Tom's Podcast

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

My podcast #42 starts with Chopin's Prelude No. 8 in F#Minor.  This is a tricky thing that takes quite a lot of practice to get it sounding halfway decent.  But it's really gorgeous.Today's podcast is about our first three days in Lecce, a town of 150,000 on the southern portion of the Salento peninsula, the heel of Italy's boot.  The first day, Thursday, is spent just walking around Lecce, visiting the Roman amphitheater--actually only half as the other half remains buried under a church.On Friday, we visit one of the three doors to the city, built in the 16th century--Porta Rudiae, named after the people who lived in the town before Lecce.  There we shop for lunch ingredients--Frutti di Mare.And on Saturday, we rented a car and drove into the countryside--to visit a lighthouse near Otranto, Santa Cesarea Terme, a small port with sulfurous waters, then we had lunch in a farmhouse Maseria le Stanzie.  After dessert, we visited a church, Santa Catarina d'Alessandra, known for its magnificent freschi and for the secret hidden in the altar.We are making progress!  2023 will be a spectacular year for Project Hope and Fairness.  Not only are we starting a small business in Cordes sur Ciel that will be selling pastries, cakes, and chocolates, but we will be establishing a center for learning the ins and outs of chocolate production--in N'Douci, Côte d'Ivoire. I finish the podcast with Bach's Prelude in F#Minor--same key as the Chopin.  You'll appreciate the profound difference in tone between a prelude written by the father of Classical Music (Bach) and the father of Romantic Music (Chopin).   I played the Bach on the organ and the Chopin on the piano.  Bach had no piano as it had not yet been invented.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 FairnessLISTEN TO PODCAST --> https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/12419532

This is the first of four podcast about Eve's and my trip to the Salento peninsula, the tip of the boot of Italy.   This podcast is about a three-day train trip to get there.  As usual, there's lots about food and history.The podcast begins with Chopin's Prelude Number 3 in G Major and finished with Bach's Prelude Number 15 in the same key.  It's a fun academic exercise to hold one variable (the key the piece is written in) constant and compare the music by style--Classical vs Romantic.I finish the podcast with a description of our latest progress in Côte d'Ivoire.  We have received two big grants totalling over $62,000 and we are excited about the future!  So join the podcast!  And donate if you can and help us make big progress helping the West African Cocoa Farmer.To Donate either 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

When people ask me why I care so much about the social justice issues surrounding chocolate, particularly issues of child slavery and worst forms of child labor as well as environmental issues associated with the destruction of virgin forests throughout West Africa, my usual answer has been associated with a course that I taught as a professor at California State Polytechnic University.  However, recently I have re-thought that answer and decided that my mother Dorothy accounts for at least 50% of the reason for my passions.  This podcast is a conversation with my mother.And as always,  just four news items regarding our progress.  Item 1:  SOCOPLAN, the agricultural cooperative in Depa, will export its first shipment of peeled cocoa beans and unsweetened chocolate to The Chocolate Chamber, a  chocolate business located in Cebu City, Philippines.  Item 2:  Project Hope and Fairness is also sending samples of chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter to eight major donors connected to Project Redwood, which supported the purchase of machinery for both cooperatives.   Item 3:  Our second partnering cooperative, SCAP, located in Pezoan, has received the tempering machine purchased with Project Redwood money, and is working on sending me a box of 50 wrapped bars in five different flavors, the first step toward selling village-produced chocolate bars in Europe.  And Item 4:  The website for European sales is espoir-equite.fr;  by the end of this year, it is my plan that 90% of the items sold on espoir-equite website will be made and wrapped for sale by these two cooperatives.  Please consider donating to the cause.  We are making progress!  We expect 2023 to be a grand year.  But we can't do it without you.  Sending machinery, paying customs, and traveling to West Africa to make cooperatives succeed costs money.  Our mission is succeeding, thanks to your donations.To donate, go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org and scroll down to Donate at the bottom, then click on any of the donate buttons.  It all goes into the same kitty.  Or, send a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren road93428 Cambria, CAThank You!

