Tom's Podcast

Send us Fan MailSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJuly 31, 2022THE ART OF EATING AND COOKINGAUSTERITY BECOMES A VIRTUEGASTRONOMY AS AN ARTA NEW DISH IS GREATER THAN A NEW STARBRILLAT SAVARIN:  "Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are."ART. AND SCIENCE:  food scienceGASTRONOMY:  stimulation of a maximum secretion of digestive juicesWORDS ABOUT OUR PROGRESS:  David (SOCOPLAN) and Servando (SCAP)COCOA FARMER AS A SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMINGSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJuly 17, 2022.Background of the author, Edouard de Pomiane, a pseudonymPreface written by the legendary Ali-Bab and introduction by author.I found his writing and his assumptions dated.  They really are based on a Eurocentric foundation, on a world that has since passed away.de Pomiane's assumptions show that even the most educated among us can barely see over the horizon.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJune 25, 2022FIRST ENCOUNTER:  January 1970, cooking meals from Julia Child's "Cooking of Provincial France".SECOND ENCOUNTER:  January, 1971, attending the taping of the Omelet Show at WGBH.THIRD ENCOUNTER:  1982?  In Judith Jones' office at Alfred A. KnopfFOURTH ENCOUNTER:  showing my culinary software to Julia ChildSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailApril 14, 2026On Sunday, April 12, I gave a talk to 11 Loubersians, people from the village of Loubers.  I covered the following:My backgroundThe cocoa tree, fruit, and seedImportance of fermentation to flavorTasting chocolate for three attributes:  smoothness, roastiness, fruitinessHow to temper, enrobe, dip,  and mold chocolateTasting three truffles with red wineSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 15, 2022Report on fundraiser in September of 2021.  Individual donations.  Two Projects Funded by a Project Redwood Grant:  1, Depa will be pressing cocoa liquor to extract cocoa butter and the press cake will be ground into cocoa powder;  2, Founding of SCAP (Société Coopérative Agricole de Pezoan).  Pezoan will buy Depa chocolate and focus on fudge-filled chocolate bars.Establishment of Project Espoir et Equité, founded to manufacture chocolate products and sell wholesale to local retail stores such as supermarkets and restaurants.  We will manufacture in Foyer du Segala.  Description of products.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailDecember 22, 202116 members of our truffle chorus:  Apple-Black Pepper, Arabie (Date paste), Coco-Banana, Coffee, Cranberry,  Curry-Raisin,  Chipotle, Ginger,  Marzipan, Noisette, Orange-Vanilla, Pine-nut,  Vanilla, Whiskey.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailNovember 26, 2021Ten Factors that make us who we are:  1, the economy (use of the government); 2, sex and the pill; 3, science (acquired a central focus); 4, war (more of it); 5, climate (burning up the planet); 6, organized religion. (deception); 7, cosmos ();  8, gender redefinition (the blurring of male-female);  9, race (importance in history);  10, trust (actually, loss of it).The tenth factor, Loss of Trust,  is the subject of this essay.  Kennedy as a person to revere.  Various facts and theories about the assassination.PHF Progress:  1, fixing two wells in Pezoan;  2, David sent 2,000 bars.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailNovember 3, 2021Oliver spent a lot of time with the Indian family.  He accompanied them up Mt San Jeronimo, where he participated in the rites of sun worship. Relationships between the Indios (Indians) and the Mestizos (Spanish-Mexicans).  Comparison to situation of the cocoa farmer.Communications between Indios and Mestizos.  Indios used superstition to gain the upper hand over the Mestizos when they haggled over prices.  I mention my experience haggling in China.Trip to the plantation by Mom and Reuben.  Eating monkey in alligator sauce prepared by Galdena.  Description of plantation.  Vulnerability of rubber trees to disease and insects.  Victor's friendship with President Diaz, who appreciated the hard work of the American family.Four ingredients necessary for successful development:  time, knowledge, capital, critical mass.Jennie Lindeborg--a Swedish Cinderella, a stowaway on a potato boat.  The taxi story.  Other members of the story.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailOctober 26, 2021Characters:  Oliver--eventually became VP of a big oil company.  Jenny--my great-grandmother.  Rolf--invented the milk carton.  Esther--my mother's mother (got sick in Mexico and returned to the US).  