Valentine Day Countdown

Posted by Erin on February 9, 2013, 6:40 am
187.146.72.149

Chapter Sixteen - Festival of chocolates for your loved one For centuries, Mexico has been a prime producer of chocolate. The cacao bean, indigenous to Mexico, is produced by a tropical tree in 6 inch pods that hold about 30 beans each. Rich in history and flavor, the pulverized bean has nourished the imagination and body of man for a long time. This miracle bean' bigger than an almond, is believed to have originated in the Orinoco basin of South America about 4,000 years ago. During the Aztec civilization, the cultivated cacao beans, the largest most perfectly formed beans, were used as money. A hundred such beans would buy one slave. It was equally treasured because it was thought to contain the wisdom of the gods. Mashed with water in a volcanic stone mortar into a bitter spicy hallucinative potion, it was served to men of the priesthood and nobility only as "foods for the Gods". The Aztecs called this paste Xoco atli from the Nahuatl words Xocotl or bitter fruit and ail or water. The Spanish pronunciation resulted in chocolate. The addictive brew, with mind boggling properties like mushrooms, was served at royal and religious feasts with great ceremony to the rich and noble; as indulgence meant consumption of one's own capital wealth. The privileged wealthy drank from a painted cup on a base covered with jaguar skin and spoons of tortoise shell; all of which was carried in a special net bag as part of one's effects. The ritual beverage of Meso American royalty, a mug of cold frothy chocolate was a liquid so prestigious that at times it was served in golden goblets that were thrown away after each use. Montezuma III was extremely fond of the beverage and was known to drink at least 50 cups a day. It was a refined drink mixed with purple flowers and honey, almost pure foam with a consistency that dissolved slowly in the mouth. With the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores, the prosperous comfort loving Spanish missioners enriched the Aztec chocolate drink with the addition of cane sugar, egg yolk, almonds and cinnamon. The Spaniards then took the cacao beans and seeded 'money plantations' on Trinidad, Haiti and West Africa and introduced their favored chocolate drink to Carlos V (Charles V known as the World's great glutton). It generated great excitement in the European courts and was considered a love token for a King and Queen. By 1700, chocolate houses sprang up in London to compete with the coffee houses so popular with the gentry at that time and the English Quakers praised the drink as a healthful substitute for gin. Concurrently, doctors believed chocolate as a beverage was capable of maintaining all glands and humors in good health; claiming that all who drank it possessed a sweet breath. Others believed it calmed fevers, cured dyspepsia and prolonged life. In the early 18th Century, Linnseus, a Swedish botanist with a burst of lyricism, correctly labeled the cacao bean Theobroma, meaning food of the gods, in his botanical lexicon. A Dutch chemist, Van Houten, simplified chocolate drinking when he invented powdered cocoa by extracting the fatty butter from the bean in the early 19th Century. Later a Swiss candy maker collaborated with the chemist, Nestlé, and blended the cocoa butter with condensed milk and ground cacao beans into milk (eating) chocolate. Hershey, in the United States, used whole milk and mass produced eating chocolate at a price affordable to the general public. No longer was chocolate a confection for the rich only. In the 19th Century, many believed that chocolate held power to gladden mortal hearts and was touted as an aphrodisiac, resulting in its association with love and romance. Milk chocolate became the popular symbolic message of 'I love you', and the courting gentlemen of the day were expected to offer a box of chocolates along with a bouquet of flowers to his lady friend on a date or on the feast day for lovers, St. Valentine's Day. This day became synonymous with sweet brown chocolate delights. Note: St. Valentine's Day is an offshoot of the Roman festival of Lupercalia; the pagan festival to honor the Roman Goddess, Juno, the protector of women and marriage. It also was the time of year to recognize Pan, the pastoral God of Fertility and retell the many myths dealing with his amorous affairs. In 296 A.D., two Italian saints, both named St. Valentino, were beheaded by Roman soldiers and soon after the Christian world associated the pagan festive practices of the day of lovers with the good works of the martyred saints. For more than a century, whatever the historical roots, Valentine's Day has become a