That 'chocolate' thing ...

To ensure I don't loose my entire readership before we are even one sixth of the way through the year(!), today I wanted to write about something more fun (and a hell of a lot sweeter!). So I chose the obvious ... Chocolate!

As Valentine's Day approaches, chocolate moves from the center-aisles of the markets to become the one commodity you really can't escape, whichever way you look. If you are easily enticed, you will be pleased to hear that despite its appearance when dressed in dazzling shades of pink and red, chocolate is considered by its connoisseurs to be a 'healthy food of the earth'!

Yes, I do realize that it looks more like a UFO at this time of year, but if we remove the sugar, cream and liquor flavorings, one can, at a push, apparently claim that it is a plant-based food! ... at least according to Debra Miller PhD, Senior Nutrition Scientist with the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition (no prizes for guessing which advertising angle she's taking!). Ok skeptics, step aside ... her claim is actually based in truth, as cocoa beans are the seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree, and these should, in theory, be the main ingredient in chocolate. The problem is that in our traditional 'chocolate bar', the ingredients have been so doctored that it's not only the appearance which resembles a UFO, but its contents also appear more at home in outer space than in our food chain!

So, here's my thought. How about, this Valentine's day, we take a step closer to nature - 'chocolately' speaking! What I mean is, why not avoid the processed pink hearts, and enjoy this food for what it should be. Rich, dark and delicious (and with the bonus of packing a great antioxidant punch to boot!).

At the risk of highlighting the fact that I'm the only person in the world who doesn't enjoy being crammed into an overcrowded restaurant with every other table set as a 'two-top', and being forced to eat off an over-simplified, under-inspired menu (seriously, how many asparagus spears do you really have to eat to get the aphrodisiac effect?), I propose engaging in your chocolate feast at home. Keep it simple. Two words: Chocolate Fondue!

Simply buy a couple of bars of good quality dark chocolate (I recommend a cocoa-content of at least 70%) and some organic fruits like apples, mandarins, strawberries, blueberries and grapes. Break up the chocolate roughly and melt it in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (caution: do not stir the chocolate while it is melting. I don't know why, but it can ruin its texture!). Chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a plate in a fashion that credits your inner artist. A couple of forks or skewers and a bottle of good wine and voila, you're done. Delicious .... and not devoid of those all-enticing, menu-price-raising aphrodisiacs, either, in case you’re wondering!

Maybe it's not so difficult to eat closer to nature after all?!