Chocolate: A Healthy Passion
By Shara Aaron & Monica Bearden
Prometheus Books, $26.53, 213 pages
I do like an eclectic cookbook; this one contains cocoa history, ancient illustrations, health facts, a production image montage, as well as interesting folklore. The book does not fall into the trap of covering only desserts; the Savory Chocolate BBQ sauce made delicious grilled chicken with intriguing underlying flavors.
I had but two criticisms: upon reading the title (which invokes the healthy aspects of chocolate) one opens the cover and immediately the eye is arrested by a large photograph of row upon row of fattening confections. The second nit is in the section titled “Family Recipes;” the name of the first recipe therein would not be used within earshot of my children, thus spoiling a bit of the “family” atmosphere touted.
The recipes themselves were easy to follow; the ingredients appear 90% attainable at your local market. Enjoyable were the feasting experience tales which inspired a given recipe. The authors bore in mind people that shop as the ingredients on the more complicated recipes are listed in a legible, gray block instead of being interrupted with baking directions. The meringue mushrooms (Buche De Noel recipe) turned out scrumptious and were enjoyed by my entire family.
Reviewed by Meredith Greene
I love to cook and I love chocolate- so I may have to buy this book. I have a book called Chocolate cooking with the world’s best ingredient by Chrstine McFadden & Christine France which is a also very good chocolate cook book.
It sounds like one for my cookbook library.
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Sounds Great, how I like to cook and lay my Hands on new Recipes. Love to have this book in my Collection.
Really does sound delicious. I do have enough trouble following the recipes in the cookbooks that I already have. lol