| MADE IN INDIANA |
| Saturday, December 17, 2005 --Jamie Hall jhall@dailysun.org |
| Chocolatier specializes in truffles |
• What: David Alan Chocolatier, maker of fine chocolates. • Location: Lebanon. • History: Certified chocolatier David Alan Honan, who studied at the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, opened his candy factory in 1985. • Products: David Alan's specialties are Swiss-style chocolate truffles and trufflettes made in assorted flavors. Other confections include chocolate-covered nuts and fruits; holiday-themed candies such as Christmas ribbon boxes, Easter bunnies and eggs; and Valentine's Day heart boxes. Gift baskets also are prepared. • Executive: David Alan Honan, owner and president. • Employees: 5. • For more information: (800) 428-2310 - Compiled by David Savka The Indianapolis Star • www.indystar. comWednesday, December 7, 2005 |
| Ann Batts gift-wraps a box of truffles at David Alan Chocolatier. Batts works at the store along with her grandmother, Bonnie Batts. |
| Health by Chocolate The morale of patients who spend time at the Whitaker Wellness Institute is generally high. These people have left behind white-coated docs who prescribe drugs and embraced white-coated physicians who prescribe vitamins. And they are better off for it. However, morale just went up a notch: Each patient now receives a weekly bar of dark chocolate. I'm glad this generates smiles, but that's not why I added it to the program. Simply put, dark chocolate is a health food. "Food of the Gods" Chocolate comes from the beans of the cacao plant (Theobroma cacoa, literally "food of the gods"). It has been used for centuries in Mayan and Aztec cultures for culinary, ceremonial, economic (beans were often used as currency), and medicinal purposes. Chocolate was purported to restore vitality, calm and soothe the "over-stimulated," treat kidney and digestive problems, and promote virility and longevity. Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez was introduced to "xocolatl" by the ruler of the Aztecs, Montezuma, who reportedly drank 50 cups of a bitter, chili-flavored chocolate drink daily. Cortez, who brought chocolate to Europe in the early 1500s, described it as, "The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food." Although chocolate is now considered to be more junk food than health food, recent research may restore it to its former glory. Scientists have discovered that cocoa liquor, the creamy paste of ground, roasted cacao beans used to make chocolate, is nature's richest source of polyphenols, a class of phytonutrients with potent antioxidant activity and other therapeutic effects. Yes, chocolate has fat and calories - and it tastes way too good to be good for you - but the health benefits of dark chocolate cannot be denied. Here are five reasons you should add it to your diet. 1. Lowers Blood Pressure One of cocoa's most abundant polyphenols is flavanol, which stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO). Readers of Health & Healing know that NO is a very important signaling molecule. When it is produced in the arteries, it acts as a vasodilator, relaxing the arteries and causing them to open up, thus bringing down blood pressure. German researchers divided older people with mild hypertension into two groups and gave them 100 g dark chocolate or 90 g white chocolate every day for two weeks. (White chocolate contains no cocoa.) They had a one-week "washout" period in which they ate no chocolate, followed by another two weeks of eating the other chocolate. Blood pressure fell in those eating dark chocolate an average of 5.1/1.8 (systolic/diastolic) and did not change in those eating white chocolate. 2. Improves Insulin Sensitivity In March 2005, Italian researchers published results of a study with a similar design involving 15 healthy men and women. Glucose tolerance tests were done at the end of each period, and blood pres sure was taken daily. Like the German study, dark chocolates lowered blood pressure. It also significantly improved markers of insulin sensitivity, decreasing fasting insulin and glucose levels, as well as insulin and glucose responses to the glucose tolerance test. Now, I know many of you are thinking that sugar-laden chocolate is the last thing people with diabetes need to be eating. Yet this study suggests that dark chocolate actually ameliorates blood sugar. 