tradition among many folks, a special time for remembering loved ones with sweet gifts. Nothing says 'I love you' like chocolate! In recent years, the love affair with chocolate, promoted by the multi billion dollar chocolate industry and spread by the world press, has reached new heights and the virtues of the confection are being glorified by chocolate aficionados everywhere. It is hailed as a high energy food devoured by mountain climbers, astronauts and used as K rations in the armed forces. Others claim it has no salt or cholesterol and is acceptable in diets for high blood pressure. Many bear witness to the fact that it is not the cause of pimples. One group of researchers found that cocoa powder contains a substance that may actually inhibit dental cavities. Modern analysis reveals a chemical in chocolate similar to that produced naturally in the brain which increases when people fall in love. Daily, chocolatiers (producers of chocolate) offer new creations and old favorites in a highly competitive market. North Americans are expected to eat over 2 billion pounds of chocolate this year (about 10 pounds per person) and in Europe, more than 16 pounds per person will be consumed. It seems that the passion is contagious and is spreading throughout Mexico, although Mexicans have been toasting happiness, health and love with their national luxury drink of breakfast chocolate for centuries. In some outlying areas, intinerant women grinders still call periodically with their hand grinders to prepare a lasting supply of chocolate from the raw beans for each household. The roasted cacao beans are ground with an equal amount of sugar on a flat volcanic rock over a fire that renders the butter content of the beans. The paste is then mixed with almonds for flavor and hard boiled eggs for a rich foam. This mixture is also prepared commercially and sold in tablet form as Mexican chocolate as discussed in a previous chapter. You too may want to be in vogue and jump on the chocolate bandwagon. Make your own chocolates, something elegant and regal to offer your valentine on February 14th, boxed and wrapped for that someone special in your life. Hand blown glassware, bowls, goblets and jars from Tlaquepaque crafts center, outside of Guadalajara, make excellent decorative containers for culinary gifts. However, you need not confine chocolate gifts to Valentine's Day only. To honor no particular occasion, you can give your favorite chocolate lover an immoderate quantity of Bumptious homemade chocolate squares, sweetheart cookies, chocolate banana bread, chocolate meringue kisses and/or a special straw¬berry liqueur called 'For my Love', with a recipe for a love potion of strawberry daiquiri. A gift from your kitchen is always a welcome and appropriate gesture of friendship and love. It is a personal expression of your creative skill, imagination and feelings of caring. Making such gifts is fun, for sharing what you make with your own two hands with your friends enhances the pleasures of giving. Next time your friends return for their winter visit to La Manzanilla or have a birthday or anniversary or just invite you to dinner, think of a chocolate greeting you can make for them. Or why not just invite them in for an informal koffee klatch, which in Mexico is really a late afternoon chocolate break, known as the 6 o'clock merienda. It is similar to the English high tea, where hot chocolate, rompope or Mexican eggnog, sweet tamales, jams and cookies are served. If your strategy for capturing your valentinets heart includes appealing to a big appetite, try impressing him or her with some chocolate tamales or banana tacos smothered in chocolate syrup, the popular Mexican dessert antojitos or whims with an accent of chocolate. Start the valentine merienda with a Kiss of Kahlua cocktail and no one will object to a chocolate tortilla torte as the finishing touch to chocolate snack time. Or better still, plan a chocolate dessert buffet for St. Valentine's Day, El Dia de Los Novios or Day of Lovers. Note: It is also friendship day or El Dia de la Amistad, the day the Mexican Republic was recognized by the United States and England as an independent nation, which obviously also calls for a bit of celebration. Invite all your loving neighbors and friends in Puerto Vallarta to a friendship party, to an irresistable array of chocolate sweets. Your invitations should include a health warning in red ink and outlined with a big red heart: "Chocolates are habit forming may be addictive." It does contain a stimulant caffeine. Decorate the house with large cardboard hearts outlined with lace paper doilies and fresh red and pink flowers. Set a moonlit mood on the patio under balmy starlit