Dark Magic

Julie Pech, author of The Chocolate Therapist, has a thousand and one reasons why you should eat dark chocolate every day: It releases endorphins, it can lower your blood pressure, it's rich with antioxidants. And, obviously, it tastes fantastic. The Denver resident has been extolling the virtues of chocolate for quite some time, and tonight's Witches of Eastwick Meet Le Chocolat soiree at the Melting Pot, 2707 West Main Street in Littleton, gives cacao enthusiasts the opportunity to mix up their own chocolate potions while Pech discusses their bountiful benefits.

"What we're going to do is, you'll get a round of cheese and a round of protein," explains the Melting Pot's Cindy Code. "Then a round of chocolate. You'll get an empty bowl, and the chocolate's going to be in the center. There's a milk-chocolate potion, dark-chocolate potion and a very-very-dark-chocolate potion." You can mix a variety of ingredients in with the chocolate to create your own mouthwatering concoction: roasted almonds, roasted pecans, hemp seed, cinnamon powder, vanilla oil, mint oil, chili powder, acai powder, ginger powder, espresso, dried cherries, blueberries — the list goes on and on.

"All the proceeds are going to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society," Code adds. "Right now, there are three patients coming; during chemotherapy, dark chocolate is one of the only things they can taste." And don't be camera-shy, because scenes for a documentary on Pech will be shot as well. The extravaganza costs $50, and reservations are required; contact Code at 303-715-0333.
Thu., Oct. 4, 6-9 p.m., 2007