Lost in a haze of carnal pleasure, I lounged in Jean-Paul Hevin's sleek shop on the rue Saint-Honore in Paris, sipping from a cup of his sumptuous hot chocolate and meditating upon the Olmecs. For it was the Olmec people of southern Mexico who, while building the first major civilization in the Americas more than 3,000 years ago, discovered a method for turning cocoa beans into chocolate. a tricky process at the best of times. Across the vast gulf of time, the Olmecs are calling to us. "Chocolate equals civilization," they are saying, "and vice versa."
In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the milk, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and the cocoa and bring to a boil again, whisking until the chocolate and cocoa are dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Reduce the heat to very low.
Blend for 5 minutes with an immersion mixer or whirl the hot chocolate in a standard blender for half a minute, until thick and foamy. Yield: Four 6-ounce cups of hot chocolate.
Note: I use a dark chocolate containing close to 70 percent cocoa, though Lindt bittersweet also works just fine. The Mayans and the Aztecs considered the froth the best part. Today, five minutes with an immersion mixer or a blender accomplishes what a half hour of beating did long ago.
Credits:
Images: http://www.valrhona.com/
Text: It Must Have Been Something I Ate ( The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything), by Jeffrey Steingarten. Alfred A. Knopf Copyright 2002