Founders Day February 21 - William Penn Life

The Hungarian Kitchen® with Főszakács BélaChocolatein FebruaryPhoto © A41cats/Dreamstime.comFÁRADJON BE A MAGYAR KONYHÁBA!The month of February is associated with a few things:Presidents’ birthdays, Saint Valentine’s Day and cardealership Presidents’ Day sales. I prefer the emphasis beput on Valentine’s Day, which brings to mind two things:roses and chocolate. Let’s save the roses for the summerand concentrate again on chocolate.Last year, I shared wonderful chocolate recipes withyou. This year, I have included more chocolate formulationsfor your enjoyment.Here’s your monthly trivia question: What candy didMilton Hershey stop producing after his chocolate confectionsbecame so popular? The answer is wrapped in foil at theend.Chocolate is one of the five C’s you should find on agood dessert menu, along with citrus, cheesecake, coffee(something coffee flavored) and caramel. This ingredientcan be in a dessert, soufflé, entrée (chicken molé), sauce orsyrup. Depending on your purpose, chocolate is versatileand easy to use. From a chocolate cream pie to chocolatechip cookies, from chocolate ice cream to a chocolate bar,there are many ways to enjoy this culinary delight.Chocolates have a ranking according to type, amountof cocoa and price. The most expensive chocolates are notoften the best tasting. The best chocolate to eat is based onpersonal preference. A true chocolate bar will not containlarge amounts of sugar, milk and artificial ingredients,such as corn sweeteners or syrups. “Conching” (or beating)chocolate is the process that smoothes out the ingredients,giving the chocolate a smooth mouth feel. The higherpercentage of chocolate in the bar the better.The common store bought chocolate candy bar is loadedwith sweeteners, artificial ingredients and meant to beeaten all at once. The better chocolate bars are so rich youcannot finish a whole bar. European chocolates are processedwith less sugar and a higher percentage of cocoa,giving them a superior flavor...and a higher price, but theyare well worth the money.Chocolate goes well with vanilla, raspberries, mint,whipped cream, almonds, pecans, walnuts, bananas,oranges and cherries. Experiment with the recipes andhave fun creating your own chocolate delights to celebrateValentine’s Day.Have a great month!Jó étvágyatFoszakács Béla˝The Hungarian Kitchen is a trademark of William S. Vasvary.8 º February 2012 º William Penn Life