Rueben-- invented an oil pipeline brush.Sympathetic magic--the belief that like makes like.  E.g., eating long green beans lengthens lifespan.  Eating red food stimulates blood production.Notes about President Diaz (1880-1910).Causes of goatiness in goat's milk:  three fatty acids (caproic, capric, caprylic acids)Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailSeptember 16, 2021Bach's music is profoundly cheerful and full of love.  JSB was a devout Christian, and his music portrays the majesty of a Theistic God who loves his creation.  These five organ pieces are among my favorites.Prelude and Fugue in F-MajorPrelude in D-Major Wachet Auf Ruft uns die Stimme. (Wake Up Calls Out the Voice)Sheep May Safely GrazeTrumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah ClarkeComments about the up-coming fundraiser, where I played these five pieces.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailOctober 16, 2021Written by my Great-Uncle, Victor Frederick Peterson.  Comments about how I inherited this document.  Other personal comments.Emigration of Swedes to the US and Little Swedens that dotted the MidWest and about the Peterson family.1905--Professor Peterson decides to move his family to Mexico.Three books about rubber and colonialism:  King Leopold's Ghost, Fordlandia by Greg Grandin, In Darkest Africa by Henry Stanley (2 volumes).PHF News:  David buys a $6,000 tempering machine thanks to USDA grant.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJuly 1, 2021African Truffle assortment using Depa chocolateDepa:  our first chocolate production facility.  David's customers.Description of truffle productionOther products using Depa chocolateDescription of vendors in the Cordes Saturday morning marketSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 15, 2021A comparison of my parents' science interests and their hopes to make me a scientist.  A comparison of parental religious philosophies.  How can science and religion coexist in one person when science negates religion?Late 19th and early 20th centuries--when Cartesian thought no longer applied and mystery caused a significant rapprochement of science and religion.  Role of Darwin in creating more mystery.  The Big Bang Theory:  how can we be living inside an explosion?  It seems the more we know the more mystery there is.What does religion provide?  Anti-hubris.  We will never reach the level os gods, no matter how many apples we eat.  Science requires hubris;  religion demands anti-hubris.PHF:  Announcement of our fundraiser in September.  I hope to raise enough money to buy a second melangeur for David.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailApril 15, 2021My commitment to "do something" about poverty of the cocoa farmer.  Purchase of tools for farmers.  2012 trip: I proposed the idea of building cocoa processing facility in Depa.  Since 2019, David Logbo Zigro has shipped four batches of chocolate bars to the US.  He has also made bars and disks which he has sold locally.Pezoan:  We built the second chocolate processing facility in Pezoan and I have been teaching Adama Yamba how to temper chocolate and candy fruit.  Antoine's story about getting beaten up doing PH&F work.  Adama's story with the cold room.Cordes sur Ciel:  selling in the Saturday market.  Damien joins me.  Dreams about expanding business.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMarch 23, 2021.The Thomas Edison Model:  dispersed generators connected by ACIntermittency:  how to blend wind and solar with traditional generatorsEnergy to weight ratio:  History of the battery.The Lithium battery:  where is most of the earth's lithium?  Environmental damage.How batteries are recycled.Two new batteries:  liquid air and liquid metalNEWS ABOUT PH&F:  selling chocolate at the Saturday market and in a store in downtown Cordes (Cordes au Bas).Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMarch 6, 2021Hopelessness:  a hopeless approachA bug shows the way;  a metaphor for our times.History of the global warming theory.Forcings:  measured in watts per square meter (incoming and outgoing)Examples of positive and negative forcingHow many trees do we need to plant?Problems for shellfish.NEWS ABOUT PH&FSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailFebruary 13, 2021INTRODUCTION:  An old-testament writing genre that grew in response to the Babylonian captivity to provide hope to the Chosen People who had been kidnapped to Babylon, then invaded by the Greeks and then the Romans.FIVE HORSEMEN:Serial Pandemics:  COVID and EbolaDonald J. Trump:  end of Liberalism, rise of FascismNuclear AnnihilationDevaluation of HumanityGlobal WarmingNEWS ABOUT PH&F:   1600 chocolate bars sold,  African ChocoFudgeBar, African TrufflesSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJanuary 16, 2021Dr. Bart Ehrman.  