Buy Amazing, Planet-Friendly Chocolate
Alum News
Published September 13, 2016
A LOT OF CHOCOLATE BARS carry labels with a “virtue halo” over them, as they proclaim to be fair trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, organic. Those factors are important, but they’re not really connected to why we crave a chocolate bar: taste.
To judge its taste and not just its eco-worthiness, look for where the cacao was actually grown and not where it was processed (i.e., Belgium). Select chocolate from Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Ecuador or anywhere in the very thin band around the equator. Often, when companies mention a single origin, they want to signal something about the flavor and the terroir—something we often associate with wine, but that also applies to chocolate. Although each microregion has different qualities, generally speaking, chocolate from Madagascar is known for its bright, slightly acidic notes, while chocolate from Ghana has deep cocoa flavors and is considered the baseline for “chocolate” flavor.
Second, look at the ingredients. Avoid fillers, like peanuts and caramel and high-fructose corn syrup. They’re not necessarily bad, but once you have enough of those, the taste of the chocolate begins to matter less.
ONLINE: simransethi.com
This story appears in the Fall 2016 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.
Learn More
Life Hacks
Life hacks and other secrets of modern life from alumnae experts.
The Instagram account that Shirley Braha ’04 created for her 14-year-old Shih Tzu, Marnie, has attracted 2 million followers, along with love from celebs including Taylor Swift and James Franco. She shares a few of her social media secrets.
Devin Alexander ’93 is the author of eight cookbooks, including The Biggest Loser Cookbook, a New York Times best-seller. She offers advice on making better choices with your diet—and with yourself.
Take a Better Sunset Photo with Your iPhone
The awe-inspiring colors of the setting sun over a city skyline, a beach or even just a thicket of suburban rooftops fill us with the urge to capture their fleeting beauty. So why is it so hard to duplicate the majesty of these experiences with our iPhones?
“Cameras are stupid,” says professional photographer Julia Hoggson Vandenoever ’96. “They’re machines. Good pictures are the result of the person behind the camera.” Here are her tips for taking perfect sunset photos on your phone.
Lynn Fantom ’75 is co-founder and chairman emeritus at ID Media.
Don’t Be Intimidated by Weighty Restaurant Wine Lists
Esther Mobley ’11 is a wine, beer and spirits writer at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Holly Horning ’83 is an image and branding consultant and coach.
Decluttering can be a big job, but Ellen Rubin Delap ’80, president-elect of the National Association of Professional Organizers, says a few simple principles can help you better manage your belongings.
Bibi Gnagno ’07 is the program coordinator at Duke University’s Women’s Center.
Tell Your Family History Through Food
Photos are one way to preserve favorite family memories, but Carole Murko ’83, founder of Heirloom Meals, says it can be just as powerful to record our family history through the recipes, rituals and stories linked to shared meals. Here, she shows us how.
Mary Asmundson Dunbar ’64 ran her first marathon in 2009 at age 67. In 2013, she qualified for the Boston Marathon. She hopes to finish in the top three of her age group at the 2017 Boston Marathon. She has a few winning ideas about setting goals.
Cynthia Green ’83, founder of Total Brain Health and author of Your Best Brain Ever, shares strategies to help you remember the name of the person you just met.
Create a Touch of Smith at Home
Next time you organize a mini-reunion, consider serving a familiar and beloved treat from the Campus Center Café: the Smith Mudslide.
Lee Ramos Locust ’76 is information security program leader at Synchrony Financial.
Confidence can get you everywhere, and Susan Ford Collins ’62, president of the company Technology of Success and author of The Joy of Success, focuses on two key principles.
Alumnae share helpful advice and ideas in their latest books.