Chocolate

LONDON - As a Californian, I had forgotten that you don't cancel your life just because it rains. If you did, you'd never see anything in London, at least not recently. And there is much to see. Too much, in fact. It's a travel buffet, and it's hard not to load your plate with a plethora of monuments, historic buildings and churches. It's important to see that London, but it's imperative to see the lesser-known London, if only to escape the hordes who are coming here for the Queen's Jubilee from June 2-5, World Pride from June 17-July 8, the Summer Games from July 27-Aug.

Mom's chocolate chip cookies Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time Servings: Makes 2 dozen cookies. Note: This recipe comes from my mother, who was a home ec teacher. It's the one she taught me and my sister, and our friends from high school -- all of whom would gather in our kitchen after school. She added the oatmeal because it was a Quaker school. My mother made these cookies with Crisco and generic bags of chocolate chips. I use unsalted butter and coarsely chopped Valrhona chocolate (71%)

A 3-foot-tall, three-tiered fountain shaped like the Stanley Cup spews not water, nor even Champagne, but molten chocolate. The chocolate fountain -- the hottest item on the party circuit this summer -- is turning up at movie premieres ("I, Robot," "Van Helsing," "Shrek 2"), birthday parties (David Spade's 40th, attended by Bijou Phillips, Ashton Kutcher and Paris Hilton), stylish art world gatherings, and, of course, nuptials (the wedding of Kate Beckinsale and director Len Wiseman).

Dear SOS: On a recent trip to London, I was quite taken with the chocolate chip cookies I ate at Gail's restaurant and bakery [341 Fulham Road in Chelsea]. I would be very greatful if you could obtain the recipe. Jonathon Most Los Angeles Dear Jonathon: Crunchy around the edges but oh-so ooey-gooey tender in the center - and with no shortage of chocolate to boot - these are a chocolate chip cookie lover's dream come true. The recipe makes enough for a dozen generously sized cookies, but I'd recommend doubling it. Trust me on this one. Gail's Artisan Bakery chocolate chip cookies 1 hour, plus chilling time for the dough.

  White chocolate ganache Total time: About 20 minutes Servings: Makes about 1 1/2 cups 10 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, finely chopped 2/3 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 3 pieces 1. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. 2. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Working with a whisk or spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together.

  Last summer, L.A. Times Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter became fascinated with zabaglione, the velvety Italian dessert sauce made with egg yolks, sugar, a little bit of alcohol, and not much else. She came up with several delicious variations, but the one we liked best was this one, kind of a cross between a semifreddo and an ice cream. It doesn't freeze as hard as ice cream does, so the texture is a bit more delicate. And the flavor is out of this world, particularly this version, in which the flavor of bittersweet chocolate is perfectly accented by a hint of Port.

  Chocolate chiffon cake with chocolate glaze Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes plus cooling time for the cake Servings: 12 to 16 Note: This recipe calls for a 10-inch angel food cake pan (preferably a pan with a removable insert). Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try this or any other recipe from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen, we would like to know about it so we can showcase it on our food blog and occasionally in print. Upload pictures of the finished dish here.

  Chocolate apricot balls Total time: 45 minutes, plus steeping and chilling times Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, please share it with us: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish. Servings: 3 to 4 dozen small candies Note: If you're making these with kids, you can substitute orange juice for the wine and omit the liqueur. For adult tastes, you might like to use chocolate with 70% cacao.

  1 hour, plus setting times. Serves 8 Chocolate glaze 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, preferably 70% Cordillera 2 tablespoons corn syrup 2 tablespoons brandy 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter, cubed 1. Cut the chocolate into 2-inch pieces. In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate with butter and corn syrup over barely simmering water. (The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl or the chocolate will burn.) Turn off the heat, stir in brandy and let mixture stand over warm water until ready to use. Bittersweet chocolate tartufo 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% Cordillera)

Garlic cloves dipped in dark chocolate? Garlic cheesecake? Garlic beer? Bam! It's National Garlic Day , a day set aside on the foodie calendar to celebrate all things Allium sativum. Garlic, a species of the onion family, has been with humankind for thousands of years, dating back to the Egyptian pyramids. Photos: 10 outrageous ways to use garlic Rich in beneficial antioxidants, this "stinking rose" has been revered for its medicinal and culinary traits long before "antioxidants" were a thing.

Dear SOS: We had dinner one night at Brunos Trattoria on Birch Street in downtown Brea. Although most of what we had was actually quite good, we fell in love at first bite with the budino al caramello (caramel pudding/chocolate ganache/whipped cream). Yes, it was so good that we would definitely be willing to go there just for that! Is there any way you could get that recipe? Prabha Atluri Walnut Dear Prabha: Creamy caramel custard and rich chocolate ganache are beautifully layered in this dessert, then topped with a dollop of whipped sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Dear SOS: I am a former California native, having lived in Pasadena for almost 47 years. Our family used to eat at the Lawry's establishments all of the time. I am trying to find a recipe for the Lawry's chocolate Kahlua mousse. It was my family's favorite dessert, and we often ordered it on birthdays. Well, my 60th birthday is coming up on Aug. 19, and I would love to make this. Mary K. Pullen Everett, Wash. Dear Mary: It's as if Lawry's took everyone's favorite flavors and combined them in an easy-to-make dessert, with chocolate, espresso and Kahlua liqueur folded into a mousse that comes together in only 15 minutes.

In 92 years, See's Candies has never shied away from being old-fashioned. At the factory on La Cienega Boulevard, some octogenarian workers measure their decades of employment in hip replacements. Quaint floral details are still hand-piped onto chocolate eggs. An inexorable march of candies heads through tubes the length of a football field, where they're drenched in layers of chocolate - a traditional practice known as enrobing. Like cars merging out of highway toll lanes, they appear from cooling tunnels into employees' waiting hands.

  Total time: About 1 hour, plus cooling and firming times Servings: About 2½ dozen truffles Note: Refrigerate the truffles in one layer in shallow airtight containers if you're making them ahead, and bring them to room temperature for serving. 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 3 tablespoons walnut, almond, grape seed or mild olive oil 3 tablespoons sweet red wine 2/3 cup shredded coconut (about 2 ounces) 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (about 2.5 ounces)

With Easter just around the corner, Vegas visitors won't want to miss the jaw-dropping holiday display at the L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurant inside the MGM Grand resort. Made from more than 70 pounds of dark, milk and white chocolate, the display includes sculptures of about 150 flowers, 120 eggs and 60 hens. Completing the menagerie are bunnies, birds and butterflies, all of them literally good enough to eat. Executive Pastry Chef Kamel Guechida and a team of four spent eight weeks designing and crafting the elaborate celebration of Easter.

As everyone knows, Friday, March 22, is World Water Day. Herewith, a few obscure facts about water, courtesy of water policy expert Christiane Barranguet, and links to the scientific studies from which the information is derived.  --Drinking an iced beverage before eating chocolate will dull the sweet, creamy or chocolaty taste. The study's authors suggest that this helps explain why North Americans - who commonly consume iced drinks - eat more highly sweetened foods.  --Downing six to eight glasses of water each day is  commonly cited practice to keep skin looking young.