This is the ultimate, authoritative, incredibly sumptuous guide to the one food most of us cannot survive without: chocolate. Here is the complete history of chocolate, from pre-Columbian Mexico to its debut in Europe and America; the cultivation and processing of cocoa; sophisticated chocolate cooking techniques; and creative new recipes for chocolate candies, desserts, hot and cold chocolate drinks from around the world, and unusual savory entrees using chocolate. From charming children's confectionery to exquisite chocolate boxes to a succulent 5,000-calorie cake, The Chocolate Bible is guaranteed to add five pounds to the waistline of anyone just leafing through it!The more than six hundred color photographs in this regal volume'in which the bestselling Death by Chocolate meets its match'illustrate both step-by-step instructions and finished dishes, displaying the endless variety and versatility of this food of the gods. Here is a magnificent gift for all cooks and gastronomes'and a paradise for the chocolate gourmet.