Odd Chocolates

Keeping Kids Occupied

2011-12-25T17:09:00.001-08:00

Posted by Gaylord Campbell

My family and I just moved to Fort Collins, and I am really worried that I made the wrong decision in moving the kids. They are really having a tough time adjusting and I am feeling more and more guilty every day. They don’t like school very much, and my youngest is even getting bullied by some of the older kids. My oldest misses her friends a lot and has started to rebel against her father and I. I feel terrible that they don’t like it here, but so far my new job has been great. I made friends with one of our neighbors when we moved out here so I’ve been confiding in her and asking for advice. It’s a little too late for us to move back to our old town, and I don’t know how to solve these problems. She recommended that I check out Wild Blue Satellite Internet Ft Collins and give the kids something to take their mind off of their troubles. Her children are a little older than mine so she has some experience in how to keep them busy and happy. I’m going to give it a try and hope for the best.

A little Halloween wreath for fun

2011-10-24T18:03:00.001-07:00

Guest post written by Brittany Faw

I'm always on the lookout for a little craft or decoration idea that I can use for my classroom at school. I'm a fourth grade teacher, which means that the kids in my class aren't too old to appreciate some cute decorations like that. Now Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year and I love to decorate my home to the max for it. So I thought that I would do a few things for my classroom for the holiday too.

I looked around with my cable and internet for some good decor ideas and came up with a few of them. I knew that I at least wanted to make a wreath for my classroom, so I decided to make one out of candy.

I thought that would be a really good idea. I hung it up and now I just need to make sure that none of my students try to eat anything off of the wreath. It's so cute! I think it's a pretty big hit and some of the other teachers have complimented me on the wreath.

Making S'Mores: Which is the Best Method?

2011-08-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Now that we're down to the dog days of summer, I noticed the weather is finally cooling off a bit. It is a great time to sit outside as the sun goes down and set up a small fire. Gather some friends around, have a beer or soda, and chat the night away. Our little one enjoys these night, too, because she can make s'mores.

During the off months, we may microwave s'mores when we get the craving, but cool summer nights call for chocolate marshmallow treats the old fashioned way. An open flame is best for toasting your marshmallow, though it isn't uncommon to use a barbecue grill if that's all you have. With a grill, you can set the bottom graham cracker to one side and melt the chocolate a bit before you add the marshmallow. I personally find this is ideal, because the hot white goo alone won't melt chocolate.

If you really want to get daring, spread some peanut butter on the cracker. I guarantee once you try it, you won't go back!

The Perfect Valentines Gift

2011-02-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

You know what day it is tomorrow, have you bought that special gift yet? If not, there's still time to purchase some delicious chocolates for your sweetheart. Now, you might be worried that your loved one will feel slighted or offended by the gift of candy, but know this: chocolate is not bad. In moderation, dark chocolate offers many health benefits.

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants which are good for the body, and are also known to enhance mood. This is why we people are feeling blue, they may find comfort in a bite of chocolate or some hot cocoa. Have you honestly not felt better after biting into a rich, chewy chocolate candy?

You can still buy a heart-shaped box for Valentine's Day. One chocolate candy a day may not keep the doctor away, but it's a sure-fire cure for chasing off the blues!

Out of Chocolate? Try Some Peanut Brittle!

2010-11-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe you're not in the mood for chocolate, but still crave something sweet. If you enjoy a touch of salty flavor, why not snack on a slab of delicious peanut brittle? Break off any size piece you want, and the enjoyment lasts a long time.

Peanut brittle makes a great gift for a friend who loves candy, and it's great to keep around the house if you want something with a sharp, peanut flavor. You can find peanut brittle at most grocery stores and gift shops, usually boxed but gift sets are also available during the holidays. It's sure to satisfy your appetite!

Please Visit New Site

2010-11-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am unable to get the META refresh to work, so please direct bookmarks, etc. to the new 2112 Chocolates at

http://www.2112chocolates.com

Coffee is a Good Complement for Chocolate

2010-11-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

When you think of having a nice bite of chocolate, you may not directly associate a specific drink to have it, if at all. Coffee is a good complement, whether you enjoy a truffle or praline or even a chocolate bar. These are two flavors that combine well together - the richness of cacao mixed with the boldness of a roasted bean or any of a blended selection of K-Cups is a warm treat.

After a nice lunch at work, consider breaking in the late afternoon with some of your favorite office coffee and maybe a small, salted caramel or chocolate-dipped biscotti. No matter the flavor of your beverage, the taste of the chocolate you enjoy gives your drink a nice mocha aftertaste. If you're worried about leaving too much coffee in a pot to go to waste, consider investing in a single-serving maker that uses coffee pods so you can regulate how much you drink in a day. If you're feeling especially generous, gift baskets of coffee and chocolate to share with co-workers or family during the holidays provide a good supply for whenever you're in the mood to snack.

Brew up a mug of your favorite roast after a long day of work and unwrap something sweet.

Rewarding Terrific School Scores

2010-10-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Some parents have debated whether or not one should reward good grades and school accomplishments with something sweet, like chocolate. I'm reminded of a PSA done for TV back in the 70s that discouraged that kind of behavior. It's something I wouldn't do for my child specifically, but she's not a chocolate eater so the point is moot.

As a student, I certainly could have used some encouragement and assistance, particularly where Algebra 2 was concerned. Being a weak math student, I nonetheless sought out the honors courses to fill out my schedule, but when it came to graphing linear equations and trying to decipher the
right formula for volume for the various problems I faced. It never occurred to me at the time to find a tutor to help me through the rough patches.

Mind you, if it gets to the point where my daughter struggles through 4th grade math or even 5th grade math, we will invest the time and money to ensure she can solve for X and excel at adding fractions. Regardless of how she does, however, we will continue to reward good behavior, even if there is a challenging math problem to face.

Can Chocolate Help a Diet for MS?

2010-09-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

There's been much discussion about the health benefits of chocolate - dark chocolate in particular. While it doesn't exactly cure illnesses, there are properties within dark chocolate that can assist in good health, when eaten in moderation. Whether or not eating chocolate relieves pains associated with illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis is debatable, but it's important to note that a doctor should be consulted with regards to nutrition and diagnoses.

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, which are known to assist in boosting immunity and good health, and endorphins that improve mood. While chocolate shouldn't be considered an MS treatment, some people have claimed that specific dark chocolates are not bad to enjoy if you have the illness. If you are researching the proper Multiple Sclerosis Diet for yourself or a friend, the occasional dark chocolate in moderation shouldn't prove detrimental for your health.

This doesn't mean, though, you can swallow back a bag of M&Ms without consequence. Not all chocolates are created equal - choose a brand that is organically made and processed with all natural ingredients. Enjoy the flavor and the benefits it offers.

The Search for Chocolate: Always be Prepared

2010-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

One thing I am asked often, since I have so much chocolate to review, is how I obtain what goes into The Stash. Thanks to the Internet, I do have access to shops around the world that ship unique chocolates to my corner of the globe. However, there are issues in some countries where they will only mail out certain items in cooler months to prevent melting in transit. Nonetheless, I persevere through eBay and similar sites that host dealers in gourmet items. It's amusing to wonder how often these delivery trucks have to schedule an oil change for all the back and forth they must do to satisfy people like me.

When I do travel, I make it a point to research possible outlets for chocolate purchases. It doesn't take much to hop in the Acura TL and head up the Eastern Shore to Philadelphia or New York City for the weekend, where renowned and specialized chocolatiers always have something new to sample. Sometimes, too, a shop will miss my radar and I take a detour in my quest. This last trip I made through Central Virginia, for example, required more than a few emergency stops, but luckily I don't need a brake job. Tires, maybe.

My advice, if you wish to become an expert chocolate hunter, is to make room in your itinerary for finding new bars and truffles. Don't necessarily go out of the way to find a place, but if you can integrate a visit into your plans it's good. It's happened to me that I've gone specifically to find a shop only to discover it closed for the day or, worse, absent altogether because the directions were bad. You don't want to embark on a quest that ends in having to call a Houston auto repair shop because your car overheated.

In short, research on the Net, plan ahead, and integrate into your trip. And collect business cards; you'll usually find web addresses for future reference.

Review: Sarris Candies S'mores

2010-05-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

There is only one place in Virginia Beach to buy Pittsburgh-area based Sarris Candies - Quintin's Tea Emporium on Virginia Beach Boulevard. This is according to, of course, the owner of shop, who sort of talked me into adding one of the many varieties she carried to my tea order. As she measured my two ounces of rooibos, she explained that Sarris had been voted the best chocolatier in Pittsburgh for sixteen (or maybe seventeen, I have to admit I was distracted by the displays) consecutive years.

Despite their longevity, this had been the first I heard of Sarris, and on seeing the chocolate covered S'mores, I knew I couldn't walk out of there without buying at least one. I spent last week camping with my daughter making s'mores the traditional way, so this seemed a natural choice for comparison.

The S'Mores bar is about half the length of a standard store-bought candy bar, and is comprised of a graham crust base topped with thick marshmallow, all enrobed in sweet milk chocolate. Now, when I make s'mores at home and outdoors I am strictly a purist - I use only Hershey's. As much as I enjoy odd chocolates, I don't feel compelled to experiment at the campfire. Anyway, now that you know this, you'll realize I find it a challenge not to compare s'more candies to homemade goodness. Hershey's has a distinct flavor and, in sampling the Sarris chocolate earlier today, so does this company. What I liked about this variety, as opposed to other chocolate covered mallow-graham treats from other companies, is that the whole package didn't seem overly sweet to me. The graham crust is going to crumble a bit when you bite into it, so be ready. Luckily the chocolate shell keeps everything together so you don't make a complete mess of yourself.

The folks at Sarris suggest microwaving this bar for a few seconds for that authentic "cooked" sensation. I haven't tried that, but maybe next time. I rather liked it straight up, to tell the truth. It's not a bar I would have often - it's sweet enough for an occasional treat.

Review: Askinosie Itty Bitty Bar (70%)

2010-05-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

I discovered Askinosie - a small Missouri-based chocolatier - in New York City during my annual trip to Chelsea Market. While the shop offered a selection of their larger single origin bars, I decided to play safe and bought one of their "Itty Bitty" samplers, a 70% San Jose del Tambo Ecuador origin chocolate. To look at the company's website and product, they present a nicely rustic atmosphere enhanced by their packaging, which I can guess is eco-friendly. The military theme of some of their products (check out the C-Ration box on their website) is charming as well. Inspires one to want to order a batch for our troops.

Itty Bitty Bar is a thin bar with a waffle grid design and a nice gloss. I detected a sharp nose on opening the package and heard a mild satisfying snap. Held on the tongue, the chocolate released a sharp flavor with an almost... I don't know, I want to say a menthol finish, if you can believe that. I know that might not sound flattering, but it wasn't an unpleasant flavor, just very unusual to me, considering I've had quite a few 70 percents in my day. No earth tones or fruit, really, though I thought while eating it I detected a licorice. Askinosie, like another Missouri-based chocolate maker (Patric) doesn't appear to mass produce as major companies do - so I imagine there's a greater margin for surprises depending on where they get their beans.

If you're adventurous and a dark lovers, you'd likely enjoy this Askinosie variety. I'm intrigued enough to hit Chelsea when I go back next week and find another bar for comparison. Anyone else might think this bar too bitter for their tastes, but I do find it a flavor to grow on you.

Review: TCHO Dark (68%) "Fruity"

2010-05-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

I noted in an earlier post that I try to buy up tasting squares when I can. I like that I can buy several brands of chocolate in one swoop without depleting my bank account, and when you come across a company like TCHO that makes it easy for you, you're probably more inclined to consume their stuff first. I picked up a four-flavor sampler at the Chelsea Market the other week and wanted a small after-lunch treat. By random I plucked the "Fruity" square from a pack that also contains "Citrus" and "Nutty" - at least I won't have to entirely guess while eating.

As the name implies, this bar gave off a sweet, fruit-scented nose. By fruit, now, I'm thinking some in the way of dark berry, like a black raspberry that isn't too sugary or overpowering. The bar snapped well, showing solid chocolate throughout. This is a 68% cacao, and presented a slightly sweeter taste than something you'd enjoy in the 70+ range, and what I found interesting is that the longer I held the chocolate on my tongue, the more flavors I detected. I caught a hint of nut and earthy tones in the finish, almost like coffee. I would hesitate to call this one "Fruity" as the latter flavors tend to usurp the initial nose. It's made me curious to try the other varieties, too, to detect similarities among them.

Of course, I like earthier bars, so I didn't find this one unpleasant. TCHO appears to be the type of company that is always testing new bars and techniques, so one can guess where this particular square fell in their production line. I will try to get the others tasted for comparison soon.

Review: Vosges Red Fire Bar

2010-05-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't get to the Vosges boutique while I was in New York City this last weekend. What's even more curious is that I didn't see any Vosges at the shops I did browse in Chelsea and elsewhere. Maybe I didn't look closely, but I'm consoled by the fact that I'm heading back in a few weeks for Book Expo, and it's my intention to pick up some items I can't readily buy here. I've tried the Red Fire Ice Cream and enjoyed it, but am now just getting to the bar of the same name.

The Vosges Red Fire Chocolate Bar is 55% dark milk with Mexican Ancho and chipotle, with cinnamon. Sounds like a fiery treat, and you can bet after the initial rub the aroma of spicy cinnamon is there. The snap, as expected, isn't as loud as dark varieties but you can still hear it. This particular mini bar I've had a while, and I'm glad to see it hasn't tempered.

Holding the first bite on my tongue, I get a faint touch of cinnamon immediately. It blends nicely with the chocolate and doesn't overpower it. The finish is stronger, almost a sense of "red hot" flavor like you used to get from those chewy candies. If you're worried about burning your tongue, don't - the chilies are subtle and lend a sweet kick to the taste experience. It's a different sensation than what I got from the ice cream - of course, you can hardly compare the two. Thinking back to other chili varieties I've had (Moonstruck, Lindt Cherry and Chili), I can say the Vosges Red Fire is smoother and a must if you like to mix the sweet and spicy.

New to the Stash, by way of the Big Apple

2010-05-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

I like to call New York City the Big Chocolate Bar. It's where I go to stock up on new goodness for blog.

Actually, I don't call it. Forgive my lame attempt at humor, if you will. It's been an exhausting week. The prospect of enjoying some chocolate delight from Crumbs Bake Shop, for one, has helped. Hubby and I split a rich Chocolate Praline cupcake last night - there's a dollop of ganache in the middle, and the pecans in the frosting were nice and toasty. As I understand it, too, the average Crumbs cupcake is about 19 Weight Watchers points apiece. Not conducive to my weight loss journey, but as this was Mother's Day weekend I'm still "lost" technically until all the food I brought home is gone.

What did I bring back to review for later posts? Glad you asked! I hit the Chelsea Market, a favorite spot, and the market at Grand Central Station for these nibbles:

Moderne Kashmir Spice (51%) - Butter toffee infused with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. I haven't had a cardamom bar since Kschocolat, so I'm looking forward to this.

