Tag: ben heggy chocolates
Cheese and Chocolate: A Taste of Heaven on Earth!
How to Pair Cheese and… Chocolate?
Who doesn’t love cheese or chocolate? But together? Believe it or not, they’re actually the perfect combination for a tasting!
Cheese and chocolate are so different that the thought of pairing them seems difficult. The key to this type of tasting is keeping it simple. Both are super-rich foods and a little goes a long way. Choose quality over quantity and limit to three to five pairings.
For a great chocolate selection and a wide selection of domestic and imported cheeses, visit Shisler’s Cheese House!
The Art of Tasting
Learning how to taste cheese and chocolate will deepen your appreciation for the foods and makers. Start with your basic senses and expand from there. Be sure both are room temperature before tasting. Remove the cheeses from refrigerator at least 20-35 minutes before the tasters arrive to maximize flavors and aromas. Cold cheese does not release flavors and aromas as quickly and alters the taste.
First, look…
Cheese: Some cheeses are intense in color while others are not. Look at the cheese rind. Is it uniform? Any cracks? Is the cheese dry like a walnut shell or moist like a sliced apple?
Chocolate: For chocolate, color depends on the origin of the beans. Quality chocolate will be shiny, glossy, and have clean edges. Look for bloom or grayish white steaks caused by poor temperature and improper storage.
Second, smell to appreciate…
Cheese: Cheese offers a full spectrum of aromas such as fresh butter, boiled milk, yogurt, fermented hay, nuts, caramel, chocolate, spices, mold and animal (yes, animal!)
Chocolate: There is an incredible array of scents and aromas in chocolate. Milk chocolate aromas may include milk, caramel and malt. Dark chocolate may include nuts, coffee, dried fruits and wine.
Third, taste…
Cheese: Is the cheese dense, compact or light? Is it smooth, grainy or crunchy? The higher the butter fat content, the creamier the mouth feel of the cheese will be.
Chocolate: Never chew chocolate. Chocolate should melt in your mouth. Good chocolate will feel silky and smooth. Subpar chocolate may feel grainy, waxy or greasy to the tongue.
Last, the finish..
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Allow the cheese and chocolate to linger to fully appreciate the finale of the flavors. The finish is important as many of the early flavors may be masked by other ingredients.
Not all your cheese and chocolate pairings will be a success, but tasting is half the fun. Take your time and try different pairings. Host a cheese and chocolate event, and guide your friends on a delicious journey. Just remember, keep it simple.
Easter: History, Traditions and Foods
Easter, the day in which Christians celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday or the “highest feast” of the year. It has been called a movable feast because it does not fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the Western Rite celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the Vernal Equinox, that is, the first day of astronomical Spring. Because of this, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to determine on what date Easter will fall and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western Rite celebrates Easter as the Western Rite follows the Gregorian calendar.
Origins of Easter
The exact origins of the name “Easter” aren’t entirely known, although there is plenty of speculation on it. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. While other sources trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient Latin reference to Easter week and the white clothing worn by those baptized during that time frame. It wasn’t until a translation error, that the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually came to be known as Easter in present-day English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, meaning Passover. Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, the Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt from slavery. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.
In addition to Easter’s religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.
Traditions
EASTER BUNNY
While the Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short and bushy-tailed creature who hops on its hind legs to deliver decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday, the Easter bunny has become an iconic symbol of the Easter holiday. The exact origins of the Easter Bunny are, again, unclear, but rabbits, known to be procreators, are an ancient symbol of both fertility and new life, quite fitting for the meaning of this great holiday. According to some sources, the Easter bunny made its first appearance in America in the 1700s with German immigrants in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called Osterhase. The children would make nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. This custom eventually made its way all the U.S. The Easter Bunny has been known deliver chocolates and other types of candy and gifts, while the original nests advanced into beautifully decorated baskets. As tradition has it, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his deliveries.
EASTER EGGS
The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to symbolize Jesus’ resurrection, his emergence from the tomb. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back circa the 13th century, as source claim. One theory for the painting of eggs at Easter is that eggs were normally a food that was frowned upon during the Lenten season, therefore, people would decorate these eggs to signify the end of the period of penance and fasting and the beginning of the Easter celebration and new life.
Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular Easter traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878 under President Rutherford B. Hayes.
EASTER CANDY
Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus’ resurrection. Another Easter candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter around the 1930s. According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter!
Other favorite Easter candies include: Chocolate Bunnies, Chocolate Crosses, Filled Chocolate Eggs and other Chocolate assortmentments.
Shisler’s Cheese House carries a wide assortment of foods to bring a taste of Easter to your home! Be sure to stop in and find out how we can help!
EASTER PARADE
In New York City, the Easter Parade tradition dates back to around the mid-1800s, when the upper tier of society attended Easter services acrossvarious church along Fifth Avenue, then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new spring outfits and hats. Average citizens started showing up along Fifth Avenue to check out the action as time wore on. The tradition reached its peak by the mid-20th century.
Today, the Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being closed to vehicular traffic. Participants often sport elaborately decorated Easter apparel. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days. Today, other cities across America also have their own parades.
From Shisler’s Cheese House to your house, wishing you and your loved ones a safe, happy and blessed Easter!
Why Heggy’s Chocolates are better than the Rest
Heggy’s Chocolates Assortment
Ask any passionate chocolate lover and he (or she) will tell you all about the deliciously rich, creamy and smooth Heggy’s chocolates. Heggy’s Candy Company has been offering premium high quality chocolates for over nine decades. Since the time of its establishment in 1923, the company has been providing consumers with premium hand crafted candies and chocolates throughout America.
Today, Heggy’s continues to be a family owned and operated business. They have been serving the community and customers with a high level of commitment and have continued to keep the almost extinct handcrafting quality chocolates and candies alive.
Withstanding the test of time, they have perfected the art of creating masterpieces in chocolate. Every single piece of candy and chocolate offered by Heggy’s is created with a lot of necessary patience and care. Candies and chocolates manufactured by Heggy’s are also packed to precision in individual wrappers. This helps retain their delicious flavor and freshness.
No wonder there are many devoted candy lovers in America loyal to Heggy’s. Chocolates and candies are offered today by this brand over the internet expanding its reach. You can choose from the delicious catalog and have the exquisite flavor of Heggy’s delivered right to your doorstep.
Heggy’s chocolates and candies are ideal as gifts for any occasion. Enjoy the unique taste of their milk chocolates or choose from the exciting range of mouth watering dark chocolates. Bite into the delicious milk chocolate crunch and savor the elusive taste of those buttery peanut brittle bits dipped in rich milk chocolate.
Reach out for the maple walnut creams or enjoy the amazing taste of milk chocolate sprinkled with English walnuts with a soft cream center. The popular milk peanut clusters chocolates come with a vanilla cream center covered with chocolate and fresh ground peanut blend.
If you love dark chocolate, choose the dark chocolate crunch, maple walnut creams, dark chocolate peanut clusters, dark chocolate brownie, peppermint and jersey creams, dark chocolate coated caramel or dark chocolate French mint. There is no dearth of choice.
Heggy’s also has on offer a range of rich caramels including the delicious butterscotch, mouthwatering almond and exciting Brazil nut, pecan, walnut and plain vanilla caramel. This is not all. Heggy’s offers a variety of high quality nuts such as the Redskin Peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, whole cashews, natural pistachios, fancy mixed nuts, roasted salted pecans, roasted salted macadamia nuts, smoked almonds and blanched almonds. If you love chocolates, candies and nuts, Heggy’s is an experience not to be missed.
