Tin Sign Info

Chocolate is available in many types. Different forms and flavors of chocolate are produced by varying the quantities of the different ingredients. Other flavors can be obtained by varying the time and temperature when roasting the beans. “Unsweetened chocolate”, also known as “bitter”, “baking chocolate” or “cooking chocolate” is pure chocolate liquor mixed with some form of fat to produce a solid substance. The pure, ground, roasted cocoa beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor. With the addition of sugar, however, it is used as the base for cakes, brownies, confections, and cookies.

 
Swiss dark chocolate”Dark chocolate”, also called “plain chocolate” or “black chocolate”, is produced by adding fat and sugar to cocoa. It is chocolate with zero or much less milk than milk chocolate. The U.S. has no official definition for dark chocolate, only “sweet chocolate”, which requires a mere 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate can be eaten as is, or used in cooking, for which thicker, more expensive baking bars with higher cocoa percentages of up to 85%, or sometimes 99%, are sold. Dark is synonymous with semisweet, and extra dark with bittersweet, although the ratio of cocoa butter to solids may vary.
“Semisweet chocolate” is frequently used for cooking purposes. It is a dark chocolate with (by definition in Swiss usage) half as much sugar as cocoa, beyond which it is “sweet chocolate.”
“Bittersweet chocolate” is chocolate liquor (or unsweetened chocolate) to which some sugar (less than a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable when baking. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are sometimes referred to as ‘couverture’ (chocolate that contains at least 32 percent cocoa butter); many brands now print on the package the percentage of cocoa (as chocolate liquor and added cocoa butter) contained. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sweet the chocolate is. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows chocolate containing at least 35% cacao (either cacao solids or butter from the cacao beans) to be classified as “bittersweet” or “semisweet”.
“Couverture” is a term used for chocolates rich in cocoa butter. Popular brands of couverture used by professional pastry chefs and often sold in gourmet and specialty food stores include: Valrhona, Felchlin, Lindt & Sprüngli, Scharffen Berger, Cacao Barry, Callebaut, and Guittard. These chocolates contain a high percentage of cocoa (sometimes 85% or more) and a total fat content of 30 to 40%.
 
Swiss milk chocolate”Milk chocolate” is solid chocolate made with milk in the form of milk powder, liquid milk, or condensed milk added. In the 1870s, Swiss confectioner Daniel Peter had developed solid milk chocolate using condensed milk; hitherto it had only been available as a drink. The U.S. Government requires a 10% concentration of chocolate liquor. EU regulations specify a minimum of 25% cocoa solids, however an agreement was reached in 2003 that allows milk chocolate in the UK and Ireland to contain only 20% cocoa solids. This type of chocolate must be called “family milk chocolate” elsewhere in the European Union.

“Hershey process” milk chocolate is popular in North America. It was invented by Milton S. Hershey, founder of The Hershey Company, and can be produced more cheaply than other processes since it is less sensitive to the freshness of the milk. The process is a trade secret, but experts speculate that the milk is partially lipolyzed, producing butyric acid, which stabilizes the milk from further fermentation. This compound gives the product a particular sour, “tangy” taste, to which the American public has become accustomed, to the point that other manufacturers now simply add butyric acid to their milk chocolates.

 
Swiss White chocolate”White chocolate” is a confection based on sugar, milk, and fat (either cocoa butter or vegetable oils) without the cocoa solids. Some consider white chocolate not to even be chocolate, because of the lack of cocoa solids. The US FDA standard of identity of labeling for white chocolate (which applies to both domestic and imported products) states it must contain a minimum of 20 percent cocoa butter, a minimum of 14 percent of total milk solids, a minimum of 3.5 percent milkfat, and a maximum of 55 percent nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners.
“Cocoa powder” is used for baking, and for drinking with added milk and sugar. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: natural cocoa (like the sort produced by the Broma process), and Dutch-process cocoa. Both are made by pulverising partially defatted chocolate liquor and removing nearly all the cocoa butter; Dutch-process cocoa is additionally processed with alkali to neutralise its natural acidity. Natural cocoa is light in colour and somewhat acidic with a strong chocolate flavour. Natural cocoa is commonly used in recipes which also use for baking soda; as baking soda is an alkali, combining it with natural cocoa creates a leavening action that allows the batter to rise during baking. Dutch cocoa is slightly milder in taste, with a deeper and warmer colour than natural cocoa. Dutch-process cocoa is frequently used for chocolate drinks such as hot chocolate due to its ease in blending with liquids. Unfortunately, Dutch processing destroys most of the flavonoids present in cocoa. In 2005 Hershey discontinued their pure Dutch-process European Style cocoa and replaced it with Special Dark, a blend of natural and Dutch-process cocoa.
“Compound chocolate” is the technical term for a confection combining cocoa with vegetable fat, usually tropical fats and/or hydrogenated fats, as a replacement for cocoa butter. It is often used for candy bar coatings. In many countries it may not legally be called “chocolate”. Much “white chocolate” is better described as compound chocolate.
“Raw chocolate” is chocolate which has not been processed, heated, or mixed with other ingredients. It is sold in chocolate-growing countries, and to a much lesser extent in other countries, often promoted as healthy.