Mast Brothers Dark (70%) with Almonds, Sea Salt and Olive Oil - Apparently these are only found in the city at certain locations, unless you live in any of these towns.

TCHO Assortment - I like to buy sample squares, as they are more conducive to reviewing. Will try one of these soon.

Eurocrem Blok - Polish bar bought on Arthur Avenue. Looks like a milk.

Ulker Albeni - From what I'm finding, this is the eastern European equivalent of Twix, only better. We'll soon see.

Askinosie Chocolate - 70% single origin dark, made in Missouri. The chocolate doesn't come from there, of course. Looks like Missouri is fast becoming the center of artisan bars.

Leonidas Assortment - I have four mini squares of this brand, these should go quickly.

There are a number of bars ahead of these, though. Will have to do some major catching up on the reviews. My stomach is fluttering just thinking about it.

Strawberries in Season

2010-05-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Pungo strawberries are in season! These were picked fresh yesterday and, per our annual tradition, the biggest and best have been dipped in chocolate. This time I used Baker's melting discs, the kind that come in the microwave cup. Bit pressed for time this year, with all the real-world stuff going on, but there were no complaints. Guess how many of these are left?

Review: Vosges Red Fire Ice Cream

2010-04-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

While searching for a treat at Whole Foods, I happened upon the ice cream section...eh, who are we kidding? I made a beeline there. I craved something cold with the richness of chocolate, something exotic yet not too far out of my comfort zone. One can walk past the freezer section these days to discover a myriad of chocolate concoctions - some organic, others bearing Stephen Colbert's sneering mug. Not yet have I found anything to match the uniqueness of Vosges Red Fire.

That's right, Vosges has turned down the heat to give us ice cream. Avid fan I am of this chocolatier, I have to admit I didn't realize this until I saw it for myself. Whole Foods had four varieties available, and Red Fire - boasting a Mexican flavor with red chilies and cinnamon, proved too tempting to pass.

Now, for those of you who shy from chocolate mixed with savory flavor (I get enough weird looks when I talk about their bacon bar), let me just say right now this isn't a fire shooting from the ears sort of dessert. The chilies here lend a subtle, spicy kick to complement the mild chocolate taste. You really have to like cinnamon, however, and if you favor Mexican style you're going to like this brand. It's not gritty, and while it comes in a pint you likely won't finish the whole thing in one sitting. You shouldn't, anyway. Red Fire is something to savor - I don't think you need anything to go with it.

At the very least, Whole Foods carries this brand. I haven't seen it anywhere else outside of the Vosges website, so if you are near one of the boutiques that sells it give a shot with the warm weather coming.

Using Chocolate in Savory Mexican Recipes

2010-04-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Chocolate is not something that many people associate with savory recipes but actually, it can combine incredibly with various savory dishes, lending a rich and smooth texture, as well as a gourmet flavor. Not all chocolate is sweet, of course, and if you have tried bitter chocolate or cocoa powder, you will know this.

Chocolate has been used for more than two thousand years in Central American during the Mayan age, to make a bitter drink. The cacao pods were split and the beans were dried, fermented, and roasted. They were then ground to a paste and mixed with spices and water to make this old chocolate drink. It is believed that chocolate was also used to make a corn mash, which would have had the consistency of porridge.

When chocolate was imported to Europe in the sixteenth century, it was combined with sugar. European chefs however still used it in savory dishes, combining it with venison, hare, duck and adding it to braised dishes. In Italy and Spain, chocolate is sometimes added to coq au vin recipes.

Modern Recipes with Chocolate

If you look at modern Mexican food recipes, mole is the most famous Mexican recipe, which features chocolate. This sauce includes garlic, onion, spices, and chilies. It is often served with chicken or turkey. If you want to try, making some famous Mexican recipes with chocolate, mole is a great sauce to begin with because it has such a mouthwatering taste and such a fresh and complex flavor. Serve it with meat, chicken, or fish.

There are more sweet Mexican recipes with chocolate than savory recipes but using it to add color and complexity to a dish is a trend that lives on. Chocolate powder or grated chocolate can be added to a chili or stew to intensify the flavor and to go nicely with the other ingredients.

The flavor of a dish with added chocolate is not sweet like you might think and a lot of people might not immediately recognize the chocolate flavor; rather they would just enjoy the luxurious texture of the food and the overall taste.

An Easy Recipe for Chicken in Chocolate Sauce

You will need:

1 chopped whole chicken
1 onion
1 bell pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 oz baking chocolate squares
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lb can tomato sauce
2 minced cloves garlic

How to make it:

Remove the skin from the chicken and saute it in the oil. Remove the chicken from the pan. Chop the onion and bell pepper and cook them in the oil with the garlic until tender. Add the salt and tomato sauce, then the chocolate and other seasonings, stirring until the chocolate melts.

Return the chicken to the pan and simmer the mixture until the chicken is tender. Take it out of the pan and remove the bones. Adjust the seasonings and serve with noodles or rice.

Mole is one of the most famous Mexican recipes to contain chocolate but this ingredient features in lots of Mexican food recipes and Mexican desserts. If you are inspired by the thought of cooking with chocolate there are plenty of Mexican food ideas that you will love.

MexicanFoodRecipes.org When it has to be Real Authentic Mexican Food

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Szalay_Kudra

Navitas Natural Raw Chocolate Organic Cacao Review

2010-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Navitas Naturals Raw Chocolate Organic Cacao Powder is so addictive in a positive way. Very nutritious, and should I say, Delicious! I drink two cups a day, one in the morning one during dinner. Other says to me that it's kind of odd to drink this in dinner but what can I do, I just love the taste of it. I definitely think that there's nothing wrong especially when you know that you are drinking a hundred percent cacao which is super rich in magnesium, iron and calcium. Say goodbye to expensive body strengtheners.

You can improvise different chocolate treats with this amazing chocolate powder. You can put it in an ice cream, or oat meal, and many more, just explore the taste. As for me, I like to drink it while having a dinner. It gives me appetite when I eat. You don't have to worry of the chemicals like some other cacao based powder because to tell one thing, this cacao were cultivated by a very natural way, absolutely without chemicals or fertilizers. Always remember that it's good to be healthy in a natural way.

This is also a good drink for those who are not into meat. This cacao is a good source of protein that is why vegetarian out there must try this product. Instead of drinking a not-so-good-taste protein shakes or vitamins, you can just drink this one; it's healthy and delectable too. So for those people who is frequently down with exhaustion, just try this product and you will say your life were changed by Navitas Naturals Raw Chocolate OrganicCacao Powder.

For more information, check other Navitas Organic Chocolate Natural Raw Cacao reviews.

Erika Ayala works part time for a consumer review company.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erika_Ayala

Fire Pit Cooked Chocolate

2010-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Homeowners who are looking to embrace the concept of outdoor living often incorporate a fire pit into their outdoor landscape. The fire pit offers not only beauty and character to the homeowner's backyard; it also offers a valuable culinary experience.

Indeed, many pit owners are creating an array of delicious meals, cooked on only the heat of the outdoor fire. It is common for pit owners to cook a variety of meat and vegetables over the open flame. But an often unexplored area of pit cooking promises delicious results as well. Fire pit meet chocolate!

Though it sounds a bit treacherous, pits can actually be used to produce scrumptious desserts. And seeing as how chocolate is regarded as the dessert to top all desserts, pit owners often incorporate its rich goodness into their backyard-cooked desserts.

Of course, one must not shun the foundational recipe of all chocolate campfire cooking - the s'more! No, it's not sophisticated. No, it's not unusual. But, oh how delicious is that combination of melting chocolate, gooey marshmallow, and crisp graham cracker. Another oldie but goodie is a steaming mug of hot cocoa. This is simple to prepare over a pit with the use of a campfire kettle.

But for pit owners looking to branch out to less common campfire food, there are options aplenty. Try the super-simple chocolate banana boats. Simply slice a banana down the center, fill with pieces of chocolate, wrap in foil, and bake over coals. Or for gourmet fare, try fire pit fondue. Place a campfire saucepan over the pit, and use it to combine chocolate and milk until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency. Dip fruit, marshmallows, and shortbread cookies into the chocolate fondue. Even better, grill the fruit first over your pit, and then dip it into the fondue.

There's really no limit to the dessert repertoire for the home pit cook. Many traditional dessert recipes can be adapted for use with outdoor cooking. It simply takes a little creativity. Chocolate certainly shines as a star ingredient of pit cooking. So, when your next outdoor party rolls around, get ready to wow your friends with your delicious pit-cooked chocolate concoctions.

Geoffrey F. Moore
Firepit
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoffrey_Moore

Review: Coppeneur Dark Chocolate with Blue Mountain Coffee

2010-04-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in the house is a box of whole Blue Mountain coffee beans brought home from our honeymoon in Jamaica...a long damn time ago. Blue Mountain is perhaps one of the best roasts available, but as I understand it it's hard to get in the US without mortgaging something. That's because the Japanese are the primary stop in the Jamaican coffee trade, therefore when you see Blue Mountain at the store it's either a blend or it's a lot of damn money per pound. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but we hang onto that box because, by gum, it was soooo cheap to get over there.

Apparently, Germany is getting some action, too, otherwise I wouldn't have this bar of 65% dark from Coppeneur here. This company specializes in single origin and single plantation bars. What's the difference? Single origin denotes all the cacao came from one place, like Colombia or Brazil. Single plantation means that all the beans in the bar came from the same farm. So what I have here is a blend of chocolate grown from the island in general, and who knows how that influences the taste. I swear, though, I opened the box and smelled another herbal scent associated with the country. If only.

For a dark bar, which by the way is fairly thin and snaps easily and loudly, there is a nice gloss. The stamp you see on the box image above is on the bar as well, and inside the box is a nifty little booklet overview of the company and their product. I like the nose of this bar, too - there's a faintness in the coffee after you release the aroma, but once it's held on your tongue the flavor is alive and bold. It's truly a dark mocha-like sensation that almost begs for an accompanying cup of the hot stuff.

I don't intend to keep this bar around as long as we have the coffee. There isn't much in the bar anyway, about two percent of overall ingredients, but the taste tells you just how far that amount goes. If your idea of a perfect marriage is cacao and coffee, here's your gold standard.

Wordless Wednesday - Chocolate Yum

2010-04-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever

2010-04-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Like many of my generation, I was dispatched to boarding-school at a young age. There, we were served poor and insufficient food. Yes, there were times when I was hungry and the inadequacy of the diet also fostered an appetite for all things sweet, bordering on an addiction. This is where my abiding memory of chocolate cake comes in. On the rare occasions when my parents visited me in boarding-school, my Mother invariably brought me a chocolate cake. Yes, a whole cake all for myself.

Now in other schools, like the polite convent establishment which inadequately prepared my sisters for life, it was the practice for such goodies to be shared with those at one's table in the school refectory. Not so in my borstal. Despite rules to the contrary, we squirreled away all tuck in our locker in the dormitory and it was then slowly gobbled up, sometimes in the dead of night, when other boys were not about to threaten one's food hoard. Salivary juices still run riot in my mouth when I think of those large wedges of chocolate cake, which I stuffed clandestinely into my mouth. They melted on the tongue, instantly satisfying those insatiable cravings for anything sweet.

Even then, I dabbled in the kitchen and so I can remember that, in the case of this chocolate cake, ground rice and ground almonds partly or wholly took the place of the more usual flour. The cake also had two icings, a butter icing in the middle and a glacé icing on top. Many years later, I recall asking my Mother for the recipe for this school chocolate cake, which had brought me so much joy. In her characteristically vague way, she promised to search for it but she never did and she took the culinary secret of how it was made to her grave.

Over the years, my consequent inability to re-create this confection periodically came to mind and with it came a sense of sadness, a sadness I shared one day with my older sister. To my surprise, she also had a memory of our Mother's chocolate cake and wondered where the recipe had gone. She then told me that she had come across a recipe, which produced a chocolate cake that came close to the one made in our youth. It is to be found in West of Ireland Summers, A Cookbook by Tasmin Day-Lewis. It is pure serendipity that this cookbook dwells on the author's memories of food eaten during childhood summers on the west coast of Mayo, for I too spent the happy summer holidays of my youth in this part of the country.

Be that as it may, with many thanks to Tasmin Day-Lewis, I now share this recipe with you. My sister was right. Although my addiction for sweet things has long since gone, this cake wafts me straight back to that school dormitory with its serried ranks of beds and to the culinary delights of that chocolate confection made by my Mother.

175g good dark chocolate, chopped
175g butter
175g caster sugar
4 eggs separated
85g ground almond
85g flour
whole walnuts to decorate

RICH CHOCOLATE ICING:

125 g good dark chocolate, chopped
40g butter
50g caster sugar
85 ml cream

First make the icing. Put all the ingredients into a bowl over a saucepan of hot water and stir gently over the heat. When smooth, leave to cool and then put in the fridge, where it will thicken as it cools and become much easier to spread.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease two 18cm sandwich tins. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water.

Cream the butter with the sugar (this is easily done in a food processor), add the egg yolks one by one, then the almonds, flour and the melted chocolate.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and gently fold them into the mixture, little by little.

Divide the mixture between the two sandwich tins and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the tins and then turn out on a wire rack.

When cold, sandwich the cakes together with half the icing and spread the other half on top, which I also like to decorate with whole walnuts.

This article is part of The Mutation, an Irish arts and culture blog. The Mutation is the voice of http://www.mutantspace.ie, an online arts co-operative, based in Ireland. We publish articles on everything from music to visual art, theatre to food, book reviews to websites and travel to fiction.

We're always interested to hear what you have to say so if you have something to contribute email admin@mutantspace.ie.

The Mutation is a free publication and can be found @ http://themutation.com.

Leonidas Belgian Chocolate Review

2010-04-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Leonidas' chocolates are simply exquisite, with a burst of flavor and the finest quality of chocolate, whether dark, milk, or ivory cocoa. But as all things that are that good, Leonidas' Belgian chocolates don't come cheap.

Leonaidas have an assortment of about 90 kinds of pralines filled with different kinds of sinful pleasures. Caramels, liquors, and buttercreams. The orangettes or candied orange peel dipped in bittersweet chocolate is also just heavenly. You can taste the playful punch of orange along with a luscious, rich taste of dark chocolate.

Perle truffles are just lovely and come in nine varieties such as Champagne, Rhum Cafe, and Pistachio.

But I must say the dark pralines assortment is one of my personal favorites in all of Leonidas' products. The rich, bittersweet taste of chocolate is enough to melt you and all your worries away, including the price you have to pay.

But if you're not so much into dark chocolates, there are still a lot of sinful delights to choose from their products. There is definitely something for everyone.

Decorative Ballotin
General Assortment
Butter Cream Assortment
Dark Chocolate Assortment
Milk Chocolate Assortment
Leonidas Napolitains
Manon Blanc/Café
Leonidas Orangettes
Gianduja
Leonidas Chocolate Bars
Leonidas Chocolate Mini-bars - New
Leonidas Perles Pures
Leonidas Without Added Sugar

If you're worried that if you order, it will take too long that the chocolates are going to be spoiled even before it reaches your home, you don't have to worry. The shipment is fast, and Leonidas always makes sure that fresh chocolates are delivered from Belgium every week.