Why do we suffer?  The canonical gospels.  Who wrote them?  When?  Quelle (source).  Problems of translation such as "logos".  Meaning of Messiah.  Gospels as credos, not historical records.  No record of Jesus in documents written in the 1st century.  James, brother of Jesus, was the first "pope";  he was Jewish, not Christian.Dr. Robert Wright:  A History of God.  Starting with spiritual origins with hunter-gatherers. Reassurance of survival especially on a planet where volcanoes, earthquakes, and famines threaten survival.  The idea of fairness--does it pre-date religion?  God--a concept to discourage theft.  Polytheism--monolatry--monotheism, a transition during Israelite history.  Polytheism and monolatry encourage peaceful trade and discourage wars.  Monotheism encourages warlike behaviors.Emperor Constantine.  Not really a Christian himself but encouraged it to tighten control over the Roman Empire.Dr. Reza Aslan.  "Zealot, the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth".  See highly cringeworthy Lauren Greene-Aslan interview on Youtube.  He has chosen history over theology.  10 facts that I learned from the book, Zealot.Again, ignore the statements about the bars.  I am making the bars here in France from chocolate made in the village of Lakota.  If you want some bars, please contact me.Thanks.  Tom Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailDec 12, 2020Three geological examples of impermanence are considered:  the clinkers I picked up as a Kindergartner, the Petoskey Stone, which is the state mineral of Michigan, and the Cambrian Explosion, when multicellular life first appeared.Our village Cordes sur Ciel represents a fourth example of impermanence.  We live on top of a 200 foot layer of limestone, dolomite, and sandstone and  houses and buildings of the community are made of these three stones.Catharism, a "heretical" sect represented a threat to the permanence of the Roman Catholic Church.  1209-1229 was the period of the Albigensian Crusade, a genocide funded by Pope Innocent III during which over 400,000 Cathars were obliterated by the Church.  The sect no longer exists.The Fifth Industrial Revolution, based on batteries and electricity grids, is a fifth example of impermanence, as we have to go through extraordinary pain to wean ourselves of fossil fuels.Adventures with our Citroen AmiDavid made 1800 bars.  This is all old.  You can purchase bars from me here in France, but you will have to arrange with UPS, FEDEX, or DHL for a pick-up.  To know more, contact me at twneuhaus@gmail.comSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailNov. 11, 2020.A friend (Ahmadou) put me in touch with the captain of the Cameroonian soccer team.  But it was a fraud.  My friend was deceived.  Becoming increasingly suspicious, I made a list of "flags" that signal the fraud.  I sent 200 euros and learned a valuable lesson.  The most valuable was that when you are trying to do good, you are highly susceptible to fraudulent people as you lack the requisite skepticism to protect yourself.I finish by talking about selling chocolate bars.  We have not yet established a way to sell bars.  I can sell bars made with our chocolate from my business in France, but you will need to initiate the purchase from your end using UPS, FedEx, or DHL.If you are interested, write to me.  Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMore walking through Cordes.  Very sorry that the images are no longer with us.  Some important points:Albigensian Crusade:  a genocide of the Cathars ordered by Pope Innocent IIIPastel:  made from a local plant (woad) that made Cordes richValleys and hills:  all formed by erosion of softer limestonesBastide:  a heavily defended market town Planol:  between the 4th and 5th wallsLavoir:  where village women congregated to wash their laundryCharles Portal Museum:  see weaving machine in the basementCallipyge:  where the piano is locatedComments about chocolate manufacturing in Depa and Pezoan.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailOctober 12, 2020I walk around Cordes.  Hope you enjoy it.  TomSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailSeptember 23, 2020Plant Pigments and the Cooking of VegetablesDifferences between plants and animalsPheophytin and overcooked vegetablesEffects of blanchingChlorophylls, carotenoids, xanthophyllsEffects of pH on vegetable colorsFlavonoids as anti-aging antioxidantsA Little Tour of Cordes sur CielSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailSeptember 1, 2020. Andrew Wilson-Dickson plays Bach and Couperin to illustrate:Pipe length and pitch and sharpness of sound—examples by Bach and CouperinUse of harmonics to imitate reed instrumentsSound of reeds, wooden and metal pipesHistory, Ingredients, and a Culinary StoryThe story of DanishCinnamon vs CassiaA Fishy TailSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan Mail"Toccata" by Francis Jackson.  Performed by Andrew Wilson-Dickson.The Prelude and postlude in a Christian serviceOrgan as vox dei or piousThree periods:  classic, romantic, instrumentalThe tracker organ, ranks, stopsQuint, Terce, Materials:  white pine, pewter, lead, tinPrincipals, bourdon, reed pipes (fagott), stringsManuals:  great, positif, swell, recitLength of pipe and pitch:  32, 16, 8 ,4, 2, 1Ganache (food). Theobroma cacao (food of the gods)The culinary gullibility test and cultureSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailCompanies pretend to be shocked about child laboMy solution—help the farmer climb the value chainWFCL—definitionUse of agricultural chemicals—effectivenessCocoa price at the time:  68 cents per lbDaloa produces 10% of Ivorian cocoaGender and control of family's cashGreen pods, black pods and qualityPisteurs and traitants:  who are they?Shia Lebanese and Ivorian economyChild labor vs WFCL—differencesCommercial advantage of deforestationUgly beans make great chocolate:  why?Harkens-Engel Protocol—effectivenessSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJuly 23, 2020Dark Lutheranism and Light LutheranismIs Dark Lutheranism caused by epigenetics?Swedish foods celebrating church festivalsCoexistence of science and ChristianityCorrelation of Liberalism and Light LutheranismPH&F's work and Light LutheranismCulinary IssuesThe microwave oven—effects on foodPlastics in food—BPAExplosion in the kitchenSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJuly 12, 2020History:  origins of the  mousseIngredients:  the onion.  The FODMAP diet.  Lachrymatory properties.Fining and Honing Your KnivesHow to Cut an Onion"As Above, So Below". Philosophy of culinary science.An Earthly Apocalypse:  story of a failed cakeSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJune 27, 2020The Industrial Revolution is often said to be made of three parts:  the steam engine, the Bessemer blast furnace, and the silicon wafer.  However, underpinning these three technologies is a great wealth of modifications in the diet necessary to feed the worker.  The rise of sugar as a cheap source of calories, the use of food additives to preserve and make food more palatable, the use of the chicken as a great filter to consume lots of waste products and produce edible meat are just a few examples of what is covered in this article.SECTION ON PH&F:  news about the African Chocobar.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJune 18, 2020David's New Machine:  David Logbo Zigro went to Abidjan to pick up the newest melangeur.The African Chocobar: description.  Comments about pricing.The Peruvian Connection:  the very beginning of PH&FKuapa Kokoo:  Fair Trade cooperative located in Kumasi, Ghana2003--first trip to GhanaFood Fact:  why are some fish oilier than another?  Why are some white and others red?  The nature of fish oils.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailJune 4, 2020HISTORY OF GHANA:  importance of gold trade, slave trade;  Tetteh Quarshie, the man who introduced cacao to continental Africa.;  Kwame N'KrumaHISTORY OF CAMEROON:  origin of name, German influence, Western Cameroonians,  President Biya, Northern Cameroon and Boko Haram, formation of Amazonia, biggest exports, polarization of North vs South.WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR, FAIR TRADE, & FREE TRADEFOOD FACTS:  proscription of white food.  Reverend Sylvester Graham's influence.  Effects of diet on prevalence of diabetes.  Honey as digested sucrose.FOOD ADDITIVES:  Center for Science in the Public Interest.  Glyphosate, antibiotics in our food.TWO CULINARY ERRORS  Tom "surprises" a steak;  Tom puts glace in the melon, not glaçons.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 29, 2020Sections from my book, "A History of Project Hope and Fairness" Six motivating facts  for writing the book, and for my thoughts about cocoa sustainability.Six important events that influenced my way of thinking about how to solve problems with cocoa sustainability.History of Ivory Coast.Ingredients--what is bread flour?  all-purpose?  