I don't drink coffee...

I drink hot chocolate- or chocolat chaud almost every day. ( Mainly because there is no Jack-in-the-Box nearby, but I digress.)

 My whole family drinks coffee- the daughter to the point of sheer exhaustion, the son is a bit of a  connoisseur and the husband drinks his with Baileys now that he is retired.
I have an espresso in the afternoon-but only one- and not every day.

I do however, love my hot chocolate.


I learned to love it in France, really. First made correctly by Aude Verdier, the owner of l'Évêché  in the Cité Médiévale in Vaison La Romaine and I sat drinking it overlooking the French countryside.


It was love at first sip.

I must be French, I mean, as a child I always loved my Nestlé’s Quick- that's French, right? 

Mais sérieusement-hot chocolate- made from scratch- is my favorite beverage- next to wine of course.


Being from California, I also drink Mexican Hot Chocolate when I have the energy to pull out the blender and smash the chocolate to bits. (The Pannikin in Leucadia makes the best Mexican Hot Chocolate.)

Contrary to popular belief, most versions of French hot chocolate are made with milk rather than cream, and get their richness from lots of top-quality chocolate. A cup of chocolat chaud is deeply-flavorful, but not over-the-top rich…so there’s no need to feel guilty indulging in a nice, warm cup whenever you feel the need.

A steaming cup of hot chocolate with buttered toast is surely one of the most heart warming, body warming, and taste-satisfying combination's known to man.

--James Beard

French Hot Chocolate
Four ‘French-sized’ Servings
2 cups (1/2l) whole milk
5 ounces (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, (with at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped
2 sugar cubes
1. Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Once the milk is warm, whisk in the chocolate, stirring until melted and steaming hot. For a thick hot chocolate, cook at a very low boil for about 3 minutes, whisking frequently. (Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments.)
3. Taste, and add sugar if desired.
Serve warm in small demitasse or coffee cups.
Note: This hot chocolate improves if made ahead and allowed to sit for a few hours. Reheat before serving---if you can wait that long.