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AD 2009, Volume 6, Issue 1

Lest you think chocolate the province of schlemiels and sissies, the conquistadores—having been introduced to chocolate through the Aztecs—gushed about its qualities. In a letter to his king, Charles I of Spain, Cortes wrote, “The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food.” Since then, chocolate has been credited as a source of energy, and long-life. Cardinal Richelieu’s brother drank it to “modify the vapors of his spleen and to fight against fits of anger and bad moods.” And chocolate is famous as an aphrodisiac, Louis the XVth’s frigid mistress Madame Pompadour using it to stoke her internal fires.

But we don’t need reasons to love chocolate. Regardless of its purported benefits, chocolate remains one of those reminders that God loves us and wants us to be happy. And so, in order to spread the love around a little bit more thickly, the editors of St. Anne’s Pub devote this issue to honoring chocolate. Our first guest is Dr. Louis Grivetti, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Grivetti talks to us of the history of chocolate. And playing the role of Mad Scientist for this edition we have Dr. Andy McShea, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Scientist for Theo Chocolates of Seattle. Besides telling us of the intriguing chemistry of chocolate, Dr. McShea gives us an inside look at the art and science of crafting fine chocolate.

In the mix of our chocolate issue we have a debate on the merits of dark v. light chocolate, assorted anecdotes, stories, and movie reviews.