As promised,  this podcast is about my trip to Paris, where I spent 5 days in the Ivoirian CCC (Conseil du Café Cacao) booth with David Logbo Zigro talking about our joint project to establish village-based chocolate making.I begin the project with a lovely Ivoirian song to which people were dancing a sort of napkin dance (waving napkins in the air).  Then I talk about the history of the bean-to-bar movement and then about SOCOPLAN, the cooperative that David and I founded.  I also talk about the French non-profit, Projet Espoir et Equité which I founded in order to sell village-made chocolates.Thursday, December 1 marks our umpteenth fundraiser!  It's going to be more exciting than ever.  Check out the details at:  projecthopeandfairness.org.  To reserve tickets, just go to the website and click on the donate button.  The first donate button is for reserving tickets.  Your name will be recorded and put on a list.  When you arrive at the front door, we will know that you have donated.See you there!  Tom Neuhaus

The title of this podcast is a pun on doors and on the future.  I start by playing "Light My Fire" written by the Doors, and truly one of the greatest pieces in the history of Rock and Roll.  Then I talk about how Project Hope and Fairness represents a door to the future of the chocolate business.  And then I mention two big events:  my being part of the Ivoirian exhibit at the Salon du Chocolat, the world's biggest annual chocolate event, which happens in Paris and the second event is our upcoming fundraiser on Thursday, December 1 at the Monday Club in San Luis Obispo, CA, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.And the next pun is on the future because I review the book, "Ministry for the Future," which has to do with our collective future here on planet Earth.  I finish the podcast with another Doors work of genius:  "Riders on the Storm."I mention in the podcast that you can visit YouTube to see videos of cocoa and chocolate production in the mini-factory of SOCOPLAN, an agricultural cooperative in the village of Depa, Côte d'Ivoire.  To watch cocoa videos, ---> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtOMzkAdojOV_bfgZA-8p87Z5F9oST31BTo watch chocolate videos --->  https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtOMzkAdojOXOgrHuYGKlpcKegPtEGzJCAnd as always, please consider helping us help the cocoa farmer!  You can send a check to:DONATIONS, PROJECT HOPE AND FAIRNESS1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428-OR-  go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org, scroll down to Donate and click!  Et Merci!

In this podcast (actually #37--ignore the fact that I said Podcast #36), we compare six preludes in three keys:  C Major, A Minor, and G Major.  I begin the podcast, though, by telling you what's happening in the wonderful world of chocolate.  The exciting news is that David is going to Paris to be part of the Ivoirian booth!  And I'm going to Paris to see him and to talk to others in the Ivoirian booth as well as other chocolate makers from around the world.  The second news is that we need to raise money to buy SOCOPLAN which David is the CEO of a new melangeur, as the old one which we bought 2 years ago needs some new parts.  But we can't be content to sit still.  David is becoming known throughout Côte d'Ivoire for his chocolate.  And the nice thing is I taught him how to make chocolate back in 2013.  So in 9 years, he's become known in his own country and we are making real progress toward making cocoa farmers expert chocolate makers.  This reverses the colonial trend of treating Africans like victims, supplying raw product and depriving them of the knowledge with which they can pull themselves out of the commodity trap.  Please consider donating to help us buy a new machine.  We can either buy another one of similar size, which requires $11,000 or we can quadruple production for $22,000.  So, we quadruple for double the price.  Not a bad deal.You can donate by sending a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren road93428 Cambria, CA United StatesOr go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org, pull down to Donate, and click on the second Donate button (General Funds)Enjoy the music!  Tom Neuhaus, CEO, Project Hope and Fairness

