Chocolate blog

How to eat Chocolate Mindfully

I am often asked What is mindful eating?

Well I think mindful eating is (i.e., paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment) is an approach to food that focuses on individuals' sensual awareness of the food, environment and their experience of food.
Being mindful of the food you eat can promote better digestion, keep you full with less food, and influence wiser choices about what and when you eat in the future.

Add Smoke to Flavour to a Dish cooked Indoors

A subtle hint of woodsy smoke is one of my favourite flavours in a dish it reminds me of visits to origin where most things are cooked on the open flame meat or plant based is good.

Cocoa butter silk what is it?

I keep reading that "Cocoa Butter Silk Is a major Step forward in chocolate tempering" is it just like the commercial products Barry C make?

It tempers perfectly virtually every time, It reduces the number of steps needed to temper so in turn makes tempering less complecated..

The Brain and Chocolate

We all know how special savouring a piece of chocolate can be – from the first look at its packaging, the moment you touch it to the reassuring snap it makes, releasing the amazing aromas and then finally as you take the first bite to the way it coats your taste buds in a rich, velvety layer of pure flavour filling your olfactory with some of the 1500 aromas it connecting you to the rain forest it was grown in. And then when that’s finished,...

Mindful hot chocolate

Enjoy a mindful Cocoa experience…

To get the most from drinking Cocoa why not try the experience of a mindful hot chocolate meditation to help you connect with the sensory deliciousness of your drink.

Cocoa vinegar @ home

Vinegar has been used medicinally for thousands of years.

modern research on its health benefits focuses on the acetic acid component of the vinegar.

but its super easy to make at home.

The Chocolate Story

The chocolate story begins in the far away land of Mesoamerica, known today as Mexico.  The Aztecs, with a population of 15 million, ruled fearlessly for over 200 years 

Thanks to Lydia for this post from Coeur de Xocolat Australia

Coeur de Xocolat goes down under!

exciting times as Lydia takes Coeur de Xocolat on walk about to Australia

Why we eat mince pies at Christmas

Some of us eat them by the dozens as Christmas approaches but there’s more to the mince pie than you may have realised.

We think the first mince pie was known by a few different names, “Christmas pie, mutton pie, and shrid pie" Usually filled with minced lamb, not dried fruit like we eat them today.

Mendiants are the prefect lockdown treat

Get your home chocolate making started here Chocolate mendiants are atruly delicious French confectionery traditionally given out at Christmas time, each one a little bite sized treat of both sweetness and crunch, they are colourful way to round up a dinner or a luxurious little treat to enjoy with a coffee or glass of whiskey.

Advent calendars and the story behind them

On the first of December, children and chocoholics all around the world will be opening the first door of their Christmas Advent Calendars, excited to see what image and chocolate, is hidden inside. 

Let’s make 2020 a chocolatey Christmas

Chocolate advent calendars are a great token of your affections, they have gone by Christmas day, so they are not the only option for chocolate-lovers.

Virtual Team building

Are you looking for some effective team building exercises to bring your team together?

Then why not try chocolate tasting with an award winning company

Can You temper chocolate via Sous Vide?

Water traditionally the enemy of melted chocolate. The smallest amount can make it seize, giving you grainy, ugly, chocolate—dry everything well before sealing!

Lets try Sous Vide Tempered Chocolate

The interesting past of chocolate covered raisins

I love reading about the origins of food and particularly chocolate this confection dates back years before the introduction of the relative new kid on the chocolate block Raisinets in 1927 across America

Religion and chocolate

Having done lots of research about chocolate and its history and some theology studies, I have found its just about impossible to separate chocolate and religion,

How to make a sour dough starter

While we are staying away from the high street and trying to fill our enforced free-time now is the time to dust off the the pinny and learn how to make bread again.

Elevate your barbecue with cocoa and flame rubs

Is it is grilling season yet?

for me more half the meals I cook at home involve the open flame, charcoal, or wood. I love to grill meat and fish but also vegetables for side dishes fruits for desserts.

Chocolate safari Dubai

Dubai with its ultra modern buildings and scorching heat isn’t the first place you’d think to look for premium chocolate let alone an award winning bean to bar maker artisan chocolate factory.

How to dehydrate fruits, vegetables and herbs

Winter can be dull and drab but it's also the time of yearthe shops and markets are full of brightly coloured tangy flavoured citrus fruit like lemons, limes oranges, and kumquats they can bring a ray of sunshine to the darkest days, and can easily be dehydrated, to use all year round.

Top Tips for networking meetings

I assume like me you are bombarded with emails inviting you to a networking breakfast or an early evening meet up, sometimes these are regional sometimes trade specific, some charge a fee some are free but what is true they are often a valuable source of information and even new business. Here are a few of my tips to get the best from networking.

What Is Cocoa Butter?

Let find out about cocoa butter, what is it and can you cook with it?

Christmas 2019: it’s the most chocolatey time of the year

Is christmas the most chocolatey time of year?

some things you may not know about toffee apples.

The Humble toffee apple or carmel apple is actually a seasonal food

as this is the time of year apples are traditionally harvested so are in abundance

Work Christmas Parties

Tis the season to P-A-R-T-Y. Yes, the Christmas Party is looming!

But are you one of these people that can’t wait to let your hair down and let loose with the people you see every day or are you one of those folk that slowly fills up with dread when you see the invite drop into your inbox?

Cocoa How to Brew With it

There aren’t many things that are as evocative as chocolate. it attributed with everything from giving us strength, intelligence and health to imbuing us with aphrodisiac powers  atrue elixir from the indies. Now, much of this may just be legend, that’s for you to decide,

Chocolate cocktails are a thing!

Can you pair spirts and liquers with chocolate to make cocktails or are they too sweet to mix? Well when I was invited to spent some time with the mixologists at Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow T3 upperclass lounge we discovered the the answer.

Herbs can keep unwanted insects from your table and kitchen

Its BBQ session again you know the its time to shop, chop, rub, marinade, chill, prepare

then take the banquet outside just to find you are also catering for every flying thing imageable, mosquitoes, flies, gnats, ants all looking for a free lunch.

Chefs tips for barbecue perfection

The open flame is the oldest cooking method in the world here are some tips for BBQ perfection

People & Behaviours not Things & Stuff

There is now a well-established school of thought amongst many businesses which says that focus, time and investment should be placed on people and the development of the right behaviours over delivering the short-term profit and objectives.