A house divided: One chocolate lover, two who (gasp) give it a pass

As Valentine's Day approaches, I find myself engaged in a conversation with our daughter about why we will not celebrate this day of love with a dinner solely composed of chocolate desserts.

She is one of the hordes who insist that they cannot function without the daily consumption of a product derived from the cocoa bean.

Unfortunately, she has parents who don't get it.

What's more, regarding that all-dessert celebration, we'd rather have, say, strawberry shortcake or a soft molasses cookie after consuming a meal that roughly satisfies USDA daily nutritional requirements.

We obviously are outside the mainstream.

There appears to be a moral and cultural imperative in America and elsewhere to crave products derived from the cocoa bean, and, especially on Feb. 14, to give them as expressions of love.

As we all know, scientists have been probing the chemistry behind reported effects of chocolate on humans for a while now.

One recent news story reported that 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate eaten every day for two weeks reduced stress hormones in the bodies of test subjects. There's a study concluding that eating chocolate can blunt pain, and another stating that it contains high levels of phenolics, thought to help lower the risk of heart disease.

It contains caffeine and theobromine, both stimulants. It also contains phenylethylamine, an amino acid associated with falling in love. It also contains tryptophan, which some link to sexual arousal. These all may contribute to the "lift" often described by chocolate worshippers.

What does this say about those of us who never crave chocolate, who have always allowed the contents of heart-shaped sampler boxes to go stale?

As far as I know, no clinical trials have been conducted on this group of non-chocolate lovers. It's worrisome.

Even worse are the feelings of alienation that come from the incredulity expressed by chocoholics hearing the news that their drug does not make my pulse quicken.

A timely event in China reveals that the chocolate industry is seeking worldwide domination. Just a few weeks ago, the World Chocolate Wonderland opened in Beijing. It was conceived as a marketing ploy to seduce the Chinese (who thus far have not been exposed to much chocolate) into becoming chocolate slaves.

The five-acre theme park, which is on the site of the 2008 Olympic Games, contains 80 tons of chocolate imported from Belgium and molded into, among other things: a life-size BMW, motorcycles, the Great Wall of China, thousands of replicas of the 560 famed Terra Cotta Army statues, flowers, and even Louis Vuitton handbags.

And, oh yes, there's a replica of basketball star Michael Jordan's shoes made out of chocolate. A fashion show that took place on opening day featured models wearing dresses, capes, armor, hats, and more made of chocolate. The exhibit is open until April, when 500 people will be permitted to eat everything.

I'm puzzled at what I imagine will be a steady stream of salivating tourists.

My concession to our in-house chocoholic will be a rich chocolate dessert - not desserts. I'm thinking that Lynne Rossetto Kasper's Little French Fudge Cakes will sufficiently convey my love and show respect for my daughter's chocolate addiction.

For everybody else, there'll be tropical fruit in a lemongrass syrup; strawberry shortcake out of the hot cookbook Momofuku.

Or maybe a chocolate/raspberry tart that bridges this familial gustatory divide.

Problem solved. If only all of life and love could be figured out so simply.

Makes 8 servings

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For the macerated straw-

berries:

4 cups strawberries, preferably sweet and not too large

1/4 cup sugar

For the shortcakes:

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Whipped cream

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1. To prepare the macerated strawberries, one to two hours before you intend to serve them, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar. Set aside.

2. For the cakes, crack the egg into a small graduated measuring cup and whisk it to thoroughly mix the white and yolk. Decant or spoon off half of it and discard what you remove. Add enough cream to the measuring cup to make 1/2 cup. Stir briefly, then refrigerate the mixture.

3. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to mix. Add the butter and shortening and turn on the mixer to its lowest setting. Mix until the batter is gravelly, with pea-sized lumps everywhere, no more than 4 minutes.

4. Take the cream mixture from the refrigerator and stream it into the batter, stirring it in with the machine still on its lowest speed. Do this for as short a time as possible, just until the liquid is barely absorbed. Do not overly mix. Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl for 10 minutes.

5. Scoop the batter into little balls, using about 2 tablespoons for each. You can assist their shaping lightly with your hands. Line up the balls - you should have 8 - on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment.

