All About Chocolate: The Ultimate Resource for the World's Favorite Food [Paperback]

Carole Bloom CCP (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

"It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man." —Miranda Ingram "I have met with few things more remarkable than the Chocolate which is the finest I ever saw." —John Adams, traveling in Spain in 1799 Hailed as "the food of the gods," exchanged in ancient marriage ceremonies, and proclaimed an aphrodisiac, chocolate has been loved around the world since its cultivation by the ancient peoples of Mexico as early as the seventh century. Here is the essential volume, including facts, fictions, festivals, recipes, and resources on the treat that drives many to obsession. All About Chocolate is the ultimate compendium of information to indulge the cravings of true fanatics.

• In the seventeenth century, not long after the bishop of Chiapas warned that anyone drinking chocolate during the service would be excommunicated, he died from drinking a cup of poisoned chocolate.
• Americans eat more chocolate now than ever before—an average of 11 pounds per person every year!
• The Aztec ruler Montezuma drank 50 cups of chocolate from golden goblets before visiting his harem.

Whether you're a true chocoholic, a trivia lover, or just looking for the best ways and places to enjoy this magical treat, All About Chocolate makes it easy for you to enjoy this alluring sweet to the fullest. Visit us online at www.mgr.com

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Chocoholics beware; All About Chocolate will likely make you drool all over the pages until you can get your next fix of cocoa heaven. This is a mini-encyclopedia of chocolate history, terminology, trivia, and, of course, rich, chocolatey recipes. Initially taking the form of a dictionary, the book contains A-to-Z listings of chocolate expressions and general chocolate lore. Did you know, for example, that nacional is a variety of the forastero cacao bean found in Ecuador? When cultivated, it produces a wonderfully delicate type of cocoa. The book traces chocolate history right back to the 7th century, when the Maya migrated to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and established the first cacao plantations. We are then whisked through several centuries of chocolate evolution right up to modern times, when chocolate is undoubtedly one of the Western world's most craved treats. Happily for us, chocolate may even have some proven health benefits! Yes, really! That feeling of well-being when nibbling on a succulent piece of chocolate is more than mental. Endorphins contained within chocolate transmit feelings of euphoria to the brain--making everything seem good with the world. Plus, cocoa butter contains no cholesterol, so although chocolate isn't exactly slimming, it at least contains the right kind of fat! Enlightening us about chocolate festivals, chocolate factories, chocolate schools, chocolate organizations, and with recipes for Hot Fudge Sauce, Chocolate Pound Cake, French Chocolate Macaroons, and many more, All About Chocolate is a sweet delight. --Naomi Gesinger

About the Author

CAROLE BLOOM is the author of four other books, including Truffles, Candies & Confections. She also wrote the "Candy" chapter for the new Joy of Cooking. Her feature articles appear in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Fine Cooking magazines. Bloom is the spokesperson for the Boxed Chocolate Manufacturers Group. She lives in southern California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028622839
• ISBN-13: 978-0028622835
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Fine Arts. While deciding whether to go to graduate school in Art History or Dance I traveled to Europe where I experienced incredible desserts and pastries. That's when I decided that I wanted to be a pastry chef. I studied pastry and confectionery arts at La Varenne in Paris and Le Cordon Bleu in London. I've also served an apprenticeship in a fabulous pastry shop in Venice,Italy and have worked at 5 star hotels in Lausanne, Switzerland and San Francisco, CA. I've also worked in top restaurants in Southern California and have had my own business making desserts and cakes for small restaurants, cafes, and individuals. For many years I made wedding and special occasion cakes. For close to 30 years I've been teaching my art to others, specializing in demystifying complicated techniques so everyone can make fabulous desserts, pastries, and confections at home. I enjoy creating desserts for my books to share with everyone. And, I'm always happy to hear from my readers with questions and successes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has something for everyone., October 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: All About Chocolate: The Ultimate Resource for the World's Favorite Food (Paperback)

This book has something for everyone about the world of chocolate. If you want to know more about chocolate history or how chocolate is made, it's here. If you want to know where to find the best chocolate in the world, it's also here. This book makes a great travel guide for chocolate afficionados. You can find where to learn more about chocolate and where the nearest chocolate festival or museum is. This book makes a great gift for your chocolate-loving friends and family, as well as a great gift for yourself. All the information and fun facts about chocolate are located in an easy-to-manage paperback book at a great price.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good reading, March 18, 2000

By 

Eric J. Wu (cambridge, ma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All About Chocolate: The Ultimate Resource for the World's Favorite Food (Paperback)

I read my friend's copy of this book. Covers history of chocolate, chocolate around the world, locations of chocolate festivals and events in the USA, explains the different kinds of chocolate, chocolate terms (like bloom, tempering, etc...), chocolate recipes, and even shows listings on the web of where you can find chocolate information. I think it's an interesting book for this sort of general information

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Lots of Information, April 10, 2007

By 

Sharon "Sharon" (Florence, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All About Chocolate: The Ultimate Resource for the World's Favorite Food (Paperback)

Wow, all my Internet research seems to be right here in one book!

Thanks!