Chocolate

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband likes to call to ask me for advice. Our most recent conversation was in regard to his girlfriend and her sexual past, which he knew about before they started dating. He now disapproves of her history and he began calling her unpleasant names. Hearing this sort of talk gives me a stomachache. I feel terrible for the woman. I want to be a friend to my ex, but I'm not sure I can handle the stress it causes. — Wisconsin Reader DEAR READER:The next time your ex starts asking you for relationship advice, tell him you don't like hearing the way he talks about his girlfriend.

8 tonight DISCOVERY Chocolate has an outrageous history, intricate scientific structure and even health benefits. It also energized the Aztecs, transformed television, helped win World War II and may save the rain forest.

24 S. High St. West Chester www.eclatchocolate.com 610-692-5206

In the realm of chocolate desserts, richness to the point of decadence is more a virtue than a vice. There are sophisticated cooking techniques for achieving such intensity, and thankfully, a few useful shortcuts. Classic baked chocolate custard and chocolate mousse are renowned for their exquisite richness. Traditionally, in these desserts the richness is supplied by chocolate and cream but also by eggs, which contribute structural stability. It's also eggs that can make these classics challenging to prepare.

Do you know that the United States is the world's largest importer of cocoa? That each American gobbles an average of 9.7 pounds of chocolate candy a year? That chocolates are chock-full of saturated fats? But this, or anything else, doesn't seem to matter much when you've got your heart set on devouring a morsel or more of chocolate. You know the feeling - you see an ad for a candy bar and, suddenly, you find yourself at the store, scanning the candy aisle for the perfect fix. There's no denying chocolate's powers to tantalize, and no wonder that it has a reputation as a cure-all.

A few days ago, a newspaper in San Diego pulled ads for "Better Than Chocolate" because they featured the word "lesbian. " Apparently, the paper is showing a belated concern for the sensitivity of readers, who presumably had already digested the ads for "American Pie," which use a variety of puns to herald its story of a male teen, a chronic masturbator who finds an outlet for his sex drive by harpooning a warm dessert. As heterosexual comedies (if having sex with a pie can be said to be heterosexual)

Dear Polly: I am trying to stay away from caffeine, and friends have suggested that I avoid drinking hot cocoa and other chocolate drinks. Is this true? How much caffeine is in chocolate? - Amanda Dear Amanda: It is true that cocoa and chocolate products contain some caffeine; however, the amount they contain is quite low compared to other beverages such as coffee, tea and cola drinks. Whether this small amount can affect an individual depends upon how sensitive you are to caffeine.

Q. Lately, carob has become popular as a substitute for chocolate. As a child I used to love to eat carob pods. I still like them but wonder whether they are fattening, whether they contain cholesterol, and whether they are any good from a dietary viewpoint. E. Blattberg Deerfield Beach, Fla. A. Carob is the fleshy pod of an evergreen tree native to the Middle East. The pods are about six inches long, leathery on the outside and sweet on the inside, and have a sugar content of up to 50 percent.

From the doorway you can see her - past polished showcases of carefully arranged chocolates, beyond solid mahogany counter tops filled with felt and foil hearts, behind towering stacks of ribbon-tied, red-wrapped candy boxes. There, bent over a worktable in the back of Shane Candy Co. in Old City, is the white-haired, white-aproned woman who - she'll be happy to tell you - has hand-dipped every almond crunch and every vanilla cream. And every marshmallow and every cashew, every glazed cherry and peanut butter ball, every nougat and coconut cluster.

DEAR ABBY: I heard that your dessert recipes are fabulous. Would you print your favorite? — Anita B. in New Jersey DEAR ANITA:It would be one that not only I have enjoyed, but also one I have made for friends as gifts — Regency Brownies With Chocolate Frosting. BROWNIES 1 cup butter (2 sticks) 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon vanilla FROSTING 1 cup heavy cream 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For banana and dried cherry syrup: 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups water 8 ounces dried cherries 12 ounces bananas, sliced 2 cups maple syrup For waffles: 3 eggs, separated 3 tablespoons granulated sugar ? cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons oil   1. To make the sauce, bring water and sugar to a simmer until it just begins to turn a light amber color.

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband likes to call to ask me for advice. Our most recent conversation was in regard to his girlfriend and her sexual past, which he knew about before they started dating. He now disapproves of her history and he began calling her unpleasant names. Hearing this sort of talk gives me a stomachache. I feel terrible for the woman. I want to be a friend to my ex, but I'm not sure I can handle the stress it causes. — Wisconsin Reader DEAR READER:The next time your ex starts asking you for relationship advice, tell him you don't like hearing the way he talks about his girlfriend.

Editor's Note: Chillin' Wit' is a regular feature of the Daily News spotlighting a name in the news away from the job. SISTER MARY Scullion's electric warmth fills her cubbyhole of a kitchen. She powers around the small space, rinsing the coffee pot at the sink, slicing blemishes off sweet potatoes with a silver knife, gingerly transferring a cooked turkey from an aluminum roasting pan filled with greasy drippings to a cutting board. She opens the fridge and grabs a wedge of cheese, next an onion.

Parchment paper or vegetable cooking spray, for the baking sheet ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter or nondairy margarine, at room  temperature 2 cups sugar 6 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon kosher-for-Passover  vanilla 2½ cups matzoh cake meal ¾ cup potato starch 4 cups (two 12-ounce bags) semisweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

BRUGES, Belgium - Many claim this picturesque canal-threaded city is the chocolate capital of a country obsessed with bonbons. And the thrill of wandering its ancient cobblestoned streets is to discover, bite by sweet bite, the many true artisans along with the larger companies. Famous names such as Godiva, Neuhaus, Galler, Guylian, and Leonidas are prominently situated along main shopping thoroughfares like Steenstraat. But with an astounding array of 52 chocolate shops scattered across the medieval center of the tourist-rich historic district, there are plenty of unique addresses to sample.

We have plenty of cocoa wizards adding chipotle and pink salt to chocolates, but local LoveBar is focused more on the chocolate itself. Self-taught maker Tegan Hagy, a former Food Trust employee, sources fairly traded, single-origin cocoa beans from such places as Peru and Bolivia, roasts them, separates the nibs from the shell, adds only organic cane sugar, and wraps it up in local art. The result is a bite that lets all the acidic, bitter, fruity nuances...

State Store Pick of the Week Brazin "Old Vine" Zinfandel Lodi, Calif. $14.99* PLCB Item No. 3219 Vines are just like people: They may get less vigorous as they grow older, but they get better at what they do. For winemakers, "old vines" yield much smaller quantities of grapes than young ones, but the grapes are more flavorful. This complex and layered wine is loaded with brandied cherry and molten chocolate aromas. It displays some beautiful "legs" when swirled.

Jim Victor's first chocolate sculpting job nearly ended in a meltdown. The Conshohocken sculptor made busts of stars Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller for a 1982 celebration of the 1,000th performance of the Broadway musical Sugar Babies . The famously big-haired Miller swept into the party and then slammed into the sculpture table. Chocolate heads rolled. Candied Ann's neck was broken; Mickey's nose, crushed. At that moment, Victor's fears about trading on his Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts training to make figures out of food seemed to crystallize.

Here's one of the benefits of spending Valentine's Day at home: You get to eat what you want. Sure, you have to make it, but that also means costs can stay down, and you don't have to fight the crowds or be subjected to a rule-ridden tasting menu. And honestly, when is the last time you had a special dinner with your loved one at home without the TV on? Light some candles. It's a nice thing. Sticking around the abode means you can casually indulge. I've created a menu that allows just that, taking the best of a steak-house dinner and combining it with pop-a-pilsner elements.