For a more comprehensive review of Leonidas' Belgian chocolates, just lick on the link.

Buddy Glass is a photography enthusiast and a freelance writer. He writes full time for http://www.printablejobapplication.net/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Buddy_Glass

Review: Dark Chocolate Peeps

2010-04-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'll state for the record now there is usually no way in Hell you can get me to eat a marshmallow Peep. Sickeningly sweet and best used as props for silly YouTube videos or padding crash helmets, Peeps rank right up there with circus peanuts as foods I'll pass on when there's no other food left on the planet. Seriously, you would have to completely cover a Peep in dark chocolate before you'd get me to...

Oh, look at this:

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. Used to be Peeps only came out at Easter, but as you know the Just Born folks have managed to integrate a sticky marshmallow treat into every major holiday. I've seen Peep pumpkins at Halloween, red Peep hearts on Valentine's Day, and I suspect Uncle Peep will make an appearance in July, gray sugared beard and all. This particular Peep I found at the local popcorn palace - it was the last one in the box and I figured, hey it's marshmallow. Low on WW points, right?

Well, the entire Peep is 3 points on WW. I didn't get past biting off the head:

The one thing I didn't like about the original Peeps is the sugary. It leaves a gritty sensation that, combined with the sweetness of the mallow filling, did nothing for me. It's a rush that this chocolate shell, unfortunately, can't tame. I tried peeling away some chocolate to try on its own, but the Peep is too powerful. Dark chocolate should take of sugar with every bite, and it does here.

If you're into Peeps, actually eating Peeps rather than watching them boil and explode in the microwave, this could be the candy for you. I don't know if you'll find these now, unless you get lucky and hit the stores Monday for discounted leftovers. Otherwise, wait until the next holiday. Chocolate covered Peep Thanksgiving turkeys? I wouldn't doubt it.

Chocolate Covered Matzoh

2010-03-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

This time of year you'll find me trolling the supermarkets for Kosher Coca Cola, a special formula marketed for Passover. It's the closet we'll ever get again to the original Coke recipe, and just as Brigadoon fades into view once in a blue moon, so you really have to watch for this stuff. Hampton Roads has a decent sized Jewish population (I think they did set up that eruv in Norfolk), so there's no shortage of kosher goods in displays around the different shops. Haven't found the Coke this time, however, but I did end up picking some for my next Odd Chocolate review - chocolate covered matzohs.

As I'm not Jewish, matzoh isn't something I keep in the house, and it's not something I've had in over ten years, when I was last invited to a Seder. I know there are specially made sweets for the holiday - the macaroons and jelly rings - but I hadn't seen these before. Apparently these are pretty exclusive items, because I've been unable to find the brand I purchased on the Internet. I had to cam in this photos, don't mind the background of my leopard print Snuggie:

This dark variety is pareve and comes two large sheets to a box. They aren't cheap, either - I think I paid about four bucks for the package. Holiday Candies is based in Moosic, Pennsylvania, which is southeast of Scranton. Like I said, there's no website, but I did find an Eddyleon Chocolate Company in the same town, so maybe they're associated. Who knows? You didn't come here for a geography lesson.

Basically this is what it is, a large matzoh wafer covered in dark, bittersweet chocolate. Since I was budgeting WW points tonight, I broke the cracker in two. Big mistake. No sooner than I did that, did the chocolate start to flake away. While the matzoh is somewhat enrobed, the chocolate doesn't cling, so this is a mess to eat. I imagine if I ate it intact, I'd get the same results.

The taste? Well, it's a chocolate covered matzoh, heh. Matzoh, in my opinion, is pretty dry on its own, and while the chocolate doesn't compound that it doesn't really enhance the flavor of the wafer. If you're looking for a chocolate snack that isn't going to tip the scales like a Snickers bar, and you can find these, give it a try. I personally won't stock up when Passover is over, but it is an interesting seasonal flavor.

Review: Noi Sirius Semi-Sweet

2010-02-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

While at Whole Foods in Richmond, I happened upon the chocolate section (who are we kidding, happened upon? I went straight there.) to see a most unusual source for my favorite sweet - Iceland. The Noi Sirius company appears to be the country's primary chocolatier - or, at least, the best known outside the land of Bjork. I'm not one to thumb my nose at imported chocolate, so I purchased the bar, which came wrapped in an opaque, thin white paper that almost resembles wax paper. Two bars came in the pack, 45% semi-sweet, yet the snap I heard on breaking a row of pillows sounded as clear as any dark I've had.

The taste, I thought, was more sweet than semi. Semi-sweet is normally the consistency of Nestle chips in the yellow bag, made for Toll House cookies. Noi's entry in this entry offers a sweeter taste that's almost pure sugar. I don't think I had an ounce and I thought that too much. What's more, the finish is about the same and doesn't bring forth any other flavors - sometimes with sweeter varieties I'll get a hint of citrus or coconut, but not here. Just sweet sweet sickeningly sweet.

I have so much bar left, that I don't think I'll finish them as is. There is a recipe for hot chocolate on the wrapper that I may try, or else I'll break the pillows into chunks for cookies. Perhaps the addition of other ingredients to this bar will offset that sugar high.

Review: Kit Kat with Yuzu and Japanese Pepper

2010-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Moving on through the Japanese Kit Kat portion of the stash, I picked at random the Yuzu and Pepper variety. This may be the oddest of the bunch, since it features the taste of a fruit not indigenous to my area, the yuzu. Yuzu is citrus, likely the cousin to the grapefruit or lemon, if what I detected from the candy is any indication.

Of the bars I have, the Yuzu is the first I've tried that has a genuine chocolate coating. The Kit Kat is dark, but I couldn't say which cacao level, probably in the sixties. On opening the package, the dark coating gives off a faint, salty tang that doesn't really hint at what to expect with the bite. It's indeed a mysterious bar.

The yuzu lends a tartness that strengthens the chocolate. It took a few bites to get used to, but ultimately I found this variety more enjoyable than others I've tried. The aftertaste on this bar brings the spiciness of the pepper. Biting into the wafer bar presents an immediate, odd lemon flavor and graduates to the other sensations. It's like experiencing different courses one at a time.

Would I buy another yuzu bar? Not certain. I would like to sample the rest of my Japanese bounty before deciding on one I must have again. So far, however, this flavor leads the pack.

Review: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Seeds

2010-02-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a sign you're growing old: the arrival of the Trader Joe's newsletter today is met with the same enthusiasm as the arrival of the Victoria's Secret catalog ten years prior. All kidding aside, I love the booklets TJ's sends in the mail - it reads like the J. Peterman's of food catalogs, and there's always something inside that drives me to the store to get something we really don't need but have to have that instant. This month, it's the Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Seeds.

I'd only had fresh pomegranate once before. A co-worker split his with me and showed me how to mine all the juicy seeds. They resembled little corn kernels gone bloody with antioxidant juice, but I enjoyed eating it. There's a certain rewarding feeling one gets when you have to work to enjoy food, but with the chocolate covered delights there's no effort. Just pop 'em in your mouth, and be careful not to finish the whole five-ounce container in one sitting.

One could do it, in theory. The seeds come in shiny dark pellets, each about the size of an abnormally large Wonka Nerd candy, but smaller than a Raisinet. In fact, the best way to describe the taste would be a tarter, crunchier Raisinet. You definitely get the chocolate first, then the boldness of what bit of juice there is. Because they are small, they are addictive, too. I'm careful to scoop my portion out a tablespoon at a time (about 2 WW points) and keep the rest for later.

For the record, the newsletter did advertise fresh seeds as well, and I picked up a container. Can't have too many antioxidants. Gonna live forever!

Review: Seattle Chocolates San Juan Sea Salt Bar

2010-02-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

I know it's Lent, but chocolate really isn't one thing I can give up now - chocolate is partly keeping my sanity intact, and I'm sure the Good Lord will forgive the next 40 or days if I enjoy a bite of sanity now and again. Besides, I don't smoke, drink, watch TV, have sex, do drugs, or anything else that's fun. My life is a Lent!

Anyway, I came back from a doctor's appointment and decided to reward myself with a treat from The Stash. Forgoing my favorite dark solids (see, that's a sacrifice), I picked a truffle bar.

Seattle Chocolates specializes in truffle - gloriously rich filled delights and unique truffle bars. If you're looking for a change from the ordinary solid bar, Seattle Chocolates very likely has a flavor to appease you, in milk and dark varieties. Those who crave a salty pairing with the sweet may be interested in their San Juan Sea Salt bar - featuring a creamy light flavor enhanced with the right amount of tang to give the bar some bite.

All truffle bars by this Washington State company are small by gourmet bar standards (2.5 ounces, but thick as opposed to long and thin like Vosges and New Tree) but as they are truffle bars, expect to get filled quickly. The San Juan variety in particular contains bits of sea salt and toffee to provide texture that crunches with every bite.

On opening the bar, you'll note the smooth surface of the milk chocolate and lack of sheen - which you're more apt to find in darker bars. Breaking a pillow of the four sectioned bar reveals the truffle bar shining with hard brown and white specs. The truffle section will literally melt in your mouth if you savor it long enough, and the bits of salt and toffee are evident yet not too overpowering. It's not like Crunch bar, where every bite distracts you from the chocolate enjoyment.

The San Juan Sea Salt truffle bar is good for milk chocolate lovers - a nice break from plain truffles, and good to satisfy the craving. Take your time with the bar, make it last to better appreciate the flavor.

Review: Sweet Potato Kit Kat

2010-02-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Going through the Stash to clear away some of the odder varieties bought recently (to make room for more chocolate, of course) I selected one of the Japanese Kit Kats at random and came up with the Sweet Potato flavor. I like sweet potatoes as they are, so when I shopped around for foreign candies I figured this one might be a benign choice.

Upon opening the wrapper, the first thing I noticed was the sickening sweet aroma - more of sugar and cream than actual sweet potato. It reminded me of when I sampled the Ginger Ale variety, how that one made me pucker. I'm afraid to say, however, that while the aroma lends itself to the vegetable, the taste is overpowered. This bar tastes more like they had taken white Oreo filling and used it to cover the wafers. If there is any flavor true to what it advertised, it's detected very faintly afterward. Otherwise, if you just like bland sweet, this is for you. Not really for me.

Pepperidge Farm Tim Tams with Caramel

2010-02-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

I went to Target today in hopes of finding severely discounted Valentine's Day chocolate, only to discover most of it had been removed from the shelves - presumably to make room for the severely overpriced Easter chocolate. The trip, however, didn't turn out to be a total bust, as I did notice Tim Tams on sale.

I'd heard of Tim Tams before, mainly through people fortunate enough to have connections traveling to and from Australia. Apparently they are one of, if not the, best selling cookie in that country, and come in a variety of chocolate, vanilla, and mint flavors. Recently, Pepperidge Farm has introduced Tims Tams to the US (only three varieties, though), but as a seasonal offering. We can buy them here with the PF label from October to March, so if you're into this cookie better stock up now.

I got one package today of the caramel (all they had left), thinking if it turned out I didn't like then then I didn't spend too much. The Tim Tam, for the uninitiated, is a sandwich cookie - two chocolate biscuits with chocolate creme in the middle, enrobed in milk chocolate. This variety, of course, includes a small dollop of caramel in the middle. Now, when I bought these today I hadn't realized that there is an actual procedure for eating these things: you bite off each end, dip one into your coffee and use it like a straw. Sounds incredibly messy and delicious, so I'll be sure to give it a shot next time. By itself, this particular Tim Tam reminded me of a sweeter Twix bar - similar crunchy texture, with the added chewiness of the caramel. As I ate this one while sitting in the parking lot (I was hungry!) I noticed, too, how quickly the coating melted in my hand...I can only imagine what dunking in coffee will do to it.

Overall, I liked the cookie; it didn't knock me for a loop - I would probably grab a bag of dark Milanos or Genevas first if given a choice. A serving is two Tim Tams, but I'll stretch these out since they amount to 2.5 Weight Watchers point each, and they go away in March. I would like to find the Dark Chocolate variety before they sell out, so I imagine I'll be checking every Target around town, or else order out like I did with the Polly Waffle.

Top Chocolate Brands For Your Sweetheart on Valentine's Day

2010-01-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

As Valentine's Day edges ever closer, department stores build larger displays of gift ideas. It isn't unusual to walk into Target or Wal-Mart and find shelves of heart-shaped boxes, all filled with a variety of truffles, nut clusters, and other bon-bons. Indeed, the days leading up to February fourteenth mark records sales of chocolate, and while mass-produced brands are enjoyable and affordable, sometimes this holiday calls for something truly special. This year, why not splurge and give your sweetheart the gift of gourmet, artisan chocolate?

Across the country, one will find a multitude of chocolatiers that specialize in unusual, yet delicious sweets. From antioxidant rich dark chocolate, enrobing juicy berries and thick nuts, or creamy caramels laced with sea salt, there is no limit to the variety of gifts available for this holiday for lovers. Some names you may have seen in area grocery stores and boutiques, while others offer ordering and shipping via the Internet. If you choose to order a gift basket or selection, be sure to research availability and delivery times to ensure your treats arrive in time. Know, too, that not all artisan chocolate is expensive, and for a special bar or collection of truffles even a little goes a long way. Here are just a few brands to consider for a unique, scrumptious Valentine.

Vosges Chocolate: This upscale New York-based chocolatier offers a selection of bars, bons bons and other delectables infused with ingredients one would normally not associate with dessert. Vosges is perhaps best known for their popular bacon and chocolate confections - bars and shaped solids that deliver a salty, smoky sweetness with each bite. For the sweetheart who loves both, why not purchase a pair of Mo's Bacon Bars, in milk and dark. Or, try a box of enrobed caramel marshmallows or exotic truffles with a hint of ginger, paprika, and other wild flavors?

Moonstruck Chocolate: Based in Orgeon, this delightful chocolate company offers up some cute as a bug truffles this Valentine's Day - "bug" being the operative word. Their Love Bugs are dark ganache truffles flavored with raspberry or strawberry, with painted on smiles that make the candies almost too sweet to eat. Almost! Be sure to visit them online for collections featuring bon bons flavored with champagne, creme brulee, and Irish cream among other taste sensations.

Organic Chocolates: If your sweetheart is thinking more "green" than red these days, you may wish to present her or him with a selection of organic and fair-trade bars. Some of the more noted brands you might find at your local grocer include Green and Black's, Endangered Species, and Dagoba Chocolate, all of which carry different varities - from milk to dark to white, plain or with nuts or berries or other yummy extras.
This year, take a break from the ordinary in chocolate and present a tasty, exotic Valentine that will disappear quickly, but remain in your loved one's memory for a long time to come.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Hello Kitty gifts and romance novels.

