0 0 0 0 48 - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, November 13, 2003 The Michigan Daily -Weekend atulIlB - Schakolad: You dropped a bon bon on me ... baby By Anthea Stolz For the Daily ch like how a horoscope links your date of birth with your destiny, Peter 'Adamo created a link between peo- ple's blood types and the types of food they_ should consume. D'Adamo breaks down the types and amounts of food based on people's blood type and ethnicity. With his Blood Type Diet, he claims that someone's type of blood has a direct effect on the foods he/she should eat. Being a type O myself, I was able to find a smaller supplement to D'Adamo's series that includes "Eat Right 4 Your Type," "Cook Right 4 Your Type" and "Live Right 4 Your Type." "Blood Type O: Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists" caters to the universal blood donor, the slut of blood donors whose blood is accepted by all people. Each chapter is broken down by types of foods, drinks and miscellaneous tips and advice (see one of my favorites: Chapter 16, Medical Strategies). D'Adamo also reserves a few pages for us to read what other people are saying about the diet. These testimonials are by far the best part of the supple- ment and range from "I owe my life to Dr. D'Adamo," to "I feel like I am now filling my tank with the optimum fuel for my body." The diet is relatively specific as to how much of each food one is allowed to eat. Each food is placed in either "highly beneficial," "neutral" or "avoid" categories. D'Adamo claims that foods placed in It's in the blood Two weeks with the Blood Type Diet By Sravya Chirumamilla Daily Arts Writer the highly beneficial sections "act like a medicine," whereas avoid food "acts like a poison." The serv- ing sizes all vary depending on a person's ethnicity. Usually, people of African and Caucasian ethnicity are allowed smaller portions per day than Asian dieters. Since the idea of organizing portions based on people being of a similar ethnicity made as much sense as linking blood type with foods, I noted my skepticism and started my diet. Day One: Nursing a hangover, I woke up Sunday only to realize I couldn't drink a cup of coffee or grab a can of Pepsi as I have been accustomed to since 10th grade. My morning routine of not eating breakfast could not work with the new diet. So, I forced myself to sit down with some canned pineapples and ate some chunks of the fine fruit. I don't mind pineapples, in fact, I like most fruits. But, obtaining fresh fruits, especially when I do not make a habit of waking up on a Saturday to traverse to the farmer's market, is pretty difficult. I usually reserve all of my food shopping to when I go to my parents' home during the weekends - my family either hits up Costco for economy sized Fruit-by-the-Foot or my mom cooks enough food to last me a year. Since I had not planned ahead for this diet, all I had in my pantry was boxes of raisins and some nacho-flavored Combos. Going to China Gate for dinner, I realized that most of the foods I usually order are not permitted within the diet. I settled for some beef and vegeta- bles in which I had to rid my plate of mushrooms and baby corn. Day Seven: I've pretty much fallen off the diet. I held on to eating right for my blood type pretty well until the weekend came around, and with it, a friend's party. Since the Blood Type Diet doesn't allow alcohol consumption, except for an occasional red wine, I took a short respite both Friday and Saturday night. KELLY LIN/Daily Fruits are one of the few snacks allowed. I have hung on to the idea of limited caffeine consumption and have cut out all pop and coffee drinks. I have become an utter bitch though. The lack of caffeine and sheer hatred for limiting foods has made me cranky and irritable. Day 14: Since I started fasting for Ramadan and since I don't wake up before sunrise to eat breakfast, I've limited my meals to two: one at sunset and another a few hours before hitting the sack. The diet, of course, doesn't encourage this type of eating behav- ior. Any moron who can put together sentences to form a book usually beats it into dieters' heads that breakfast is necessary to start off the day. It is also pretty understandable that eating before sleeping affects the digestion of the meal, leading to the stor- age of more fats. Also, because I had fallen off the diet, I stopped carrying around the booklet that list- ed the foods I am allowed to eat. By the end of the two weeks, I noticed no great change in my weight, probably because I did not follow guidelines. I became more aware of foods I love since I was forced to give up potatoes, ketchup and grits. The diet fails to address real health prob- lems, which D'Adamo claims can be cured with specific spices. While D'Adamo is himself a doc- tor, I can not help but suspect the benefits of a diet in which people's blood types and ethnicity dictate the food they eat. Chocolate means something to everyone. Some see its history in international