Bone China:
A type of porcelain, bone china was first developed in Britain, and perfected to a durable mixture of cattle bone ash and clay. With its high whiteness, translucency and strength, bone china adds a crisp, clean look to any tabletop.
Designer Chocolate:
Known as the food of the gods, nearly two-thirds of women eat chocolate candy or desserts weekly. Chocolate surely is a trend that has taken hold and has the masses clamoring for more; and the latest trend is not just any old chocolate... it's designer chocolate.
Scrumptious, smooth, creamy, rich, delectable and indulgent are just some of the adjectives often used to describe chocolate, the delightful substance of which the average American consumes 10 pounds each year. A cultural pastime and a sweet-tooth favorite, chocolate's taste and texture incite passion unlike any other confection. From hot chocolate to truffles to cookies to cakes, chocolate is well established as a substance Americans love to love. It makes some of the best gifts for just about any occasion.
Making Designer Chocolate:
Especially passionate for chocolate are chocolatiers, those who create fine chocolate with masterpiece-like artistry. Here's how they do it:
Chocolate's pleasure comes from the painstaking process that yields the finest varieties. Chocolate begins with the seeds from inside the fruit of the cacao tree, native to regions that include South America, Africa and Indonesia. These seeds are known as cocoa beans.
The beans are fermented and dried in the sun before they are ready to go to the chocolate maker. The chocolate maker roasts the beans, sorting and blending beans from different locales to create their own distinct flavors. Next, the beans are winnowed, a process that removes the meat, also known as the nib, of the cocoa bean from the shell. The meat or nib is then ground into a substance called chocolate liquor, which is pure, unsweetened chocolate.
Much talent is required to turn this chocolate liquor into fanciful and delectable treats. The chocolate maker adds sugar, flavoring (such as vanilla) and milk (found in milk chocolate) according to his or her own special recipe. Then conching occurs; this is done with a special machine that blends ingredients. The process can take from two to six days. Next, chocolate is tempered. This involves slowly heating the chocolate then slowly cooling the chocolate in order to let the cocoa butter solidify without separating from the rest of the ingredients. The exact processes and ingredients used by each chocolate maker determine the texture, quality and taste of the final product.
Fondue:
The word fondue dates back to the early 1700s. A book published in Switzerland used the term in a recipe of melted cheese and wine used for dipping bread. The word derives from the French verb "fondre," which means "to melt." In the 1930s, the Swiss Cheese Union marketed fondue as a Swiss national dish in an effort to increase cheese consumption. It wasn't until the 1950s that the dish became popular in the United States, due to a restaurant in New York. The Swiss-born owner, Konrad Egli, introduced fondue at his Chalet Suisse restaurant, including a chocolate fondue as part of a promotion. Since then, the term fondue has been used to describe a variety of dishes where food is dipped into hot liquid.
The Origins of the Highball Drink:
A mixed drink created with an alcoholic spirit and a non-alcoholic mixer, one of the first highball drinks is said to be Scotch whisky mixed with carbonated water. The name is believed to have been first used in the late 1800s and there are a variety of stories to explain the origin of the name. Most likely, it derives from ball, referring to a "drink of whisky" and high because it is served in a tall glass. It's possible the name derives from the fact that a highball is more often drunk in the afternoon when the sun is high, with ball referring to the sun.
About the Martini:
There are many stories about the origin of the beloved martini. It's often said that a 19th century bartender invented the drink for a prospector in San Francisco. The bartender named the drink the "Martinez" since the prospector was on his way to Martinez, CA. It's said this drink was made with aromatic bitters and a very sweet juniper gin, garnished with a maraschino cherry. Others believe the origin can be traced to a saloon in Martinez, CA where a bartender created a cocktail for a miner who paid with a sack of gold nuggets. The bartender dubbed the drink Martinez in honor of the city. Still another story is that a New York bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia created the drink in the early 1900s.