...and I'll bet you haven't either.

Here's how it all began...

One day, after reaching the Age of Reason, I began to ask myself some life-changing questions:

What is it about this need for dessert after a meal? And why (in my case anyway) does it have to be a chocolate dessert?!...

• Is it the health benefits of chocolate?
  Nah. That's just a bonus.


• Is it how I experience the effects of chocolate?
  Maybe.


• Why do I like dark chocolate better than milk chocolate?
  That's easy...Because I've always had good taste.


• Why can't I put down the chocolate chip cookies?!

After pondering these things, I finally realized...(Are you ready?)...I finally realized...(I'm sure you're screaming the answer at your monitor right now.)...I finally realized...

BECAUSE CHOCOLATE DESSERTS TASTE SO DANG GOOD!!!

So, after being run over by the Obvious Truck, I quickly got up, dusted myself off, and began to ask more questions:

• What is the history of chocolate?


• How is chocolate made?


• Are there other chocolate desserts besides cakes, cookies, candy, brownies, and fudge?


• What is this fascination with chocolate covered foods?


• And why, oh why, is white chocolate not brown?!

I knew if I didn't do something soon I'd completely lose my mind from not knowing the answers to these questions.

I decided to turn my curiosity into a mission: To find out all there is to know about one of God's greatest creations--the cacao bean. And how we turned it into one of the most wonderful experiences of life--chocolate dessert.

As you shall see, in the world of chocolate, 'butter' is not a dairy product, 'liquor' is non-alcoholic, 'chocolate' may contain meat, and it should have a temper...

So, come. Join me in my discovery...