The Good Life

I’ll be starting this show Saturday with a live phone interview with Deborah Cadbury from London.

We’ll be talking about her new book “Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World’s Greatest Chocolate Makers.”

With a cast of characters that wouldn’t be out of place in a Victorian novel, Chocolate Wars tells the story of the great chocolatier dynasties, through the prism of the Cadburys. Chocolate was consumed unrefined and unprocessed as a rather bitter, fatty drink for the wealthy elite until the late 19th century, when the Swiss discovered a way to blend it with milk and unleashed a product that would conquer every market in the world.

Thereafter, one of the great global business rivalries unfolded as each chocolate maker attempted to dominate its domestic market and innovate new recipes for chocolate that would set it apart from its rivals. The contest was full of dramatic contradictions: The Cadburys were austere Quakers who found themselves making millions from an indulgent product; Kitty Hershey could hardly have been more flamboyant yet her husband was moved by the Cadburys tradition of philanthropy. Each was a product of their unique time and place yet they shared one thing: they want to make the best chocolate in the world.

In the second half, it’s all about tea with Robert & Mary Lou Heiss.  There latest book “The Tea Enthusiasts Handbook – A guide to the Worlds Best Teas.”

Making the perfect cuppa is not as easy as it may sound. How hot should the water be? How long should the tea steep? What kind of tea should be used in the first place? All pertinent tea-making questions are answered in knowlegeable, bouyant prose in this handy guide. The authors take readers along as they “explore the world of premium tea”; premium tea, once unknown in the West, is now very popular in the U.S. (“Tea,” by the way, is “the most widely consumed beverage on the planet after water” and “still proudly maintains its title as the world’s oldest beverage.”) Guidance is extended to purchasing and steeping tea, but the in-depth discussions of the properties and particular pleasures of the six classes of tea dominate most of the book’s pleasurable pages. Information on tea storage and a glossary round out this excellent introduction to a special world. –Brad Hooper Booklist

Just got a  new kitchen toy that is the answer for brewing the perfect cup of tea, and so much more…my new Aroma stainless steel electric kettle.  4.5 minutes from COLD water to a roiling boil, this is a great addition to any kitchen.   While living in England we had an electric kettle, it was slow but functional and used often to make the perfect cup of tea.  My stainless steel Aroma 270  Electric Kettle looks good and works even better.  Great for more than tea and hot chocolate…think instant noodles, soups or anything that starts with boiling water.  They come in several colors and Aroma has other styles too.  Check it out and order one today! 

The Good Life Guy Wine of The Week…
2008 Bernardus Monterey Chardonnay
Bold, rich and layered, with a medley of smoky fig, toasty oak, hazelnut and roasted marshmallow flavors that are pure, focused, intense and concentrated, ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015. 22,380 cases made. Best Buy”

92 Points

Wine Spectator