Can't help falling in love with you

My favourite episode of Jamie Oliver's "Oliver's Twist" series is simply entitled "Chocolate". The plot is as follows: Jamie and his wife are celebrating their wedding anniversary but have no one to look after their 4 month old daughter. So Jamie cons some chicks from his restaurant to babysit her in return for some chocolate goodies that he concocts in front of us. The recipes are typically Jamie - easy and absolutely delish. During the episode, the girls are asked why they like eating chocolate so much and one of them simply replies "because eating chocolate is like falling in love". And I completely agree with her.

Here's what Wikipedia says about chocolate and the love aspect: "Romantic lore commonly identifies chocolate as an aphrodisiac. The reputed aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are most often associated with the simple sensual pleasure of its consumption. Additionally, chocolate's sweet and fatty nature may stimulate the hypothalamus, inducing pleasureable sensations as well as affecting the levels of serotonin. While serotonin has a pleasurable effect, in high concentrations it can be converted to melatonin which in large amounts reduces sexual drive. Finally, chocolate has been shown to contain unsaturated N-acylethanolamines which might activate cannabinoid receptors or increase endocannabinoid levels resulting in heightened sensitivity and euphoria. Although there is no firm proof that chocolate is indeed an aphrodisiac, a gift of chocolate is a familiar courtship ritual."

So there's no hard and fast evidence that eating chocolate is like falling in love. But read again the following sentence from the above extract: "The reputed aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are most often associated with the simple sensual pleasure of its consumption." That to me sums up everything we do in life for pleasure. A scientist can't tell you what makes you feel good and not so good, what music to listen to and what to avoid, what and who to love and not to love. It's your gut instinct that tells you, your heart, there's little or no logical or scientific explanation to it. Personally, I think that although logic is all well and good, too much logic can keep us away from the people and things we love most and sometimes, instead of thinking it helps us can hinder us. We should start listening to hearts and guts more instead of our heads.

So go out and buy yourself the best bar of chocolate you can (I can recommend Lindt or Valrhona), sit somewhere nice and comfortable and have a piece or two. Or have some chocolate ice cream. Or go for a walk. Or ride your bike. Or read a book. Or strum your guitar. Or listen to some music you like. Or phone or visit a friend. Or write a blog. Whatever you do, do something you like that makes you feel good. It may not seem logical to you or the people you know, but who cares? It'll do wonders for you.

If you have a bit more free time on your hands, and you like cooking like me, here's a recipe from the "Chocolate" episode that's just divine - chocolate sundaes.



Mmmmm...all this talking about chocolate has given me a bad case of the munchies...I'm off to have a piece of Valrhona pecan chocolate...yum!

Talk soon,
The Knitting Songbird