I heard about Cabaret Brewed Chocolate on Evan Kleinman's Good Food on KCRW. The April 19th broadcast is available on either site. (Oh, and Good Food is quickly becoming one of my favorite podcasts, right up there with This American Life and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.)
The makers say that this is possibly the closest experience you can have to the original way that Mayans drank cacao. Rather than shipping you ground beans, though, they concentrate a pound of cacao beans and some cane sugar down to 24 teaspoons worth of syrup. You mix one teaspoon into 4 ounces of water and it makes the muddy cup you see above.
From my first sample, I'd say that I found the lightly chocolate flavor pleasant. It finished with a hint of toasted grain.
I didn't notice any of the mood altering effects that the brew is purported to induce in some people. Energizing? Calming? I'll give it another whirl, for sure.
Here's a shot that shows off my vintage Washington, DC souvenir teacup. It has three kookie little feet on the bottom, which makes it a little perilous.
I have about three of these types of teacups. Then I came to my senses and realized a collection like this could take over my life.
WARNING: If you are squeamish about spiders and/or the brutal realities of nature, don't read any further!!
We've been letting this spider live in our master bathroom, over the seldom-used bathtub (it's separate from the oft-used shower stall) because it's been helpful in capturing the moths that sometimes flutter out of the parrot and budgie food.
Today a fly got into the house. Yeah, I admit it, I helped drive the fly into the web. It was amazing to see the spider rush over and take care of it.
There was lots of wrapping and moving and then more wrapping. The spider hung by two legs while it worked its webbing with the others.
And it's lunch time!
We left to run errands right after this little incident. I think this was a tasty and intoxicating treat for the spider.
When we got back, the spider was kind of lying face down in the fly.
"Burrrp. That was delishush."
Okay, sorry folks. But I have a little bit of a Marlon Perkins swagger on this evening.
Man, that guy was a hero of mine when I was a kid. Not least because he always managed to stay on the bank while the intrepid Jim waded into the river and wrestled the giant snake, or got bitten by a scorpion, or let a monkey rip out little tufts of his sideburns.
6 comments:
If you start constructing giant stepped pyramids in the backyard or playing ball games with life or death odds, I'd lay off the chocolate.
We never missed Wild Kingdom when I was a kid. Poor Jim.
love the pix (even the gruesome ones!), love the writing and I love reading the comments too! k
We kept several spiders in our house too. They were kind of like our little pets. Each one had their own little spot. But we were having a really hard time keeping up with the house work and hired a cleaner. I forgot to tell her about the spiders. When I got home that day after the first cleaning, all the spidies were gone. It was a sad and sordid tale. Now I take them out if I see them.
k - Thanks!
Fingers - We're beginning to think that the spider may need to go outside. He made quick work of the fly...wondering if it's really getting enough to eat in there!
These photos were AMAAAAAZING!!!
Noel... Maybe we should collaborate on something. Bugs and brews of SoCal?
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