Before you get too irate, excited or plain irritated the "c" word here refers to that luscious velvety substance that once was intimately connected to the cocoa bean. What else could it mean?
There are times in a girl's life when only chocolate, chocolate fudge or chocolate cake will do. Maybe that should read in this girl's life. Once a month there is an all consuming desire to destroy any semblance of weight control and eat as much chocolate as I can to keep the demons at bay.
Chocolate acts as a pacifier and eases the mind and temper. Just the mere waving of a bar of the good stuff can bring a smile to the face and an inner calmness when there had been a dormant volcano about to explode.
I admit too that I am a chocolate snob. I was raised in England and grew up being weaned onto Cadbury's- the original and not this made by Hershey's imitation. I can discern Swiss and Belgian chocolate and have scant regard for American chocolate as it is too gritty ,has a poor cocoa content and lacks richness. Trader Joe's milk and dark pound plus are delightful and have been used in fudge, cakes and to enjoyably pass an evening stuffing my face.
See's candies -I shiver as I type- is an abomination and should only be given when the recipient is not much loved; I doubt there are any who could not conjure up but a few deserving names.
I needed chocolate cake yesterday and this leads leads me to yesterday's baking efforts. I came to baking quite late. My brother bought me Nigella Lawson's "How To Be A Domestic Goddess" as a joke. He could not, at the time, think of anyone less suited for such gift. This book is a bible; as elegant as it is eloquent and as classy as it is chocolate-inspired.
I was scared at first to try and master even the basics- having had sunken sponges which were filled with butter cream to hide the indentation- but I soon took a perverse pleasure in making cakes, madelines, truffles and even meringues (yes I have made chocolate ones). I have enjoyed the praise that has been heaped upon me but I have a suspicion that home-baked goods are still a sure way to win affection. Baking seems to have fallen from favour in these butter-fearing times but the arts have always had to suffer.
Unlike Old Mother Hubbard the cupboard was not completely bare but enough to make vanilla cupcakes with a simply divine chocolate fudge icing. It was a sensory overload and just about satisified the chocolate need.
Maybe the chocolate and baking are the release that I need each month. Don't get any ideas of this pursuit being naked or any other such prepoterous notions. There is something undeniably sensual about eating one's chocolate cake;there is no euphemism here. The creation of a sinful past-time (over-eating) just makes it naughtier.
At that juncture I bid you good night and I will hunt for more chocolate.
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2 comments:
I too sympathize.... But not for chocolate, That is for the female of our species. I used to believe that a good piece of New York Cheese Cake was more addictive than crack. Although, I am certain that one might battle obesity when in pursuit of my one true past love, it would not lead to the delusions, profuse sweating and tasting pigeon droppings of crack addiction. But alas, tying the shoes was getting difficult if not shamefull. One simply should not look as if you have exercised heavily without leaving the chair. So with great sadness I was forced to bid adieu to my love... Only gazing with forlorn longing, through the glass, at perfection, never to be touched again.
The C-word becomes a nonsense when one realises the there is an organic confection that is for vegans. The taste is almost the same but the 70% coco butter content gives a great lift when one is down is is very definitely non-fattening. How sad. It is fun to discover that there are still word-smiths who have not been corrupted by this society and can enjoy what they have to say. Keep scribing it is much appreciated by us mere mortals.
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