pastry?History:  How did chocolate become popular in Europe?Troubleshooting:  The Story of Goofy BastardSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 21, 2020We continue with Padmore's extraordinary adventure.  In this part, we start on the bubble boat, continue to a camp near Foggia, visit a man in Naples who forges a document that would allow him to leave Italy.  Padmore meets Tolva, moves in with her.  They get married and then Padmore flies back to Ghana in order to legalize his status and to see his sons.The Most Important Project of My Life:  PH&F.  Thoughts on how to make cocoa growing a sustainable occupation.Food thoughts:  how to hard-boil an egg.Food history:  origins of American cerealsTroubleshooting:  how to keep green vegetables green.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 13, 2020Padmore left Ghana in 2018, crossed the Mediterranean in a flimsy balloon boat, lived in Italy, and eventually ended up living in Malmö, Sweden and ended up marrying a Swedish woman who went to his church.  This is his story.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 3, 2020Today's podcast answers the following questions:Why write a podcast?What is my background?What is Project Hope and Fairness?  What does it do?What is baking powder?  Single-acting vs double-actingWhen to use baking soda and baking powder.History of canning.  Botulism.  The 12-D cook.Mayonnaise--a  mixture of phases with an emulsifier.  How to make.  Whisks.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailMay 4, 2020We start this episode with a brief history of Project Hope and Fairness.  Then we talk about the use of yeast to leaven breads and pastries and to produce alcohol.  Remarks about the history of the baguette.  Meat cookery and moisture loss:  the roles of myoglobin, sauces, pH alteration and sealing in the juices.Support the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Send us Fan MailCarl Sagan didn't believe in them.  Nor does Elon Musk.  Do UFOs and aliens exist?  If so, will we ever meet them?In this podcast, I begin by grounding my interest in the questions with a bit of family history concerning the spectrophotometer, which , in combination with the development of more powerful telescopes made it possible to appreciate the sheer size of the universe.I then proceed to discussing why we may never actually know the answers to the two questions I just posed. BTW, have you noticed that the two historical periods when we were most interested in UFOs were periods when we have been unsure of our continued existence on this planet—in the 50s, when the hydrogen bomb was developed and now when wars are breaking out all over.Besides this grim existential issue, I talk about the chocolate Easter assortment that I have developed, which I guarantee actually exists....Enjoy!  Tom NeuhausSupport the showWrite to me at  twneuhaus@gmail.comTo learn more, visit  http://www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Tom (I) went to Amsterdam on February 19th to attend the CHOCOA Conference.  I spent three days there, sold chocolate bars, speculoos, chocolate-coated crystallized cocoa beans, and other items.  I also gave out 200 tasting cards with samples of three chocolates and asked the participants to indicate their preferences.  It was a blind tasting and the results showed that cocoa farmers can produce a quality of chocolate competitive with the Big Boys.In this podcast, I also describe the five factors that cause price volatility.  Only three months ago, cocoa was trading at close to $12,000 per metric ton.  In February, it plunged to $2,300.Please join PH&F in its efforts to empower the West African cocoa farmer!Write to me at  tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit  www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In today's podcast, I focus on  examples of loss of liberty.  The first is JS Bach being imprisoned for having the effrontery of asking his employer to let him go so he could seek a more lucrative employment elsewhere.  It's shocking that one of the world's greatest musicians was considered to be property.  Of course NO ONE should be considered to be property!  A friend of his, a mere horn player, was hung for a similar infraction.120 years later, Chopin spent a honeymoon on the island of Majorca with his new wife, George Sand.  Both of them were combining a honeymoon with holding good on promises to publishers—she on a book in progress and he on a collection of 24 preludes.  