trade. Others, like the avid Cosmo reader, celebrate its aphrodisiac qualities. My little sister, with a devilish twinkle in her eye, used to demand "something deli- cious" and expected a chocolate response. Scott Huckestein and his wife, Dianna, co-owners of Schako- lad, recognize chocolate's special power to please. Schakolad began as a family choco- late shop in Argentina, before moving to the United States and becoming a franchised company. The boutique differentiates itself by offering Euro- pean-style chocolates made in the store. Huckestein explains that "Euro- pean-style chocolate" means a higher cocoa content and less sugar. There are no preservatives in the confections which are hand-made daily in the Schakolad chocolate factory. A grandiose interior, with a ceil- ing of exposed painted piping rein- forces the "factory" feel of the store but doesn't provide an intimate envi- ronment. The initial sterility of the store should not deter customers, who will be tempted by the sweets behind the counter. Schakolad's largest display cases boast chocolate creations such as truffles, clusters and chocolate-cov- ered fruit and pretzels priced at $25 per pound. Rich truffles abound in dark, milk and white chocolate, including Huck- estein's favorite, the raspberry truffle. Made of dark chocolate, this truffle strikes -a delicate balance between the slightly bitter dark chocolate and the sweet fruit. Very loyal to my preference for dark chocolate, my personal favorite is the Jamaican Rum dark chocolate truffle. The intoxicating richness of dark chocolate and spiced rum create a decadent treat that leaves a delightful complexity that lingers after the truffle itself has melted away. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TOBE A WEEKEND COLUMNIST, SUBMIT TWO 800,,WORD SAMPLES TO WEEKEND2KS. @UMICH.ED( a 'I For the nut lover, clusters are the clear choice. Cashew, almond, pista- chio, hazelnut, macadamia nut, pecan and peanut clusters are enrobed in milk or dark chocolate. If nuts are not your passion, and truffles are too rich for you, check out the chocolate-cov- ered fruits. Candied slices of peach, pear, pineapple and orange are hand dipped in chocolate along with whole cherries and strawberries. A number of sugarfree options are available. For those troubled souls who don't enjoy good chocolate, the Almond Toffee provides a delicious alterna- tive. Nutty and crunchy, the toffee has a markedly different texture than the smooth chocolate but the buttery rich- ness is equally delectable. Schakolad's chocolate is not limited to bite-sized morsels. Chocolate can also be poured into one of the various molds available - ranging from a stiletto high heel to golf clubs to a picture frame, or an edible box that can be filled with chocolates. With a little bit of advanced notice, custom molds can be made to create a person- alized gift. Melting chocolate, perfect for fon- due, is sold for five dollars per pound, in the dark, milk and white chocolate varieties. In addition to solid chocolate cre- ations, Schakolad offers a number of hot beverages to combat the rapidly approaching winter days such as Fair Trade coffee, the signature "Schako- Latte" hot chocolate and hot caramel apple cider. Don't be fooled, the Schako-Latte contains no espresso, only milk and chocolate, and reminds us, unlike its watery counterparts, what hot chocolate should taste like. Served at a wonderful temperature that will not burn your tongue, the satiating drink has a smooth and continuous flavor revealing the rich and intricate flavor of real chocolate. However sensational the drink, the Dixie take- away cup did not earn any presenta- tion points. Nor did the barren cafe area where I enjoyed my Schako-Latte. Such a delicious and comforting beverage deserves a cozier atmos- phere. Four cafe tables, stranded between stark white walls, are set upon artificial wood flooring and seem out of place. Overstuffed chairs or couches and a better light- ing scheme would greatly improve the ambiance. Buy your chocolate to go and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home. Schakolad is located at 110 E. Washington St. Open Monday- ednesday 9a.m.-9p.m., Thursday -Saturday 9am-] Opm and Sunday 1p.m. - 7p.m. One word: Yummy! OWN& ANN ARBOR REALTY LOCATION - LOCATION - LOCATION Central Campus Efficiencies, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apts. Starting at $575 / mo. Includes some utilities. ANN ARBOR REALTY 616 CHURCH (734) 663-7444 Open Mon-Fri, 9 am to 5:30 pm a:~ ~ ~~ t*a,*,,*,,, ,, Weekend Think you are funny? Apply for a weekend column. weekend2k3@ umich.edu. It IdiHNEditors nS Weekend Chrle MAGAZINE re asey Writers: Sravya Chirumamilla Sean Dailey, Nicole Frehsee, Lia lzenberg, Neal Pais, Anthea Stolz Photo Editors: Tony Ding, Brett Mountain Photographers: Forest Casey, Kelly Lin ,[aura Shlecter Cover Photo: Ryan Weiner Arts Editors: Todd Weiser Managqin g Editor, Jason Roberts, Scott Serilla, Editors Editor in Chief: Louie Meizlish