Wine, Tea, and Chocolate are brain food.

[alfredo]

Yep, I can justify my weaknesses.

http://www.physorg.com/news149185135.html


Chocolate, Wine And Tea Improve Brain Performance
December 22nd, 2008 in Medicine & Health / Health

(PhysOrg.com) -- All that chocolate might actually help finish the bumper Christmas crossword over the seasonal period. According to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway, chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance.

The team from Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Norway examined the relation between cognitive performance and the intake of three common foodstuffs that contain flavonoids (chocolate, wine, and tea) in 2,031 older people (aged between 70 and 74).

Participants filled in information about their habitual food intake and underwent a battery of cognitive tests.Those who consumed chocolate, wine, or tea had significantly better mean test scores and lower prevalence of poor cognitive performance than those who did not. The team reported their findings in the Journal of Nutrition.


My Fudge recipe

3 cups sugar
2/3 cups Cocoa
1/8 tsp cayenne, or more if you wish. You want a hint of a burn.
1/8 salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cups butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Butter a plate, set aside. In a 4 quart saucepan combine sugar cocoa cayenne and salt: stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to full rolling boil. Boil without stirring, to 234 degrees. (soft ball stage) or until syrup when dropped into very cold water, forms a soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on the bottom of saucepan). Remove form heat, add vanilla and butter. DO NOT STIR*. Cool at room temperature to 110 degrees(lukewarm). Beat with woooden spoon until fudge thickens and loses some of its gloss. quickly spread onto prepared plate or pan. Cool, cut into squares, pig out.

*Note: I stir where it says not to stir, and my fudge has a great grainy, dusty feel. I have never done it their way and see no need to change. I try to beat air into the fudge.

[Javaman]

1. So while I recover with a cup of hot tea from my wine binge, I will down

a box full of chocolate happy in the notion that my noggin is not foggin.

[Warpy]

2. People outside the southwest have no idea how much hot chile

can add to the flavor of even sweetened chocolate, although they might have a nodding acquaintance with mole poblano.

The trick is to use enough to wake up all your tastebuds without discouraging chile wimps from eating your goodies.

Your recipe is a great one for folks outside the desert southwest.

[alfredo]

4. Hot peppers speed up the metabolism and aid in weight loss.

[Warpy]

7. Not well enough

or I'd be a skeleton instead of a blimp.

:rofl:

[alfredo]

13. too much of a good thing.

[Sebastian Doyle]

9. Also are great natural blood thinners

Never thought of putting them in fudge though, I'll have to admit.

[pinto]

6. Yeah. Love it. I dice enough jalapeno into brownie mix to give it a zip.

Cornbread, too.

:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:

[alfredo]

14. I use hot peppers during hay fever season. I chew on the crushed

peppers that normally get put on pizzas.

[AnnieBW]

25. I tried it in Australia

It's an acquired taste. One that I'm not inclined to acquire. Of course, they had chili pepper flakes in the chocolate that I tried. It might be different if it was powdered chilis.

[Warpy]

31. It needs to be subtle

and the stuff you put on top of your pizza is far from subtle.

The hot stuff is supposed to wake your tongue up, not burn your tonsils and get stuck between your teeth.

[AnnieBW]

32. It was the stuff you put on top of your pizza

No wonder I didn't like it. Thanks!

[alfredo]

33. You need to try Ethiopian foods. The Berbere sauce will give you a

glimpse of God.

[Goblinmonger]

28. Used to be an ice cream shop in Madison called Chocolate Coyote

And their signature ice cream was chocolate with cayenne and cinnamon. It was FANTASTIC.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Or for the ultimate brain food,

1/3 cup of cocoa
6 oz of melted dark chocolate
1 cup of green tea
2 cups of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon will work in a pinch.
1 8 oz can of sardines packed in extra virgin olive oil.

Mix in blender and suck it down, yum.:beer:

[alfredo]

8. I put my sardines in spaghetti sauce. They have a lot of Zinc so they

are good for the prostate. Cod is good in the sauce too.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Happy New Year to you, alfredo.

:toast:

Although, in the interests of good taste, I hope nobody takes my recipe seriously.:)

[alfredo]

19. Yeah, but I'd like to be there to watch them try to drink it.

Happy New Year to you too.

[petronius]

16. This was really nasty when I tried it, but I only had zinfandel

I guess using the wrong wine really makes a difference.

However, I think it also needs some blueberries and curry powder to boost the anti-oxidant content...

[malaise]

5. Have you ever made coffee rum fudge

It's divine.

[alfredo]

11. No, but I made rum raisin ice cream.

[malaise]

17. It's not real rum and raisin ice cream if

you didn't soak those raisins in rum for two days. :D

[alfredo]

20. That's how I do it. I soak them for a day or so.

[malaise]

21. I'm impressed

:D

[alfredo]

22. It is the food of the gods.

[The_Commonist]

10. Unfortunately, they're all full of tannins as well.

I gotta be careful with that stuff.

[alfredo]

12. Tannins in teas can be regulated with steep time.

[jazzjunkysue]

18. Call me when refined white wheat flour is a diet food.

With butter and cinnamon, preferably.

[alfredo]

23. A touch of dark brown sugar won't hurt. How about toasted whole wheat

bread spread with sun dried tomato pesto?

[helderheid]

24. I'm the first rec on this??

[alfredo]

29. We were waiting for you to break the ice.

[Maru Kitteh]

26. Thanks. I think I'll go pour myself a glass of brain food.

[Lorien]

27. Excellent news! A couple of friends of mine just sent me a box of

chocolate and tea today, so I'm more than halfway there!

[alfredo]

30. A good cheap Aussie wine will work.

their Cabernet's are very good.