Chocolate Covered Resolutions for 2010

2010-01-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

People tend to resolve in the new year to lose weight. Indeed, when I worked for a client who ran a diet supplement company, he remarked that January was the year of decision...he got the most business in that month, second only to late spring (I'm assuming pre-bikini season). I did resolve in 2010 to reach my Weight Watchers goal, but that doesn't mean I'm cutting the sweet stuff entirely. Nope, no way no how. In anticipation of various trips and events in the coming year, I've made a few chocolate-related goals. Let's see how many I actually meet:

1) Get back to the Vosges boutique. I enjoyed my trip to the NYC store this past year. With the possibility of a trip to Vegas or Chicago in '10, I'd like to try hitting either one of those stores for some choco-bacon goodness.

2) Snag some different Aero bars. Milk and mint are fairly easy to find in the States, but I'm looking for a good deal on a dark bar, or maybe the elusive caramel. I still have the strawberry Aero I got with my Japanese Kit Kats. Will report soon.

3) Sample all of SeventyPercent.com's top 10 bars. I've already tried two, so I'm off to a good start.

4) Try Serendipity's Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. I'm due for another NYC trip soon. I'll set the points aside for it.

Chocolate and Chauvinism

2009-12-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

While on my Japanese novelty kick, I came across a selection of Pocky varities. You might have heard or seen Pocky here in the States - it is a brand of pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate or other flavors. It is probably the more popular of the Japanese sweet imports, and if it isn't it's at least the more prevalent. Among the choices available at my local Oriental grocer was Pocky Men's, the dark chocolate sticks.

As candy, it's okay. Nothing spectacular, just a nice quick treat if you don't want an entire bar. What caught my attention, however, was the labeling. Is there a specific reason this is marketed as "men's" chocolate? Is the less-sweeter designation of the chocolate assigned a gender? Are women forbidden from enjoying it? Are there hormones mixed with the chocolate?

I only mention this because it's actually not the first time I've seen chocolate designated as such. In the UK, there is a brand called Yorkie, a solid bar from Nestle bearing the politically incorrect slogan, It's Not For Girls. I was given a bar last year as a gift, and upon opening and biting into I'm pleased to report I didn't sprout whiskers (no more than usual for a gal of Sicilian descent rapidly approaching middle age, anyway) and my voice hasn't changed. Whether the marketing of this bar attracts more females than otherwise I'm not sure - to me it's typical drugstore chocolate, enjoyed for the taste and novelty. I find it interesting to see these examples on the foreign market, as I haven't seen any type of marketing like this in the US. Makes me wonder if men abroad simply don't eat a lot of chocolate, and this is an attempt to stimulate that demographic.

If they don't want it, though, send it here.

I Still Don't Know...

2009-12-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Remy: What is that?
Emile (mouth full): I don't know.
Remy: You don't know...and you're eating it.

Part of the adventure of trying odd chocolates is that some of them are actually odd...and undecipherable by me. When I lived in Georgia, I took one course in Japanese and I've since forgotten everything but how to count to five, but it hasn't deterred me from going into Japanese groceries to see what looks interesting.

We have stores here, but they don't seem to carry as much as those in larger cities. You won't find bizarre Kit Kats here, but you'll find Pocky - another popular brand - and bags of sweets with Hello Kitty logos. Today I picked up something from Glico, which makes Pocky, and for the life of me I can't read the label.

I had to scan this, seriously. I didn't know how to begin searching in Google. It is a two-pack of some kind of filled biscuit - a waffle-shaped square with nine pillows. The bottom layer is white chocolate, the top milk with crisp rice. As far as novelty bars go, it didn't send me to the moon, but it provided a new sensation for me. I'm thinking briefly of that Polly Waffle bar I had earlier, only with white chocolate in place of marshmallow. In appearance it resembles a Kit Kat turned inside out.
For people interested in experimenting with foreign chocolates, this would be a good beginning brand. You won't find any wacky flavors or unpleasant surprises. If you can translate the package, however, please respond.

Review: Ginger Ale Kit Kats

2009-12-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

Recently I received a purchase from eBay - several Japanese Kit Kat bars. If you're unfamiliar with the way Japan does Kit Kats, you may be surprised to know what flavors are available beyond the milk, dark, and white varieties we get in the States. In fact, I don't think you can get those there.

Seems this country will put anything between those thin wafers and cover it in sugar cream or chocolate. Exhibit A: the Ginger Ale Kit Kat.

This is probably one of the "safer" varieties I chose, so I've decided to try it first (the odder we'll get, I'll bring out the camera). Kit Kats, judging from the packaging I received, come in four fingers like the US cousins, but are wrapped in twos and boxed two sets per. The ginger ale flavor, when opened, gave me a stronger lemon than ginger aroma. It's interesting to note, too, this particular bar has the Kit-Kat brand stamp in English - I sort of expected Kanji.

The texture of the bar is much like the traditional bar, and the taste to me is sweet, almost more lemon at first. There is a ginger flavor finish, however. I'd say it's reminiscent of an upscale lemon creme sandwich cookie. This would make for a nice palate cleanser.

Considering the other flavors I have yet to try (soy sauce and green tea for two), I'll save the other ginger ale for last...just in case.

New Additions to The Stash

2009-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

What's better than chocolate? Discounted chocolate! A local chocolate shop, The Royal Chocolate, has a special offer where you can buy a twenty-dollar gift certificate for $14. After getting one for now and one as a gift, I headed over once I finished work. Seems every time I go there is something new to try, and this month they naturally have beefed up their inventory. So now I can add the following to The Stash:

NewTree Renew - Dark (73%) with currants and cassis. I bought the three pack nibbler as opposed to the full bar. I've had NewTree before, they market themselves as a "healthy" chocolate for the Oprah crowd.

Seattle Chocolates Coconut Macaroon - Dark (53%) with coconut and sea salt. This is a truffle brand. I've already had the Rainier Cherry and Orange Peel varities - both of which are fairly rich and sweet - and I wouldn't normally buy another one. This one, though, had me at sea salt.

La Suissa Extra Dark (70%) - Standard solid Italian bar. No frills.

Chez Hachez Ingwer Pferrer - Milk variety with ginger and pepper. The oddest of the bunch, I think. The bar is perforated with huge peppercorns and crystallized ginger. I might just video this one next because I have to see my reaction to trying it.

Sip it Slowly

2009-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

These days I must use discretion when ordering from Starbuck's. Weight Watchers, thankfully, offers a concise rundown of their drinks and points values, though I've been unable to find one for their Chantico sipping chocolate. No matter, anyway, for we recently found a less expensive, and equally rich alternative in Trader Joe's brand sipping chocolate mix. Last week we received their latest newsletter in the mail (if you don't receive it, imagine the Seinfeld-esque J. Peterman's catalog, devoted to food), and the second we saw this, we had plans for the weekend.

One word of warning, something I have trouble heeding myself, given my paranoid cooking skills: for optimal results, know how to heat up milk. I had a saucepan of 2% going while my husband chided me in the background. Don't turn it up too high, you'll scald it! Scald it! Waaah! My initial finished product - three even tablespoons of thick powder in 1/3 cup milk, resulted in many little lumps. The milk hadn't warmed up enough, but at least I didn't burn it entirely.

The taste? Very rich, and smooth once I got the consistency correct. For the untrained, sipping chocolate vastly differs from hot cocoa - the ratio of chocolate to liquid is closer than one would expect with a packet of Swiss Miss, and this is definitely something you can't gulp down. Gentle sips, rolling the dark chocolate on your tongue produces a pleasing experience - especially fitting in this cold weather.

If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can find comparable products like Bellagio online, though I've not tried other brands outside Starbuck's Chantico. For the weight conscious, one serving of TJ's using 2% percent milks comes to 2 points, and while it doesn't yield a full cup it does leave you quite satisfied. You can also up the milk to a cup for a rich hot chocolate, which I will try in the near future.

Video - Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar

2009-12-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Last year I reviewed the Bacon Bar. Recently I won a contest at Vosges for a free bar. Good times, good times.

Video Review: The Polly Waffle

2009-12-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

The first of my amateurish video blogs on chocolate. Tonight I sample the soon to be defunct Polly Waffle bar of Australia. This particular bar was purchased at Great Aussie Food.

Chocolate Review: New Tree Alpha Thym

2009-08-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Looking for a small after-lunch treat, I went through The Stash for this wafer-like bar bought at Biagio. The New Tree company is known for chocolates that promote some kind of health benefit, and the Alpha line boasts Omega 3 fatty acids and dark cacao. The Thym disc is self-explanatory, thyme with 65% dark.

I opened the package to an immediate blast of cacao, but the thyme quickly overtook that once I got the flat disk completely out of the wrapper. The surface lacks the gloss of other high-end chocolates I've had, and the thinness of the bar highlights the grainy-looking interior - it's easy to see the flax seeds and puffed rice bubbled on the bottom.

A loud snap, and the bold taste of thyme on the palate came next, followed by the sweetness of the mid-level cacao. If you could imagine somebody knocking a jar of herbs into a vat of Nestle Crunch (with a different grade of chocolate) you'll have a good idea of the texture. If you don't mind savory flavors with chocolate, you might like this one. I wouldn't list it among my top daily choices, maybe a once in a while indulgence.

The month in chocolate

2009-08-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

It was pointed out to me this weekend that I haven't blogged much about chocolate in the last few weeks. Granted, I certainly have been eating it, so don't think I've taken a sabbatical. Indeed, that extra boost of antioxidants and endorphins is basically what keeps me from taking a hostage most days. Lately, though, I've spent time whittling down what I have before buying more, yet I did make a few recent impulse buys:

Qbel Wafer Bars: I picked up a pack of the Dark Chocolate wafer bars with crisp rice. Imagine those Little Debbie wafer twins you used to get, with a dark coating and no peanut butter, just more dark chocolate. Very nice, a crunchy treat that isn't very big - you get two small sticks per pack. One for now and one for later.

Toffee Crisp: This is a UK Nestle product, described as puffy rice and soft toffee covered in milk chocolate. I haven't tried it yet, maybe I'll make this my chocolate for the day and Twitter my opinion. I love toffee, and I love that I can get the occasional European novelty at my local shop. It was a banner week for shopping there Friday - picked up a box of Quisp cereal, too!

A few weeks ago I managed to get the new Vosges organic Enchanted Mushroon (66% dark with reishi mushroom and walnuts). Much as I love Vosges, I have to say I was a bit disappointed by this one. The snap and smell are nice, but it seemed each bit tasted gritty. I don't know if it's the chocolate or the ingredients - this is really the first organic product of theirs I've tried, so I may find a second product to eliminate the chocolate as the culprit. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the flavor, but it just didn't have the smoothness of the Dark Bacon Bar I also got on that excursion. (BTW, loved loved loved the Dark Bacon).

So rest assured, there will be more choco-blogging. Just pacing right now so I don't break out.

The month in chocolate

2009-07-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

Seems like it's been a while since I've done a chocolate related post here. Not for lack of enjoyment - I still nibble once a day, just haven't found the energy to share in written form what I've had of late. I picked up some new additions for The Stash today at Whole Foods, but first a brief survey of what I've had.

I finally finished up the Chocolove 65% dark with crystallized ginger last week - good bar to have around after lunch, especially if you've had something strong that remains with you. The ginger has a good bite to it, even though it tended to make the bar a bit grainy.

Before that, it was a Jer's chocolate and peanut butter bar, which tasted more like one of those Atkins bars than a treat. The Fresh Market by me carries an assortment of Jer's now, and if you happen upon one of these bars please know they tend to melt quickly. If you really, really love the peanut butter, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Last week, while shopping with a friend, I found two new bars from Vosges: a dark organic called Enchanted, with mushrooms (!), and - at last - a dark bacon bar. Mind you, it's only 62%, but I've had a square and so far I prefer it over their milk version. Everytime I mention the bacon bar to people I get weird looks, but I suppose you just have to try it yourself. It brings a fair contract of sweet and salt, and the dark chocolate tastes better in this combination.

Looking forward to trying these I bought today:

Theo Organic Cherry and Almond (70%)
Sirius (45%) Iclandic chocolate - couldn't pass that up, chocolate from the land of Bjork?
Vivani (68%) Dark with Green Tea

Not in one sitting, of course.

100%

2009-05-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's Friday. First, the eye candy:

Now, the candy review.

A short poll on Twitter prompted me to crack open the Pralus Le 100% bar bought last weekend. Now, my previous experience with a high percentage chocolate was not pleasant. Last year I purchased the 99% Michel Cuizel Noir Infini, tasting to much disappointment. It's rare that I don't finish a bar, and that one definitely didn't make it past the first snap. If you've ever seen the show Roseanne, there's an episode where Roseanne is baking, and her son asks for a bite of the chocolate she's using. She explains that it's baking chocolate, but he doesn't care, so she gives him a piece. Of course there's no sugar in it, so you can imagine his reaction on biting into it. The Noir Infini was pretty much that.

Last year at Biagio I was telling somebody of my experience with that bar, and the clerk suggested I sample a different, 100% bar. That was the Pralus, and it wasn't bad. I didn't buy it then, but on seeing it this trip I figured, why not?

A word of warning: if you aren't into dark chocolate, or haven't had much experience with high percentage bars, you might want to work your way toward something like this. 100% means just that - it's all cacao, baby. Not much room for anything else. Naturally, it's not going to have the sweetened tinge of 70% bars, but this isn't like your average baking chocolate, either.

There's a nice snap and bold nose, almost nutty. If dark had an aroma, this would be it. The taste is smooth, yet not wholly bitter. There is an aftertaste that lingers, however, something to consider if you plan on trying quite a bit. I wouldn't, though. Maybe pair this with a dessert wine to complement the lack of sugar in the bar.

All in all, this was a better experience than the Noir. It will take a while to finish the bar, but I think the time invested will be well worth it.

Chocolate Review: Michael Mischer Cayenne Spiced Mango

2009-05-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

During Balticon weekend I made a side trip to Biagio Chocolate in DC. It's a blink and miss it kind of place, off Dupont Circle and situated in a basement style storefront. When you walk in, though, you're in Heaven. Just an amazing collection of chocolates from around the world - always something different when you go. One bar that wasn't there on my last trip was the Michael Mischer Cayenne Spiced Mango (72%). How can you walk away from a brand like that?

The packaging is certainly tempting - a clear plastic case turned backside out to showcase large chunks of dried mango coated in red and black speckles. Since the bar looks quite thin for the amount of fruit it contains, the mango appears ready to fall from the chocolate's hold. It's not so much infused in the chocolate as it is floating, embedded.

Though the aroma is bold and characteristic of a 70 percent cacao, the snap is almost non-existent. The makeup of the bar - small pillows connected by a thin bedding - could be the issue. Held on the tongue, the chocolate alone is rich with a smooth finish, and combined with the spicy fruit it provides a good contrast. Yes, there is a kick with the cayenne, a latent one that doesn't last. I think that's good - it doesn't take from the enjoyment of the chocolate and I'm not gasping for water afterward.