In this podcast, I start once again with Chopin's Prelude Number 1 in C Major but I finish with Bach's Prelude #1 in C Major.  This is the first of 24 podcasts that starts with a Chopin prelude and finishes with a Bach prelude, allowing us to compare a romantic style with a classical style.Today I am translating the Gastronomy chapter from Bien Manger Pour Bien Vivre and then making comments as they come to me.    De Pomiane talks about the origins of European art and then about the importance of understanding science in order to be a good cook.  I am consistently surprised with how much I disagree with him, and I believe it's because we come from two very different eras.After finishing the Gastronomy chapter I talk a little about the latest progress in helping West African cocoa farmers become more economically and environmentally sustainable.  As always, we are very in need of donations in order to continue our mission.  Please consider making a donation.  This can be done by visiting our web site at projecthopeandfairness.org and pulling down to Donate, clicking on it, etc.  -OR- you can donate by sending a check in the mail to:DONATIONS, Project Hope and Fairness1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428Please make the check out to Project Hope and Fairness (PH&F)Thanks so much.  Tom Neuhaus, CEO

In 1968, I was lent a copy of "Bien Manger Pour Bien Vivre" with the stipulation that I would get academic credit for translating it.  I did not do that.  Instead, as you know from podcast #34, I elected to cook 5 meals inspired by Julia Child's book, "The Cooking of Provincial France."  I have had that book for 56 years.  It has sat on my shelf wrapped in waxed paper because it is disintegrating into brown flakes.This podcast and at least a dozen future ones I will finally make good on my promise--to translate from the French a book written by France's primary writer of food science at a time when the world was changing so rapidly.  This is an annotated translation, meaning that after I translate a section I then annotate it and make a podcast from it.I hope you will find this interesting, as the author, Edouard de Pomiane was chief of laboratory at the world-renowned Institute Pasteur in Paris and wrote many articles in French newspapers as well as doing radio shows to popularise a scientific knowledge of food.  In a sense, he's France's Carl Sagan of the culinary world--starting in the 1930's and continuing to his death in the early 60's.Don't forget how donate to Project Hope and Fairness!  We need your help more than ever.  Go to www.projecthopeandfairness.org, scroll down to Donate, click, and then choose the General Funds donate button.  Thanks for your support!"See" you next week.  And enjoy! Tom Neuhaus

In this podcast, I describe how important Julia Child has been to my life as a foodie.  I describe four encounters:  one written, in which I read Julia's book The Cooking of Provincial France, one physical, in which I visit the taping of Julia's omelet show in between jobs in French restaurants;  one by phone, in which I am sitting in Judith Jones' office while she is talking to Julia; and the fourth physical again, in which I show off my new culinary software to Julia.   The first half of my professional life was devoted to the chemistry of food preparation and enjoyment, and Julia really contributed to my professional development.  So, hats off to a truly remarkable woman!Toward the end of the podcast, I describe our current progress in developing two villages in Côte d'Ivoire as chocolate and cocoa producers.  If you like our work, please feel free to visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org and make a donation.  Or send a check to:  Donations, PH&F1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA, 93428.  As you can imagine, doing things that completely alter how food has been produced  and distributed for 12,000 years requires a lot of effort and a lot of money.  

I start the podcast with Chopin's Prelude Number 9 in E Major.  Much has happened since last December.  Today, I begin with a description of our considerable success at the last fundraiser.  Then I talk about the Project Redwood grant that we received late last year with the express purpose of adding two machines for making cocoa powder and cocoa butter in the Depa chocolate plant.  Hot cocoa is a popular breakfast beverage throughout Africa and most of the mix for the beverage is made in Europe in a Nestlé facility.  With this project, we are demonstrating the feasibility of making cocoa powder at the village level.  The second project funded by this grant will be the completion of a chocolate bar facility in the village of Pezoan.Although we were successful in raising money, our ambitious projects consume funds rapidly.  Please consider donating to our continuing efforts to make West African cocoa farmers producers of finished product rather than of mere commodities.  To donate, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the Donate button, and follow the instructions.  OR, send a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428Questions?  Write Tom at twneuhaus@gmail.com

