Free Republic

She’s cracking. Gov. Kathy Hochul sounded off Wednesday about the “outrageous” price of eggs — jokingly telling New Yorkers to make chocolate cake with applesauce instead. The unprompted recipe suggestion came as Hochul, during a news conference in Midtown, slammed President Trump’s tariffs for driving up prices on everything from avocados to children’s toys. “And I’m done talking about the price of eggs — just give up eating them,” she said, drawing laughter. “It’s just outrageous, outrageous.” “You can make a really good chocolate cake with applesauce,” she added. “I digress, it’s also vegan.”

MrBeast is the latest high-profile figure to attack President Trump’s punitive tariffs, which he says will make it “way cheaper” to produce his ethically sourced chocolate brand Feastables overseas. “Ironically because of all the new tariffs it is now way cheaper to make our chocolate bars we sell globally NOT in America,” the YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, wrote on X on Tuesday. Donaldson noted it would be cheaper to produce his popular candy abroad because “other countries don’t have a 20%+ tariff on our cogs.” Feastables products are “designed” in Donaldson’s hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, and...

Once used as offerings to the gods and as a form of currency by the Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs, cacao beans have taken on a different value in modern society. Today, these beans are the basis of all the chocolate we love so much, but it has taken centuries for chocolate to become the ubiquitous treat we know it as. In the time when the Mayans drank cacao beans in liquid form, they were considered savory, with the beans being ground with maize and mixed with water. Considering chocolate contains many chemical compounds with a distinctly bitter taste, it's not...

The most extensive study on how dietary polyphenol consumption affects the risk of cardiometabolic issues monitored over 6,000 Brazilians for eight years. A study of over 6,000 Brazilians—the largest of its kind—found that a diet rich in polyphenol-rich foods such as grapes, strawberries, açaí, oranges, chocolate, wine, and coffee can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 23%. The findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, highlight the protective effects of polyphenols against cardiometabolic disorders. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of metabolic imbalances and hormonal disruptions that significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Polyphenols, known for their...

It turns out, your protein powder might not be as healthy as you think. A new report from the Clean Label Project reveals that popular protein powders—especially plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored varieties—may contain high levels of lead and cadmium. The report highlights an alarming finding: Nearly half (47%) of the 160 products tested exceeded California's Proposition 65 regulatory limits for lead, with 21% containing levels more than twice as high as those allowed under the law. The investigation revealed that: —Plant-based powders, like those made from soy, rice and peas, contained three times more lead than products based on whey,...

Participants who ate at least five servings of chocolate weekly had a 10% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), with dark chocolate showing an even stronger effect—a 21% lower risk. In contrast, milk chocolate consumption was linked to long-term weight gain, which may contribute to T2D, but not to a reduced risk of the disease. Researchers emphasized the health benefits of choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate and cautioned that these findings may not apply to individuals with very high chocolate consumption. Dark chocolate consumption may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%, while milk chocolate does...

Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A California highway was left in a sweet and sticky state after a truck fire caused the roadway to become covered in more than 30,000 pounds of melted chocolate. The California Highway Patrol said firefighters were summoned to the scene on westbound Interstate 580, near Grant Line Road in the Dublin area. Crews were able to extinguish the flames engulfing the truck, but firefighters soon discovered the vehicle's cargo -- 30,000-40,000 pounds of chocolate -- had melted and was spreading across the road. The resulting clean-up operation lasted for several hours. Initial investigations indicated the cause...

New research has found that those who consume more foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, tea, red wine and dark chocolate, could lower their risk of dementia. Led by researchers, the study, reveals that increasing the intake of flavonoid-rich foods and drinks could help reduce the risk of developing the incurable illness. While age and genetics contribute substantially to the development of the disease, evidence has shown that risk factors such as diet, can play an important role in prevention. Flavoniods, primarily found in plant foods, have a range of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They...

Imagine picking up a nice juicy apple - but instead of biting into it you keep the seeds and throw the rest away. That's what chocolate producers have traditionally done with the cocoa fruit - used the beans and disposed of the rest. But now food scientists in Switzerland have come up with a way to make chocolate using the entire cocoa fruit rather than just the beans - and without using sugar. The chocolate, developed at Zurich’s prestigious Federal Institute of Technology by scientist Kim Mishra and his team includes the cocoa fruit pulp, the juice, and the husk,...

NATIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY On June 11 we celebrate the delicious food holiday known as National German Chocolate Cake Day! We can't think of a better way to learn about a cake with American roots and get our chocolate fix for the day at the same time! #GermanChocolateCakeDay Although the name may sound like the cake originated in Germany, German chocolate cake did not. In fact, the cake's roots can be traced back to 1852 when American Sam German made a type of dark baking chocolate for the American Baker’s Chocolate Company. Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate’s brand was named...

Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering statin drug Lipitor is one of the most profitable medications of all time. Globally, the lucrative statin market is projected to reach $32 billion by 2032. Yet, for years, there have been published studies reporting that statin drugs lead to profound memory loss and diabetes, and, overall, are entirely worthless. As such, the studies have supplied the basis for reevaluating the guidelines for prescribing statins and theories on cholesterol in general. After all, cholesterol is essential to the human body—if you had none, you would be dead. The studies have likewise questioned why more focus isn’t put on...

The Japanese scientist whose pioneering work led to the creation of statins, the life-saving drugs used by millions, has died at the age of 90. Akira Endo's pivotal work has been likened to the discovery of penicillin. The biochemist is said to have been inspired by Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, prompting him to study mould, or fungi, in his quest to find new medicines. In 1973, Prof Endo found the first cholesterol-lowering compound able to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Americans nibble their way through more than 3 million tons of chocolate each year, savoring the aromatic bitterness that only the seeds of the cacao plant can deliver. To make the signature flavor palatable as a sweet treat, chocolate manufacturers combine a paste made from cacao seeds with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar – often enough to rival all the other ingredients combined, in fact. Together with significant amounts of saturated fatty acids, provided by the addition of cocoa butter from the fruit, the few health benefits provided by the chocolate bean are swamped by ingredients that increase the...

Some store-bought chocolate desserts may contain dangerous chemicals that could damage your DNA and cause cancer, researchers warn. Scientists found that popular treats like crepes, waffles and cakes contained high levels of carcinogens released during the manufacturing process. These compounds are created when cocoa beans are roasted to help give desserts their chocolatey taste during preparation. The researchers warn they may be evading detection because they are not ingredients intentionally added to the products. The researchers from the Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (IBST) in Belgium said that molecules, called α,β-unsaturated carbonyls, form while roasting cocoa beans and...

Cocoa prices are at a 47-year high.Your sweet tooth cravings are about to get more expensive. In 2024, the price of cocoa hit an all-time high, reaching a staggering $5,874 on the New York commodities market, according to BBC. This, however, wasn't some one-off event, but rather, the culmination of a more than two-year uphill swing in prices that's already rocking the confectionary industry and is trickling down to consumers like you. “Historic cocoa prices are expected to limit earnings growth this year,” Michele Buck, the president and CEO of the Hershey Company, shared during a Feb. 8 earnings call....

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, stores are relying on procrastinating romantics to make a last-minute dash in stores and online to help clear out the supply of the special-occasion candy. If you’re among them, don’t be fooled by the smorgasbord of cutely packaged candy adorned with hearts and cupids in all shades of rosy hues. Those sweet treats might leave a bitter taste if you do some math on how much more you’re paying for them. Some special Valentine’s Day editions of popular candies, such as Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers and Haribo appear to be priced higher than the...

Mayor Adams says nobody likes him, and the polls suggest he’s close to correct. An African-American, he blames race — but maybe it’s really because nobody likes a whiner. Especially an unfocused whiner. You know, like a mayor who flits like a firefly from one crisis to the next, a fellow who talks a good game but who — after 25 months in office — has yet to demonstrate that he’s truly up to what often is described as the second-toughest job in America. Certainly Adams has yet to establish a core theme for his mayoralty. He reacts — but...

Embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams has pinned his recent political problems on race, saying recent attacks against him are due to his administration being made up of people of color. Adams, who has struggled to contend with the city’s unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants and is facing an FBI investigation into his mayoral campaign, told a town hall in Brooklyn late last week he is being attacked just like New York City’s first Black mayor, David Dinkins. "We are moving the needle forward," Adams said. "Is there more to do? You’re darn right there is, but this committed...

The foods we eat can go a long way in boosting our moods. Here are our favorite snacks for happiness, according to science. Achieving happiness is top of mind for many people, and we'll try just about anything to get it. Whether it's therapy, exercise or meditation, we all want to bring more peace and joy into our lives. When we think about what makes us happy, our diet isn't usually at the top of the list (unless your favorite fast-food joint brings joy to mind). The foods we eat actually play a major role in how we feel. Studies...

A luxury Italian hotel has been forced to apologize after it covered a bikini-clad woman in chocolate as part of a dessert buffet — with a teenage girl among the guests left with a sour taste from the “disgusting” display. Federico Mazzieri said he and his 14-year-old daughter were staying at the Voi Colonna Village in Sardinia when a female employee was slathered in chocolate syrup and made to lie on a table of dessert offerings for at least 30 minutes. The HR manager shared a photo to his LinkedIn, writing of his and his daughter’s disgust at the hotel...