Distraction~
Jul. 29th, 2006 04:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppetJust went out for Thai food with dad. I now heartily endorse the tea and Thai Spice ♥ Want some for myself. Also, rice noodles = yummy.
Stopped by used bookstores on the way home. Picked up The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax (I want her at CFUD), Dracula, Coraline, and Like Water For Chocolate, which I mostlly wanted for the from-the-bean chocolate recipe imbedded in chapter nine.
Speaking of the recipe, let's see if I can extract it...
Ingredients:
2 lbs Soconusco chocolate beans
2 lbs Maracaibo chocolate beans
2 lbs Caracas chocolate beans
4 to 6 lbs sugar, to taste
The first step is to toast the chocolate beans. It's good to use a metal pan rather than an earthenware griddle since the pores of the griddle soak up the oil the beans give off. It's very important to pay attention to this sort of detail, since the goodness of chocolate depends on three things, namely: that the chocolate beans used are good and without defect, that you mix several different types of beans to make the chocolate, and, finally, the amount of toasting.
It's advisable to tast the cocoa beans just until the moment they begin to give off oil. If they are removed from the heat before then, they will make a discolored and disagreeable-looking chocolate, which will be indigestible besides. On the other hand, if they are left on the heat too long, most of the beans will be burned, which will make the chocolate bitter and acrid.
When the cocoa beans are done being toasted, as described above, they are cleaned using a hair sieve to separate the hull from the bean. Beneath the metate in which the chocolate is to be ground place a flat pan containing a hot fire; once the stone is warm, begin grinding the chocolate. Mix the chocolate with the sugar, pounding it with a mallet and grinding the two together. Then divide the mixture into chunks. The chunks are shaped by hand into tablets, square or round, according to your preference, and set out to air. The dividing points can be marked with the tip of a knife if you wish.
(At this point, the recipe for chocolate is interrupted by one for Three Kings' Day bread. From there, it looks as if the recipe is for hot chocolate rather than solid chocolate.)
[...]the whipping of the chocolate is yet another critical procedure. Inexpert beating can turn an excellent-quality chocolate into a disgusting drink, either by under- or overcooking, making it too thick or even burnt.
There's a very simple method for avoiding the aforementioned problems: heat a square of chocolate in water. The amount of water used should be a little more than enough to fill the cups. When the water comes to a boil for the first time, remove it from the heat, and dissolve the chocolate completely; beat with a chocolate-mill until it is smoothly blended with the water. Return the pan to the stove. When it comes to a boil again and starts to boil over, remove it from the heat. Put it back on the heat and bring it to boil a third time. Remove from the heat and beat the chocolate. Pour half into a little pitcher and beat the rest of it some more. Then serve it all, leaving the top covered with foam. Hot chocolate can also be made using milk instead of water, but in this case, it should only be brought to boil once, and the second time it's heated it should be beaten so it doesn't get too thick. However, hot chocolate made with water is more digestible than that made with milk.
Wondering here whether the first half makes regular chocolate for eating or melting, but not quite sure how to check. ...Well, not without making some at any rate. Someday, though, I want to do it! I want to make chocolate right from the bean for Valentine's Day and White Day. With any luck, someday I will.
On a different note, Lammas Day is right around the corner. I wonder if I can convince the 'rents to take us out to Panera's to celebrate? Or maybe I'll make pancakes. Or perhaps zeta(sp?) bread, since I love it so and I've been meaning to get around to it. I should dig up the ingredients and find out from Mom how to work the bread maker.
Also, I think I've finally gotten fed up with all the popups and such at Bleach Portal. It tends to overload my modem all too often. Can anyone suggest an alternate source so I can catch up?
Edit: Sticking this here so I don't completely lose track of it. CFUD-related, bad for brains.
Edit 2: I need a name for a crotchety old dragon who likes to read and is nearsighted. And Roxim is already taken. Besides, he's more bad-tempered.
Stopped by used bookstores on the way home. Picked up The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax (I want her at CFUD), Dracula, Coraline, and Like Water For Chocolate, which I mostlly wanted for the from-the-bean chocolate recipe imbedded in chapter nine.