Flavors such as mint, vanilla, coffee, orange, or strawberry are sometimes added to chocolate in a creamy form or in very small pieces. Chocolate bars frequently contain added ingredients such as peanuts, nuts, fruit, caramel, and crisped rice. Pieces of chocolate, in various flavours, are sometimes added to cereals and ice cream.

Well I even learned something about different chocolates.  This vintage Hershey’s Cocoa metal sign makes a great gift.

Hershey’s Kisses is a brand of chocolate manufactured by The Hershey Company. The bite-sized pieces of chocolate have a distinctive shape, commonly described as flat-bottomed teardrops. Hershey’s Kisses chocolates are wrapped in squares of lightweight aluminum foil with a narrow strip of paper protruding from the top.

Kisses is one of the most popular brands of candies in the US. In 1989, the chocolate drops were the 5th most popular chocolate brand in the United States, spawning sales that topped $400 million. More than 60 million Hershey’s Kisses chocolates are produced each day at the company’s two factories. Today’s Kisses brand chocolates use Hershey’s original milk chocolate formula.

This vintage Hershey’s Kisses metal sign makes a great gift for anyone.

Barbecue or barbeque  is a method and apparatus for cooking meat and various other foods, with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of charcoal, cooking gas, or even electricity; and may include application of a marinade, spice rub, or basting sauce to the meat or vegetables.  Barbecue is usually cooked in an outdoor environment heated by the smoke of wood or charcoal. Restaurant barbecue may be cooked in large brick or metal ovens specially designed for that purpose. A true barbecue is only cooked slowly and at low temperature by wood smoke.

This Fresh Hot BBQ sign would look great in any kitchen or any mancave. Makes a great gift idea.

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines internationally. The Coca-Cola Company claims that the beverage is sold in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.

The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors.

This reproduction tin sign makes a great gift.

Mel’s Drive-In (not to be confused with Mel’s Diner) is the name of a restaurant chain founded in 1947 by Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs in San Francisco, California.

In October 1963, the Mel’s Drive in chain was picketed and subjected to a sit-in by the Ad Hoc Committee to End Discrimination over the fact that while the restaurant would serve food to African Americans and hired them as cooks, Blacks were not allowed to work “up front” where they could be seen by White customers. More than 100 protesters were arrested. The picketing ended when Harold Dobbs, a San Francisco City Supervisor who had run for Mayor and lost, settled with the protestors and began to allow Black workers “up front.”

Mel’s was used as a location in the 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are out for a drive and Tracy pulls into Mel’s and orders Oregon Boysenberry ice cream, then has a minor traffic altercation with an African-American man. The Mel’s was located in the Excelsior district of San Francisco. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy never actually visited the location.

In 1972, the restaurant was selected as a feature location by George Lucas for his 1973 film American Graffiti. The prominent play given to the location has been credited with saving the company from possibly going out of business. The Mel’s used was located at 140 South Van Ness in San Francisco.

Mel’s restaurants have since been featured in other media such as Melrose Place (1996, Season 5, episode 1), Doonesbury comics (December 18, 1989), and the book The American Drive-in by Mike Witzel.

