Chocolate Gone Wrong
Hello and good day!
My brother Brian and I just recorded a new episode of the Chocolate Bros podcast. We missed last week because I had a family obligation that had been on the calendar for a long time.
But we're back on track this week with a discussion of all the different ways to mess up chocolate. We talk cacao varietals. We talk post-harvest processing. We talk roasting profiles. We talk inclusions. We talk about overdosing on sugar or spice. We talk texture.
I also tell a riveting story about the time I chugged apple cider vinegar trying to cure a cold. What the heck, I'll tell it to you now as well in case you don't get a chance to listen to the podcast.
My dad is from Ft. Wayne Indiana. Many of his relatives lived out in the country on farms when he was growing up. A natural remedy out on those farms was apple cider vinegar. As such, my dad has been drinking apple cider vinegar every morning for decades. He is one of the healthiest and most robust men of his age that you will ever see. He barely ever has a cold.
Several years back, I went through a phase when I was working a lot. I had three young kids, including a newborn, and I was getting run down. I caught cold after cold, and my recovery always took longer than it should.
I was looking for something to provide relief and apple cider vinegar came to mind. I normally get up about two and a half hours earlier than the rest of my family, usually while it is still dark out. So, there I was, alone in my kitchen, looking out the windows at the dark morning.
I served myself a big old tall glass of apple cider vinegar. My hacking cough and nonstop runny nose had been tormenting me and I was becoming desperate. I smelled the cupful of vinegar, and the fumes burned my nostrils and went all the way up into my sinuses, causing my eyes to water.
"Well, if my dad drinks it, it must be ok," I thought.
Against my every instinct, I chugged about half the glass. I immediately began to choke as the vinegar went down my throat, lighting it on fire. A coughing attack broke out. I spit vinegar all over the counter and it came out of my nose, which set my sinuses on fire as well. I stood there breathing hard, my face wet with vinegar, my nose and throat sizzling, looking at the mess I'd made.
"How does my dad do this every morning?" I thought.
I abandoned my plan and cleaned up the kitchen. My family slept through it all and was none the wiser.
Later that day, I told my dad what happened, and he had a good laugh at my expense. I asked how he'd kept up such a challenging routine over all these years. Turns out you are supposed to dilute a spoonful of vinegar into a cup of water. And he sweetens the concoction with honey on top of that.
I suppose you live, and you learn.
Anyhow, if you are interested in listening to the podcast about chocolate gone wrong, simply click the link below.
Thank you so much for your time today.
I hope that you have a truly blessed day!
Adam
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