Did you know how much food and music resemble each other.? In this podcast, we explore my African 16-Truffle assortment, whose members I liken to members of a choir.  Some are sopranos, some are mezzo-sopranos, some altos, tenors and basses.  Some are divas and Pavarottis.  On the food side, we have the demure,  modest and diplomatic vanilla truffle, who gets along with everyone--just the opposite of the wild and swashbuckling Whiskey truffle, a baritone, and the cocoa-banana truffle, a soprano, the Noisette, a nutty tenor, and the Curry -raisin, who hails from India and whose many voices combine to make her a spicy alto.Just as a reminder:  these chocolates, which I sell here in France, are all made from chocolate manufactured by cocoa farmers in the village of Depa, Côte d'Ivoire.  Right now, if you check out my Facebook page, you'll see videos of Adama Yamba working with his crew on 1,800 African ChocoFudgeBars.  I'll let you know when they have been exported to the US.As always, if you have questions about our work, contact me at twneuhaus@gmail.com

In this podcast, I start by exploring 10 factors that typify the Baby Boomer generation.  The 10th factor is Trust, or lack thereof.  I bravely state that loss of trust might well be the most important factor in showing who we boomers really are.  I have never paid attention to the intricacies of the JFK assassination, but because I recently had a lot of time on my hands, recovering from knee surgery, I delved into the Byzantine subject of who killed JFK and how various branches of the US government have engaged in obscurantism, leading to a gradual and deepening  loss of confidence in the integrity of our democracy.  On a cheerier note,  David, president of SOCOPLAN in Depa, Côte d'Ivoire, has just shipped 2,000 milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars  which you can obtain  for Christmas by making a donation to Project Hope and Fairness.  A  $100 donation will net you 40 bars;  SHIPPING IS FREE.  To make a donation, either send a check to:   DONATIONS, Project Hope and Fairness   1298 Warren Road   Cambria, CA 93428Or, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on Donate, and then the first Donate button.  Follow the instructions from Paypal.   Either way, contact me  (Tom Neuhaus) at twneuhaus@gmail.com and let me know the following:• Address• Number of bittersweet (70%) and milk chocolate bars you are ordering (40 for $100)• Your name (on the credit card or check)• How you donated (by check or online)Thanks!  Tom Neuhaus

Welcome to my 30th Podcast, which is the end of Uncle Vic's manuscript.  In this podcast, I talk a little about international development and about the rubber industry.  Many West African cocoa farmers vacillate back and forth between cocoa and rubber.  The advantage of rubber is that there's always a pretty high demand for it and the latex flows year ‘round whereas cocoa prices bounce all over the place and the cocoa harvest follows the rainy seasons.Below is a picture of the tempering machine that was bought for David with USDA grant funds.  Project Hope and Fairness paid the $4,000 in customs duties to remove the machine from the warehouse.  And now David is learning to use it.To change the chocolate world, we have to purchase machinery and build infrastructure.  The only way we can do this is with grants and gifts.  Please consider making a gift.  Thanks so much.To donate, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on Donate and then follow the instructions from PayPal.  Or, send a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428

This is the second of three readings from Uncle Vic's Manuscript.  Great Uncle Vic talks about Oliver's trip up Mount San Jeronimo with his Indian family as well as their efforts to build and develop a rubber plantation along the Coatzacoalcos River in 1905, when President Porfirio Diaz was trying to develop Mexico using neoliberal principles.  I make comments about a principle of cultural anthropology known as sympathetic magic in reference to great grandmother Jennie's aversion to eating snake and tiger.  I also talk about why goats milk tastes goaty--as Great Uncle Reuben would not put it in his mouth.  And finally, I comment about the mutual hostility between   Indios and Mestizos and how that hostility has impacted the history of Mexico.At the end of the podcast, I mention that we, that is Project Hope and Fairness, are close to establishing a chocolate production and shipping facility near LaGuépie, a charming medieval village on the Aveyron River, about 20 minutes from my house.

