~ For the Love of Chocolate ~

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Do you remember ?
In the book Chocolat
The part where the old woman comes in for the first time
To Vianne's shop
"La Celeste Praline" ?
And Vianne serves hot chocolat ?
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...At lunchtime I had another visitor.
I recognized her at once in spite of the shapeless man's overcoat she affects;
the clever winter -apple face beneath the black straw hat,
the long black skirts over heavy workboots.

"Madame Voizin! You said you would drop in , didn't you ? Let me get you a drink."

Bright eyes flicked appreciatively from one side of the shop to another.
I sensed her taking everything in.
Her gaze came to rest on Anouk's menu:

CHOCLAT CHAUD 10F
CHOCOLAT ESPRESSO 15F
CHOCOCCINO 12F
MOCHA 12F

She nodded aprovingly.

"It's been years since I had anything like this," she said.

"I'd almost forgotten this sort of place existed."

There is an energy in her voice, a forcefulness to her movements, that belies her age.
Her mouth has a humorous twist that reminds me of my mother.

"I used to love chocolate , " she declared.

As I pour her a tall glass of mocha and added a splash of kahlua to the froth ,
she surveyed the bar stools with some suspicion....

..."Try this"

"Mmmmmm."

It was more than appreciation.
It was almost reverence.

"Mmmmmmmm."

She had closed her eyes as she tasted the drink.
Her pleasure was almost frighening.

"This is the real thing, isn't it ?"

She paused for moment, bright eyes speculatively half- closed.

"Theres cream and - cinnamon , I think---
and what else? Tia Maria ?"

"Close enough, " I said.

"What's forbidden always tastes better anyway," declared Armande,
wiping froth from her mouth in satisfaction.

"But this---" she sipped again, greedily---
"This is better than anything I remember , even from childhood.
I bet there are ten thousand calories in here.
More."
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Here is my favorite Hot Chocolate Recipe
It might take a little time
But it is easy
and
It is SO worth it.
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 Spanish Cocoa

INGREDIENTS

   55 g      unsweetened powdered cocoa
200 g     sugar
25 g      cornstarch (cornflour)
120 ml    water
1 l       milk 

PROCEDURE

        (1)  Mix the cocoa and sugar together.
(2)  Dissolve the cornstarch (cornflour) in  the  water
and  combine  with  the  cocoa-sugar  mixture in a
medium-sized saucepan.  Stir this until  it  is  a
smooth paste.
(3)  Begin heating this mixture, continuously  stirring
it  with  a  whisk.   Gradually  pour in the milk.
Continue stirring as you bring it to a simmer.
(4)  Simmer, stirring often, for about 10 minutes.  The
cocoa  is ready when it thickens and is glossy and
smooth.

NOTES

     The consistency of the finished product should resemble cho-
colate  pudding  that  didn't  quite set.  If you halve this
recipe, you'll get just the right amount for two large  mug-
fulls.

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And now !
For the secret ingredient !
And you must trust me if you have never heard of or tried this before.
Add to your chocolate mixture
Cayenne Pepper.
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And then check this recipe out at Blah Blah Blah Babycakes

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