Product Description

Chocolate is unique. The main secret of its exquisite pleasure is that it is the only substance to melt at blood temperature, gently exploding into a warm sensual liquid, filling your mouth with an incomparable, hedonistic feeling that is so delicious you just want to go on savouring it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #589576 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .60" h x 8.33" w x 9.37" l, 1.83 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• New
• Mint Condition
• Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
• Guaranteed packaging
• No quibbles returns

Amazon.co.uk Review
The secret of the uniquely, irresistibly seductive quality of chocolate, according to Sara Jayne-Stanes, is that it is the only substance to melt at blood temperature, "gently exploding into a warm, sensual liquid, filling your mouth with an incomparable, hedonistic feeling that you just want to go on and on ..." I think we get the picture. Another, complementary, view of its attraction is indicated by the scientific name accorded it by Linnaeus: Theobroma, food of the gods. Chocolate:The Definitive Guide is a loving homage to this extraordinary substance by one of Britain's finest professional chocolate makers. It's difficult to convey the riches of this marvellous book. Sara Jayne-Stanes begins by outlining the history of chocolate, from its prehistoric Mesoamerican origins to its current paradoxical status as both bland, trashy global comfort food and expensive luxury commodity. The latter of course is her preoccupation. Chocolate, it seems, is as susceptible as wine to thevagaries of climate and terroir.

Utterly thorough instructions on the preparation of chocolate for any and all types of cooking are followed here by a series of recipes that will have chocoholics on their knees. From sauces, petits fours, cakes and gateaux, through puddings, ices and mousses, there is nothing that isn't rich, exciting and fulfilling. So, a fabulous recipe for Brownies; or a Roule Marquis from Michel Roux; or Shaun Hill's Warm Chocolate Cake with Cherry or Apricot Compot; or Frozen Mississippi Mud Pie; or, to climax, a trio of plain, milk and white chocolate truffles. As if that weren't enough, a few savoury recipes involving chocolate are appended: The famous Mexican Mole Poblano, of course, but also a Spanish dish of fish stewed in onions with chocolate and mushrooms and a Bordelaise one of lampreys in a red wine stew spiked with chocolate.

Chocolate addicts, and you know who you are, will need no encouragement.(Need I say, the recipes are all most achievable.) For the rest of us, Sara Jayne-Stanes offers a legitimate route to shameless pleasure. --Robin Davidson

Review
"Sara's chocolate truffles are one of the marvels of the edible world. Her book is just as good and lasts rather longer." Matthew Fort, Food and Drink Editor, The Guardian; "This is truly a magnum opus. The history is highly readable and particularly absorbing. The Chocolate Clinic is a brilliant idea and then the recipes! Their breadth and range must be unique in scope. Since I have never tasted better chocolate truffles than Sara's the inclusion of her own recipe alone must be worth the price of the book to any chocolate lover." Frances Bissell, The Times"

From the Author
The ecstasy of chocolate, the world's favourite food.
Chocolate - The Definitive Guide is a result of a number of years research as a passionate chocolate lover and maker, visiting cacao-growing and chocolate producing countries, factories, shops and talking to anyone and everyone who has an interest in chocolate. I hope I have gone some way to illustrating the historical, geographical, social, religious and political elements and why the world's favourite food is the world's favourite food. I want you to share my experiences and hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This book is about cacao, cocoa and chocolate - enjoy it.