Re: Instant Cocoa
Deborah Harrell wrote: Sonja van Baardwijk-Holten wrote: Deborah Harrell wrote: But to use pure cream...now *that's* decadent. It's not decadent. It is just a very nice way to totally spoil yourself rotten after a miserable day. The only problem with this kind of very good cocoa is that a piece of chocolate always tastes bleak in comparison. I haven't given up trying the combination though. I start with the chocolate and drink the cocoa for desert Sonja :o) GCU: Total overdose OK, for _me_ it would be decadent...for you mothers/caretakers, with your 24/7 responsibilities, a 'wee drop o' sumthin' sumptuous' is likely well-deserved... Debbi who can just chase the cats out of the house and the horses out of the stable if they get too demanding :) Sounds like heaven but chasing my critter out of the house for much needed peace and quiet is not yet an option although it remains very tempting at times. Tom now fully reached the interested in everything stage. Cleaning out cupboards, checking containers (regardless of the degree of yuckiness) and rearranging furniture currently are some of his more infuriating hobbies. Sonja ;o) GCU: Currently it's too hot for the full hot chocolate treatment ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
> Sonja van Baardwijk-Holten wrote: > >Deborah Harrell wrote: > >But to use pure cream...now *that's* decadent. > It's not decadent. It is just a very nice way to > totally spoil yourself > rotten after a miserable day. The only problem with > this kind of very > good cocoa is that a piece of chocolate always > tastes bleak in > comparison. I haven't given up trying the > combination though. I start > with the chocolate and drink the cocoa for > desert > > Sonja :o) > GCU: Total overdose OK, for _me_ it would be decadent...for you mothers/caretakers, with your 24/7 responsibilities, a 'wee drop o' sumthin' sumptuous' is likely well-deserved... Debbi who can just chase the cats out of the house and the horses out of the stable if they get too demanding :) __ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
Deborah Harrell wrote: But to use pure cream...now *that's* decadent. It's not decadent. It is just a very nice way to totally spoil yourself rotten after a miserable day. The only problem with this kind of very good cocoa is that a piece of chocolate always tastes bleak in comparison. I haven't given up trying the combination though. I start with the chocolate and drink the cocoa for desert Sonja :o) GCU: Total overdose ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [Listref] Instant Cocoa
> Erik Reuter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Deborah Harrell wrote: > > Hmm, I confess that I didn't keep looking for > > information on instant cocoa after the last list > > discussion, but came across this today: > > > > http://my.webmd.com/content/article/87/99509.htm > > "...And none of the instant cocoa mixes in the > local > > grocery store contain the flavonoids that improve > > blood vessel function..." > Hearsay. They give no references. The instant cocoa > mixes I've seen > usually contain "cocoa processed with alkali". The > Hershey's baking > cocoa tins say they contain "cocoa". If the instant > mixes lack flavonoids...Why would that be? The "dutch > processed" cocoa > (i.e., cocoa treated with an alkalizing agent such > as baking soda) > supposedly tastes less bitter than untreated cocoa. > Maybe there is a > difference, maybe the dutch processing that reduces > the bitterness > removes some flavonoids (damn Dutch!)? It would be > nice if the article > gave references instead of hearsay. Alkalizing cocoa does degrade at least some of the beneficial compounds: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11879061 "Cocoa flavanols and procyanidins possess wide-ranging biological activities...When incubated in simulated intestinal juice or at alkaline pH, all four compounds degraded almost completely within several hours. These results suggest that the amount, and type, of flavanols and procyanidins in the gastrointestinal tract following the consumption of cocoa can be influenced by the stability of these compounds in both acidic and alkaline environments." Acidic conditions can have a variable effect: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12537465 "...[flavanols and procyanidins] are relatively stable at pH 5.0. The present study investigated the effects of ascorbic and citric acid on the stability of monomers and dimers in simulated intestinal juice (pH 8.5) and in sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The addition of ascorbic acid to the incubation mixture significantly increased the stability of the monomers and dimers, whereas the addition of citric acid provided no protective effects...The present results, although not directly transferable to in vivo conditions, suggest that ascorbic acid may stabilize cocoa flavanols and procyanidins in the intestine where the pH is neutral, or alkaline, before absorption." [Note that both are in vitro, not in vivo studies.] So your own mix with non-dutched cocoa is likely to have more flavanoids. Debbi Does The Good Cocoa Offset The Cream And Rum? Maru ;) __ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
On Jun 4, 2004, at 1:29 PM, Deborah Harrell wrote: Richard Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Debbi said: (You can also use the dark chocolate squares for baking, but that makes more than one cup and you have to heat the milk _before_ adding it, or else you get teeny chocolate pieces swimming in the milk.) I used to make hot chocolate with real chocolate and cream, topped with whipped cream and with a dash of rum. It's not safe to drink more than about one of them a month! Rich, who was once ordered by a girl to become his beverage slave after one taste of this drink. "Let me become your personal beverage slave..." *That's* a line I've never heard before. :) I think she said something more like "Be my beverage slave." Dave I'll never be Your Beast of Beverage Maru ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
