This week we are happy to host Julie Lynn Hayes and her delicious new book, The Belgian Chocolate Remedy, published by MuseItUp Publishing.
Here's what Julie has to say about a most tantalizing topic........
What's one word that;s sure to grab people's attention, make
them perk up, and put a smile on their faces?
No, I don't mean sex.
Chocolate!
Who doesn't like… no,
I mean LOVE chocolate? I can count on the fingers of one hand the people I know
that don't like this delicious treat, and have fingers left over! So, it's
pretty universal, this love of chocolate. And it isn’t a recent phenomenon. No
indeed, it's been around for a long long time!
Chocolate has been around the Americas for a good three
thousand years. It was fermented and used in beverages to take away the
bitterness of the cocoa bean. The Aztecs
called it xocolātl, from a Nahuatl word that meant 'bitter water.' They also ate chocolate and used it in
religious ceremonies. Wow, what a great
incentive to go to those, right?
It's only
appropriate to discuss chocolate during any holiday season because it makes
such a great gift—not just for the people on your gift lists, but for yourself
as a treat for running yourself ragged with holiday rituals—cleaning and
cooking and shopping and wrapping and decorating, the whole nine yards! [And, yes, we do the same for any holiday, including Valentine's Day coming up---though we all want to be pampered---jf]
There are
different types of chocolate, and each is determined by the amounts of cocoa
powder, chocolate liquor and sugar involved.
·
Cocoa powder is for baking, and doesn't
taste good on its own. Unsweetened chocolate is also called baking chocolate or
bitter chocolate. It is pure chocolate
liquor, made up solely of ground cocoa beans. It;s not meant to be eaten solo,
but forms the base of the other chocolates, except for white chocolate.
·
Dark chocolate has chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter,
vanilla and lecithin, with a cocoa content ranging from 30% to 70-80%. This
category also includes bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.
·
Bittersweet chocolate has at least 35%
cocoa solids; most contain at least 50% chocolate liquors, some as high as
70-80%. Since there is no regulation on the amount of sugar, the taste can vary
from manufacturer to manufacturer.
·
Semi-sweet chocolate contains at least 35%
cocoa solids and is primarily an American term, popularized by Nestle and their
Toll House morsels. Usually, it's darker than sweet dark chocolate, but sweeter
than bittersweet.
·
Sweet dark chocolate has a high percentage
of sugar and is sweeter than other dark chocolates, and might have only 20-40%
cocoa solids.
·
Milk chocolate, besides containing cocoa
butter and chocolate liquor, must contain condensed milk or dry milk solids.
While it's easier to overheat, it's a very popular type of chocolate and has a
rich creamy taste and texture.
·
White chocolate has cocoa butter but no
chocolate liquor or other cocoa products.
Not surprisingly, it has no actual chocolate taste, and may taste like
vanilla. It must contain at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and no
more than 55% sugar. If you see white chocolate that contains vegetable fats
instead of cocoa butter, this isn't really white chocolate and won't taste the
same.
[ [All of this talk about chocolate, as tempting as it may be, isn't all that Julie Lynn Hayes connects with this delicious confection. She has another delicious chocolate offering....jf]
I have a new release with MuseItUp Publishing, my first
with them. It's just out today, actually, and I'm excited to tell you about it.
It's called The Belgian Chocolate Remedy. There's that chocolate theme
again! Milan is my Belgian chocolatier.
He and his brother Ludolf came to America after Milan had studied hard in
Europe to become a chocolatier, and they ended up settling in the Midwest, in a
small town in Indiana. The plan was that Ludolf would help fix up the shop
where Milan would make the chocolates, and they would make a good life for
themselves. But life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. On the
other hand, there's Jesse, who has no interest in his life since his boyfriend
dumped him. He lives in St. Louis, but comes to Lafayette, Indiana, at his best
friend Reggie’s request (read: demand!). They're going to help her friend Milan
get his booth ready for Outfest. Has Reggie got something else in mind?
I hope you like the story, and it wouldn't hurt to eat some
chocolate while you read it, maybe drink some too!
Thanks for having me, Janie!
Here’s the link for The Belgian Chocolate Remedy – enjoy!
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php
Julie has a special surprise--a give away--she'll tell you about tomorrow so please stop by again.
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