February 13, 2021 Issue, Page 8 of 14

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February 13, 2021 This Js Love The story of Cupid Origins of the heart-shaped chocolate box of chocolates. It was called the it was demurely suggestive, “Fancy Box” and it didn’t take NPR reports. Its introduc long to become wildly popular. tion coincided perfectly with The marriage of choco- Valentine's Day, which also late and heart-shaped boxes soared in popularity around seemed a natural progres- the same time. sion, but the National Valen- Giving chocolate on Valen- tine Collectors Association tine’s Day also proved popu- says that heart-shaped boxes lar in North America. The actually predate chocolate American chocolate company boxes. Various heart-shaped Hershey's introduced its Her- vessels, including “betrothal shey’s Kisses in 1907, and in pendants” and silver boxes 1912 the Whitman's Sampler in the shape of hearts, were arrived. In the 1920s, Rus- popularized a century earlier. sell Stover unveiled their own What would Valentine’s Day be without images of a golden- ‘There even were heart-shaped heart-shaped boxes, which to- tressed boy armed with bow and arrows? The arrows repre- porcelain boxes as well as ones day still include the “Red Foil sent feelings oflove and desire, and they are aimed and cast at for sewing. Heart” and the “Secret Lace various individuals, causing them to fall deeply in love — or Having already introduced Heart.” Russell Stover has fall out of it. Hearts abound on Febru- Fry & Sons by combining ca- a chocolate box, Richard Cad- since become the No. 1 boxed In Roman mythology, the boy is known as Cupid and is the ary 14, and few symbols (and cao powder with sugar and bury marketed the first Valen- chocolate brand in the United son of Venus, the goddess of love. Portrayed as a cherubic and gifts) are more widely asso- cacao butter to make a rich, tine’s Day box in 1861. It was States. mischievous toddler, this magical boy was purported to be the ciated with a holiday than melt-in-your-mouth treat that filled with delicious choco- Today, more than 36 million matchmaker of gods and mortals alike. and later could be saved heart-shaped boxes holding For students of Greek mythology, Cupid represents Eros, heart-shaped boxes of choco- was markedly different than lates, as a keepsake to store special 58 million pounds of choco- the Greek word for “desire.” He was the son of Aphrodite, Ve- late are with Valentine's Day. the gritty and greasy drink- notes or other mementos, ac- late are sold each year, reports nus’ Hellenistic counterpart, and would play with the hearts Chocolates became trendy ing chocolate that was losing cording to the North Ameri- the education resource Soft- of mortals and gods, sometimes leaving mayhem in his wake. in the mid-19th century when can Packaging Association. Schools. They have become a popularity in Europe. Within In Greek mythology, Eros was more teenager than bubbly the first chocolate bar was a few years, competitor Cad- Furthermore, the gift fit with quintessential symbol of Val- baby, and capitalized on his status as a heartthrob rather than made by British company J.S. bury introduced the first box Victorian sensibilities in that entine’s Day celebrations. the cherubic status of Roman mythology, according to Rich- ard Martin, a Stanford University professor. While Cupid may have been an adorable imp, some historians say Eros had a darker side, going so far as to describe him as calculating and Chocolate ganache is simpler to make than you think sinister — forcing the wrong people into lovelorn matches. According to Museum Hack, while Cupid could make people Chocolate lovers rejoice story, French chef Georges they resembled mushroom salt. Let stand for 10 minutes fall in and out of love, he also was once in love himself. In this telling, Cupid is a young man when Venus learns that a mortal come Valentine’s Day. Come ‘Auguste Escoffier, who would truffles. Hence, chocolate (don’t stir — doing so will February, it seems every- become the creator of choco- truffles were born, as was de- cool the ganache too quickly, girl is born with such great beauty that others start to forget to worship Venus, adoring this girl instead. Upset about the where you look there are rich, late truffles, had his appren- licious ganache. making it grainy). misdirected adoration toward this mortal, Venus asks Cupid chocolately treats just waiting tice making pastry cream. Ganache is relatively easy Stir with a whisk until to have the girl, Psyche, fall in love with a monster. Cupid to be devoured. That apprentice _acciden- to make. Enjoy this version, smooth and shiny to break up agrees, but once he sees Psyche he “accidentally” hits him- Individuals who fancy tally spilled hot cream into a courtesy of Martha Stewart any pieces and emulsify the themselves adventurous in bowl of expensive chopped kitchens. cream and chocolate. self with one of his own golden arrows and falls in love with the kitchen may want to con- chocolate. Escoffier yelled Chocolate will often settle Psyche. The resulting match does not prove easy, and through sider homemade chocolate “ganache,” a derogatory term Ganache on the bottom or sides of the a series of unfortunate events, Psyche must prove her love recipes to entice their roman- meaning “fool,” at the ap- Makes 11/2 cups bowl. Scrape the dish with a to Cupid and accomplish various tasks to win back his heart. tic partners. Ganache, an in- prentice. But when Escoffier rubber spatula to incorporate Eventually, Psyche does and achieves goddess status. dulgent chocolate creation, grabbed the bowl and began 8 ounces semisweet or bit- all of it. Cupid has been portrayed both as a young man and child may seem like it requires to stir it, he noticed an emul- tersweet chocolate Tomake a whipped filling or through Renaissance art and beyond. When Valentine’s Day a master class in chocolate sion started to form and the 1 cup heavy cream frosting with the ganache, let became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, Cupid was making to create. However, cream and chocolate created 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt it cool to room temperature, linked to Valentine’s Day celebrations due to his matchmak- ganache is simpler to create a silky sauce that could be stirring often, 45 minutes ing abilities. His popularity only continued in the early 20th than chocolate lovers may used for coating or glazing. Coarsely chop the choco- to 1 hour. Beat the ganache century, when Hallmark began to manufacture Valentine's think. When the mixture cooled and late and place in a heat-proofwith a mixer on medium-high Day cards featuring Cupid. ‘According to the chocolate hardened, it had a paste-like bowl. speed until paler and fluffy, 2 Cupid helped push people together in ancient mythology, experts at Coeur de Xocolat, texture that could form balls. Bring cream just to a boil to 4 minutes. This will yield and he can even be the catalyst for modern day matchmaking there are various origin sto- Escoffier coated the balls in ‘over medium-high heat. Pour about 2 cups. Use it as afilling as well. ries for ganache. In one such cocoa powder and noticed over the chocolate, and add or spread it over cakes. DE tie CEES ee We love to say Yes! Let us help make this Valentine's Day special! 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