7. Pour the confectioners' sugar into a wide, shallow bowl. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat very lightly, tap off the excess and place each ball on a prepared sheet pan with enough room between balls to allow them to double their footprint while baking.

8. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. They will spread and then rise. The confectioners' sugar on the outside should crackle when they're ready. Over-baked is preferable to under-baked with these cakes. If their centers fall after you pull them from the oven, bake them for another minute or so.

9. Serve with macerated strawberries and their juices and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

Per serving: 476 calories, 4 grams protein, 59 grams carbohydrates, 38 grams sugar, 26 grams fat, 82 milligrams cholesterol, 794 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

Makes 4 servings

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1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 bulb fresh lemongrass, smashed and chopped (1 1/2 tablespoons)

3 coriander seeds

1 whole clove

1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder

Three 2-by-3/4-inch strips each lime and orange zest, removed with vegetable peeler

Three 2-by-3/4-inch strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1 vanilla bean

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

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1.   In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, lemongrass, coriander seeds, clove, five-spice power, zests, and ginger. With a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise in half, scrape out the seeds, and add the seeds and bean to the pan. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Let cool.

2.   Strain the syrup and stir in the lime juice. Can be made up to 1 week ahead; cover and refrigerate. Makes 1 cup.

Notes: Goes well with mango, pineapple, kiwi, papaya, and passion fruit.

Per serving: 41 calories, trace protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams sugar, trace fat, no cholesterol, trace sodium, trace dietary fiber.EndText

Makes 8 to 10 servings

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40 gingersnap wafers (about 1 1/2 cups when finely ground)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Small pinch table salt

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1. Position rack in middle of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Oil the sides and bottom of 9½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

2. In a food processor, grind the gingersnaps until they're the texture of sand. Transfer to a bowl, add the melted butter, and work it in by squishing the mixture together with your hands. Press into the sides and bottom of the oiled tart pan. Set the pan on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.

3. Bake the tart crust on the baking sheet until fragrant, about 15 minutes, checking and rotating if needed to make sure the crust doesn't get too dark. Set on a rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, pass 1 cup of the berries through a food mill fitted with a fine disk or force them through a fine sieve, mashing with a wooden spoon, into a medium bowl. (You'll have about 1/2 cup puree; set it aside and discard the contents of the sieve.)

5. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream just until boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate; whisk to blend. Stir in the raspberry puree and the salt.

6. Pour the mixture (ganache) into the cooled tart shell. Refrigerate until the ganache is fairly firm, about 1 hour.

7. Arrange the remaining raspberries on top of the ganache; they should completely cover the surface. Chill until the ganache is completely firm, about 30 minutes, and serve.

Note: Because the ganache filling of this easy-to-make tart is chilled slightly, the raspberries won't sink into the chocolate filling. This tart can be made up to a day ahead.

Per serving (based on 10): 406 calories, 3 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams sugar, 25 grams fat, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 266 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.EndText

Makes 6 cupcakes

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One 3.5 or 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, broken up

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken up

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs plus 1 yolk (for a double recipe, use 5 eggs)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, organic preferred

Half of a 3.5- to 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, broken into bite-size pieces

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1.   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a dark metal 6-cup cupcake tin.

2.   Combine the broken-up bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates with the butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Melt them for 2 to 3 minutes at medium-low power. Check by stirring, as chocolate holds its shape when microwaved. Or melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.

3.   In a medium to large bowl, whisk the cinnamon with the vanilla, eggs and yolk, sugar and salt until creamy. Stir in the flour to blend thoroughly. Then stir in the chocolate/butter mixture until smooth. Finally, blend in the bite-size pieces of chocolate. Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each cup three-quarters full.

4.   Bake the cupcakes for 18 minutes. Insert a knife into the center of a cupcake. It should come out with some streaks of thick batter. If you have any doubt about doneness, press the top of a cupcake to see if it is nearly firm. Remove cupcakes from the oven. Cool them in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes to serve warm, or for 20 minutes to serve at room temperature.

- From The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (Potter, 2008)

Note: These cupcakes with a molten center truly have a bittersweet flavor, so add an additional 3 tablespoons of sugar if you are serving these to children.

Per cupcake: 375 calories, 6 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrates, 31 grams sugar, 25 grams fat, 132 milligrams cholesterol, 78 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.EndText