If there's one warning about a bar like this, it would have to be to eat it as soon as possible. I don't know if this is a bar to keep around in a stash while you whittle away at something else. Unfortunately, their website is not taking orders at the moment, so if you're looking for a bit of spice with your chocolate you'll have to search for this one. It'll be worth it, though.

Chocolate: America's Favorite Pastime

2009-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

First off, it's Friday. You know what that means:

If he attended the Jays/Yanks game last night, I missed him. I hear he'll slip out early if there's no hope of comeback, assuming the Jays are way behind. Last night, though, it was a tight game until the end. Hopefully he left early to write music for the new album.

In an effort to test the flavors of different cacao levels, I'm trying pieces of two bars today: an ounce of 70% Nirvana Single Origin Sao Thome and 80% Equal Exchange Extra Dark Organic. The Nirvana has a bolder taste than the Equal Exchange 70% I had I last week, with a bitter aftertaste and a sharp nose. Held on the tongue long enough, I can almost detect earthy overtones, almost like tobacco (can you tell I've been to too many wine tastings lately?). Seems like it would be a good bar to graduate to if you're slowly working your way toward high cacao levels.

The 80%, by comparison, is richer and smooth, with a latent sweetness that doesn't linger on the palate. I like the flavor of this particular bar as opposed to other chocolates I've tried at this level. Sampling the lesser percentage chocolate after this, I noticed, enhances the sweet flavor of it. That said, I think they are both good bars to enjoy on their own - I don't know that I'd put either on my coming Top Five list, but I have the weekend to figure that out.

Blogging for Dollars

I heard from my art director that Kindle will allow bloggers to offer their content for subscriptions. I pondered doing it myself, then wondered what Kindle user would pay money to look at pictures of Geddy Lee and hear me complain about things. Still, the opportunity presents itself to promote books, so I am contemplating a "quickies" blog - posts of sexy short shorts to enjoy on a daily basis. Insert the inevitable "holding the Kindle with one hand joke" here.

More later.

How to Write Chocolate off Your Taxes

2009-05-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

The simple answer: review it for a blog.

Well, don't quote me on that. Being a published author, I could probably get away with it by calling it a promotional expense. I do give away candy at booksignings, but I imagine one day the IRS will catch up to me and wonder aloud why I would distribute whole Vosges bars to readers. Then I'd have to bring people in to verify I did just that, and those people would have to be bribed...with actual Vosges bars. So maybe there isn't a simple answer for that.

I do like to Twitter about chocolate though. Just the other day I answered a post from somebody who had tried one of the Hershey Cacao Reserve treats and was disappointed. Now, I have no memory of trying that brand myself - I've been busy collecting more exotic brands for sampling, but I ended up in a brief exchange with the woman whereupon she asked me for a recommendation. This, of course, required some research.

Now, don't think all I do every day is wolf down chocolate. I've admitted before that I keep a stash, but the reason the stash remains large is because I gradually chip away at it. Everything in moderation, and I estimate I limit myself to about two ounces a day, which is plenty for me. It's just enough to enjoy and review properly.

For this fellow tweeter, I suggested a dark around the 70% span. If you've shopped for dark chocolate before and haven't paid attention to the percentages, you'll know it does make a difference. This past week I've alternated between a few bars: one milk called Galaxy, which is a foreign import from Mars UK; the Chuao Caracas Dark (60%) with almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios; and the Equal Exchange Very Dark (71%) solid. Three different levels of cacao - three different tastes.

Galaxy, as expected, was quite sweet with a taste I've come to identify with European chocolate. It reminded me a bit of the milk Aero without the bubbles - smooth texture and lingering sugary aftertaste. The Chuao, by comparison, had a sweet flavor as well, not interrupted by the presence of nuts. I haven't had many bars in the 60% range - usually in the fifties and seventies and beyond, and I'd have to say I didn't much care for the flavor it.

The Equal Exchange was my favorite of the three - dark and rich and smooth with a bold snap and nose. Held long enough gave it sort of a citrus aftertaste. I find I prefer darks in the 70s, and it was what I suggested to my Twitter acquaintance.

I do have an EE bar in the 80% range somewhere, I'll have to report here later. In the meantime, look out for a blog on Romantic Inks on chocolate and writing.

Chocolate Review: Kinder Bueno

2009-04-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another foreign treat acquired on my trip to Orlando. Interesting to note, this bar is made by an Italian company, the brand name is German and the type is Spanish. Overall, it's a sickeningly pair of chocolate covered wafer fingers, each filled with hazelnut creme. The texture is not unlike the Little Debbie wafer bars, so I'm not sure I would quality this as a chocolate bar at all. I understand these are hard to find in the US, so perhaps I was lucky to get one at a reasonable price.

Each finger is sectioned into four pillows of the sweet creme - and that is hardly the word to describe it. It delivers a lingering aftertaste that pervades others things I eat afterward. As much as I like hazelnut, I think Kinder Bueno is a bit too much for me.

Chocolate Review: Aero Mint

2009-04-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote a brief review of the milk Aero bar. Aero is a European brand from Nestle, a novelty as the chocolate in the bar is presented with hundreds of tiny air bubbles - the idea being that as you bite into the bar the bubbles melt. I suppose it's a sensation not unlike eating chocolate Pop Rocks, if there is such a thing. A friend got me the first Aero I tried, and while in Orlando I stopped at a Walgreens and noticed a few unusual selections in the chocolate aisle. This mint bar was one of them. I'm guessing in a city that sees millions of foreign visitors, the stores like to stock a few items from home. Good thought.

The main difference between the milk and mint bars, aside from the obvious flavor, is the appearance. Mint Aero is coated with milk chocolate, but break apart the fingers and you'll see the bright green, bubbly interior. Seriously, it's like neon, and kind of freaky to behold. It looks like you're about to bite into a bright green sponge. The taste is overwhelmingly minty, reminiscent of a Thin Mint cookie without the crunch, and it's not as sweet as the standard milk variety. Having eaten this bar, I feel I can sense the melting sensation the bar advertises, if you hold the chocolate long enough on your tongue the rough edges do slide into a smooth, nice aftertaste. I'm not much of a mint dessert fan, but I find I prefer this selection over the milk.

So, now it's off to find the dark variety for comparison. I don't suppose another trip to Orlando is in order?

The Week in Chocolate - Orlando Bound

2009-04-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to accomplish all the blogging I hoped to do this past week. What a wild ride. A book release out, an acquaintance lost, and the usual pre-RT convention jitters took all my time, leaving very little for promotion and writing. At the very least, I did finish a free short which will debut in May and will also serve as the prologue for Daring Red. I'm inspired to length that one to a short novel at this point, which would be nice considering all my M/M stories right now don't exceed 12,000 words. I would like a novel-length, printable work to share.

In all this time, too, I've been eating chocolate. Of course. The acai is too expensive, and I have to get my antioxidants somewhere. Yes, there's pomengranate juice, but where's the fun in that? Here's a survey of what I've enjoyed this past week:

Equal Exchange Dark (68%) with Cocoa Nibs - nice snap and taste. The nibs provided good texture and added flavor.

Newman's Own Sweet Dark Espresso - the coffee flavor leaves a bite, but otherwise doesn't take away from the chocolate.

Premium Dark M&Ms - have to admit the lack of a crunchy shell suprised me. This is like eating simple dark chocolate pebbles. The coating is a wild iridescent color and has an odd texture.

Will expand more in days to come, if I have time.

Orlando Bound (and Gagged)

I am packed and ready to go! This week I'll be at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in beautiful Orlando, Florida. If you're heading over for the party, be sure to stop by Club RT on Thursday or Friday and say hello to me. I'll be helping out with the Phaze Books table, where you'll find lots of goodies to take home. We're bringing a selection of overstock books to give away - one per reader, please - and we'll have a lovely basket in the raffle, so definitely sign up for it.

Phaze Books sent over copies of More, More, More! to the book goody room this year, so be sure to grab a copy and I'll be happy to sign it for you. The story features my Dareville BBW short, Daringly Delicious, but I think the entire book is yummy. There are also a few free copies of Truth or Dare at the table this year, but they may go quickly so visit early.

Chocolate Review: Galler Grand Marnier

2009-04-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

I picked up this slim, yet thick bar at Chelsea Market a few weeks ago. The 70 gram dark Belgian caught my eye mainly for the Grand Marnier. I like the flavor of it, and you'd think combined with chocolate we'd have a winner here. Noting the finger-width thickness of the bar, my first guess was that this obviously was not a solid dark. Whether I should expect liquid or creme I wouldn't learn until recently, and on open the heavy wrapper I realized that bar must have been sitting for a while in the market. The four pillow, while not waxy, had tempered quite a bit, and in parts it looks as though the outer shell of the bar is pulling away. Not something I usually see, but I don't really know if this would make a difference in my review.

There is a filling - it is a white, nougat style - a marzipan texture, and boy is it sweet. The underside layer of chocolate breaks easily with each bite, but I have to admit it was difficult for me to get through just one square of this. I've mentioned in other reviews how too sweet of a bar isn't necessarily a good thing for me. If you have a taste for this sort of thing, this Galler may suit you. I don't think I'll be finishing it.

And, to be fair to the grand, I will try a solid as soon as I find one.

Chocolate Review: Wild Harvest Organic Dark

2009-04-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Wild Harvest is a brand of organic products found in various regional-specific grocery stores. Over here Farm Fresh carries the brand, and while shopping the other week I saw they had added chocolate bars to their inventory. I picked up the Dark (60%) solid, noting the USDA Organic and Fair Trade badges on the label. The chocolate comes from 5th generation chocolatiers, but no mention is made as to whether this is single-origin, and where the cacao came from.

Appearance-wise, it's not a waxy bar. The sheen is a bit dull, and each pillow is emblazoned with a swirling design. After rubbing, I detected a potent aroma of cocoa, almost like liqueur. Snap is not very loud, but each break made came clean, and the taste is rich and smooth. There's no lingering finish or detection of other flavors - it just appears to be a nice solid bar for snacking. If I'm in the mood for something simple that takes care of the craving, this would be a good selection to have.

Chocolate Review: Lake Champlain Rum Caramel Dark Chocolate

2009-03-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Something we have learned at wine tastings is that you might not enjoy the wine you're given to sample at first sip. Given the nature of wine and winemaking, you are bound to detect different flavors as you progress - you swirl the glass to release scents and flavors, therefore it's necessary to commit to a few more sips before making your decision.

So it is, I believe, with chocolate. Not all chocolate is created equally. You have different levels of cacao intensity, different degrees of flavor, different fillings and toppings and infusions. Even in a solid dark, you might detect a hint of something unique - a citrus or earthy root sensation - that may have come from production. Sometimes when I buy chocolate I find I immediately love it, while other times I allow myself the wine rule to see if my taste buds need to adjust to a particular flavor. There's an episode of TNG where Deanna Troi says she never met a chocolate she didn't like...well, rare is the chocophile who wants to not like a particular brand. I love it, too, and would hate to not like something that is a part of what I enjoy best.

Confused yet? By the tone of this post, you can guess that the Lake Champlain Rum Caramel bar (54% dark) left me wanting. Mind you, I really wanted to like this. Rum. Caramel. Chocolate. A combination like that should add up to chocolate win. The bar is small, yet the eight pillows were thick with dark brown gooey goodness. The snap satisfied, as did the aroma...I really thought I would sit back with a breathless "whoa" after this.

It's sort of like when you buy a ticket for a movie starring three of your all-time favorite actors, based on your favorite book. The elements are there for something great, but it all falls flat. What was the problem here? My thinking - the caramel is just too sweet for this bar. Biting into solid portions of the bar left me somewhat placated - one thing I like about lower-end darks is that they maintain a good balance of sweetness without the aftertaste milk chocolate often leaves for me. Yet everytime I get close to that caramel...I want to like it, but I just don't.

Now this is the first LC chocolate I have tried, and to be fair I will try a different variety to better judge the chocolate. There is a regular caramel bar, but I think a solid should be the next one I try, if only to clean the palate.

Review: a Dolfin Chocolate Sampler

2009-03-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had some free time before my group signing at Chicklet Books in Princeton, so we slipped into NYC for a few hours. Yes, I know I'll be in the city next week, but as I'm manning the table for Phaze Books at the first ever Rainbow Book Festival (that's March 28 from 11AM to 6PM at the GLBT Center, see you there) I won't have much sightseeing time, so I leaped when I could. Last Saturday, we leaped into the Chelsea Market, where I bought more chocolate for The Stash (above).

Among the bars bought were five Dolfin Chocolate squares, varying from milk to flavored dark to straight dark. I can't seem to find a site for Dolfin, but from what I have found they are a Belgian confectioner, and they like to be creative with their offerings. Checking the major chocolate sites, I see bars of cumin, masala, and pink peppercorns. Worth a more thorough hunt next time I'm in Chelsea.

For now, I have the following varieties: Cafe Lait, Earl Grey, Ginger, 70% Dark and 88% Dark. Rather, I had them. Tasting squares go pretty fast around these parts, but I did make an effort to savor each bite and report back.

Cafe Lait (milk): Creamy texture coupled with a strong coffee flavor at times. Tiny granules of coffee offer a slight crunch on occasion. Seems where the coffee is closest, the taste is stronger, so the "cafe" isn't fused throughout.

Earl Grey (dark): Earl Grey is my favorite tea, and rubbing this square released the familar bold scent I enjoy often. The square has a sharp snap to it, and the tea flavor compliments the chocolate well - not overpowering or grainy. The larger Earl Grey bar is listed as 52% cacao, and that seems right for this square.

Noir Gingembre (dark): There doesn't appear to be a strong scent to this one. The snap is good, and holding the chocolate releases the spicy ginger gradually into a pleasant finish. Am guessing, based on the contents of a larger bar, that this is also 52%, but it tastes darker than that.

Noir 70%: Deep cocoa aroma with a more decided snap than the others. It melts easily into a tangy finish that varies bite to bite. One second it's a strong cocoa, the other I detect a savoriness to it. I tend to stick with darks in the 70s, and this one was not unpleasant.

Noir 88%: The aroma isn't as pronounced as the previous dark, and the snap came off as duller. On the palate there is more bitter, almost a licorice finish. Something like this I could only take in small doses.

Next week, I'll take Manhattan for some more, if I can find it.

Chocolate Review: Divine Chocolate 70% Dark

2009-03-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

I tell you, a day like this makes me want to pile deep into the stash and enjoy today's, tomorrow's, and next year's chocolate. Rain all day - G's crawling the walls and destroying the house, and it appears this is the day nothing has gone right. Discouraging e-mails, errors aplenty, and I'm just plain tired. I'm holding in a bite of Divine Chocolate's 70% dark bar right now, and it's helping. I like the flavor - it's smooth and releases a lovely dark cocoa without a bitter aftertaste. I've had this bar in the stash for a while now, no telling where I got it or if anybody gave it to me, but if I've had it a while I'm amazed by how well the bar has held up. The chocolate maintains a nice sheen and a bold snap - no tempering to be found. Strikes me as a good bar for beginners to dark tasting, maybe with a glass of red or late harvest dessert wine.