3. Mediates Inflammation I've written about the role inflammation plays in conditions as diverse as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, and auto immune disorders. In fact, all major chronic diseases are associated with inflammation. Cocoa flavanols have been shown to lower inflammation. They do this by reducing blood concentrations of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), a key enzyme in the synthesis of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are highly active compounds involved in inflamma tion in tissues throughout the body, including pain and allergic reactions. Dampening the flames of inflammation is crucial for disease treatment and prevention, and dark chocolate is another tool for doing just that. 4. Protects Against Heart Disease As you know, elevations in blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation all increase risk of cardiovascular disease. But chocolate's protective effects go beyond these three mechanisms. Nitric oxide, in addition to lowering blood pressure, also helps prevent arterial spasms, which temporarily decrease blood flow, and platelet aggregation, the clumping together of blood cells that reduces blood fluidity and impairs circulation. Chocolate's potent antioxidants shield the endothelial cells lining the arteries as well as LDL cholesterol against free radical damage. Dark chocolate has the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAL) of any food. According to this measurement of foods' antioxidant strength, dark |
| chocolate at 13,120 stands head and shoulders above other high-ORAC foods such as milk chocolate (6,740), raisins (2,830), blueberries (2,400), spinach (1,260), broccoli (890), and red grapes (739). Dark chocolate also has positive effects on cholesterol levels. Although its hefty saturated fat content may give one pause, most of that fat is stearic acid, which, unlike other saturated fats, has no adverse effects on cholesterol levels. In fact, dark chocolate actually appears to raise protective HDL cholesterol, while having no effect on LDL. The cardiovascular benefits of dark chocolate are so potent that it was recently named one of the seven heart-healthiest foods, along with wine, fish, fruits, vegetables, garlic, and almonds. In an article published in the British Medical Journal, research ers theorized that including these foods in your diet would reduce cardiovascular events by an astounding 76 percent and increase life expectancy in men and women by 6.6 and 4.8 years, respectively. 5. Makes You Feel Good There's something about chocolate that goes beyond satisfying your sweet tooth or hunger pangs. Maybe it's the smooth, creamy "mouth-feel" we find so comforting. It might be an emotional connection to all those chocolate Easter bunnies and special treats from our childhood. Or it could be chocolate's tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which increase levels of neurotransmitters associated with sensations of pleasure. There is even research to suggest that compounds in chocolate stimulate the same "feel-good" receptors as falling in love. (No wonder chocolate and Valentine's Day are inseparable.) For whatever reason, most of us like chocolate, and some of us crave it like nothing else. An unknown chocoholic once said, "There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." However, if you want to reap the health benefits discussed in this article, stick with dark chocolate. Recommendations: High-quality dark chocolate is sold in health food, specialty, and grocery stores. Look for bars that contain 70 percent cocoa or more. Don't be put off by the fat content, and expect it to have some sugar. Unsweetened dark chocolate is extremely bitter, and even sweetened, it is for some an acquired taste, so shop around for a brand you like. Aim for about 50 g (1.75 ounces), or half of a large bar, daily. To keep caloric intake steady, eat in place of, rather than in addition to, other foods or snacks. References: Dillinger TL et al. Food of the gods: cure for humanity? A cultural history of the medicinal and ritual use of chocolate, Nutr. 2000 Aug;130(8S Suppl):2057S-72S. Taubert D et al. Chocolate and blood pressure in elderly indi viduals with isolated systolic hypertension. JAMA. 2003 Aug 27;290(8):1029-30. Grassi D et al. Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure in healthy persons. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:611-4. Sies H et al. Cocoa polyphenols and inflammatory mediators. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan;81(1 Suppl):304S-312S. Franco OH et al. The Polymeal: a more natural, safer, and probably tastier (than the Polypill) strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 75%. BMJ. 2004 18 December;329:1447-1450. Julian Whitaker, MD, has practiced medicine for over 26 years, after receiving degrees from Dartmouth College and Emory University. Dr. Whitaker has long been an advocate of living a healthy life. Dr. Whitaker is compensated on the sales of the supplements he formulates for Forward Nutrition, a division of Doctors' Preferred, LLC. He is not compensated for other companies' products that he recommends in this newsletter. He is the author of eight major health books: Reversing Hypertension, The Memory Solution, Shed 10 Years in 10 Weeks, The Pain Relief Breakthrough, Reversing Heart Disease, Reversing Diabetes, and Dr Whitaker's Guide to Natural Healing. Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing® (ISSN 1057-9273) is published monthly by Healthy Directions, LLC, 7811 Montrose Road, Potomac, MD 20854-3394, telephone (800) 539-8219. Please write to us at PO Box 2050, Forrester Center, WV 25438 or call if you have a question concerning your subscription. Periodicals postage paid at Rockville, MD and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing, PO Box 2050, Forrester Center, WV 25438. Author: Julian Whitaker, MD Publisher: Robert Kroening Assistant Editor: Thomas Ehart CEO: Kevin Donoghue Sr. Managing Editor: Clifford Brownstein Research Editor: Peggy Dace Assistant Research Editor: Ryann Smith © Copyright 2005, Healthy Directions, LLC. Photocopying, reproduction, or quotation strictly prohibited without written permission of the publisher. Subscription: $69.99 per year. Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing is dedicated to providing timely, accurate information by drawing on Dr. Whitaker's expert opinion and experience. Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing cannot offer medical services; we encourage our readers to seek advice from competent medical professionals for their personal health needs. Dr. Whitaker will respond in the newsletter to questions of general interest. www.drwhitaker.com/ |
| Dark` chocolate may help slow-hardening of arteries A little dark chocolate each day , could slow hardening of the arteries in smokers, a Swiss study finds. Chocolate is still no substitute for quitting smoking, of course, and the researchers add that the findings are not an excuse to binge on fattening sweets. The study asked 20 male smokers to eat about 1.5 ounces of white chocolate or dark, then evaluated the effects of each on blood flow and other parameters. Two hours after the men finished eating the dark chocolate, ultrasound scans showed improved smoothness of the blood flow through the arteries - an effect that lasted eight hours, according to a report by study author Dr. Roberto Corti, from University Hospital in Zurich, that was published in the January issue of Heart. Blood tests showed the dark-chocolate also halved blood platelet activity, which in turn decreased the risk of blood clots. Antioxidant levels in the blood , also rose among those who ate dark chocolate. White chocolate did not have those effects. The Indianapolis Star • www.indystar.com Sunday, December 25, 2005 |
| Sous chef to Swiss sweets: David Alan Chocolatier |
| A visit to Switzerland left a lasting impression on David Alan Honan. It changed his life, really. The Lebanon resident and owner of David Alan Chocolatier found the country's chocolate - particularly its truffles - as a culinary art he wanted to re-create in his hometown. "I had seen the truffles in Zurich (Switzerland) may years ago and wanted to copy them,"Honan said. "the last time my sister (Susan Jones) went there, she brought some back. "We thought ours were better." Honan explained that the delicacies are really quite simple, made of either milk or dark chocolate, whole cream and sweet butter. Each consists of a velvety-smooth chocolate center - also known as ganache - enclosed in a shell of milk, dark or white chocolate. He's also perfected the "trufflette" in five flavors: orange, raspberry, hazelnut, coffee and mocha. Although typically flavored with liquor, the truffles at David Alan are not; he chose to omit that ingredient. "I wanted to keep the chocolate family-friendly," he said. Destined for desserts A culinary career has always been in the stars for the 1968 Lebanon High School alumnus, who also graduated in 1975 from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He insists, jokingly, that people shouldn't confuse the establishment of the CIA. "(The Culinary Institute of America) is the original CIA," he said, laughing. "It started in 1946 - the other CIA started in `47." From chef's school, Honan went to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he served as a sons chef in a hotel there for several years. After some convincing; he returned to Lebanon in 1981 and re-visited Switzerland - learning the secret to making truffles in only a few weeks. He's been making truffles locally since the fall of 1984. And he doesn't consider his other offerings - nuts, apricots, orange peel, snappers (his version of the typically named "turtle"), molded hearts and gourmet jelly beans - as attractions to his store at all. "Truffles were the reason we started the business," he said. He and approximately seven employees produce chocolate year round, using a freezer as their main preservative. "We couldn't make enough all at once, and you have to keep it cold," Honan said. "As long as it's sealed when it's frozen and sealed when it's thawed, its taste won't be affected." Although the bulk of sales is in mail-order'purchases, many of David Alan's customers reside in Indiana. It does go all over, Honan said of his chocolate during an interview in which he took several customer calls. "(Christmas) is the busiest time of the year, then Valentine's Day," he said. "But this is definitely the busiest time." |