Speaking of the recipe, let's see if I can extract it...
Ingredients:
2 lbs Soconusco chocolate beans
2 lbs Maracaibo chocolate beans
2 lbs Caracas chocolate beans
4 to 6 lbs sugar, to taste
The first step is to toast the chocolate beans. It's good to use a metal pan rather than an earthenware griddle since the pores of the griddle soak up the oil the beans give off. It's very important to pay attention to this sort of detail, since the goodness of chocolate depends on three things, namely: that the chocolate beans used are good and without defect, that you mix several different types of beans to make the chocolate, and, finally, the amount of toasting.
It's advisable to tast the cocoa beans just until the moment they begin to give off oil. If they are removed from the heat before then, they will make a discolored and disagreeable-looking chocolate, which will be indigestible besides. On the other hand, if they are left on the heat too long, most of the beans will be burned, which will make the chocolate bitter and acrid.
When the cocoa beans are done being toasted, as described above, they are cleaned using a hair sieve to separate the hull from the bean. Beneath the metate in which the chocolate is to be ground place a flat pan containing a hot fire; once the stone is warm, begin grinding the chocolate. Mix the chocolate with the sugar, pounding it with a mallet and grinding the two together. Then divide the mixture into chunks. The chunks are shaped by hand into tablets, square or round, according to your preference, and set out to air. The dividing points can be marked with the tip of a knife if you wish.
(At this point, the recipe for chocolate is interrupted by one for Three Kings' Day bread. From there, it looks as if the recipe is for hot chocolate rather than solid chocolate.)
[...]the whipping of the chocolate is yet another critical procedure. Inexpert beating can turn an excellent-quality chocolate into a disgusting drink, either by under- or overcooking, making it too thick or even burnt.
There's a very simple method for avoiding the aforementioned problems: heat a square of chocolate in water. The amount of water used should be a little more than enough to fill the cups. When the water comes to a boil for the first time, remove it from the heat, and dissolve the chocolate completely; beat with a chocolate-mill until it is smoothly blended with the water. Return the pan to the stove. When it comes to a boil again and starts to boil over, remove it from the heat. Put it back on the heat and bring it to boil a third time. Remove from the heat and beat the chocolate. Pour half into a little pitcher and beat the rest of it some more. Then serve it all, leaving the top covered with foam. Hot chocolate can also be made using milk instead of water, but in this case, it should only be brought to boil once, and the second time it's heated it should be beaten so it doesn't get too thick. However, hot chocolate made with water is more digestible than that made with milk.
Wondering here whether the first half makes regular chocolate for eating or melting, but not quite sure how to check. ...Well, not without making some at any rate. Someday, though, I want to do it! I want to make chocolate right from the bean for Valentine's Day and White Day. With any luck, someday I will.
On a different note, Lammas Day is right around the corner. I wonder if I can convince the 'rents to take us out to Panera's to celebrate? Or maybe I'll make pancakes. Or perhaps zeta(sp?) bread, since I love it so and I've been meaning to get around to it. I should dig up the ingredients and find out from Mom how to work the bread maker.
Also, I think I've finally gotten fed up with all the popups and such at Bleach Portal. It tends to overload my modem all too often. Can anyone suggest an alternate source so I can catch up?
Edit: Sticking this here so I don't completely lose track of it. CFUD-related, bad for brains.
Edit 2: I need a name for a crotchety old dragon who likes to read and is nearsighted. And Roxim is already taken. Besides, he's more bad-tempered.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-29 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-30 12:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-30 03:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-30 01:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-30 06:09 pm (UTC)If you can fit both me and Tomas in, that would be awesome. Otherwise, I might have to figure something else out.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 11:30 am (UTC)On a related note, I've only got my pda for 'net access so would you be able to get directions?
no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 04:12 pm (UTC)Can do. My house okay for a starting point?
no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 07:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-31 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-01 04:47 am (UTC)Anyway, what time will you pick us up for AI? And am I wrong in assuming it will be Friday?
no subject
Date: 2006-08-01 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-03 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-03 11:12 pm (UTC)