Some Mel’s Drive-In locations are not actually drive-ins, but rather diners, although the sign still says “drive-in”; none of the San Francisco locations serve food to patrons’ cars.
Universal Studios built a replica of “Mel’s Drive-In” on its lot, pursuant to the restaurant being used in American Graffiti — this must-see amusement attraction also served as a gift shop for years. There are also a number of “Mel’s” located in Northern California that share the same general American Graffiti/nostalgia theme and the similarly styled Mel’s logo. These restaurants are called “Mel’s Original.” Their locations are not listed on the official Mel’s Drive-In website, although an article from the Sacramento Business Journal shows that they are related. A family rift caused the Weisses to part ways and form two chains. The elder Weiss in 1994 sold his company to Larry Spergel, who formed a group of about 50 stockholders that now owns the chain. The Walnut Creek, California location features a history of the original San Francisco Mel’s.

This car hop tin sign makes a great gift. Like I have said before it’s blast from the past.

Steven Weiss and partner Donald Wagstaff opened the first of the “Next Generation” Mel’s Drive-ins in September of 1985. The restaurant, located at 2165 Lombard Street in San Francisco, appealed to families wanting to share the tastes, sights, and sounds of the 1950s drive-in era with their children. A little over two years later, a second location was established on Geary Boulevard, also in San Francisco. The next two restaurants opened in Los Angeles, one in Sherman Oaks and the other in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. Van Ness Avenue is home to the third San Francisco location, and the fourth opened its doors in November of 2000 next to the Sony Metreon Center in the Yerba Buena area. In the heart of Hollywood on the famous Hollywood Boulevard our fifth location was opened with a full-service Celebrity Bar. The most recent addition to the Mel’s family is the Rancho Cucamonga location located near Ontario Mills on the border of Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario.
 

This authenic reproduction tin sign makes a great gift. It’s like a blast from the past.

If your like most moms everybody always want something different then you decide to make for dinner. I have done menu’s for the week.  Ask them what they would like on certain nights, but nothing seems to work.

Then I ran across this sign and decide it needs to go up in my kitchen as soon as it comes to the home. Maybe my guys will get the hint that what I fix for dinner is it.

This authentic reproduction tin sign makes a great gift for any mom.

Diet Bite

Counting Calories In Vegetables – Food Calories

Diet, Weight Loss Tips, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss & Dieting Advice

When dieting, counting calories can render awesome results on your weight scales. Vegetables are tops for dieters because most all are ultra-low in calories and contain zero-minimal fat. Oh my, there is a pretty picture developing here – and that picture is YOU! 

And vegetables make a healthy choice for anyone – dieting or not! Steaming your vegetables or enjoying them raw without added sauces/oils is the absolute healthiest means of preparation, though because they are so low in calories, a bit of sauce/glaze will certainly keep vegetables well within ‘diet calorie range’. 

Be sure to wash all vegetables well  before use to remove harmful bacteria and insecticides. No calorie butter spray can be used generously, so squeeze that bottle and in turn, squeeze those unwanted pounds away by enjoying something healthy and diet smart!

This vintage tin sign will make a great Christmas gift.

If you live in a major metropolitan area, you’ve probably noticed the reemergence of diners on the restaurant scene. Part of this trend can be attributed to the tough national economy, but it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that the reasons run a bit deeper. Upscale restaurants have their own charm, but all too often they lack the sense of relaxation and camaraderie that a diner has in spades.

Diners are quaint, familiar places where you can find a meal without any fuss. Only the simplest, freshest ingredients are used, and the floor plan is instantly recognizable as well. You’ll have a few tables, a metal counter with backless stools and a jukebox in the corner. Unique bistro road signs line the walls of the joint, and the proprietor is happy to discuss the news of the day; if you’re lucky, he might even offer a few pearls of wisdom gleaned from a long career in the food industry.

The kitchen is one of the most-used rooms in any house, and it should be a fun, relaxing space. After all, eating a meal gives you a break from your day, allows you to rest your feet and fills your belly with good food. Warm colors, like golden yellow, work great in kitchens, and you can add other decor to achieve that soothing, down-home feel. Choose a theme for your kitchen, like vegetables, grapes and wine, or picnic food, and look for accent pieces and accessories to sprinkle around your kitchen to tie the room together.

One charming look for any kitchen is vintage 30s and 40s decor. You can decorate your kitchen like an old-time diner or simply an idyllic family kitchen. A great way to achieve this look is to decorate your kitchen with food tin signs that display family favorites like hot dogs, ice cream, eggs, Hostess cupcakes and more. Retro tin signs are fun and stylish, and can even be humorous if you choose. Add some character to your kitchen with tin signs today!