They spent several months living in a scary monastery high in the mountains partly because Chopin was suffering from TB, which the locals interpreted as an example of how sin leads to disease, the result being a loss of liberty for Chopin and Sand.The third example of loss of liberty deals with how cacao symbolized power in the four Central American societies—of the Olmecs, the Toltecs, the Mayans and the Aztecs.  Later, when Cortez brought cacao back to Spain, it came to symbolize power there as well with a loss of liberty for the Jewish doctors living in Bayonne, France, where they established cacao as an important local industry.  During the Industrial Revolution, cacao became an important foodstuff for factory workers and in order to provide it, the colonial powers forced West Africans to provide them with inexpensive beans.  The result was the use of child labor, five forms of which are described.I start the podcast with Bach's Prelude number 8 in E-Flat Minor and I finish with Chopin's Prelude #14 in the same key.  Bach's prelude was written in a prison cell.  Chopin's was written in a monastery cell.  Both are examples of a loss of liberty.As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

TOM'S PODCAST #56:  AN EXPERIMENT IN TASTING CHOCOLATEIn today's podcast, I start with one of Chopin's Mazurkas, a dance form that, put to music, recreated his love for his native country, Poland.  Chocolate is my mazurka, as I learned to love chocolate at an early age and now here I am at 54 running my own chocolate store in Southern France and an American non-profit dedicated to making the African cocoa-growing village a chocolate-producing village.In this podcast, I talk about a powerful tool used by the food industry to determine a customer's potential response to a food.  Called a hedonic test, it reveals a customer's preference.  In this case, I have my customers taste two chocolate squares, one made from a Nestlé dark chocolate and the other from the factory in N'Douci, Côte d'Ivoire.  As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. LISTEN:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/14435370Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

It's been a while.  Seems like things just get more complicated by the day.  First, toward the end of September, Jacq N'Guessan and I flew to Côte d'Ivoire.  Jacq is the manager of the local radio and he and I meet weekly regarding communications with the three villages where we have established the three chocolate mini-factories.  Right now, we are focusing on N'Douci which is receiving a cocoa butter press and cocoa powder grinder from China any day now.This afternoon, I'm recording a brief history of chocolate in Africa—that is, how the cocoa bean even got there.  It's in French, as it's part of a series of material that Jacq will be broadcasting.  So the subject of today's podcast is the history of chocolate in Africa, translated into English.  And of course, I had to correct the Google translation here and there.Before I start, I'd just like to say Seasons Greetings to all of you who have listened in the past.  You will note the picture of the gingerbread house which I made for my business in downtown Cordes.  On December 26, I will donate the house to the local retirement home.  And after they enjoy it for a while, they will chop it into pieces and give the bits to the children who come to visit their grandparents. I hope you enjoy this very informative episode.  Tom NeuhausWrite to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In this podcast, we start by considering the current environmentally caused crisis in the chocolate industry.  If the cocoa farmer is to survive this crisis, the need for participating in more of the value chain has never been more critical.  To do this, the farmer needs to focus more on quality rather than just quantity.  That is, the farmer needs to apply scientific principles to make flavor beans rather than bulk beans.  Three steps lead to optimum quality: fermentation, drying, and triage,and these steps are the focus of this podcast and of Project Hope and Fairness 's mission for 2024.  I hope you enjoy this very informative episode.  Tom Neuhaus As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. LISTEN--->  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/15002097Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

