Ganache (pronounced /gəˈnɑːʃ/, from the French word for "jowl") is an icing or filling for pastries, made from chocolate and heavy cream. Its origins date to around 1850, when it may have been invented in Switzerland or in France.Ganache is normally made by boiling heavy cream, then pouring it over chopped, dark chocolate. The mixture is stirred or blended until smooth, and can be enhanced with liqueurs or extracts. Depending on the kind of chocolate used, cream should be adjusted to reach desired consistency.Ganache can also be used in filled chocolates, chocolate truffles, and other desserts. Depending on the intended usage of the ganache, the proportions of chocolate to cream can vary. Typically, a ganache is equal parts chocolate and cream; this is used for filling cakes. For a chocolate truffle base, twice as much chocolate as cream is used. For making a glaze, one should use three times as much chocolate as cream. Ganache can also be allowed to cool and whipped to increased volume and spread to cover a cake.

For Valentines Day, what better way can you show your love and care than with a delicious homemade dinner. Tyler's gooey, decadent chocolate cake would make a delicious, rich dessert. Or maybe a flourless chocolate cake or a classic French creme brulee would suit your tastes better. No matter what, here are some interesting ideas for Valentine's

Even better, there are some complete menus here for vegetarian meals with recipes for everything from Daniel Boulud's Mediterranean Tomato-Lemon Tart to K.D. Lang's Indonesian Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing to Donna Hay's Orange and Poppyseed Cake and Hot Chocolate Puddings from Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries.

The fondue, it is said, is of Swiss origin, made with white wine and melted Emmenthaler or Gruyere cheese. The term ‘fondue’, in fact, has been derived from the French word ‘fondre’, which means ‘to melt’.When the fondue made its way to the US, sometime in the 1950s, it was an immediate success. In fact, it was so successful that the dessert fo

Learn about parve Jewish recipes, what they are, how to make them and how to simplify them for beginning cooks. Then read on to find a great free recipe for French Chocolate Truffles.