Divine is a fair trade bar as well, apparently using single origin cacao from Ghana, so knowing that has shed some light on an otherwise dreary day. However, I will endeavor not to eat the whole thing. A day like like is good for tipping scales.

Today's Chocolate

2009-03-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, the air!

A friend gave me an import: the Nestle Aero bar. For you Yanks without access to gourmet shops, here's what it is. Milk chocolate is bubbled up, then covered in more milk chocolate and section into rounded fingers that break apart from the bar. The interior of each section resembles the bubbles in bread, and as you bite into them the bubbles "melt" to offer a unique sensation. Holding the chocolate on my tongue for a few seconds did stimulate the taste buds a bit, though the somewhat-promised choco-gasm didn't happen. This being a milk bar, it like other UK brands I've tried proved to be incredibly sweet. It finishes lighter than a solid milk, however, and I detected no gritty sensation with the bubbly middle. Aero is nice novelty to enjoy once in a while, and I'm curious to try the dark version for any difference in bubble texture and melt quality.

Tonight's Chocolate

2009-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me how I made it through Valentine's without inhaling all of Hershey, Pennsylvania. To be honest, it was nowhere near Rhode Island, so they are safe for at least another year. Tonight, however, my delicious victim is the 70% dark Valor Forest Fruits variety. This is a lovely bar, not a single origin, featuring a sharp tang of cacao and dark berries - raspberry and blackberry in particular.

This bar had a nice snap and sheen, with micro-bits of red and dark purple embedded within. The dried berries provide a tartness that almost overpowers the chocolate at times. Depending on where in the bar you bite, too, you get almost a chewy sensation, like bearing down on rind. Strikes me this would be a good bar to have with a fruit wine. Lord knows I have plenty of that from my last trip to Charlottesville.

Today's Chocolate

2009-01-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Today's chocolate was an interesting treat: a bit of 60% dark with lemon bits from a company called Kras. According to what I could find on the Net, Kras is Croatian, and if they have a website I can't find it. This bar was a gift, I imagine from a gourmet store or maybe Target, since they are fast becoming a source for such things.

I let this bar sit too long, it had tempered a bit but the snap didn't sound diminished. Unfortunately I wish I could provide a better review - having come back from a fever and with my throat still sore, I didn't enjoy this bar as much I have others. The lemon bits were rather chewy...lemon is not a fruit flavor I'd normally associate with chocolate, but perhaps in a better frame of mind I'll think differently. There is still plenty of bar left to sample and hopefully enjoy.

The Week in Chocolate

2009-01-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still eating it. I know it's been a while since I last reported my chocolate adventures, mainly because I've been slowly whittling away at the Lindt basket. I keep some truffles at my work desk, limiting myself to one a day, which is really all I need. The milk chocolate ones are especially good as an after lunch treat.

This week, though, I took a few days to cleanse the palate with some substitutions. The first bar is another Christmas gift, a pleasant reminder of a trip to Biagio Chocolates in DC. Patric Chocolate is created, I'm told, by one guy with a setup in his living room in Columbia, Missouri. He makes three distinct dark varieties, each a different cacao content. To taste any of them, however, you'd think they were single-origin imports from Honduras or some other exotic locale.

I have, or had, all three bars. The 67% dark is gone now, leaving behind the fond memory of a healthy snap and a fruity nose. Tart on the tongue, this selection finished buttery smooth and has tempted me to buy more before the maker runs out of this batch.

Today, I took a different direction with a bar bought today at local Greek deli. ION Chocolate is a Greek brand, and there were two varieties available - milk and milk with almonds. I chose the latter to justify the health value of almonds and indulged in a bite after lunch. As far as milks go, I found it close to the texture and taste of Cadbury - creamy and sweet and complementary of the nuts. For three bucks, however, this probably won't be a regular purchase if I can find a comparable bar cheaper. If I do find a dark bar from this label, though, I might give it a try.

Today's, tomorrow's and next year's chocolate

2008-12-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

So we're getting close to the end of our signing at the MacArthur Mall in Norfolk when Phaze's promotions coordinator stopped by to check in on us. She hands me this ginormous bag. "Merry Christmas from the Phaze authors."

Yes, I was stunned. Totally unexpected to receive this:

Do they know me or what? The picture doesn't do it justice, but it's a gift basket from Lindt Chocolates, with an array of yummy truffles, two chocolate reindeer and a chocolate snowman. Haven't bit his head off yet. So far I've enjoyed one red wrapped ball (a very sweet milk chocolate), one snowman truffle (milk shell, white filling), and one blue wrap (white with dark chips, mmmm).

So far I've mentioned balls and head in this post. Well, we know where my mind is tonight.

The accompanying bracelet that came with it is gorgeous, too. I tried a cam picture of it, but it didn't come out well. Will keep trying.

So, to all Phaze authors, thank you thank you thank you. 2008 was a great year for us - and here's to 2009 and another great year of chocolately-covered sexy fiction goodness!

Today's Chocolate

2008-12-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I've posted my chocolate exploits. In truth, I haven't had time to enjoy much of it. Traveling and job transitions didn't exactly leave me craving the sweet stuff, but when I stopped at Linens and Things to see if anything was left worth buying, I found they had a few chocolate bars. The Ghirardelli Duet is combination of milk and dark chocolate, and possesses significant qualities of each. The bar has the decided snap of a dark, but the sweet, creamy taste of a milk. Really, I couldn't detect any bitterness in this bar at all, because the milk chocolate just overpowers. It's like the dark portion isn't there at all, not much of a balance. I suppose the one advantage to have the dark is that it changes the nutritional value of the chocolate, but of course I don't pay attention to that sort of thing when I'm trying to enjoy myself. :)

Choco Nachos - it's what's for dinner, breakfast...

2008-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

You try walking past the chips display of your local organic grocer without picking up a bag of chocolate-flavored tortilla chips. You read it correctly. Food Should Taste Good has a line of eclectic tortilla delights, including chocolate. Now before you cringe, at least give them a try. If you're expecting the taste of Hershey's in a wafer thin crunch you will be disappointed. The chip retains more of the salty corn flavor a normal chip has - the chocolate is very mild, almost faint, yet just enough to bring a unique nuance to the snack.

I couldn't tell you how to serve chips such as these. Are they meant for savory salsas, or sweet syrups? I suppose you could try both and see which complements the chip's flavor best, but the little one and I seemed to enjoy them right out of the bag.

Nevertheless, I've been racking my brain coming up with a suitable "choco nacho" recipe built around these chips. I wouldn't add too much chocolate so as to bury the saltiness and bold corn taste. I suppose if I had to create something, say, for a party or maybe a book release celebration (would like to have one of those soon for some of our Phaze authors), I might throw something like this together...

One layer of Food Should Taste Good chocolate tortilla chips, spread on a platter
1/2 cup of strawberry preserves "salsa"
1/4 cup of shredded coconut "cheese"
1/4 cup of diced mango
dollop of whipped, not so sour cream

Good stuff.

Today's Election Day Chocolate

2008-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Today I elected to break into a bar I've had in the stash for a while: the Sharffen Berger 62% Semisweet Dark. Man, what a sweet bar. I don't mean "sweet" as in the Peter Griffinesque "frickin' sweet". Like, tasty sweet. It's a flavor that seems to override the cacao. I'm wondering if I've hung onto this bar too long. It's not tempered much, and the snap was crisp and loud. The aroma I get after the rub is somewhat buttery but not entirely there. Dunno, maybe 62% is not my ideal cacao consistency. I might have to find a dark S-B bar for comparison one day.

Yes, I did vote today. I got lucky and hit a lull at the poll during lunch hour. In and out in five minutes. Tonight I'll claim my free Starbucks and Ben and Jerry's. After that, we'll probably settle back and drink all the wine we bought from our trip down the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail and watch the results. I won't reveal for whom I voted, but I can say it is always an interesting experience. My workplace is also a polling place - not mine. This morning the line to vote was wrapped around the building! Very proud to see it - regardless of your choice, that you would brave this rainy weather to make this important decision gives me hope for the country.

His bass is excited to see you

2008-10-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

Oh, to sit on that lap and tell him what I want for Christmas.

No more chocolate, though. A few trips around town and The Stash is bulging. I am chocolate's bitch, it's official. I caved into a 20% off sale at the Heritage on Equal Exchange bars and bought four:

Extra Dark (80%) - Panama single origin
Very Dark (71%)
Dark (68%) with cocoa nibs
Orange Dark (65%)

Then yesterday at The Royal Chocolate I did some shopping:

Chuao Caracas Dark with Almonds, Hazelnuts and Pistachios (60%)
Divine Dark (70%)
Lake Champlain Rum Caramel Dark (54%)

and at Bed, Bath, and Beyond:

Godiva Chocoiste solid dark
Malibu Rum Milk bar by Astor Chocolate

Reviews to follow sometime soon, along with a massive stomachache.

Today's Chocolate

2008-10-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

While at this nice wine store in Chesapeake, I picked up a package of Taza Chocolate, vanilla flavored. This is organic, stone ground chocolate, created in the manner of old Mexico. It comes in two thick discs, wrapped in wax paper. The idea is to grate a disc into hot milk to make drinking chocolate, though the wrapper implies that it may be eaten as well. Having just sampled half a disc, however, I'd be more inclined to make the drink.

It is not that the chocolate is bad. It is dark and has a decided quality snap. It is very sweet, which could be from the vanilla, but I am guessing the "stone ground" nature of the chocolate accounts for the gritty texture. Imagine somebody taking a scoop of Folger's Crystals and packing them tight into bar, then biting into it. Not the same flavor sensation, but you might expect to feel a bit of sand between your teeth.

I'm going to try the second disc in a drink, now that the weather is colder. I did also get a traditional Taza bar (70% cacao) so I will report on that shortly as well.

This Week's Chocolate

2008-10-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

I may not blog it daily, but I'm certainly enjoying it. :) I've been going back and forth on two bars: the Dark Chocolate Santander (65%) Colombian single origin, and something from Nestle simply called Nestle Black. I haven't been able to find a decent picture of the latter on the net. It is an import, that I know from the foreign scribbling riddled with umlauts and accent marks on the back label. From what I can pick out, this bar is 51%, though it's bitter and therefore tastes darker than the Santander. It's weird to try them side by side because of the multitude of flavors that come.

Where the Santander is sweeter and milder, the Nestle Black is comparable to the Choco-diffusion minis I had earlier this year. There is almost a coconut aftertaste to it. I can't say I would choose a favorite among these two - neither one particularly knocked my socks off, but the Nestle might make for a good palate cleanser should I need it.

Today's and Yesterday's Chocolate

2008-10-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

I hesitated to review the Ithaca Fine Chocolate Milk Art Bar with Hazelnuts because at first taste I didn't much care for it. I thought the chocolate was too sweet despite the presence of the crunchy nuts, and it just didn't do much for me at the time. Rather than offer a resolute thumbs-down, however, I saved the rest of the bar for later. I realized I had been enjoying quite a bit of dark chocolate lately, and perhaps my tastes had been trained to better appreciate the bitter. So I waited a bit to cleanse the palate and took on the rest of this bar.

Good thing I held off, because the Art Bar tasted better the second time around. The milk chocolate has a decidedly milder taste and nose this time, and the sweetness did not feel so prominent. Perhaps there is something to be said about chocolate aging like a fine wine does, though you do have to be careful the bars don't temper after exposure.

Today, though, I'm back to dark and the Kschocolat Orange and Cardamom bar (72%). Cardamom is a spice found mainly in Indian cuisine; it is part of the ginger family but the taste is sort of spicier and more curry/cinnamon like to me. This bar's bite is thoroughly grainy with tiny bits of it. The orange by contrast is milder and doesn't appear to bring too much sweetness to the bar; seems if you hit a larger nibble of cardamom just right that's all you taste.

Still, it's a pleasant bar with a bold flavor, and I'm curious to compare it with the Dark Orange Chocolove bar I purchased recently.

Today's Chocolates

2008-09-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

So I've had these two bars in The Stash for a while, both Endangered Species solids darks. One is the Supreme at 72% cacao, the other the Extreme at 88% - this appears to be their highest concentration. I thought today, why not sample a bit of both to see what difference sixteen percentage points makes.

And yes, it is significant. I won't go too much into coloring, as I've had both bars for a while and it's time to whittle them down. The snap in both is still strong, however, and each carries a distinct aroma. Where the Supreme tends to give off a slightly sweet odor, the Extreme brings forth a sharper tang. The taste is further evidence of this difference. I hesitate to say this bar has a minty, wafer finish - it's not the strong flavor of their Deep Forest Mint bar, just an afterthought in taste...or perhaps this bar came out with a batch of their mints. Who knows? The finish is smooth with enough sweetness.

Extreme, by comparison, takes on a more raw flavor. I won't say bitter because I don't pucker at the scent or taste, but I can really detect the cocoa content is heavier and bolder than the first bar. It doesn't seem to melt as quickly as the other bar, but it finishes smoothly with no other after-flavors.

It's said that if you truly want to appreciate the flavor of high-cacao count dark chocolate, you must gradually ease your tastes to accept it. You don't want to grab a 99% bar and start chomping, but familiarize yourself with the different levels of flavor available. Start in the 60s and work your way up. It's been a while since I went as high as the 80s, so perhaps my taste buds need another gradual reorientation. I am definitely feeling the 72% more right now, but that could be a matter of personal preference.

Today's Chocolate

2008-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

I've been ready for something new for a while now. The past weeks have seen me whittling down the opened bars I've blogged about already, so there would be nothing susceptible to tempering while I was away. This Vosges Black Pearl bar has been taunting me for some time, time to break it open.

It breaks immediately, with a satisfying snap, to the aroma of ginger. This is a dark bar (55%) with wasabi, black sesame seeds, and ginger. Very oriental in taste, smooth but for the occasional seed bump (haha). The wasabi comes as a mild finish, so don't expect to gasp for water after this treat. The spiciness of the flavors, which complement each other well in sushi, enhance the slight sweetness of the chocolate. Were this a high percentage of cacao, I'd wonder if the combination would work. Not sure what wine should pair with one, maybe a bold red with peppery overtones.

I need to think of a chocolate gift to give away when Daringly Delicious is released. Something beside Lindt truffles, which I do all the time. Don't know how a wasabi bar would work. :)

Today's Chocolate

2008-08-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

At the Heritage Store today I came across the Gnosis Chocolate Cashew Goji Cherry bar. Organic, raw, expensive. Yet, the notion of raw chocolate intrigued me enough to give it a try.

First point of interest, it is sold refrigerated, and I soon discovered why. As this is chocolate in its purest form (just cacao beans and cocoa butter), it melts almost immediately at the touch. I broke the thick 2.5 oz bar in two to detect a snap and while there was one, it wasn't as pronounced as one would hear from a gourmet dark. The bar is loaded, too, with whole dried berries and cashew bits. It resembles a Chunky bar in that respect, but be prepared for a taste more similar to a smooth, chocolate CLIF bar. There is no sugar or milk to fortify the chocolate, so the bar provides a natural cacao flavor unlike any traditional brand. Not bitter like a 100% cacao baking bar, just...different. No aftertaste lingers, either.

