My photo
Ontario, Canada
I am a wife, mother and grandma who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. A variety of interests and hobbies combined with travel keep me active. They reflect the importance of family, friends, home and good food.
Cook ingredients that you are used to cooking by other techniques, such as fish, chicken, or hamburgers. In other words be comfortable with the ingredients you are using.
--Bobby Flay

For Your Information

Please watch this area for important information like updates, food recalls, polls, contests, coupons, and freebies.
  • [March 19, 2020] - Effective Mar 17, this blog will no longer accept advertising. The reason is very simple. If I like a product, I will promote it without compensation. If I don't like a product, I will have no problem saying so.
  • [March 17, 2020] - A return to blogging! Stay tuned for new tips, resources and all things food related.
  • [February 1, 2016] - An interesting report on why you should always choose organic tea verses non-organic: Toxic Tea (pdf format)
  • Sticky Post - Warning: 4ever Recap reusable canning lids. The reports are growing daily of these lids losing their seal during storage. Some have lost their entire season's worth of canning to these seal failures! [Update: 4ever Recap appears to be out of business.]

Popular Posts

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Dark Chocolate

I'm sorry but I am not a chocolate lover by any stretch of the imagination.   Yes I am female but chocolate really doesn't do it for me.  In fact for many years I avoided chocolate like the plague.  Over the years everyone in our family knew chocolate was not not going to be a featured ingredient in any dish I made.  Then one day one of our kids said maybe it wasn't the chocolate taste that I didn't like it was the mouth feel of milk chocolate and suggested I try a dark chocolate.

dark chocolate
The main problem appears to be my adverse reaction to milk chocolate.  For that reason I avoid mild chocolate at all costs.  I picked up a bar of dark chocolate and oh my gosh it is good.  It still is not something I would eat much of but it is something I would use as a garnish or in cooking.  The higher the cacao per cent the better for a deep, rich flavour of chocolate.

Dark chocolate is more expensive than milk chocolate.  Expect to pay $3 for a 100 g bar on the low price end to $36 on the higher end organic dark chocolate (Landies).  Dark chocolate is actually good for you.  It is high in anti-oxidants.    A recent study published in the European Heart Journal a 1 - inch square of dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack.  Now you have a good excuse to indulge in chocolate!


6 food lovers commented:

mizztraveller said...

I liked this chocolate , my favourite chocolate....muahhh

Dean said...

Dark chocolate in moderation has many other health benefits as well, including improved blood circulation, lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, protection from cancer, improved brain function, protection against tooth decay, improved post-workout muscle recovery, and skin damage protection. These benefits are attributable to the high concentration of antioxidants in dark chocolate.

Wendy said...

I can certainly relate to your aversion. Milk chocolate is just nasty, but I love 70% dark!

Garden Gnome said...

Hi Dean and thanks for visiting. It is true that dark chocolate in moderation has many health benefits! All the more reason to enjoy a 1 - inch square daily :)

Garden Gnome said...

You are so right about milk chocolate Jennifer. For me it is the mouth feel combined with back of the throat feel. I just can't handle milk chocolate.

Chin chin said...

I love chocolates but I like dark chocolates the best because it's not sweet and is the healthy option. I like using it in chocolate confections and in baking.