THE VILLAGE VOICE

" All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!" ~ Lucy Van Pelt (in Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz) ~Valentine Tulip _____ CHOCOLATE-CHERRY ICE CREAM BOMBE ~Begin making this a day ahead. Chill the mold well before filling it. Allow several hours for the bombe to freeze and mellow before serving time. This easy recipe is from Bon Appetit (February 2000). ______ 1 16-oz. jar hot fudge sauce (Sanders Bittersweet Fudge - the best ) 1 12-oz. package semisweet chocolate chips 3 Tbsp. water 1/4 cup brandy 3 pints (slightly softened) cherry-vanilla ice cream with chocolate chunks or fudge flakes 1 1/2 (slightly softened) pints chocolate sorbet (or frozen yogurt) or chocolate-cherry sorbet (or frozen yogurt) 1 9-oz. package chocolate wafer cookies Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in brandy. Cool. Line 10-inch diameter, 10-cup metal bowl with plastic wrap...

"All of the evil that people have thrust upon chocolate is really more deserved by milk chocolate, which is essentially contaminated. The closer you get to a pure chocolate liquor (the chocolate essence ground from roasted cacao beans) the purer it is, the more satisfying it is, the safer it is, and the healthier it is." ~ Arnold Ismach (The Darker Side of Chocolate) COUNTESS TOULOUSE- LAUTREC'S FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE ~ a perennial favorite, perfect for Valentine's Day, adapted from MAIDA HEATTER'S BOOK OF GREAT CHOCOLATE DESSERTS _____________ 1 lb. good semisweet chocolate 5 oz. (1 1/4 sticks) room temperature sweet butter 4 extra-large eggs, separated 1 Tbsp. unsifted all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an 8-inch springform pan, cut a round waxed or parchment paper to fit the bottom. Butter one side of paper and the sides of the pan (not the bottom). Place buttered paper in pan, buttered side up, and clam...