How to melt and shape chocolate at home All about chocolate
Featured Articles
What is chocolate?Chocolate in history has seen many transformations: from bean, to war-time sustenance, to creamy candy.
5 great hot chocolate recipesHot chocolate is a long enduring favorite of the cold Holiday season. These recipes range between the simple and the extravagant.
How to make chocolate fondue at homeSophisticated and easy are words that can be used together to describe chocolate fondue. The taste and the impression it will leave on your guests are both wonderful.
How to review and compare chocolate tasteReal criticism and enjoyment requires a move beyond words like good and bad. Learn how to use terms like snap and liquor to describe what you like in a chocolate.
A Letter From The Editor
In this issue of Happy Living we explore the wonders and the tastes of chocolate. Chocolate has been linked to chemicals which cause happiness in humans, as well as with making children smile. Perhaps the best part of enjoying chocolate, though, is its rich history and broad range of forms. Chocolate is one of the simple pleasures in life, but how would you categorize a french orange chocolate and pine-nut tart?
To begin this issue, our contributors explore the history and origins of chocolate. From the cacoa bean to 19th century chocolatiers inventing the precursors of our favorite treats, it's a fascinating read.
Recipes and home chocolate making are also a large part of this issue. My favorites include some of the most decadent hot chocolate recipes, and information on creating homemade chocolate covered strawberries.
Finally, this issue takes a light-hearted look at popular chocolate brands. Mass-produced milk chocolate candy bars are an art form worthy of review and exploration. The history and goals of gourmet chocolatiers are also a source of discussion for chocolate lovers. I hope that you enjoy this issue as much as I have, and are able to satisfy any cravings it might give you.
Warmly,
Patricia Meyer
HappyNews Editor