Do I like it? It's pretty good, but at nearly nine bucks a bar this unfortunately cannot become a regular habit. Still, it is chocolate for a worthy cause, two if you count your health.

Geddy Lee Friday - now gay and minty fresh!

2008-08-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

A "rare" pic that's been making the fan board rounds of late. I'll be pontificating more on Ged and Al's pose in tomorrow's Slash and Burn blog. You should see some of the fanfic people have sent me related to it!

Today's chocolate is the Endangered Species Dark Chocolate with Deep Forest Mint (70%). This bar didn't appear to need much rubbing to release the scents - the mint is strongly present on its own, but I did rub the back a bit to bring out more of the cacao. The bar's been in The Stash for a bit, but maintains a crisp, audible snap - the first bite was even louder.

Held on the tongue, the chocolate is reminiscent of a melting Thin Mint cookie without the crunch. There's little bitterness to the chocolate, and the mint provides a clean complementary flavor. A half ounce of this would be good for finishing a meal, but I'm not sure I'd pair it with a wine.

Will Edit For Chocolate

2008-08-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Received a nice early birthday gift from my publisher today: an elegant assortment of Charles Chocolate truffles and caramels. Now, up until this point The Stash has only consisted of bars, because they are easy to store, though I've toyed with keeping a few truffles around for late night wine snacks. The Royal Chocolate, a shop near me, sells Joseph Schmidts, and of course you can get Godivas at most shops. I hadn't realized Charles made them too until the package arrived.

It's beautiful. It looks almost like a jewelry box from Tiffany's. Definitely a keeper for trinkets. Mine isn't exactly like the one in the picture. I got a box of flavored truffles, the caramels, and the "classic" collection, which consists of the hearts and butterflies in the lower part of the pic. Some are filled, some are solid, and there's no guide like Whitman's has. So every bite is going to be an adventure.

I sampled a truffle first, which had the flavor of lavender. The dark ganache shell crackled easily and meshed nicely with the truffle center. These are small, too, about quarter-sized and a thumbnail wide. I'll just have to be careful not to overdo it.

Today's Chocolate

2008-08-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I've done something new. I pretty much behaved myself chocolate-wise while on vacation (imagine that) but did break into a new Moonstruck Dark Chocolate bar while at one of the wineries. Today, though, I finally cracked into the Kshocolat Honeycomb and Vanilla milk bar. The scent is divine (can something smell creamy?) and gives off an additional hint of lavender mixed with the deep honey aroma. That's my perspective anyway, and I don't have any lavender in The Stash right now.

The texture isn't shiny, offering a dull sheen I've seen with most traditional milk bars. This bar is sectioned into eight pillows, each stamped with the image of a cacao pod.

The first bite slightly crunched, so I got the immediate flavor of the honeycomb, and was it sweet! Allowing it to linger on my tongue for a few second brought out the intensity of the honey and the mild undertone of vanilla, almost overpowering the taste of the chocolate. Aftertaste is clean, but I was left feeling thirsty. Suggested serving size for this nearly three ounce bar is half, but I doubt I could even eat that much in one sitting. Looking forward to trying the other Scottish bar we bought in DC.

Also, got an early birthday gift: a box of Charles Chocolate truffles. Yummy! Can't wait to dive into those.

Put all your Geddys and chocolate in the bag and nobody gets hurt

2008-08-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

My best friend took his family to Hershey last weekend. The kids enjoyed a craft workshop at the nearby Crayola factory on the way up and made paper bag puppets. So did my friend? Look familiar? The nose isn't quite right, but the Fenderjazz is startingly accurate.

Still waiting on those DC pix to come up. I'd post more but I'm a bit jazzed myself about being 2.5 hours away from my vacation. Part of it will be working, as I'm heading up to the Hanover Book Festival tomorrow to sign copies of Pithed and Saints Preserve Us. As this is a family event, the hot stuff was extremely discouraged, but I might sneak in a few bookmarks if I can. I'm going to the party store tonight to stock up on frogs for my table display. There's a contest for the best one. I hope the prize is a book contract.

A co-worker recently returned from Europe and brought back a bag of mini-chocolates from Choco-diffusion. It was an assortment of four flavors - milk, hazelnut, dark, and "Gianduja," which also has hazelnut flavoring. So naturally I sampled one of each - all together it's about the size equivalent of a small Ghirardelli square. The tastes are very similar to Ritter Sport - the milk has a creamy consistency and texture, the Noisette Haselnuss has that familiar nutty zing to it, while the Gianduja maintains a more powerful hazelnut taste without the nut bits of the other candy. It's almost like a milk-chocolate Nutella. The dark has a mild snap to it (but I'll take into consideration that these candies have traveled), and offers a mild coconut finish. I'll have to make a trip to Europe soon. Wait, I am. More on that later.

Today's Chocolate

2008-07-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is the Vosges d'Oliva Bar - 33% cocoa butter white chocolate (single origin Venezuala) with kalamata olives. I love white chocolate, if it's done with the right consistency of cocoa butter so as to taste creamy without being too sweet. I also love kalamatas, the salty tang and chewy texture of the skin. I could pop them like grapes. So it should be no surprise that I've been looking to try this Vosges variety. I about shrieked with joy when I found the bar at Biagio in DC.

The texture of the bar has a nice sheen to it, and the buttery aroma releases nicely - not too pungent or sweet. Kalamata bits are speckled throughout - from a distance one might think it a cookies and cream bar, of course the first bite tells a different flavor. The kalamata is generously spread, providing the right amount of saline flavor to complement the cocoa butter. It's not an overpowering olive taste, either, and it doesn't linger. It will make you thirsty, however.

This is the only white bar in The Stash right now. For the sake of comparison I'll have to pick up an Endangered Species white from the bookstore on campus, or maybe see if the Heritage store has anything good. An organic white would be very interesting to try.

Today's Chocolate

2008-07-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a good sized portion of Charles Chocolate 65% bittersweet with mocha java pieces. I've had this bar for a while, and have sadly neglected it. On opening, I noticed it had tempered at the ends. If you have a bar you've not touched in a while and notice lighter brown streaks, that is the cocoa butter separating from the sugar, I believe. Whatever it is, you don't want it to happen. Whether the tempering has affected the flavor of the chocolate I can't say - the chocolate isn't very bitter, but the large bits of coffee bean are enough of a distraction to take away from any damage to the taste. To be honest, I needed this earlier in the day when I was about to doze off from sitting in this temperature-impaired office.

Of course, now I'm worried about The Stash, and if tempering stands to threaten anymore of my goodies. If so, I may have to start taking home bars on the weekend.

Of Chocolate and eBooks

2008-07-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Per my previous blog about Biagio Fine Chocolate of Washington, DC, I submit the latest additions to the Stash. Pay attention, there might be a quiz.

Waialua Estate 70% Dark 5-Pack - Grown in Hawaii, made by E. Guittard of San Francisco, and distributed by Dole. This is the only single-origin chocolate to come from American soil, and you can buy these .35 ounce slivers (each stamped with a gorgeous design - I'll be sure to take a picture before I eat them all) in a pack for about $7.50 at Biagio. Online prices may vary.

The gentleman at Biagio recommended Waialua for a nice dark experience, and suggested we might detect a faint pineapple finish. Well, the chocolate itself is just amazing, flavor-rich with hints of red berry - maybe a bit of currant or raspberry, too - but if I hold the taste long enough there is the smallest clue of citrus there. I'm enjoying this now and wishing I had a nice glass of red to go with it.

Vosges Naga Bar 41% Mini-Bar - Sweet Indian curry powder and coconut flakes in deep milk. These go for about $2.50 online and in stores, I think that was the price we paid. The aroma of curry is very evident on peeling back the sealed foil. Flecks of coconut are just visible in the medium brown bar, which is stamped ethereal. Good description of the taste, too. The curry lends a flavorful spice that well complements the sweet of the chocolate, while the coconut provides a nice accompanying background taste. Very smooth with a pleasant milk finish. Of the Vosges I've tried so far, this is the one to beat.

Ithaca Fine Chocolates Art Bar: Dark with Hazelnuts - Actually purchased at Teaism for close to $2-3. Ithaca prides themselves on being the first American chocolate company to offer fair trade organic chocolate.

Kshocolat Orange and Cardamom (72% dark) - A Scottish chocolatier. I keep hearing Mike Myers' Scottish character in my head when I look at these bars. If it's not from Scotland, it's crap! I guess we'll soon find out, eh? These go for about $4-5.

Kshocolat Honeycomb and Vanilla (Milk) - See above.

Vosges d'Oliva Bar (white) - At last, we found the elusive white chocolate/kalamata olive bar. I can't wait to tuck into this one. I liked, too, that we only had to pay $6 for this one. I've seen Vosges near me go for as high as $9 a bar. Of course, Biagio had more expensive bars than that. One customer ahead of us paid $12 for a single-origin Ecuadorian bar.

Which brings me how this post relates, in some way, to eBooks. For years now, people have argued about the ideal price to put on something that is, technically, intangible. Yes, eBooks are books in that they provide information and/or entertainment, can be catalogued with ISBN numbers, and are distributed through major retailers like Amazon.com. Companies like Sony are involved in the industry by providing handheld readers for eBooks, and publishers like Harlequin and Kensington have recently come to see the value in offering eBooks for sale.

Yet, there is still the price issue. Phaze Books range in price from $2 - $7, and I'll tell you now the $7 tag may be going away soon. (More on that later) This is about standard for other ePublishers on our level. Major NY pubs with eBook options may offer books at the regular hardcover price, with books ranging from $9.99 to as high as $24.95. A reader faced with the choice between a tangible book that sits on a shelf as opposed to an eBook which a critic might liken to "air", one might expect the reader to choose the former. To pay twenty-five bucks, one will want proof of it, and a book does just that.

Well, I ponder this, and then I think about my trip to the chocolate shop. I saw chocolates that started at $2 for one bar, and others that cost much, much more. The aforementioned customer who bought the $12 chocolate originally thought he only had to pay six - turns out he read the wrong tag on the shelf. Even so, he paid the $12 anyway because he knew what he was getting. The shop clerk told us that, even though they do their best to keep the prices down, customers don't blink at the price tags. When somebody pays $12 for a top-ranked single-origin Bolivian bar, he knows he is getting a quality chocolate.

Now, what do you do with a $12 chocolate bar? You eat it. Can't keep it too long or the chocolate will temper. Once you do eat it, though, it's gone. It doesn't come back.

Pay $6 for an eBook. Read it. Guess what? It's still there. You can save it to a disk or flash drive, return to it, and enjoy it again if you wish. Same with the $24.95 eBook. It is also virtual space that doesn't clutter your living room.

I suppose the point I'm trying to make here is that price doesn't necessarily have to be an issue when it comes to buying eBooks. Personally, I don't intend to raise prices on ours - we did once before and actually saw an increase in sales. Cost shouldn't have to be a deterrant when enjoying a good book...assuming you have the money for it. It's a tight economy here, yes, but I believe it will get better. So will the books and the chocolate.

Chocolate Frosted Backlash

2008-07-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today's Chocolate

This week I cracked open one of the many Endangered Species bars I have in the stash. This would be the Rhino bar - 70% cacao dark with hazelnut toffee bit. I do mean bits, they are quite tiny and don't offer too pungent an aroma or flavor against the richness of the single-origin chocolate. Maybe it's because I've had this bar a while, too, but I don't detect the sheen I'm used to seeing with darker bars. In a three ounce bar divided into fifteen pillows, there is an ease in breaking and a satisfying snap with each bite. Ten percent of net profits from sales of these bar go to help various species and habitat causes, so it does alleviate some of the guilt of a sinfully delicious snack.

Frosted Hearts, Sweet Backlash, Green Clovers, and Blue Diamonds

New stuff at Phaze this week. Frosted Hearts is Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks' sequel to Collared Hearts, a seasonally delightful story re-pairing two artistic lovers with an eye for color and kink. Sweet Backlash is an ambitious story by a newcomer to erotic romance, Violet Heart. Imagine walking into the wrong place at the wrong time, and everything turns out all right. That's how Chip sees it when he unexpectedly becomes Melony's new slave.

Also, Unexpected Connections is the latest in print from Jade Falconer. This is a collection of all their top contemporary shorts, including the Fictionwise bestseller Cold Hands, Warm... among others. I guess you could say it's Kink Week here at the Starlight Lounge, since this collection has a few mild BDSM themes to it as well.

Be on the lookout for my blog tomorrow at Romance Junkies. I'll talk a bit about Why, Why Zed? and maybe you'll get a surprise for visiting. Also, I received a nice review for YYZ from Rainbow Reviews, so be sure to check that out. Daringly Delicious is in the home stretch now, I hope to complete it by tonight or this week, barring more distractions.

Today's Chocolate

2008-07-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

After a few days of repeats, I broke into my E. Guittard single-origin 61% Tsaratana bar. This is semisweet, and I can readily detect it on the palate. It misses the sharper tang of darker chocolate and the cream texture of light milks, but the flavor is remarkable and mild at the same time. I don't feel overwhelmed by aroma or flavor here - the taste seems to stay only as you eat, than fades into a nice memory rather than leave a sticky aftertaste. So, it's a bar to enjoy in the moment. Perhaps with the next giveaway I'll offer up some of these bars as the prize.

You have entered the Chocolate Giveaway, right? Deadline is July 20. Don't delay in sending an e-mail entry form or commenting on the blog.

Who Wants Chocolate????

2008-07-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of Why, Why, Zed?, my latest M/M short from Phaze Books, I'm having a free drawing! Winner receives one download of any of my books with Phaze, Samhain, or Liquid Silver Books, and an online gift certificate to Lindt Chocolates.

To enter, just drop an email at kspatwriter (at) yahoo (dot) com with the subject JULY DRAWING, or if you have a Blogger profile you can leave a comment on this post. Deadline to enter is July 20 and winner will be drawn on the 21st. 18 and older, please. Good luck!

Today's Chocolate

2008-06-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

So I caved and cracked this open. It's been a rough past hour, all will be revealed soon.

How could I not want to immediately try something so unique and exotic? Yet, for the name and presentation, this thick, sectioned bar comes packaged in simple plastic. The bar I have is pretty much the same as pictured on the Knipschildt site, with the burnt orange cross seeping across the dark cacao. Breaking one row reveals a stiff yet still gooey ribbon of caramel filling. The first nibble brought forth the sharp sour tang of the salt - I should have bit deeper for a better inaugural taste. Further exploration gave the impression that the bar has hollow points, or is "assembled" and not quite meshed together when the caramel filling is added. The salt permeated most of the bar I tried, overpowering the caramel and chocolate at points. If you like savory flavors with your chocolate, this is a good bar for you.

