Today is our first really chilly day: Time to think of hot chocolate! Pick up a few pointers from Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres, on how to make a perfect cup.
Torres uses his own brand of hot chocolate mix made from ground chocolate, not cocoa powder (ground chocolate mix is also known as drinking chocolate). But you can use any mix and still benefit from Jacques’ double boiled technique.
Check out THE NIBBLE’s 25 tips and tricks for glamorizing hot chocolate.
What’s the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate? Find out!.
We’ve tried more than 65 brands of hot chocolate. If you want the best, read the reviews.
Our favorite hot chocolate: Aztec-style, flavored with allspice, cinnamon and ground chiles.
The Jack o’ Lantern evolved from a turnip. Photo by Rawkus | SXC.
Halloween Trivia To Share
Bring these fun trivia facts to work, to school, to a Halloween party:
Halloween has its origins in the festival of Samhain (sah-WEEN), celebrated by ancient Celts at the end of the harvest.
The Celts believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc.
To avoid the spirits and ghosts that roamed the countryside, they began to wear masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.
Samhain marked the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half.” The Halloween colors of orange and black represent the lighter side (fall harvest) and the darker side.
Jack o’ Lanterns were not originally pumpkins. To keep away spirits and ghosts on Samhain, people placed candles in their windows, using hollowed-out turnips and other vegetables as the holder.
Around 600 C.E., Christian missionaries replaced the pagan festival of Samhain with All Saints Day, also called All Hallows Even (even means evening).
The name Halloween is first found in 16th-century Scotland, evolving from All Hallows Eve.
Afraid of Halloween? That’s called Samhainophobia.
A bowl of mascarpone dip. Photo courtesy
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
Mascarpone, the thick and delicious “Italian cream cheese,” is the key ingredient in tiramisu and a favorite for topping berries. In fact, it’s thanks to tiramisu, which has become a favorite dessert in the U.S., that most of us know what mascarpone is.
The fresh cheese is used in savory recipes too, of course. We like it as a quick and easy cocktail spread.
Blend mascarpone with your favorite flavors—Dijon mustard, mashed anchovies, capers and fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme), curry, salsa—there are vast opportunities. You can even divide the tub of plain mascarpone and make two different flavors.
Serve the spread in ramekins with fancy crackers or with thin-sliced toasted baguette. Delicioso!
By the way, a surprising number of people mispronounce and misspell the name of the cheese. It’s MAH-scar-POE-nay, not MAR-scah-POE-nay; mascarpone not marscapone.
Pizza for Halloween? Sure, when it’s pumpkin pizza!
Theo Kalogeracos is an Australian pizzeria owner based outside of Perth. He was named 2010 World Champion Pizza Maker at the Las Vegas Pizza Show.
Celebrate all through pumpkin season with his new pumpkin pizza recipe. Serve it with pumpkin ale, one of our seasonal favorites.
RECIPE #1: SMASHING PUMPKIN PIZZA WITH GOAT CHEESE & CASHEWS
Ingredients
¾ cup basic pizza dough, ball rolled and ready
¼ cup mozzarella, grated
2 tablespoons roasted unsalted cashews, crushed
1¼ cups roasted pumpkin, cubed and marinated in one teaspoon of basil pesto
1½ tablespoons white cream sauce (recipe below)
2½ tablespoons fresh goat cheese
4 tablespoons good Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon fresh parsley for garnish, chopped
2 teaspoons cashews for garnish, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons extra Parmesan for garnish, grated
Pumpkin pizza. Photo courtesy Ballantine Books.
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 500°F for 15 minutes.
2. SPREAD THE mozzarella evenly over the base. Add the crushed cashews and cubes of pumpkin. Drizzle with white cream sauce (recipe below).
3. SCATTER the crumbled goat cheese and grated parmesan evenly over the surface. Bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes at 500°F. Remove from the oven and cut into slices.
4. GARNISH with fresh parsley, extra cashews and Parmesan cheese before serving.
RECIPE #2: WHITE CREAM SAUCE
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unsifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cup milk
Preparation
1. HEAT the butter in a heavy saucepan until melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. ADD the milk slowly, stirring. Return to medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute.
Use any extra sauce in soups, on chicken, fish, grains or vegetables.
