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The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters
Cultural History of Chocolate
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For some of us, a bit of fine, luxurious chocolate can soothe our stress or brighten a dreary day. But how many of us know that our Godiva bar started out as a goopy white substance from the insides of an ugly cacao pod? Maricel Presilla, author of The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao , shares some history and cultural lore about our antidote of choice and leaves us with two recipes: Kekehi Cacao-Chile Balls and Maya-Mediterranean Chocolate Rice Pudding. Jane and Michael Stern are sampling smoked eel and other delicacies from The Eel Man of the Delaware Valley; and winemaker Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyards talks "wine of the prostitute" and Strawberry…