Book Excerpt from:
Kids Around the World Cook!:
The Best Foods and Recipes from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Reprinted with permission of the author.
All rights reserved. ©2000 Arlette N. Braman

• Peoples & Places Cuisine
• Chocolate
• Mexican Cuisine

Cooking up some history
In 1828, a Dutch chemist and chocolate manufacturer named Coenraad Van Houten invented a way of making chocolate into powder.  Her reduced the fat from chocolate liqueur and made what was left into a hard cake.  The cake could be crushed into a powder, which would dissolve easily into liquid. This started a whole new way to make hot chocolate.

Servings: 2

Here's What You Need
Recipe requires adult help

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 ounces semisweet baking chocolate squares
• 2 ounces milk chocolate squares or morsels
• ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
• additional milk (optional)

Equipment:

• Measuring cup
• Medium sized pot
• Mixing spoon
• Wire whisk
• Mugs

Here's What You Do:

1. Pour the milk into the pot.  Turn the heat to medium-high.
2. Break the chocolate squares into pieces and place them in the pot.
3. Stir constantly with the spoon.  As the chocolate starts to melt, turn the heat down to medium and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  Turn off the heat.
4. Whisk ( stir using a fast circular motion) the chocolate milk with the wire whisk for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until foamy.
5. ASK AN ADULT
   to pour the hot chocolate into the mugs.  Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top or place a cinnamon stick in each mug and leave it in as you drink.  Take a sip (careful, it's hot) and enjoy.  If the hot chocolate is too rich, you can add some milk.

see interview with
author Arlette N. Braman

Interview 1: Kids...Cook!
Childhood Memories
Cultural "Tidbits"
"Similar, Yet Diverse"
Foods That Kids Can Make
FREE recipe:
Mexican Hot Chocolate

Interview 2: Kids...Create
Connecting Cultures
Special Holidays
Basic Craft Materials
FREE Craft:
Indian Welcome Message

Kids Around the World Cook!:
The Best Foods and Recipes from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson

An international compendium of recipes introduces kids to a world of delicacies that are easy and fun to make. What do Jamaican kids eat for breakfast? What do Japanese families have for dinner? What kinds of treats do Norwegian children have for dessert? Kids Around the World Cook! helps young readers develop an appreciation for other cultures by introducing them to a banquet of recipes from around the world. Kids learn how to make lots of fun meals, including: Indian Sweet Lasi (a yogurt drink), Ethiopian Injera Bread (a thin pancake-shaped bread), Polish Strawberry Soup (which is served cold on hot summer days), and Japanese Kushiyaki (meat and vegetables broiled on skewers). The recipes come from many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Israel, Cuba, Egypt, South Africa, and Thailand, among many others. In addition, text and sidebars supply plenty of background information on cultural food traditions to help kids learn as they eat!

Kids Around the World Create!:
The Best Crafts and Activities from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson

From Italian carnival masks to Egyptian jewelry,a fantastic collection of Earth-spanning activities Kids Around the World Create! is an excellent way for parents and teachers to introduce children to dozens of diverse cultures from around the world and throughout history. Each of the projects and activities in this collection is original, fun to do, and accompanied by a host of interesting facts about the culture. Author Arlette Braman helps kids recognize the similarities between cultures as well as appreciate the value of diversity. Perfect in the classroom or at home, the many multicultural projects include making an Egyptian bead necklace, designing an Amazonian Indian headdress, sculpting an Inuit spirit figure, and many more. *Includes original activities from many countries, including India, Ghana, Japan, Korea, and Mexico *All projects can be done with easy-to-find and inexpensive materials