Think Outside the Box of Chocolates for Sweet Valentine's Goodies

From the Detroit News By Kate Lawson Detroit News Food Writer:

Our infatuation with chocolate began thousands of years ago thanks to the Aztecs. From the moment chocolate was discovered, it was considered valuable, divine and decadent. The Aztec ruler Montezuma believed that chocolate was an aphrodisiac and he was right — and so ahead of his time.Scientists have linked the chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate to feelings of excitement, attraction and even pleasure, which is why it's the perfect ingredient for love on Valentine's Day. Chocolate makers the world over rejoice in this knowledge.

But our quest to couple this original delight with whimsical pairings is a relatively new attraction. Some are hits — chocolate-covered bacon comes to mind — and some not so much. Chocolate and eggplant, for instance, isn't a big seller.

So this Valentine's Day, instead of the ubiquitous heart-shaped box of drugstore chocolates, why not make a more unique confection for your sweetheart?

Serve gourmet dessert tamales after a Mexican meal. (Tucson Tamale Company)