February 2011 Update
The Food Network has many videos about chocolate for Valentine’s Day, from holding a chocolate tasting to making chocolate truffles and hearts. Flip through the videos here.
(l to r): Nigella's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake, Emeril's Spiced and Spiked Hot Chocolate, Bobby's Chocolate Compone, and Giada's Gianduja Souffles
For a long, long, long time I was single on Valentine’s Day. In fact, I was single about 90% of the year or more. So I always thought Valentine’s Day was a terrible, stupid, discriminatory holiday. Except for two things that is: conversation hearts and chocolate.
Yes, the chocolate, especially the heart boxes full of M&Ms or vanilla butter creams. This I liked about Valentine’s Day.
Even though I’m married now, I still think chocolate is the best part of the holiday. (Hmm, I hope my husband doesn’t read this and take that statement the wrong way.) What I mean is, chocolate is a benefit everyone can appreciate.
That’s why I love the Food Network’s chocolate weekend. Take a look at this list of 5 shows on Saturday and Sunday to find one that fits your chocolate personality. The list reflects my love of the sweet side of chocolate, but you can look at the Food Network’s full TV schedule for Saturday and Sunday to find the shows that highlight chocolate’s savory side.
Saturday
1) If you like your chocolate in cakes and brownies, watch Nigella Feasts at 7;30 a.m. Yes, I know this is a very early hour to be awake and thinking about dessert for most of the world. But if you like to rise with the sun and you think about chocolate first thing in the morning (um, this is me), you can watch Nigella make bakery classics like cakes, cheesecake, triple chocolate brownies, and hot chocolate spiked with rum.
2) If you like the hypnotic effect of food shows (and chocolate), you might like The Barefoot Contessa’s “Baking Basics” show at 1:30 p.m. There is something strangely calming about watching Ina Garten cook in her large kitchen with supplies from her enormous garden for her many friends in East Hampton, especially because with the TV shows and cookbooks, her life is probably crazier than it seems. But she makes it look easy. In this episode, Ina makes cookies, Irish soda bread, and savory palmiers. OK, the cookies are the only chocolate part of the program, but I can’t have a Food Network list without including the Barefoot Contessa.
Sunday
3) If you like the savory and sweet side of chocolate, turn to the old master of the Food Network, Emeril Lagasse. On the “Chocolate” episode of The Essence of Emeril at 7:00 a.m., he makes beef stew with chocolate, then follows it up with a chocolate torte and “spiced and spiked hot chocolate.” ( I am loving spicy hot chocolate these days.)
4) If you want to hold a
chocolate tasting party with food and drinks, watch Everyday Italian‘s “Chocolate Tasting Party” at 9:30 a.m. Should you be inspired by the title to invite your friends and family over to sample chocolate, you will have three ideas for your tasting if you watch this show. Giada makes gianduja soufflé – gianduja is a chocolate made with hazelnut paste – chocolate espresso bellini, and Panini with chocolate and brie.
5) If you order chocolate
desserts at restaurants, Bobby Flay is your host. On Boy Meets Grill at 10:30 a.m., Bobby makes chocolate compone with hot Mexican chocolate sauce (this is chocolate cornbread, chocolate custard, and chocolate sauce – yum!), milk chocolate banana pudding, and white chocolate rice pudding with cherries jubilee and sliced almonds.
Images courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com.
