Books for Cooks

Barbara Burke

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‘Bittersweet’ is a must
for lovers of chocolate

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Like many of us, Alice Medrich grew up on Hershey bars and M&Ms in a world of food vastly different from today's.

"The chocolate that we eat and cook with now is better and more varied than it was 30, 20, even 10 years ago. It is also different in composition. It begs for the creation of new recipes and a fresh take on old ones," explains Medrich, a two-time winner of the coveted James Beard Cookbook of the Year award for her works on chocolate.

"Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate," by Alice Medrich (Artisan, 2003, $35, hardcover)

The author describes her newest cookbook, "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate," as her look at the past and toward the future. It contains nearly 150 recipes (both sweet and savory), spectacular photographs and information for curious cooks who love chocolate and want to taste and use the newest varieties.

In order to increase the flavor intensity of chocolate, you don't need to add more. Adjust proportions of fat, dairy products and sugar instead. Less fat and less sugar bring flavors into sharper focus and allow nuances to be tasted, according to Medrich.

The following pound cake exemplifies these guidelines and is a perfect holiday gift. It is simple to make and lower in fat and calories than a traditional pound cake.

A Light Chocolate Pound

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened natural (not Dutch-process) cocoa powder (see note)
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cold large egg
2 cold large egg whites
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (such as Medaglia d'Oro), or 1-1/4 teaspoons instant coffee powder or crystals
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/2 cup cold low-fat milk
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6-cup tube pan with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add butter, egg and egg whites. Beat exactly 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. When dry ingredients are moistened but not wet, increase speed to high and beat until the 2 minutes are up.

Combine espresso powder, vanilla and milk; add to batter. Beat at high speed exactly 2 more minutes. Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake in lower third of oven just until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired. Serves 12.

Note: You must use natural cocoa as produced by Hershey's and Nestle to remove nearly all its cocoa butter. Dutch-process cocoa will interact badly with the baking soda.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 170 calories, 5 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 3 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate

Rating Scale: Best in its class / Highly recommended / Recommended / Not recommended

Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com