Debbi said: >> Rich, who was once ordered by a girl to become his >> beverage slave after one taste of this drink. > > > "Let me become your personal beverage slave..." > *That's* a line I've never heard before. :) Hey, I never suggested it! It was all her idea! I'm pretty sure that she also ordered me to move to Canada with her to continue my duties too (she was due to move away, alas, and won't be back for years). But they were especially decadent; indeed too decadent for my liking in the end. Rich, who coincidentally is talking to said girl by IRC concurrently with typing this. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [Listref] Instant Cocoa
On Fri, Jun 04, 2004 at 12:58:07PM -0700, Deborah Harrell wrote: > Hmm, I confess that I didn't keep looking for > information on instant cocoa after the last list > discussion, but came across this today: > > http://my.webmd.com/content/article/87/99509.htm > "...And none of the instant cocoa mixes in the local > grocery store contain the flavonoids that improve > blood vessel function..." > [The article is about the documented short-term > benefits of dark chocolate.] > > FWIW, if you have a microwave oven, you can make real > cocoa (from the powdered cocoa for baking) fairly Hearsay. They give no references. The instant cocoa mixes I've seen usually contain "cocoa processed with alkali". The Hershey's baking cocoa tins say they contain "cocoa". If the instant mixes lack flavonoids, then what makes you think the Hershey's cocoa has them? Must they specify if the cocoa was processed on the ingredients list? Of course, without a reference or specifics about the instants not having it, I am skeptical. Why would that be? The "dutch processed" cocoa (i.e., cocoa treated with an alkalizing agent such as baking soda) supposedly tastes less bitter than untreated cocoa. Maybe there is a difference, maybe the dutch processing that reduces the bitterness removes some flavonoids (damn Dutch!)? It would be nice if the article gave references instead of hearsay. I make my own "instant mix" out of Hershey's cocoa powder, Splenda granular (sucralose + maltodextrin), and dry milk. Tastes good, not as rich as with whole milk and sugar, but much more healthy. Especially if the Herhey's cocoa contains the flavonoids (I hope). -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
> Richard Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Debbi said: > > (You can also use the dark chocolate squares for > > baking, but that makes more than one cup and you > have > > to heat the milk _before_ adding it, or else you > > get teeny chocolate pieces swimming in the milk.) > I used to make hot chocolate with real chocolate and > cream, topped with > whipped cream and with a dash of rum. It's not safe > to drink more than about one of them a month! > > Rich, who was once ordered by a girl to become his > beverage slave after one taste of this drink. "Let me become your personal beverage slave..." *That's* a line I've never heard before. :) If I'm being particularly indulgent, I use whole milk and add a bit of either heavy or whipped cream at the end; I've never tried rum, but like a dash of Kahlua or Frangelica (peppermint schnapps is only good when you're camping and need something to improve that instant cocoa around the campfire, IMHO). But to use pure cream...now *that's* decadent. Debbi Vote For The Best Pick-up Line Maru ;D __ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Instant Cocoa
Debbi said: > (You can also use the dark chocolate squares for > baking, but that makes more than one cup and you have > to heat the milk _before_ adding it, or else you get > teeny chocolate pieces swimming in the milk.) I used to make hot chocolate with real chocolate and cream, topped with whipped cream and with a dash of rum. It's not safe to drink more than about one of them a month! Rich, who was once ordered by a girl to become his beverage slave after one taste of this drink. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
[Listref] Instant Cocoa
Hmm, I confess that I didn't keep looking for information on instant cocoa after the last list discussion, but came across this today: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/87/99509.htm "...And none of the instant cocoa mixes in the local grocery store contain the flavonoids that improve blood vessel function..." [The article is about the documented short-term benefits of dark chocolate.] FWIW, if you have a microwave oven, you can make real cocoa (from the powdered cocoa for baking) fairly quickly: ~ 1 tsp cocoa in ~ 1 1/2 Tbsp water with a dash of salt; microwave for ~ 30 sec, swirl/stir and add sugar to taste (I use ~2 Tbsp); microwave again, let stand ~ 45 sec, then add ~ 3/4 cup milk, stir and microwave for ~ 1&1/2 min. I like to add a dash of vanilla extract before I drink it. Vary the amounts to suit your tastes (I just eyeball the amounts, not using actual measuring spoons) - I like my cocoa strong and sweet! (You can also use the dark chocolate squares for baking, but that makes more than one cup and you have to heat the milk _before_ adding it, or else you get teeny chocolate pieces swimming in the milk.) Debbi Good for The Heart, Good For The Mood Maru :) __ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger. http://messenger.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
