Wednesday, February 6, 1991 - North Shore News - 55

FOOD

Cocoa a
Valentine's
staple

AS CUPID loads his bow
in honor of Valentine’s
Day, he will surely dip the
tips of his arrows in
cocoa, because research
has shown that cocoa con-
tains the same chemical
that stimulates your brain
when you’re in love.

Researchers at Fry’s Cocoa
have also discovered the follow-
ing items of chocolate trivia to
provide interesting Valentine’s
Day conversation:

* Cocoa beans were so valuable
to the Aztecs that they usea
them as currency;

® The Aztecs used cocoa beans
to make a drink called
‘*chocolatl’’, so precious that it
was served by Emperor
Montezuma in golden goblets
that were thrown away after use;
© During the 17th century, many
Europeans believed that choco-
late calmed fevers, cured chronic
dyspepsia and prolonged life;

© Canada ranks seventh in the
world for per capita consump-
tion of chocolate, averaging over
eight pounds per person annual-
Ii

® The cocoa tree’s botanical
name, ‘‘theobroma,"’ is from a
Greek word meaning ‘‘food of
the gods”’; |

« Canadians spend nearly $25
million a year on chocolate bak-
ing ingredients;

® A recent U.S. Gallup poll
found that women eat 28 per
cent more chocolate than men;

© Emperor Montezuma drank 50
cups of chocolate and served
2,000 more to members of his
royal household every day;

© Although Spanish explorer

For the I

ve of chocolate

NEWS phote Terry Peters

VALENTINE’S DAY is a good excuse to get the gang together for a cookie-making spree. All
sorts of treats, especially chocolate, are notoriously popular on Feb. 14.

Hernando Cortez brought the
first chocolate to Europe from
North America in 1538, until
1847 it was consumed only as a
drink. It took more than 300
years to develop manufacturing
processes that could convert
cocoé powder into solid choco-
late bars for eating;

¢ According to Dr. Ruth
Westheimer ‘*...the taste of
chocolate is a sensual pleasure in
itself, existing in the same world
as sex...] can enjoy the wicked
pleasure of chocolate...entirely
by myself. Furtiveness makes it
better’:

© When Cortez first. sduced
cocoa to Spain, the syaniards
added chilies and other hot
spices to what was then served as
a bitter brew;

¢ For almost a century after
cocoa was introduced to Spain,
the country’s aristocracy re-
mained the sole European cocoa
consumers, keeping the exclusive
potion for the chocolate drink a
secret;

© Cocoa beans were so impor-
tant to the Aztecs and Mayans
that they were offered to deities
at many rituals, including in-
fant-naming ceremonies, the

puberty rites of young children,
when a marriage was arranged
or a funeral took place. Choco-
late was served to valiant

fighters but withheld from the
cowardly;

® Chocolate became so popular
in 16th century Spain that it
came under papal scrutiny and
many learned treatises were writ-
ten to determine whether it was
permissible to drink it on the
church's feast days;
* In arecent survey of 1,060
Americans’ flavor preferences,
chocolate surpassed al! other
flavors by a three to one ratic.

Brownies
* with a
romantic twist

CUT OUT heart shapes to make

these special brownie valentines.
Valentine Heart Cutouts

1% cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

'2 tsp salt

I cup butter or margarine

lcup cocoa

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1¥2 tsp vanilla

Fudgey Cocoa Frosting

Decorator Frosting

Mix together flour, baking
powder and salt. Melt butter in a
large saucepan. Remove from
heat. Stir in cocoa. Blend in
sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in
dry ingredients.

Pour batter into greased 15 x
10 x %-inch jellyroll pan. Bake
in preheated 350°F (180°C) oven
20 to 25 minutes. Cool.

Frost with Fudgey Cocoa
Frosting (recipe below). Using a
heart-shaped cookie cutter or
paper pattern make heart
outlines on the frosted brownie
layer. Carefully cut around
outline with a sharp pointed
knife.

Fudgey Cocoa Frosting: Melt
3 tbsp butter or margarine in
saucepan. Remove from heat.
Stir in % cup cocoa and |4 tsp
vanilla.

Alternately blend in 2 cups
sifted icing sugar and “% cup
milk until frosting is smooth and
of spreading consistency.

Decorator Frosting: Beat
together 2 tbsp softened butter,
cup icing sugar and “% tsp
vanilla until smooth. Beat in red
food coloring until frosting is of
spreading consistency and a pale
pink color.

Place frosting in a small
pastry bag fitted with a fine
nozzle and decorate hearts as
desired.

Of war, stray cats and Denver Sandwiches

I'M NOT a political mnie and don’t want the job

(even if offered, which hasn’t happened). But,

I can see

why so many people are drawn to the field. It’s the mail

you get.