skies with plenty of thin red candles for lighting. A pale pink organdy tablecloth on the buffet with a centerpiece of red roses or red geraniums and bowls of old fashioned heart shaped candies scattered about will accent the display of chocolate desserts. As is the custom in Mexico, a spray of sweet smelling jasmine is given to each guest on arrival, who then places it behind the right ear to indicate one has a lover or behind the left ear to announce that one is on the prowl. Pipe in soft romantic music by Mexico's balladeers Julio Iglesia and Camilo Sexto or invite a trio of roving street singers with guitars to serenade your guests. The tradition of traveling minstrels pouring out ballads with messages of love is still an integral part of the romantic side of the Mexican culture. In La Manzanilla, it is not unusual to be awakened to the gentle strumming of guitar strings at 4 o'clock in the morning; to hear a serenata by an enamored male declaring his emotions in songs to his sweetheart for her birthday or wedding anniversary. Serenatas are not for lovers only. On Mother's Day, children honor their mothers with verbal bouquets of flowers in the form of an early morning serenade. Birthdays are also a good excuse for a traditional serenade or serenata commercial; a commercial singing telegram delivered by a ten man mariachi group with blaring trumpets belting out "Las Mananitas" the traditional birthday song at 5 A.M. Romance and serenades are definitely still alive in La Manzanilla and St. Valentinets Day is certainly the time for romance and serenades and a trio of romantic balladeers is a most on the menu for this day. The menu for the chocolate dessert party may include all of the mentioned recipes and a few additional delights. Add a cocoa mint punch for openers with a medley of fresh fruit, nuts and cubes of cake to be swirled by each guest in a choice of 2 different flavored dips a bowl of chocolate fondue or a strawberry tequila dip. The tradition is that should you accidently drop your piece of fruit, nut or cake in transit from the dipping sauce to your mouth, you must kiss your neighbor. O O Oops! I won't tell. You didn't drop it on purpose. Or did you? All of those pleasing recipes may be prepared at one's leisure and made well in advance for gift giving, koffee klatching, singing at a dessert party or just for pigging out at snack time. No matter how much your guests protest that they are dieting, they will love the idea of letting themselves loose at a buffet filled with homemade desserts chocked full of chocolate. Note: Many obesity specialists believe that including a few pleasurable foods like chocolate in the diet actually aids weight loss. I do however, warn readers that the recipes in this chapter may turn you into a chocoholic; and chocolate buffs be forewarned, an overdose may be fatal to a weight reducing diet regime. CHOCOLATE SQUARES (Cuadradito de Chocolate) Squares of creamy fudgelike chocolate, individually wrapped in aluminum foil, are special,easy to make luscious confections for St. Valentinets Day. Arranged in a pretty Mexican glass bowl, they carry a sweet chocolate message to a loved one. Appreciation for these squares has never faltered and they are consumed with as much delight on other occasions. 1 c. pure cocoa powder 3 1/4 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. butter 1 tsp. flour 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar 4 egg yolks 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 egg whites 1 c. (1/2 pt.) sour cream 1 c. chopped walnuts Mix pure cocoa powder with sugar. Melt butter. Dissolve sugar mixture in melted butter. Blend in flour and cream of tartar with hot butter mixture. Remove from heat. Beat in egg yolks with a rotary beater or whisk and stir in vanilla extract. Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture. Remove 1 cup of chocolate mixture and blend with sour cream. Pour remaining mixture into a lightly greased 8 x 8 inch baking pan lined with waxed paper. Top with sour cream mixture and sprinkle coarsely chopped walnuts over all. Bake in oven at 175° C for 25 minutes. Cool completely. Cover and chill overnight in refrigerator. Cut into 1 inch squares. Wrap individually in tin foil and freeze until ready to serve. SWEET HEART COOKIES (Galletas de Novios) This old fashioned elegant crunchy cookie is generously laden with fruits and nuts. Cut into a heart shape, it makes a delightful hostess gift especially on Friendship Day. l/2 c. candied pineapple 1 1/2 c. whole almonds or acitron or biznaga 3/4 c. honey 1/2 c. candied orange peel or 1 1/4 c. grated piloncillo biznaga candied cactus 3 Tbsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. brandy 4 c. all purpose flour 2 Tbsp. grated orange peel 1 tsp. baking soda 1/8 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon candied red cherries 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/3 c. water 2 c. powdered sugar With a sharp knife, finely chop candied orange peel and candied pineapple. Grind almonds to make 2 cups ground. Melt honey with grated piloncillo just to boiling, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Add grated orange peel, lime juice and mix well. Remove from heat and cool. Add candied peel and fruit, ground almonds,and brandy. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Sift flour with salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour fruit honey mixture in and mix with hands. Knead in the bowl into a stiff dough. Divide into 4 parts. Place each between two sheets of waxed paper. Roll into 4 rectangles 9 x 8 inches while still between waxed paper. Stack on cookie sheet to refrigerate for 1 hour. Peel off top layer of waxed paper from 1 chilled rectangle of dough. Cut 9 heart shapes with cookie cutter. With the aid of the underlying sheet of waxed paper, flip dough over onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Peel off waxed paper. Remove trimmings to be rerolled for more cookies. Bake in oven at 180° C for 10 minutes or just until golden. Remove to wire rack. Brush icing of powdered sugar dissolved in cold water over warm cookies. Center a red candied cherry on top of each cookie. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Store cookies with a piece of apple to make them moister. Replace apple occasionally. MERINGUE KISSES (Besitos de Merengue) Meringue kisses, also known as a mouthful for a queen, spiced with Mexican chocolate will disappear quickly, but with lasting effects and pleasant memories. This recipe makes 48 kisses, just enough for you and your loved one to share. 1 circle Mexican chocolate 4 egg whites 1/8 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 2 c. sugar 1 tsp. almond extract Preheat oven to 150° C. This is an important step for the success of meringue. Grate circular tablet of Mexican chocolate. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar to whites and continue beating until stiff and glossy. Gently fold in grated chocolate. Don't belabor the process and lose the air bubbles. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls on baking sheets covered with heavy duty waxed paper. While dropping batter off spoon, swirl tops to a point to look like a candy chocolate kiss. Place in oven and immediately turn off heat. Leave in oven for 3 hours without opening the door or until kisses are dry. Remove pans and loosen kisses gently with a metal spatula. Store in airtight containers. CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD (Pan de Platano Y Chocolate) Chocolate banana bread frosted with a Kahlua glaze is a moist rich bread, a natural for breakfast coffee, luncheon salads and snack time. Wrapped in Saran Wrap and tied with a red ribbon bow, it can be your valentine message to your thoughtful neighbor who locks after the birds and dogs when you're away. 2 Tbsp. lime juice 1 c. evaporated milk 3/4 c. margarine 1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (about 4) 1 1/2 c. grated piloncillo sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. all purpose flour 1 c. masa harina corn flour, not meal 2 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 c. pure cocoa powder 1 recipe Kahlua glaze (follows) 3/4 c. chopped nuts Add lime juice to undiluted evaporated milk. Let stand for milk to curdle or clobber. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer. Beat in mashed bananas, egg and vanilla into creamed butter mix. Sift together all purpose flour, masa harina, pure cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture, alternating with curdled evaporated milk. Mix thoroughly after each addition. Fold in chopped nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Let stand in pan for 20 minutes before baking. Cover with a loose piece of aluminum foil. Bake in oven at 175° C for 1 1/2 hours until batter shrinks away from pan edges. Remove foil at end of first 20 minutes of baking. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert on wire rack and carefully remove wax paper. Cool completely. Frost with warm Kahlua glaze allowing it to drip down the sides of the bread. Cool and slice. There is many more interesting offerings in my on line cook book, and of course, should you like what is being presented, please remember the AMBULANCE FUND at Palapa Joe's http://erininlamanz.shawwebspace.ca/pages/view/introduction_to_cooking_in_mexic/

134

Be sure to visit www.lamanzanilla.info