Today's podcast begins with a history of how the cocoa tree made its way to West Africa, which now produces over 65% of the world's cocoa beans.  We then consider the primary barrier that keeps the West African cocoa farmer poor--the division between city and country which inhibits the farmer from making a decent living.  Finally, I finish with some of the progress we're making in developing an international market for village-made chocolate.    As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. LISTEN---> https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/14764060Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In today's podcast, I compare music and food.  I  start with Chopin's Prelude #8, in F# Minor and we learn a little about complexity.  I talk about how vibrations are processed via the eardrum, cochlea, auditory nerve, and auditory cortex.  We then transition to food, whose enjoyment is a function of partly flavors, tastes, and. texture.  We learn about perinasal and retronasal flavors, about the four types of papillae on the tongue, and about texture.  We also talk about chocolate, the king of food pleasure, whose quality is a function of crystal types.  Finally, I talk about the three villages where we have built chocolate factories.  I finish the podcast with a foray back into the world of music;  we hear my rendition of Bach's F#minor prelude.  Bach is the father of classical and the contrast with Chopin is considerable.  As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. LISTEN:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/14435370Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

On December 12th, Dr. Peggy Papathakis and I, Tom Neuhaus, did an interview at a local radio station, KVEC, here in San Luis Obispo, California.  The host of the show was Dave Congalton, one of the most popular interviewers on the Central Coast.The interview was entitled, “Learn the Bittersweet Truth About Chocolate.”  This was my third or fourth time on the Dave Congalton Show and Peggy and I did the interview to promote our mini-fundraiser which is taking place tomorrow, Friday, December 15th.  It will be held at the House of Bread, located at 1025 Farmhouse Lane, across from the entrance to the airport on Broad Street.  The event will happen from 4 to 6 PM.  We hope you can join us!  There's lots of chocolate for sale in exchange for a donation to our worthy cause, which is to help cocoa farmers in Côte d'Ivoire make a decent living.As always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution by donating to the cause!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. LISTEN TO INTERVIEW:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/14148969Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In preparation for this podcast I spent 6 days in the CocoaTown booth at the 2023 Salon du Chocolat in Paris talking chocolate, literally to thousands of people.  I sold our Village Chocolates bars, I sold chocolates from my store in Cordes sur Ciel, and for this podcast I interviewed six leaders in the bean-to-bar business.  These include:  Mrs. Andal Balu of CocoaTown, a pioneer in adapting the Indian wet grinder to small volume chocolate making;  Mr. Maxime Elegbede, a banker turned chocolatier who buys beans from Benin cocoa growers and turns them into beautifully packaged and luscious tasting chocolate bars; Mr. Ndeh Dieudonné, the Managing Director of SOCTRACAO, a Cameroonian company established to help men and women get into the chocolate making business; Mr. Neil Kelsall,  the Director of Marketing for Madagascar Chocolate;  Chef Michael Poole of Hot Chocolat, who makes custom chocolates as corporate gifts; and finally Mr. Alain D'Aboville, author of Cacao Source, a book about the bean-to-bar movementAs always, we are looking to help African cocoa farmers become African chocolate makers.  Join the revolution!1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. 3.  TO LISTEN TO PODCAST—> https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/13912637Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In this podcast, we learn about the history of our relationship with a town of 2,000 inhabitants, Pezoan.  I interview Evariste, who introduced me to the village back in 2005.   I interview Bob Peak, who has an amusing anecdote on our relationship with the Pezoan's chief.  I talk with Anna and Katie Nakayama.  Anna,  a former student of mine, raised over $2,000 in her church to help us purchase dryness meters for four villages;  Pezoan got one of them.  I finish the podcast with an interview of Servando, the president of SCAP, the cooperative that he founded thanks to the support of Project Hope and Fairness.  SCAP has produced over 1,400 African ChocoFudgeBars, which have sold well in three cities as well as surrounding villages.We need to raise $50,000 to expand Servando's project so that he can produce chocolate from cooperative members' own beans.  The money will pay for a second building to house a roaster, a cracker/winnower, and a melangeur. Thanks so much for your past generosity.  I hope you enjoy the podcast and feel open to helping us accomplish our mission, which is to make cocoa farmers chocolate producers.  To donate,    1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. Write to me at tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTo learn more, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org

