Real Chocolate: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Nature's Purest Form of Bliss (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Chantal Coady is a most exemplary chocoholic. The author of Real Chocolate and owner of Rococo, a specialty chocolate shop in London, Coady's resumé includes such enviable accomplishments as starting the Campaign for Real Chocolate and launching The Chocolate Society. Obsessed by chocolate, Coady always dreamt of opening a chocolate shop, and over the more than 20 years since she opened one she's become an expert on all things chocolate, and these days Rococo even makes its own.

Real Chocolate begins with a comprehensive history of chocolate through the ages, introduces us to Rococo, and best of all, waxes poetic about just how good for us chocolate really is. Apparently it's one of the most nutritious and easily digested foods known to man, containing a multitude of vitamins, minerals, and complex alkaloids; is an instant anti-depressant; and has antibacterial properties. Recipes in this mouthwatering volume are categorized as savory or sweet--and there are a remarkable number of savory ones, including Eggplant and Tahini Crostini, made extra-rich by the addition of cocoa powder; Chocolate Tempura with cocoa nibs in the batter; and Lacquered Duck in Chocolate Sauce. Sweet options include White Chocolate Pannacotta, Dark Chocolate and Cherry "Crème Brûlée," and a stunning Pear and Chocolate Tart. And since it's so good for us, why not start by delving into chocolate personified: a big mug of Coady's Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate--smooth, thick, rich, and absolutely delicious. --Leora Y. Bloom

From Publishers Weekly

Founder of London's Rococo chocolate shop and author of two previous chocolate books, Coady has now unleashed her inexhaustible passion for all things chocolate onto a full-scale cookbook. Coady (who co-founded the standard-bearing Chocolate Society) has made it her personal mission to keep the informed consumer away from "fast chocolate," with its hydrogenated fats and nasty byproducts. Despite its principled stance, this is a highly functional cookbook. It can be used as a chocolate primer-how to make ganache and truffles, how to temper chocolate, how to work with simple molds. But it also contains an intriguing exploration of chocolate as a savory ingredient (a gesture toward chocolate's often overlooked South American origins). Many of these depend on an unexpectedly logical invention: chocolate-balsamic vinegar, the active ingredient in Hangover Fried Eggs; Eggplant, Chocolate and Goat Cheese Pizzettes; and Quick Pan-roasted Chicken with Chocolate Vinegar. Coady also covers surer territory with Classic Mousse, old-fashioned hot cocoa, Chocolate Brownies and an assortment of the usual cakes and cookies. While ingredients can be expensive and not always easy to find (Coady has a ruinous affection for saffron and cocoa nibs, for example), the recipes are generally appealing and straightforward. The photographs are mouthwatering and the design elegant beyond belief-virtual prerequisites for chocolate books.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications; 1st US edition (January 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847825159
• ISBN-13: 978-0847825158
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,563,567 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much more than just recipes, October 10, 2003

By	Andrew S. Rogers (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you're looking for a quick summary of this book, even more revealing than the jacket copy is the little note tucked away with the catalog info even before the table of contents: "Throughout the book, whenever recipes call for 'real chocolate,' what is meant is best-quality bittersweet chocolate with minimum 60 percent cocoa liquor..."

You see, this book is about a lot more than recipes and attractive photography of tempting delights -- packed though it is with both of those things. Chantal Coady is a crusader, and her cause is summed up in the name of the organization she formed, the Campaign for Real Chocolate. Not for her is the mass-market, fast food-style chocolate consumed (and enjoyed) by so many British and Americans. She is passionate about *real* chocolate, as defined above.

It's certainly true that anyone who has tasted real, high-quality chocolate finds it hard to get excited about the mass-produced vegetable-fat chocolates in the supermarket checkout lines. What you will get excited about, though, are the recipes and ideas in this book. The author takes us far, far beyond cookies and cakes, presenting intriguing ideas for incorporating chocolate into appetizers, entrees (including meat and pasta dishes), martinis, even sushi and tempura ... plus, of course, cookies and cakes.

There are a *lot* of books about chocolate out there, and it's hard for one really to stand out from another. If this one does stand out, it's due as much to the author's campaigning fire as it is to her obvious passion for preparing great chocolate dishes. I admire people who take their work seriously and are very good at what they do, and Chantal Coady hits the mark on both scores.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yum, February 22, 2003

By	Sherry Russell "Reviewer/author" (Vero Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book to give as a gift. It is even better to buy for yourself! The pictures are incredible and make you want to dive into the receipes. Some of the ingredients called for are not all that easy to locate but the effort is worth while. This is a yummy great book.