Since [| got mad at old men
signing kids up to ‘‘fight wars that
make women weep”? f got quite a
surprise ~— [| got six letters that
didn’t have anything to do with
either food or travel.

Five were written by women —
all completely in favor of my
remarks. The man who wrote in-
dicated that | was about to ruin
the neighborhood. I quote: “‘...it
is a disgrace publicly to give your
sons-in-law advice to be derelict in
their duty and only wet wimps
would accept such advice.’ (i'd
rather see draft-dodgers than can-
non fodder.)

One lady wrote:
your remark about
Hussein | cheered!”*

Another lady, *tnow in her 80s"*
mailed me an article she had writ-
ten 25 years ago and I'l! quote
one line: ‘‘Why must we (women)
tolerate any Jonger the right of
warmongers to determine how and
when our children should die?”

One lady really got her views
across — she phoned the News
with a message that she was so
delighted with my opinions that
she was carrying my column in
her purse and showing it to

“When I saw
Bush and

everyone she talked to.

So, for my last political sally,
Pll throw out one more idea. Why
is it that men seem to go to war
for things that are not theirs to
begin with, mainly someone else's
land? As a woman, I'd fight and
shoot to kill anyone who threat-
ened my children.

Only then.

On a lighter note, to the lady in
Lighthouse Park whc thinks we
might have temporarily adopted
her pet stray cat (Ginger).

No, I discussed the matter with
our Ginger and he assured me that
the trip from Mouat Seymour to
Lighthouse Park was probably
made by his brother, ‘Rusty’.

I have to believe Ginger on all
counts because he spends cvery
minute with me. And, he has quit
messing up my carpets. He's also
a picky eater; uever yodeis at 2
a.m,

Rusty, however, might become
as big a couch potato as Ginger.
given the same anatomical ad-
justment. Ginger tells me it’s a

small price to pay for a clean bed

and besides, the only good look-
ing girls in the neighborhood are
spayed.

Eggs may have earned a black
mark with the  anti-cholesrcrol
crowd but anyone trying to
balance a budget these days had
better look at them again. A
dozen eggs cau feed a family for
less than $1.50. You can’t even
buy soup bones for that.

Denver Sandwiches

I allow three of these for guys
with big appetites. My daughters
can handle two each while one is
just fine fer me. For each sand-
wich:

2 stices toast, hulfered

} teaspoon butter

1 t2blespoon finely diced ham

2 teaspoons finely diced onion

2 teaspoons finely diced dill pickle
(this is the secret ingredient, a tip
given to me by a cook in a greasy
spoon restaurant)

lege

Melt the teaspoon of butter in a
small frying pan and add the ham
and onion. When the onion is
transparent toss in the dill pickle
and pour on the beaten egg. As
the egy cooks push the edges in so
that it will fit the slice of bread.

When no Jonger runny, flip and
grill the other side for a couple of
seconds. Naturally, when you're

making these for a family you do

Barbara
McCreadie

BUDGET BEATERS

two or three at a time. When you
beat up the eggs, use a “% cup
measure to give the right amount
for each sandwich.

Note: The same proportion of
ingredients, using two or three
eggs makes the traditional Denver

omeletie. If you’re from Denver
you won't top it with grated
cheddar. (I do.)

Scotch Epps

Traditionally, these are fried in
deep fat. Forget it! Cooking oil is
too expensive to ruin and once
vou've fried sausage meat in it it’s
no good for other food.
6 hard cooked eggs
flour

1 Ib. bulk sausage meat
I egg, well beater with:
1 tablespoon water

fine dry breadcrumbs
sait and pepper

Shell the eggs and dust with
flour. Divide the sausage meai in-
tc six equal portions. Flatten meat
and wrap cach egg, covering
compleiely. Chill. Dip each egg in
beaten egg and roll in bread-
crumbs. Set eggs in a frying pan
that can go into the oven. Bake at
350°, 30 minutes.

Every few minutes, give the
eggs a toss (that’s where the han-
dle of the frying pan comes in).
This keeps them egg-shaped. Serve
with a tomato coctail sauce or
bottled chili sauce. For appetizers,
cut in quarters.

Three halves make a reasonable
meal serving with salad, crusty
bread, pickles and a strong white
cheese.

see

Broccoli and Crabmeat Quiche
f use frozen pie shells for this.
They are shallower than a normal
pieplate and will serve two very

hungry peopie, four ladies for
lunch.
Pre-bake one frozen shell for

five minutes at 400°. Lowe: oven
heart to 375°.
1 cup small broccoli flowerettes
CA" size)

See Purchase page 36