lemonwade

While there will always be room in our hearts (and in our stomachs) for all the kinds of foods that are available to us, chocolate holds a special place. Not only does it make the best brownies, cakes and cookies in the world, but it’s also got some nice health benefits, too.

If you feel like we do when it comes to this sweet confection, this opus of chocolate recipes we put together is for you. We scoured the internet, searching long and hard, to be sure we found the best possible things you can make with chocolate. We hope you like what you see.

Recipes here.

No surprises.

Today, surrounded by freezing temperatures, thousands of heads of lettuce grow, nestled in a cozy greenhouse fed by nutrient-rich nitrates. Or you could call it what it is: fish poop.

The process, called aquaponics, allows farmers to grow local, organic produce anywhere at any time of year.

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When most of us think of celery, we think of it as a canvas to slather with peanut butter, an unnecessary Bloody Mary garnish or the leftover scraps of a crudité platter. But the holistic health world has found another use for it: juicing.

Details.

Sneaking a bite of raw cookie dough is undoubtedly one of the best parts of holiday baking, that is if you don’t mind ignoring the CDC’s warnings about getting salmonella or E. coli.

But now that it’s almost 2019, we’re a lot smarter about the dangers of eating raw eggs and flour. There are even ways to make cookie dough that’s not actually raw, designed to be scooped up and enjoyed ― without baking ― by the bucketful.

We’ve got a recipe for raw cookie dough that uses simple ingredients and is gluten-free to boot (which helps avoid the E. coli risks associated with eating raw flour). The base of the dough starts with chickpeas and unsweetened peanut butter, adding a boost of protein and fiber.

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A signature cocktail at fine dining gem The Grill in New York City will set you back $18 to $25, while an experimental concoction at The Aviary in Chicago (and now NYC), can run you as high as $85 when ordering à la carte, or $65 a head for a three-course cocktail-tasting menu. If these prices are giving you sticker shock, you’re not alone — how in the world does a cocktail end up costing just as much as (or even more than) a full meal?

When it comes to craft cocktails, there are two major factors to consider: the cost of doing business and the overall drinking experience.

The complex cocktails crafted by talented mixologists and the swanky dens they’re served in are enabled by a cocktail culture that has developed rapidly over the past 10 years, with social media further fueling the movement as a way for bartenders to share their creations with a global audience.

Further details.

The Dutch like to start their mornings with toast coated in butter and chocolate sprinkles. And considering the Netherlands is the sixth-happiest country in the world, maybe we could take a cue from them.

While most European-style breakfasts usually consist of toast, an assortment of jams, perhaps some cold cuts and fruit, another feature is often the presence of chocolate. And for the Dutch, this comes in the form of chocolate sprinkles.

Details.