Cold Weather and Hot Chocolate
Of all the wonders of winter that we enjoyed growing up in Ohio hot chocolate has to be one of the best. Coming in from the freezing cold to find a steaming cup of cocoa waiting for you is a wonderful feeling. Today we find hot chocolate becoming a bit of a trend among adults with an emphasis on quality that we didn't get when I was a kid. Hot chocolate came out of a packet with crunchy little marshmallows in it and more often than not was made with hot water and maybe - if you were lucky - a dash of milk as an afterthought. Today we are talking about real hot chocolate full of - pinch me - real chocolate and actual milk. Ah, heavenly.
I have a handful of articles to share today on the subject of the trendiness of hot chocolate and even an alternative to it.
First up USA Today has a write up of 10 great places to savor exquisite hot chocolate. Tartine Bakery catches my eye with their use of Scharffen Berger chocolate (which is absolutely excellent stuff). None of the places are anywhere in my neighborhood or I'd run out to give them a try.
Next up is CNN Money with their article Best hot chocolate which takes a general look at the growth of gourmet hot chocolate.
Our local paper, The Columbus Dispatch, gives a nod to our local chocolatier, Pure Imagination, who is now offering up hot chocolate. If the picture is any indication it is thick. I may be forced to go and give it a shot. There is good sushi to be found close by and a trip to get both makes for a nice lunch.
Lastly I offer up a peculiarity: Hot Vanilla. The headline for the article claims that it puts chocolate to shame (blasphemy!). I think that recipe sounds good, but until I try it I'll remain skeptical as to it's superiority over chocolate.