My great uncle vic wrote this manuscript in the 1970s and my sister Joanne saved it from sure destruction during a global warming diluvian episode in my mother's basement.  Join me as I read from the manuscript and make comments about Uncle Vic's impressive contribution.We raised $15,000 during the last fundraiser and many thanks to those of you who donated and/or joined us.  Right now, we have just sent $4,000 of that money to David so he could buy the tempering machine out of Customs Hell.  The machine was purchased for $6,000 as part of a USDA grant and David will be able to greatly improve the consistency of temper of the bars.  You can buy chocolate bars by contacting my sister Joanne at Splash Cafe (joanne@splashcafe.com).  They sell for $2.50 each (dark or milk) and she can ship them anywhere you like.Also, please don't forget that our mission to de-colonialize chocolate requires capital to build the necessary infrastructure.  To donate, visit www.projecthopeandfairness.org and click on Donate and then follow the instructions from PayPal.  Or, send a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA 93428

These are the five pieces that I will be playing at the upcoming fundraiser on Wednesday, Sept 22nd, 4:30 - 7:00 PM.  The organ has 64 ranks or over 2,700 pipes.  It's not too late to reserve your spot!  Just go to projecthopeandfairness.org and  scroll down to Donate, then click on Donate and follow the instructions.  $75 donation per person.Or, send a check to:DONATIONS, PH&F1298 Warren RoadCambria, CA. 93428Enjoy!  Tom Neuhaus

We start with my rendition of JSB's Prelude in D Major, which is a thrilling although difficult piece.  I will be playing it at the next fundraiser on Sept. 22nd, to be held in Harold Miossi Hall (PAC) at Cal Poly.Today's podcast is about making and selling truffles in the market on Saturday morning.  I am trying to grow the market for chocolate manufactured in Depa, Côte d'Ivoire.  Since I live in France, I'm working locally.  However, we will be selling chocolate bars in early December!  If you come to the fundraiser, you can buy all sorts of bars and appreciate the food my sister Joanne (Currie) and I are preparing.  One of the tapas is Shredded Pork Mole.  And the dessert will be a chocolate mousse cake.I finish with the Fugue in D Major by JSB.

I begin the 24th podcast by playing part of Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu and then we entertain the question, "Can Religion and Science Coexist?"  I don't believe that it's possible to actually answer the question, so I have sunk to the level of mere musings.  But I think you'll find my treatment of the philosophical question to be entertaining.I finish the podcast mentioning that somewhere around September 20-23 of this year, I will be doing a fundraiser at the Performing Arts Center Miossi Auditorium and I will be playing 3 Bach pieces and 1 Purcell.  The Forbes Pipe Organ is a fine instrument and I have chosen four pieces that demonstrate its organic talents.    I am looking to raise money for another chocolate grinding machine for David so he can continue manufacturing chocolate.  And then finally, I finish Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu.

I start the podcast with my rendition of the Prelude in F Major by JSB,  played on the Marnaves Pipe Organ.  The bulk of the podcast is an oral history of Project Hope and Fairness, which started with visits to 15 villages and donation of tools and then in 2012 a transition to building rice hulling and chocolate making factories.  I finish the podcast with  a report on what I'm accomplishing here in France and then the rest of the prelude.

A lot has been made of our decrepit electrical grid.  No words, however, are as powerful as Texas's experience just a month ago.  In this podcast, I explore an old technology, batteries, which are now undergoing quite a technological revolution.  Batteries promise to provide the stability that is so needed, as we wean ourselves from fossil fuels.  In this podcast, we learn about the lithium ion battery as well as two other technologies that hold great promise.Today's music is once again provided by F. Chopin as I make a valiant effort to channel his Ballade No. 1.This coming Saturday, I'm selling chocolates at the town market and the following Wednesday, my African truffles will be available for sale at Cordes au Bas, a store dedicated to local products.

