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Religion? So that's why monks were some of the first brewmasters and winemakers?
No thats not why they were some of the first brewmasters and winemakers. They were some of the first brewmasters and winemakers because they observed a different religion than the people who first settled this country.
Society's discouragement of certain behavior has more to do with religious establishment than the live and let live attitude that I would have. Even the discouragement of alcohol was initiated as religious superstition. Without religion I doubt that we would think twice about drinking. Only recently have we discovered its ill effects on health, when consumed excessively. However again, everything we put in our body has an adverse effect if consumed excessively.
BTW, the chocolate that my mom brought me back from Mexico wasnt very bitter at all. I thought it was rather good actually.
Regarding your first point. religion in general was not consistent on this. Many religions actually encouraged the use of substances to reach a different level of perception. The whole parable about turning water into wine seems to me to reflect at least a Christian tolerance for wine, suggesting that wine is better than water..
The earlier reference to Mexico was to the popularity of mole' sauce, in which chocolate is a main ingredient, and it is an unsweetened main course.
Actually, the Mexico reference is to the shops right here in Florida run by people that come here from Mexico and serve the Mexican community. I bought some chocolate there and it was very bitter.
But they served some pretty good tortas and enchiladas.
Regarding your first point. religion in general was not consistent on this. Many religions actually encouraged the use of substances to reach a different level of perception. The whole parable about turning water into wine seems to me to reflect at least a Christian tolerance for wine, suggesting that wine is better than water..
The earlier reference to Mexico was to the popularity of mole' sauce, in which chocolate is a main ingredient, and it is an unsweetened main course.
But many religion's werent the ones who established our nations. Christianity is the religion that established this nation, and thus those are the values this nation considers its most core values.
Although the broader Christian religion perhaps mentioned turning water to wine, which could be interpreted in several different ways, the Puritan Christian religion was actually the religion that settlers brought with them to their new establishment. In that particular denomination, drunkeness is heavily discouraged, not alcohol.
But if we were to parallel the use of chocolate in unsweetened recipe's, likewise there are recipes which contain alcohol, that do not intoxicate nor damage the consumer. So essentially, alcohol wouldnt be discouraged due to the fact that it is sometimes used in a way that is not harmful nor intoxicating?
everywhere you look or listen, there is tobacco products are discouraged but not outlawed! You can still buy a pack of cigarrettes anywhere and smoking will not get you sent to the slammer. However, public awareness on the dangers of tobacco have made it viewed as a bad habit (except for teenagers). By the time you graduate college, people will simply look down on you for smoking.
However, i also understand the health risks (though not so much if used in moderation) in excessive usage along with the magnitute of social problems that alcohol causes!!! Should we discourage but not outlaw alcohol consumption. People probably will argue that moderate drinking should be incouraged...but that is not working. Should we discourage alcohol consumption, at least a little more? Please debate.
no more proabition...no more telling people what they should and should not put in their bodies. It is their body, leave everyone be already.
I don't cook with it, but I do know why it's used. Alcohol is a solvent, and it carries flavors well.
And those cooks who say it cooks off? Not really the case. Most of the alcohol put in still remains (Thanks "Food Detectives").
I can believe that...I know one thing, I hate rum cake...it was disgusting, and I dont know why someone would waste a perfectly good cake by pouring rum in it.
I know of some others who would ask why one would waste a perfectly good bottle of rum.
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