i treated myself to a present at Christmas, -- one of the last two copies on the shelf "on Sale" at SuperStore...and the best present i have given myself in a long time.

some excerpts from pages 181 - 187.
Mireille writes: " Bread and Chocolate.

I recently saw a short play in Paris calles "Les Mangeusses de Chocolat (loosely translated, Women Who Eat Chocolate).
Three young addicts decide to try group therapy, and the therapist (an ex-chocoholic herself) will try to help each other find her element declencheur (key to getting unhooked). They fail (surprise), and nothing gets resolved (this is French theatre), but there are lots of good lines, some with more than a grain of truth. For instance: A survey reveals that nine out of ten people admit to loving chocolate...and the tenth one is lying.

The play was satirizing a French obsession (chocolate), but also the therapeutic establishment, which perhaps one couldn't get away with in America. I took it in good fun, except when a comment was made about women who eat their chocolate in private. To the French, the idea seems silly enough for a gag, but given my American experience, I couldn't laugh. Too often, American women eat on the sly, and the result is much more guilt than pleasure.

French women eat chocolate (about twelve pounds a year on average.) They also eat bread (we fought a revolution over it!), another item on our watch list of offenders. But: French women don't get fat. In fact, here's another form of the French Paradox: Pretending such pleasures don't exist, or trying to eliminate them from your diet for an extended time, will probably lead to weight gain. The only long-term effect of deprivation is the yo-yo -- down today, but up again before you know it. It's utterly pointless, especially because both bread and chocolate are good for you.

In its pure dark form, chocolate has indeed been shown to be "heart smart,," with more antioxidants than black tea or red wine, as well as lots of magnesium, iron, and potassium (all vital to women's health). It can also ease anxiety and depression, as it contains serotonin and theobromine, which act on brain receptors and have a beneficial influence on mood. As it is also high in fat, however, it is better enjoyed after lighter meals than after fat-laden holiday feasts, or by itself as a pick-me-up.

One of the most dispiriting developments of the twentieth century was the mass production of chocolate. It created an inferiour product loaded with bad fats, and as a result, many Americans have never in their lives tasted the real thing. But relief has appeared iwth the rise of new artisanal chocolatiers, pasionate guardians of traditional methods that were perfected in the eighteenth century.

Quality chocolate is labour-intensive and complex. It requires careful orchard selection, cultivation, and then harvest of the precious fruit. Next comes fermentation and two rounds of drying, followed by roasting and a few more delicate procedures before one obtains the cocoa mass. From that mass, three products are extracted: liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. These are the materials from which the artisan works, making chocolate slabs, ganache, praline, or chocolate filled with fruit or liquor. Toto, I don't think we're in Hershey, Pennsylvania, anymore."

So, suffice it to say, this was one of my favourite chapters, since i absolutely adore chocolate, real chocolate, not that sticky artificial stuff of "candy bars"... and i take it as my personal responsibility to let people know that there is a difference. I will be posting more on chocolate in the future.

oh, there's more...

CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING (serves 4)

2 cups milk; 1/2 cup sugar; Pinch of Salt; 1 cup arborio rice; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces dark chocolate (80% cacao preferred), broken into small pieces.

1. Pour the milk, sugar, and pinch of salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed (if the mixture becomes sticky, add a bit more milk to keep the rice creamy). Stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour the rice pudding into 4 ramekins and using a spoon, insert the chocolate pieces in the middle of each mold and push them into the rice. Leave at room temperature. The chocolate will slowly melt and mix with the pudding. Let your guests play with the way they want to eat it: mix the whole thing together or start by eating the rice laced with melted chocolate and the chocolate center separately -- a matter of taste and mood and a tough decision.