Channeling Julia

Time to give roses & chocolates!

Nothing is so quintessentially American as milk chocolate.

Yes, this is a bite-size square. Were you expecting heart shaped? That is usually the shape of the box, not the pieces within.

Though dark chocolate is all the rage right now, your grandparent (or parents for us older folk) were probably raised on the five cent Hershey bar. That's the chocolate bar the GIs handed out all over Europe and Asia as we won World War II. You could get one twice that size for a dime.

Milk chocolate is popular with manufacturers because it is cheaper to make than dark chocolate. Milk - evaporated or powdered milk - and cocoa butter are added to the chocolate liquor - also known as baking chocolate (containing approximately equal amounts of cocoa and cocoa butter). The remaining cocoa is sold as powder for cooking.

The European Union requires at least 25% chocolate liquor in milk chocolate. During World War II, large quantities of milk chocolate with a lower percentage of chocolate liquor could be produced despite shortages of cocoa from Africa. This historical situation probably has something to do with the current US government requirement that milk chocolate is only required to contain 10% chocolate liquor.

Today's dip is the queen of hot and spicy sauces - a blend of sweet and fruity (mango and tomato) with killer heat. We're serving ours alongside meat and sausages.

Our sauce hails from Thai cuisine but there are many recipes for chili sauces around the world. The common ingredient is chili peppers infused in vinegar, oil, water, some kind of alcohol or fruit or vegetable pulp. There are varying degrees of heat depending on the type of chili. Habanero pepper sauces are almost certainly the hottest although the addition of capsaicin extract to any hot sauce can render it a fiery inferno. Other hot peppers include jalapeno, cayenne, tabasco, and piri piri. Many hot sauces also contain tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, fruits, vegetables and seasoning. The more ingredients in the sauce, the more dilute the heat.

The burning sensation while consuming the sauce is a chemical reaction with the body's nervous system and does not do any real tissue damage to the mouth. Different remedies are recommended for cooling the sensation including dairy products such as milk or yogurt and rice. Water however is not recommended to relieve the burn.

Today's dip is a mixture of two European favorites which we'll serve with crisp raw vegetables.

Pesto originated in Genoa, the capital of the Liguria region of Northern Italy. It is made from basil which most likely grew wild in Northern Africa and was first domesticated in India. The basil plant took firm root in both the Liguria region of Italy (which borders on France) and the Provence region of France.

Pesto, the dish, is traditionally made from basil leaves crushed in a marble mortar with a pestle, crushed garlic, parsley, grated hard cheese (like Parmesan) and pine nuts. A variation can be found in Provence called Pistou which contains olive oil, basil, garlic and (maybe) grated cheese but no nuts. The sauce has many uses including as a topping for pasta and an ingredient in soup. It first came to the United States in the 1940's but did not become widely popular until the 1980's-90's. Commercial pesto is commonly available today in supermarkets.

Mayonnaise is a thick creamy emulsion made from oil, salt, vinegar or lemon juice and egg yolks. It is commonly used as a condiment. Many other sauces can be created using mayonnaise as a base. It is believed that the sauce was brought to France from Menorca around 1756 although one authority claims it originated with a British woman in 1459 who was trying to make a custard of some kind.

Mayonnaise can spoil if left out of the refrigerator but contrary to common beliefs it is an acidic food and its pH prevents the growth of harmful bacteria. I for one prefer to not let it sit out for too long - just in case.

This dip is usually too thick to be considered a sauce but no California party is complete without it.

The name guacamole itself comes from an Aztec dialect and the dish originated with the Aztecs in Mexico as early as the 1500's. The Spanish conquistadors liked it so much that they took the dish back to Spain where it was adopted into the cuisine.

It is made from ripe avocados, tomatoes, onions, lime or lemon juice and salt. Other ingredients might include cilantro, black pepper, cumin, jalapenos and garlic. The lime juice not only adds flavor but also slows down the "browning" of the avocado. Prepared guacamole is commonly available in stores, often refrigerated or frozen to preserve freshness.

The avocado fruit is native to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America and is classified in the flowering plant family. It is thought to have been cultivated as early as 900 AD. The name "avocado" refers to both the fruit and the plant it grows from. It is also called a butter pear or an alligator pear and is grown today in tropical climates all over the world and some temperate ones like California. There are several different varieties grown in California of which the Haas is the most popular

Although high in calories, studies have shown that a diet rich in avocados decreases the percentage of total serum cholesterol in certain patients.

We're used to thinking of mustard as something yellow to squirt on a hot dog, but mustards are capable of much more!

This is Cranberry Mustard used as a dip for fruit. While most people consider mustard to be paired with meats & cheeses, there is no reason why it can't be served with other foods.

Mustard seeds of varying colors are ground to different degrees, then mixed with vinegar, water, wine or fruit juice to form a paste. Other spices or sugars may also be added as desired.

Mustards may be mild to hot, depending on the ingredients and preparation. Black seeds are the hottest. Use of a hot liquid during preparation makes the product milder than when made with cold liquid.

The mildest mustards (Bavarian style) are made with hot water. Medium mustards (Dijon style) are made with wine. Hot mustards use cold vinegar and may contain horseradish or peppers. Sweeteners such as honey or sugar are often added to create a sweet & tangy taste. Tumeric is added to create the yellow color associated with regular mustard.

Mustard is an ingredient in many sauces and dressings, as it is an emulsifier and slows down the separation of a mixture of oil & water. The Romans were the first to experiment with mustard seed & vinegar, bringing mustard to Gaul. The French and Germans began to create their own varieties as their distinctive cuisines evolved.