I have a deep deep love and admiration for the cacao bean.  Cacao is a magical food that seems to immediately satisfy and comfort me.  There's something about a dripping chocolate sauce, or a spongy chocolate cake that calls to me.  Perhaps you feel the same way. I dedicate this week's Focus blog post on the magical cacao bean.  Read up on some of our favorite recipes with cacao here.

Cacao (Theombroma cacao)

Although not all cacao is roasted, it is all fermented, thus reducing its bitterness.  Full of antioxidants and phenyl ethylamine-- the chemical found in the brains of people in love-- it's no wonder people all over the world are attracted to chocolate.  Chocolate fruit looks somewhat similar to a small papaya.  It's the beans on the inside of the pod that we ferment and use in confections, potions, and brews.  Cacao is available in whole beans, nibs (bits of the full bean), and powder (ground up nibs) as well as cacao butter (the extracted fat solids).  Theombroma literally means "Food of the Gods". Human use of cacao dates back more than 5,000 years, and evidence suggests that it was used by the Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec people of Mexico shamanistically and ritualistically as well as a form of currency - and of course, as food! Raw cacao is one of the most complex known food sources, containing an estimated 1,200 chemical constituents including anandamide (bliss chemical), arginine (needed for proper cell division and the healing of wounds), dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure system of the brain), serotonin (a neurotransmitter needed for mood modulation), tryptophan (a precursor for serotonin and melatonin), and phenylethylamine (boosts our ability to be alert and pay attention and is noticeably abundant in the brains of happy people). In addition, cacao contains Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, which allow more of these and other neurotransmitters to circulate in the brain). Raw cacao is an incredibly rich source of magnesium, which is needed for the heart to function well (it is the primary mineral missing when heart problems occur). Research has shown cacao also to be extraordinarily high in antioxidants - nearly twice that of red wine and three times what is found in green tea.

We've been getting a new wave of gorgeous new goodies to sell in our cafes and online store from local favorites with innovative designs.  Today I'd like to share about three products everyone in the Central Kitchen/Offices seems to wear and use again and again.

We've all been really digging this awesome design by Jon Marro called "Veggie-Wings".  Matched with the lightweight uber soft organic cotton and the perfect flattering fit all sizes, this shirt is a slam-dunk in my book.  I can tell that my friends agree, because  it's come to a point that we're often caught wearing the same thing on the same day.  Join the fan club for this gorgeous and comfortable apparel in blue or white here.

 

Revolution is an everyday thing.  How can Café Gratitude, the greatest responsible/delicious/community-based/ethical restaurant in creation as of right now, reduce even more of its foot print in all areas?

The following email conversation is between myself (almighty universal Vinicio) and our vendor representative at a major, waaay major food distributor. You have no idea how much food these people move. We've kept the privacy of the vendor. Read & enjoy: short & sweet.

We just got an amazing shipment in and just in the nick of time! If you are a last minute (or second) shopper, then you're in luck!  We've saved our best for last and have some beautiful items, able to ship to you for Christmas Eve delivery even if you order 10am on December 23rd!  (see more info about shipping times & special shipping opportunities below).

See our Veggie Wings shirts in white and blue.

See our new Toddler t-shirts. 

Come see our new line of beautifully crafted, sustainably designed and socially just gifts and goodies of our online store and our retail areas of the cafes!  We have gorgeous products hand selected from local earth loving and socially conscious vendors lining our shelves.  Come vote with your dollars and buy the gift of gratitude, awareness and beauty.  Pictured is our new tote:  Veggie Wings, made of 100% organic cotton union crafted in San Francisco and printed with soy-based inks by Social Imprints.  

Social Imprints is a nonprofit screen printing and embroidery shop based in Oakland which provides higher paying employment to ex-offenders and recovering drug addicts. By partnering with Social Imprints, we are choosing one more way in which we are directly contributing to social change. Believing that business can change community for the better, both like-minded companies are continuing to seek out innovative ways in which to continue our partnership. For more information about our partnership with Social Imprints, go to www.socialimprints.com.

At Cafe Gratitude, we go out of our way to support businesses that share our mission:

Crafting nutritious whole foods locally and in the most environmentally sustainable way possible.

That's why we are proud to offer a delectable selection of Coracao's signature chocolates this holiday season.  These sweet treats are as dense in minerals and micronutrients as they are in 'Yum!'