A DOUBLE DOSE OF HOT CHOCOLATE

A few times this winter, I have found myself at home, curled up in a chair, craving hot chocolate. Real hot chocolate, not reconstituted powder. The kind that is the favorite drink of a little detective named Hercule Poirot. One little problem - I'd never made real hot chocolate before. The first night, I experimented with 12 Hershey kisses and half a cup of milk, melting the chocolate in a double boiler and then adding in milk and a half pinch of salt. It was quite good and definitely satisfied my craving...for the next 48 hours or so.

It was a timely experiment because later that week a Colombian friend made hot chocolate and gave me a few pointers. I found Goya chocolate at Publix (this is Miami) and followed the instructions with the ratio of one chocolate finger to 3/4 cup of milk. I added a little salt and cinnamon for depth and drank away to utter delight. Yum! The only problem now is how to keep this from becoming a nightly habit.

Tuesdays with Dorie: FRESH GINGER & CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD

Sherry Trifle picked this weeks TWD posting: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread. I love ginger and chocolate so this was an automatic hit. The recipe has a frosting but after tasting the first piece straight out of the oven I decided not to dress it up anymore. Instead, I ate it as a lovely, sweet-indulging breakfast 'bread' to really start the day off right. I love the chocolate chips in it - they're surprising little bites of chocolate nestled inside!

Tuesdays with Dorie: SAVORY CORN & PEPPER MUFFINS

These muffins came out quite spicey from the organic cayenne I mixed in. Yummy with a slathering of butter. Very moist in the middle. Pretty with the peeps of red pepper and yellow corn.

Tuesdays with Dorie: FRENCH PEAR TART

My French Pear Tart comes sans the crust. So really it's not a tart at all I suppose. But it's definitely yummy, rich, and buttery. I can't wait to heat some up and put it over (or under) a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.

ARK OF TASTE - SLOW FOOD USA

The other day I stumbled upon Slow Food USA's website and found the coolest thing - a list of endangered foods. Not just any endangered food, but that which is deemed tasty, tasty enough to keep around, at least by the determining that be powers at Slow Food. This Ark of Taste (http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/details/ark_of_taste/) is pretty neat and allows all sorts of levels of advocation and engagment. For example, moved by the fact that Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce is endanger of being forgotten...link to a store to buy seeds or a produce market that sells it. It makes it simple. Which is necessary for people like me.

The thing that really makes me keep clicking on the links are the names...Early Blood Turnip-Rooted Beet...Roy's Calais flint corn...Geoduck...Elephant Heart Plum...Pixie Tangerine of Ojai Valley...Gallberry Honey...True Red Cranberry Bean...ah, beautiful.

I would like to see them arranged by state or geographic area. It would make things easier to find. But still, it's an awesome, inspirational movement.