In this podcast, Peggie Bates, a PH&F board member, and I visit the three PH&F villages.  In the first, N'Douci, we establish our third chocolate-producing mini-factory.  This includes hooking up and troubleshooting all the machinery.  And we make a batch of about 35 pounds of chocolate and mold and wrap a few dozen bars and disks.We also visit the two other already established cooperatives in Depa and Pezoan and exchange news with them as well as work with them on filling out financial forms that will make our job ensuring accountability easier.We agreed to sign an MOU with TechnoServe, a worldwide non-profit to present "Chocolat des Villages" or Village Chocolates, and we agreed to return in September or October to present our plan to the CCC, the branch of the Ivoirian government that oversees the sales of coffee and cocoa.  The goal is also to partner with a large chocolate company that would help develop the village chocolate brand and solve some of the big problems that a small non-profit cannot solve--cost of transportation and import of finished product. As you listen, I believe you will recognize that we have made remarkable progress and that the donations we have received have gone a long way toward accomplishing our goal or bringing Ivoirian cocoa farmers up the value chain so they can live better lives.   Thanks so much for your past generosity.  To help us make progress, please donate...   1.   Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.     -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road, Cambria, CA 93428. Tom Neuhaus, tom@projecthopeandfairness.orgTO LISTEN TO PODCAST—>

In this podcast, I describe Le Comptoir du Cacao, a chocolate café that features products made with the chocolate we are importing into France.  These include chocolate bars, crystallized cocoa beans , truffle assortments.  On the comptoir or counter are displayed pastries, one of which, palmiers, I describe in some detail.I finish by mentioning the upcoming trip to Côte d'Ivoire where we will set up our third mini chocolate factory.  In fact, podcast #46 will be audio clips from our trip!  Very exciting!Please remember that changing the chocolate industry takes considerable effort and that effort is propelled forward with money.  We have just purchased $45,000 worth of machinery and we're going to spend about $10,000 just going there.Thanks so much for your past generosity.  To help us make progress, please donate...TO DONATE: 1.  Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on the Donate button.    -OR- 2.  Send a check to: Donations, PH&F, 1298 Warren Road,   Cambria, CA 93428. Tom Neuhaus, twneuhaus@gmail.com 

We start with Chopin's Prelude #16 in B-flat minor.The first day, we visited three lovely towns and eat our way through them.  These include:  Tricase Porto, where we ate really delicate seafood and a wonderful fennel cream soup.  The second day, we stayed in Lecce and visited a couple stores including a cheese store where we tasted squeaky nodoni.  That afternoon, we had an altercation with a local pigeon, who claimed rights to our pasticciotto.  On the third day, we visited Ostuni, the white city, and in the afternoon we drove back south to Gallipoli, a port with real character.  We had a fantastic seafood lunch and then witnessed thousand bemoaning the loss of one of the city's finest warriors who died in his mother's arms after choking on a meatball.  That was the theme of Gallipolli's Carnevale.I then talk about progress starting our new store, established and run by Projet Espoir et Equite, our French version of Project Hope and Fairness, whose goal is to build chocolate factories in villages and then develop markets for the chocolate.  The podcast finished with Bach's Prelude #22 in B-Flat Minor.Our successes are financially dependent.  Your donations ensure future success.  To donate, send a check to:Project Hope and Fairness1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428. -OR-  go to projecthopeandfairness.org, pull down to Donate and follow the instructionsThank You!  Tom Neuhaus, CEO of Project Hope and Fairness