Hot Chocolate

Liquid Indulgence World bite into a piece of chocolate, and your palate, we will send you on a culinary history, which until mid-1800 's. However, SIP and a cup of chocolate drink you are back in time at least 4000 years. Although chocolate beverage taste and appearance changed after eons It 's sometimes difficult to believe that a species, we ' I drank chocolate much, much more than we \ 'is already melting in our mouths.

I 'm subscribing Merriam ' s Dictionary of Word (www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl) and low and behold, today 's words imbibution, which means that the act of drinking or while in a liquid or knowledge. Sounds like my kind of word. Of course, my mind starts to wander memories from my experience over the years, drinking chocolate, it is!

Growing up in San Francisco 's North Beach, I am no stranger to the delicious Ghirardelli hot chocolate from cocoa by the orange tin. But as a new National Park Service of the season in Yosemite Valley in the mid-80's, I went to the staff Potluck and discovered my first drink of chocolate.

Our staff met at the home of our director, Jeff men, not far from the visitor center on the valley floor. At the end of the evening, we gravitated to the kitchen and found crowded around the stove. We are all just a pot of hot milk, like how children experience an ancient ritual, such as Jeff slowly and patiently molten chocolate notes in his dreamy, liquid state. It was wonderful finale to a meal together.

Although the resulting drink was one of the great Hershey milk chocolate bars, everything I know is that I have something special on this evening. I have never had a cup of hot chocolate, by hand from scratch. That night in Yosemite Valley, I think you can say that I \ 'chocolate brain warp \ "at 3000 meters above sea level.

Jeff was like before his time. Not only was it confirmed Foodies before the term was coined, it was something like what the Europeans have been enjoying years. We \ 're just playing catch on this side of the Atlantic.

Make it your way: with cocoa or solid chocolate, ala natural or with some creative augmentations, with milk, water or milk alternative. Try a Hershey bar for a sensory trip down memory lane or experiment with some new, higher cocoa-content artisan chocolates.

Personally, I like both hot cocoa and drinking chocolate, depending on my mood. However, there is something almost meditative and nurturing about slowing down and taking the time to make a cup of drinking chocolate by hand. We can all use a good excuse to decelerate from the speed of life these days.

You can find some good recipes to get you started at www.scharffenberger.com Click on the "recipes" and then "drinks" links. For flavor suggestions check out: davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2105 Lactose intolerant? You might want to take a look at: nytimes.com/2009/02/11/dining/11appe.html

Whether we call it a beverage, drink or imbibution- hot chocolate is definitely a special indulgence for the brain, body, and soul!

Cheers!