes like homemade...I'm just not there yet, but will be soon - homemade whipped cream, ice cream, etc...I'm trying to pace myself for crying out loud.

I've been keeping this blog on the D.L. because I don't want my friend ZW to find out that I've been spending time on something other than developing my research question. I'll let her know about it as soon as I have the question and methodology together.

I was just talking to my Trinidadian friend about sipping chocolate and how it differs from the pulverization that we mistakenly refer to as hot chocolate. She said after I left her house, she's been checking food labels like crazy. I think sometimes it's much better to live in the dark about what's in food...once you open your eyes, your choices are rather limited. She told me I should teach a class and let my son be my TA (he's 8 years old and learned how to read nutrition facts in kindergarten).

Packaged food is full of crap.

Many dairy products (especially low fat) are loaded with all kinds of corn derived substances and fillers...not to mention coffee creamers - some of that stuff is unrecognizable and makes you wonder why it just couldn't contain cream. As you move to more sophisticated items, there are more sophisticated ingredients. Have you ever read Fast Food Nation? I assigned book reviews this semester and that's one that I included...I'll be curious to see how the students respond.

This whipped cream really does taste homemade.

Why do I make ice cream? First, because I bought a cool Cusinart gadget a few years ago and I'm sick of that gooey stuff that they're passing off as ice cream...I like Philadelphia style ice cream - simple, basic ice cream...I will eat Haagen Daaz (I grew up on Honey Vanilla) and some of the Ben & Jerry's. Mostly I do Turkey Hill Philadelphia Style or Breyer's in a pinch...Breyer's has gotten slick, downsized the container and added a "natural" ingredient (tara gum) to their recipe which alters the taste and consistency.

Does anyone remember Abbotts Old Philadelphia ice cream? My grandmother used to eat it, I think bing cherry was her flavor, I loved the butter almond...it came in a cylindrical shaped half gallon and was very good...this had to have been the 80s. Philadelphia used to be the workshop of the world http://www.workshopoftheworld.com/...but that was before suburbanization, post-industrialism, declining populations, declining schools...

This sipping chocolate is quite tasty...reminds me of the ice cream I "discovered" (every time I discover something I think of Christopher Columbus) this past spring - Choctal - smooth, creamy, chocolatety...I love chocolate - the movie Chocolat, John & Kira's makes the best chocolate (a little pricey for an everyday indulgence), when I was younger I ate Damian's chocolate ice cream, haven't had that in years.

This label reading thing is problematic. I love chocolate but for some time now, maybe 6 years or so, I haven't been a fan of Hershey's...I'll eat Godiva, Ashers, Ghiradelli's, or whatever is in my now non-existent budget, but I do like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. (I also like Goldenberg's Peanut Chews). Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Hershey's chocolate syrup is a concoction of water and corn syrup...I thought why, why a chocolate company do such a thing. We visited Hershey Park this summer and I was confident that I would be able to purchase actual chocolate syrup from the "Hershey Factory" - no go...the only item that I was able to purchase that contained only chocolate - was the cocoa powder. Fortunately Whole Foods and Trader Joes both sell chocolate syrups that are actually chocolate.