This is the first of a series of podcasts about global warming. It begins with a description of the history of the theory, the impact of different forcings both positive and negative, and the carbon cycle. This podcast lays the foundation for the impact of technologies we will be exploring in the future.

Apocalypses were many, starting in the 5th century BCE and terminating in the late Roman era. A literary form with a social purpose, it originally served to provide those suffering under the yoke of tyranny with a way out. Today's podcast borrows from the genre by proposing to replace the New Testament version of four horsemen with a Neo-apocalyptic five horsemen. Today's podcast assumes that God is more along the Divine Watchmaker model, or non-existent. It does not assume the nosy Father-God of Evangelical Christianity. I explore five different existential crises that humanity faces, using Apocalyptic thinking as a metaphor. Instead of learned helplessness, perhaps we can get off our collective behind and face the music. Cheers!

In this episode, I compare the approaches of three prominent scholars in religion: Dr. Bart Ehrman, Dr Robert Wright, and Dr. Reza Aslan. Ehrman has written 30 books about the New Testament that have gained much interest and favor in the faith community as well as among agnostics and atheists.. Wright's The Evolution of God takes a broader view of religion, focussing on a Darwinian perspective, pointing out how religion, politics, and economics are often intertwined. And Aslan who is a master wordsmith has written about both Islam and Christianity. His recent bestseller, Zealot: the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth has stirred a lot of interest by believers and non-believers, including the worst interview ever on Fox News.

Today's podcast is about impermanence. Thanks to my wife's One Year to Live class, in which I took part, I spent some time thinking about impermanence and mortality. In this podcast I have excerpted and developed five geological representations of impermanence, focused first on my first appreciation of rocks in kindergarten, then on a particular stone from Michigan, then certain ridges left by Lake Erie near my Alma Mater, then the stones of Cordes sur Ciel, and finally rocks and minerals associated with the four industrial revolution.I then go on to a very fun story about our Ami, a Citroen electric that we purchased weeks ago. And I finish with some news about the 1900 chocolate bars that have traveled thousands of miles from Depa, Cote d'Ivoire and are available for purchase at Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates on 1445 Monterey St in San Luis Obispo. Hope you can join me!

1. First part of Brahms' Intermezzo in A Major2. Anatomy of a Con3. Chocolate bars perfect for Christmas purchases4. End of Brahms' Intermezzo in A MajorI was relieved of 200 euros by a Cameroonian scam artist just last week. In this auditory essay, I discuss 9 details that should have engendered a danger flag. But because I so wanted the story to be true, I ignored the warning signs.

Today's podcast takes us up Rue de l'Acampadou past the medieval watchtower, then through Porte des Ormeaux (abalone), to Callipyge, then a two-hour practice on the grand piano, back out of the inner medieval city, left onto Rue Chaude, and back home.  Pictures are on my Facebook page and feature views of the Vallée de l'Aurosse, the watchtower, rampes, ramparts, the door into the inner city built in 1222, and the source of water, private rooms for sex, and public bathing spot.  I also give an update on progress to making Depa and Pezoan sustainable manufacturers of chocolate to be shipped to the US.  Music in today's podcast is Brahms'  Intermezzo in A Minor.

1. Chopin Nocturne in G Minor2. An initial tour of Cordes sur Ciel3. Project Hope and Fairness4. End of Nocturne in G MinorSee Tom's Facebook page for 46 pictures from the tour.