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Photo by Jamie Hall
| Sweet somethings Chocolatier maintains a steady routine—even between 2 busiest sales seasons Behind a case displaying a tempting assortment of truffles, nut clusters and other chocolate-laden delights, an open doorway reveals a woman in a hairnet and purple smock rolling fresh truffles onto a flat, cafeteria-style tray. Machines whir and grind in the background, and every few minutes the room fills with the sound of candies being pounded from their molds. It’s a typical Tuesday morning at David Alan Chocolatier in Lebanon. Each week, three employees make a different variety of chocolate— today, it’s truffles—while owner and shop namesake David Alan, 56, listens for equipment glitches and keeps production flowing smoothly. Alan frequently checks a compressor for condensation in its lines and adjusts another machine’s settings when the milk chocolate shells get too thick. “If things work, I don’t have anything to do,” he says. He’s been known to pull double duty if a candy maker is sick or on vacation, but “it’s difficult to do both,” he said. On non-production days, Alan spends his time doing office activities such as paperwork, filling orders and answering the phone. On this Tuesday, he arrived at 6 a.m. to prepare. By the time this week’s production process is complete, he and his staff will have turned out about 8,400 specialty milk-chocolate truffles. Alan doesn’t leave until the shop closes at 5 p.m. “It makes for a long day,” he said, but he doesn’t seem to mind. The Lebanon native graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked as a professional chef in Honolulu before returning to his hometown in 1981. Two years later, captivated by the quality and flavor of Swiss chocolates, Alan attended the Swiss Chocolate School in Switzerland and learned how to use the right combination of ingredients—quality chocolate, sweet butter and whole cream—to create an authentic truffle. Soon after, Alan renovated an old gas station on Lebanon Street and opened his shop in December 1984. He now employs a staff of five. Although he declined to share financial details, Alan said he uses about 7,000 pounds of chocolate per year to make his products. Christmas and Valentine’s Day are his busiest times. To prepare for the upcoming holiday, Alan has arranged heartshaped boxes holding truffles and other assorted chocolates on a prominent shelf. In the two weeks leading up to the big day, he expects to sell more candy than usual to walk-in customers as well as through mail and online orders. Despite the holiday flux in sales, Alan said, he does not significantly increase weekly production because most of the truffles are frozen and saved. He usually bases the amount of candy made on a Tuesday on how much cream is in stock. In the kitchen on this Tuesday, 65-yearold Carolyn Veach, a nine-year employee and “head candy maker,” puts filling ingredients in a stainless- steel bowl and places it under a large mixer. Although she’s been doing the mixing for seven years, she still measures the chocolate, cream and butter to get the perfect proportion. A few feet away, Bonnie Batts, 72, fills thin milk-chocolate half-shells with the creamy blend. After the candies have been filled, cooled and capped into neat balls, Pat Holzinger, 56, empties the truffles from their molds and loads them onto trays. About 10:30 a.m., Veach finishes the mixing and carries sticky bowls to a large sink. “The fun part starts at three o’clock,” she says. That’s when two of them use the “chocolate waterfall” to drizzle more chocolate onto the candy, creating a ruffled surface texture. Another will inspect each piece for bubbles or lumps. “We’ve got a routine, and we stick to it,” Batts says. That routine does not exclude an occasional sampling of the goods. “I see them getting into it every once in a while,” Alan said later. “You can’ t help it.” People from all over the country order his candy, Alan said, and he pays attention to what they like. Twenty-nine sugar-free varieties are available in the front case as a result of demand, and dark chocolate also is gaining popularity thanks to studies promoting its health benefits. His best-selling product is a milk-and-dark-chocolate-truffle combination box. Businesses closer to home are customers, too. In the packaging room, tiny gold boxes await truffles that will be complimentary treats for guests at the Canterbury Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. He also sells chocolates to local flower shops. Despite his success, no plans for expanding the business are on the horizon. “It’d be nice to have a store someplace else,” Alan said. But along with more stores, he said, comes more headaches. And for now, Alan and his employees seem happy where they are. “We like it here,” he said. • IBJ staff Lisa Gerstner Sat, Jan 27 - 2007 Reprinted with permission of Indianapolis Business Journal, www.ibj.com, IBJ Corp., copyright 2007. |
