"My journey of showing people
how to eat better (and enjoy it) ​
has helped me to understand that spotlighting what drives others
to produce great products…
​sharing their insights and talents…
​is a gift to self." ~ Laura Pensiero

ARCHIVED COLUMNS:

December 2019:
"Happy Healthy Holidays"
​May 2019: 
"Pull the Trigger:
Your Health is What Matters Most"
April 2019
"Introducing Laura Pensiero, RD"

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Ode to Chocolate
February 2020

For some, life without chocolate is void of meaning, while others find no temptation at all. On the sliding scale of chocolate lovers, I fall somewhere in the middle. I go through periods when I consume more and other times when I can take or leave it. I attribute this to what is going on in my life more than cravings per se.
 
When I lived in Italy, I ate chocolate daily – the quality was exceptional, the portion sizes were perfect for a quick bite, and it could be purchased in just about every café/bar. Additionally, once you’re grooving on the complete Italian lifestyle, a little pop of chocolate every day just seems to fit in with the routine.

While not consciously, I gave up chocolate for quite a while – I just didn’t desire it enough to search out top quality and did not want to purchase more than I needed for a quick taste. Now, with top-quality chocolate more readily available in almost all shopping venues, I’m indulging again, both in snacking and cooking.

Chocolate and cocoa powder are underrated in cooking. Perhaps the classic Mexican mole sauce comes to mind, but there are so many other uses for chocolate in savory dishes. Here are a few ideas to get that chocolate fix with something other than a decadent dessert:

• A bit of dark chocolate and cocoa powder can lend a little salt-sweet balance and bittersweet flavor to beef stews and braises.
• Both coffee and cocoa, along with some warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, paprika) and a bit of cayenne, can make delish rubs for beef and pork.
• Some melted dark chocolate or cocoa powder can lend depth to BBQ sauces, especially chipotle or ancho.
• A few tablespoons of cocoa powder can add depth to spicy dishes, such as chili.

And chocolate has many health benefits, too!

FOODIE FACTS
"Potential Health Benefits of Chocolate"

Powerful Phytochemicals: Cocoa beans contain dozens of potent plant compounds that can have significant health promoting effects. Among these are a class of phytochemical called flavonoids which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may improve blood flow. Antioxidants help to rid your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer. Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases - heart disease, stroke, and diabetes are among them. With chronic inflammation, your body is on alert all the time. This prolonged state of “stress” can cause lasting damage to your heart, blood vessels, brain and other organs.
 
Cognitive Function: A study conducted in Spain showed that older adults who consumed 10 grams (about 1/3 oz) of chocolate per day have better cognitive function than non-chocolate eaters. Other studies, including a review in the May 2017 edition of Frontiers in Nutrition and a 2012 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, seem to support this “associative” effect.
​
Favorable Impact on Blood Pressure: A Harvard study, co-authored by Eric Ding, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, analyzed 24 chocolate studies involving 1,106 people. It found that dark chocolate lowered blood pressure in all participants, but most notably in those with hypertension. The study joins the growing research into the heart-healthy benefits of flavonoids, which seem to cause dilation of the blood vessels.
 
Insulin Sensitivity: Who would think chocolate might improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin? Dr. Eric Ding reports that researchers also found that chocolate increased insulin sensitivity, a positive for weight maintenance and lowering diabetes risk.
 
Positive Effect on Serum Lipid Levels: Dr. Ding and Harvard researchers additionally found indication for a small decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol and a significant increase in HDL (good) cholesterol. Triglycerides levels were not affected.

Some caveats to consider…

The closer the product is to the original cocoa bean, the more beneficial compounds it will contain. As with most health promoting foods, the less processing the better. A piece of dark chocolate or pure cocoa powder will afford phytochemicals better than milk chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, brownies, ice cream, or pudding, for example. Look for products containing at least 50 to 70 percent cocoa.
 
More is not necessarily better. Scientists are not conclusive on how much chocolate will provide benefits; and, while potentially beneficial, chocolate can add substantial calories to your daily intake. In evaluating the many studies, it would seem that about 1 to 2 ounces of good quality (high cacao content*) chocolate might be the best course. This said, if you’re not already a chocolate eater, the strength of the evidence does not support adding chocolate as a daily staple – if you are a “chocophile,” enjoy the flavors in moderation.

Let's Compare:

• Unsweetened chocolate: 100 percent cacao.
• Bittersweet chocolate: 35 to 99 percent cacao
• Sweet chocolate: 15 to 34 percent cacao
• Milk chocolate: Contains at least 10 percent unsweetened chocolate
• White Chocolate: Does not qualify as genuine chocolate because it doesn't contain chocolate solids (cacao)

 
*Cacao: a dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South American evergreen tree (Theobroma cacao of the family Sterculiaceae) that is used in making cocoa, chocolate, and cocoa butter.

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TRY LAURA'S DELICIOUS RECIPE:

Montepulciano and Chocolate Braised Beef Short Ribs (Makes 4 to 6 Servings)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 lbs. bone-in short ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder (60 to 70 % cocoa)
4 peeled, smashed garlic cloves
3 stalks celery
1 large Spanish onion
¼ cup tomato paste
3 cups medium-bodied red wine (suggest Montepulciano)
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 oz dark chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
 
Preheat oven to 300F. 
 
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef ribs with salt and pepper and rub with cocoa powder. In batches, cook ribs, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Transfer ribs to a large plate as they brown and continue searing remaining ribs. When all ribs are browned and transferred to a plate or platter, add the celery, onion, and garlic to the Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and fragrant (6 to 7 minutes). Add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, stirring sucs (bottom browned bits) from bottom of pan and reducing by half (3 to 5 minutes). Stir in the stock and return ribs to the pan along with bay ribs, vinegar, and cayenne.

Montepulciano and Chocolate Braised Beef Short Ribs

Bring to a boil, then cover, and transfer to the oven, and cook until beef is very tender (2 to 2 ½ hours). Transfer beef to a large platter or half sheet pan.
 
Skim any obvious fat from the surface of the sauce, bring to a simmer, then stir in dark chocolate, and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in butter, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Return the short ribs to the pan.
 
Serve over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or simply sautéed vegetables. ​

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Laura Pensiero is Sanctuary's nutrition columnist and the founder, chef/owner and creative force behind Gigi Hudson Valley (Gigi Trattoria and Gigi Catering). She is the author of Hudson Valley Mediterranean and co-author of The Strang Cancer Prevention Center Cookbook. Find out more about Laura by reading her interview with Sanctuary HERE.