Today's podcast includes the following gems:1. Part A of JSB's Toccata and Fugue in F Major, BWV 540 for Pipe Organ (Yours Truly)2. A Short Primer on Plant Pigments3. A Brief Tour of the Barri Neighborhood in Cordes sur Ciel4. Project Hope and Fairness5. Part C of JSB's Toccata and Fugue in F Major, BWV 540 for Pipe Organ (Yours Truly)

In today's podcast, I start by listening to snippets played by Dr. Andrew Wilson-Dickson.  The Cavaillé Organ in Gaillac's Eglise St. Michel was built in 1820 by the father of France's greatest organ builder.  This is a marvelous instrument and you will be impressed by the sounds it produces.  Dr Wilson-Dickson adds his observations after each little piece.Following that are three food-related pieces:1.  The Story of Danish2.  Is it Cinnamon or Is It Cassia?3.  A Fishy TaleI hope you enjoy it!  Tom Neuhaus

1. Toccata by Francis Jackson. Part 1 Performed by Andrew Wilson-Dickson2. The Pipe Organ as Vox Dei3. Chocolate Ganache as Theobroma Cacao or Food of the Gods4. Toccata by Francis Jackson. Part 2 Performed by Andrew Wilson-Dickson

My podcast today consists of personal observations regarding scenes in Al Jazeera's very important piece about deforestation and child labor in Ivoirian cocoa growing.  For maximum benefit, play the documentary in one window and the podcast in another.  My comments are keyed to playhead positions, so you'll want to play and pause and rewind the documentary.Podcast URL:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/1057903/4827602To watch the video, you have to rent it (or buy it) now.  Just go to Vimeo.com.  Click the magnifying glass to do a. search.  Enter "Chocolate's Heart of Darkness".  Then just rent it or buy it.  It's really powerful.

1. Chopin's Nocturne in E-Flat Major--First Part2. Cultural Psychoanalysis Based on Two Views of Lutheranism3. The Microwave Oven4. A Culinary Chernobyl5. Chopin's Nocturne in E-Flat Major--Second Part

Debussy's Passepied -- Beginning1.  The Origins of Chocolate Mousse2.  About the Onion3.  A Global CatastropheDebussy's Passepied -- End

Over a period of about 200 years, humanity used fossil fuels and machinery to greatly enhance global standards of living. During this period, we have also greatly improved our abilities to feed ourselves. This podcast gives examples of foods that have contributed to the food revolution that has spanned all three industrial revolutions.

1. Debussy ... Reverie2. Description of the African ChocoBar3. Reading from Chapter 1 (2003) ... History of Project Hope and Fairness4. Fish Oil. Why some fish are oilier than others. Chemistry of fish oil.Questions? Contact Tom Neuhaus, twneuhaus@gmail.com

1. Debussy Arabesque #22. Project Hope and Fairness:  History of Ghana and Cameroon;  Free Trade and Fair Trade3.  Proscription of Two White Foods4.  100 Million Guinea Pigs5.  Troubleshooting:  Extract from Old Chef's TalesQuestions?  Contact Tom Neuhaus, twneuhaus@gmail.com

1. Chopin Valse 64(2)2. Introduction to History of Project Hope and Fairness3. Ingredient: What is bread flour?4. History: How Chocolate Penetrated Europe5. Troubleshooting: "Hey, Goofy Bastard!"Questions? Contact Tom Neuhaus, twneuhaus@gmail.com

Chopin's Minute Waltz (played in 2 minutes)The second half of Padmore's Great MigrationA story about two chocolate-making villages in Cote d'IvoireFFF (Fun Food Fact): Hard-boiled eggsFFHF (Fun Food History Fact): The origins of the American breakfast cerealFWTF (Fun With Troubleshooting Food): How to Keep Cooked Green Vegetables Green

Padmore Cobbinah, whom Tom met in 2005 outside Elmina Castle in Ghana, joins thousands of sub-Saharan Africans who've paid to brave the Tuareg and the Libyan bandits and military to board a flimsy balloon boat and motor north toward Italy. Join my third podcast to learn something about Ghanaian village life and about the story of this brave young man!Questions? Contact Tom Neuhaus, twneuhaus@gmail.com