With Friends Like These, Who Needs Drug Dealers?

2008-06-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

Got the ultimate writer's care package from a friend today - a box of chocolate. Yes, it might appear I've been slacking in my regular chocolate reviews, but I've really been trying to whittle down what's open before I break into more stuff. The stash remains plentiful, and the aroma of cacao makes for a nice calming scent during the workday. But I just might have to dip into something from this latest delivery.

Here's what I got today:

Chocopologie Bar - Burnt Caramel and Hawaiian Sea Salt (71% dark, single origin Ecuador) - might have to try this one today

Santander - 65% dark, single origin Columbia

Nestle Carlos V - milk bar, guessing this is solid - this is a Mexican chocolate, but I'll soon find out if it has that cinnamon kick I'm used to trying in candy from that region

Frey Supreme Citron and Poivre - dark with lemon and black pepper

Vosges Black Pearl - 55% dark, with wasabi, ginger, black sesame seeds - this one I've sampled before and I loved loved loved it

Last but not least, the Eve Kitten Chocolate and Rose Petal bar from Knipschildt, looking like something on a Phaze book cover. Seems almost appropriate for an erotic romance author to receive such a treat. Might have to buy more as giveaways one day.

So stay tuned later on to see which delight will get me through the afternoon.

Today's Chocolate

2008-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is the last of my Ritter miniatures, the Joghurt (yogurt?). This is a milk square with a white filling, which we can presume to be the joghurt. It almost hurt to eat it. This was a disappointment, I must admit. The chocolate was good, but the filling tasted almost sour, and it's left an unpleasant aftertaste for me. The texture might lead you to think this is a marzipan filling, but I'm not getting that at all with this confection. I don't think this is one I'll revisit.

Today's Chocolate

2008-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

I felt entitled to try something new today. Last night I was sick as a dog - a 24-hour bug that left me burning up and immobile. I have no idea what caused it, it might have been a bad meal, though I haven't had any tomatoes of late. I imagine if I caught the salmonella, though, I wouldn't be typing now.

I opened the Starbuck's Mocha Dark chocolate bar for a taste. I don't know the cacao percentage, but the coffee used is the Starbuck's Guatemala Casi Cielo, which offers a pungent aroma and flavor to this bar. Each bite is grainy with the ground beans, but it doesn't wholly distract from sharp tang of the chocolate. The actual bar design is attractive, with embedded cacao beans, plants, and curvy lines. It does make it a challenge to measure pieces of the bar, but I broke off the smallest ones for this afternoon. If the rest of the day passes without my getting sick, I'll consider it a great one indeed.

Because I lost a day feeling like crud, I'll touch more on recent Phaze stuff and a long post I've planned on eBook publishing in the near future.

Yesterday and Today's Chocolate

2008-06-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we made the trek through the tunnel to Trader's Joes, one of my favorite grocery stores. Unique, organic, yummy...you can find it there, but you can't find a Trader Joe's near me. Rumors have abounded for years about putting one in our area, but I'm beginning to think it's the work of a sadist who's sending out these press releases.

While there, though I said I'd curb on buying chocolate until I whittled down the stash, I did get a bar of Trader Joe's brand organic Super Dark (73%), which was pretty good. I had only a square with Last Night's wine, the flavorful Cardinal Point Quattro - a blend of four whites that I'm definitely picking on the next trip to C'Ville. As memory serves, it didn't seem as rich as the bit of Equal Exchange Very Dark (71%) I'm having right now. This chocolate feels smoother going down and less tangy - the TJ bar is at home, so I'll need to compare labels to see if I can pinpoint the difference. EE claims origins in Peru and the Dominican Republic, not sure where the fairly traded TJ bars hail.

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a half-ounce of Dagoba Mon Cherri - dark (74%) chocolate flavored with berries and vanilla. I had a number of open bars I wanted to finish, but since today is such a horrible rainy one, I thought it nice to break into something new. I've had my eye on this for a while, and now my nose is picking up the sweetness of the cacao.

Like other Dagobas I've tried, this one is infused with tiny dried specs of berry pulp, their flavor only really evident when you bite directly into them. The vanilla, I'm not sensing so much until the lingering aftertaste, and even then it's faint. Still, it's a nice bold bar, though the lavendar selection still sticks out in my mind as the one from this company that leaves an impression.

Yesterday's Chocolate

2008-05-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Monday being a holiday, I didn't get online much. Monday is now designated as my writing day, so I spent what little computer time I had working on Why, Why Zed?, which now has a release date of July, 2008. So I'll be stepping up that project before I move to the next, Daring Red. YYZ is going to be a short, probably under 10K, which is good because all Phaze Urban stories are going to print in anthologies, and I expect this one will be paired with the 3 M/M Urbans we have out now.

Anyway, while at the Heritage on the Oceanfront I noticed a sale on Equal Exchange chocolate bars, and I picked up the Organic Very Dark (71%). Can I just say, yum? This was a very smooth bar with a rich flavor that didn't have that bitter tang of other darks I've tried. I don't if being organic makes the difference in taste, but definitely I'm kicking myself for not getting more bars while they were on sale.

Speaking of chocolate, I saw that Pier One now has a display of chocolate from around the world. I was tapped out, otherwise I would have stocked up, but I noticed they have a nice selection of New Tree bars which I'd like to try. I'm sure they'd taste great in that papasan chair Little One adored so much. She buried herself in the pillow and wouldn't come out. I know what she's getting for her birthday.

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a miniature bar of Vosges Macha, deep milk (41% cacao) with Japanese macha green tea. Have to tell, this is an interesting one. Not quite sure how to describe the flavor - the chocolate is undeniably creamy and is melting easily in my fingers. Holding the chocolate on my tongue to experience the full effect yields a dull taste that, while not savory like the bacon bar, seems to complement the cacao. I'm not much of a green tea drinker, so maybe I was expecting more bitterness, like one would find in black tea. Unusual, not unpleasant, but on a personal preference scale I'd take the Creole bar over this one.

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

New moon post to come, but now here's today's sweet. I hit the mother lode (no pun intended) on Mother's Day and was gifted with an incredible chocolate selection - thank you, sweetie! Though I said I'd finish off what was already open, I couldn't wait and dove into my mini bar of Vosges Creole, 70% dark Sao Thome with chicory and cocoa nibs.

First off, you can smell the difference of this chocolate compared with other darks. This has such a rich aroma which I imagine is associated with single origin chocolate. It seems stronger than a Lindt I have of the same percentage, anyway. Texture-wise, it isn't very glossy, and the bottom is raised to show evidence of the coffee and cocoa bits inside. The flavor of chicory is strong throughout, grainy with each bite as the bitterness of the chocolate melts around it. Unfortunately, I don't any more Moonstruck Espresso Bar for comparison, but I would definitely say each holds it own in taste and texture. Great way to start the week.

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a miniature square of Ritter Sport Nugat, a milk (about 42%) with a creamy, somewhat chewy hazelnut center. It's not a "nougat" filling like you would expect in a Snickers bar - in fact, it also says praline on the package but it most definitely refers to the flavor and not the texture. There are crunchy bits in this piece, but a smooth, strong nutty taste that complements the chocolate. A bit too sweet, perhaps. I'm glad I have only a small square of this and not a whole bar to last a while. It's good, but one would really need to crave hazelnut to eat more than an ounce of this.

I forgot to mention this weekend, too, we tore through a 55% dark Chocolove bar at the wine festival. Good pairing with some of the merlots we tried. We brought along a 65% plain dark too, but that is untouched. Well, it warped a bit in my purse from the heat, but it's still good. A little morphing never hurts a candy bar. Hopefully some of the calories disappeared along the way.

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a square of Frey Supreme Hot Chilli Pepper (that's how it's spelled on the package): 55% dark chocolate with chili pepper bits. For comparison, I'm trying this today with half a triangle of the remains of my Moonstruck Dark Chocolate Chile Variado bar. I don't have the cacao content of the latter, but will guesstimate that's it's around 55% as well.

As far as smell goes, the Frey seems to evoke a sharper aroma, almost cinnamon like on the nose, while the Moonstruck bar has a smokier scent. Tasting the Frey bar first, all I can say is holy freaking' cow! The bite is immediate and the chili sensation is powerful, it seems to separate from the tang of the cacao and linger in the back of the throat. The Moonstruck bar I had always found spicy, but by comparison it gives a milder impression. The smokiness of the chile flavor tends to blend better with the chocolate, though it packs a competitive punch against the Frey. It's not common for chocolate to bring me to tears, but the Frey is a good contender for that title.

Obviously this is not a chocolate for gobbling, but periodic savoring. I think in the future I'll pair this with some of the merlots and cab francs I got at the Montpelier Wine Festival this weekend. Did I mention that I bought 16 bottles of wine this weekend?

Today's Chocolate

2008-05-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a miniature square of Ritter Sport Marzipan - sweet white marizpan filling enrobed with semi-sweet dark chocolate (% not listed on wrapper). I picked this up at Taste Unlimited with the other Ritter squares because I used to love marzipan. In college I used to frequent this German deli where they sold Mozartkugeln, amazingly rich bon-bons of chocolate, marzipan and nougat. They were hard to find where I lived, and this deli doubled as a gourmet import market, so I bought them when I could. Expensive little buggers.

Anyway, the Ritter marzipan bar does bring back some memories of it. It is incredibly sweet - the marzipan just conquers the flavor of the chocolate. I don't know how bitter the cacao is in this piece, probably no more than 70%, but I would definitely want to try something stronger with marzipan to see if it makes a difference. Overall, I like the flavor. Marzipan is like a dry nougat - imagine hardened, grainy sugar frosting with just a hint of almond flavoring. Not something I'd have on a daily basis, and no more than this tiny square, but a nice treat to begin the weekend.

No Mozart candy for me this weekend, but I'm going to try to hit up Gearhart's Chocolates after hubby's bike race. Their Maya bar sounds awesome.

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate was the remainder of the Moonstruck Ivory Bar, as mentioned in this post. I'm sorely tempted to break the final triangles into halves to make this batch of chocolate last, but as I think about it I do not want what I have to temper to the point that it can't be enjoyed properly. Also, I have quite a stash to get into, but I feel bad about opening new packages when so many need to be finished. Given my diet, I can't go diving into them, either, so what's masochist to do?

Actually, not diving into the chocolate is ideal for a chocoholic masochist, but that's not the point of my post today. In the interest of keeping up the choco-mojo today, I submit a short wishlist:

Vosges Black Pearl Exotic - I mentioned this briefly during my Royal Chocolate post. I tried a nibble and became infatuted. The full bar was a bit cost prohibitive, but I'll look elsewhere for this spicy delight.

Vere Cayenne and Cacao Nibs - I've really developed a taste for chili and chocolate and would like to give this one a try.

Thornton's - A Brit friend plans to send me a sampling of these sweets, by which she swears. We'll see if I can cuss up a storm as well. ;)

Green and Black's Hazelnut and Currant - I keep walking past this one at Bloom. I want to whittle down my other G&B bars before I get more.

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a miniature square of Ritter Sport Knusperkeks, a biscuit with chocolate creme enrobed in milk chocolate. Very sweet and crunchy, the chocolate is of the texture that smears easily when touched, and melts with equal speed. It's a good treat chocolate to enjoy after lunch, nothing fancy or exotic. Like a high-born cousin to the Twix bar.

Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put 'eat chocolate.' Now, you'll get at least one thing done today. - Unknown

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is an impulse purchase made at a local shop I finally was able to visit this weekend. The Royal Chocolate in Virginia Beach is one of those places where, when you see it on the horizon, angels begin to sing and bright shafts of light bear downward in a welcoming beacon. You hear that song in your head, the one Dorothy and company are skipping to when they leave the snowy poppy field and head to Emerald City. Okay, it's not exactly like that, but pretty damn close.

When I wasn't chasing the Tyke around the shop, I found a few purchases within reason. I didn't buy any of their homemade stuff, but a few bars of the many they stock. And they have big names, too: Vosges, Joseph Schmidt, Valor, etc. I didn't buy any Vosges there, but I did sample some of the Bitter Bar they had out (ginger and wasabi) and I definitely need to get some more of that.

Anyway, today is .32 ounces of NewTree Sexy: Dark chocolate (73%) with ginger. Supposedly this offers a warming of ginger with a hint of guarana (which I've had before, it's like caffeine) for that all-natural energizing quality. NewTree's line is to offer chocolate that is good and good for you, hence the selection of somewhat healthful ingredients to ramp up the benefits of chocolate bliss. Their website has pictures of Oprah and nice presentations of the product, but I didn't know any of this when I bought the three pack of mini Sexy bars. I just thought the box looked cute, and I picked ginger because I already did a lavender bar and wanted to try a ginger one.

I could detect a faint aroma of ginger on the wafer-thin bar, but it's in the taste where it is present clearly. Even biting into the bar, I got that initial "bite", and as I let the chocolate melt the flavor came through nicely. Chewing the bar outright won't give you the same sensation, however, this is chocolate for savoring. Next paycheck I'll have to make a return trip to try the rest of the NewTree varieties available. If I get past those huge chocolate caramel apples at the shop. Oy.

Ginger, Maryann, or chocolate? What Would Gilligan Do?

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is not a bar, but a liquid - a very mild one at that. While at Taste Unlimited for lunch today (the Tidewater - a yummy chicken salad on French with Surry ham - yum!) I paused at the drink cooler and found Metromint Chocolatemint bottled water. Cue the gaping doubletake here. I'd heard of Metromint, my boss swears by the lemon flavor, but the chocolate mint was intriguing enough to prompt an impulse buy. The bottle describes the drink as an all natural combination of pure water, mint and cocoa essence. There are no added sweeteners or preservatives, and the bottle has a cutesy, kitchsy design to it. As for the taste? Well, on opening the bottle for a tentative whiff I caught an aroma that immediately reminded me of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies. After a swallow the same taste lingered in my mouth but didn't leave a sticky sensation. The water was already chilled - I wouldn't imagine drinking it at room temp - and the flavor leaves a nice aftertaste. At nearly two bucks a pop, this isn't something I'm going to drink daily, but it made for a nice palate cleanser after lunch.

Carob makes a terrific substitute for chocolate, in much the same way that ketchup is a convincing replacement for fine wine. - Sandra Boynton

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a half ounce of the Dagoba Super Fruit bar: Dark chocolate (74%) with acai berries, goji berries, and currants. This one intrigued me immediately, since I was already familiar with acai. At my former place of employment, the company attempted a sideline business selling acai drink packets online -- I had to haul 100 heavy cases of the stuff up a flight of stairs to our office, and found out after I'd left that 80% of it got trashed because it expired before it could be sold. I remember my boss (who was out the day of the delivery) laughed when he heard about my heavy lifting. I started sending resumes out that day.

Anyway, the underside of the bar is bubbled and pockmarked with what I presume to be the antioxidant berry goodness. There's a bit of currant visible in the piece I broke off, and I'm guessing the texture to be similar to that of the lavender bar. Tastewise, though, it's not bad. It's rather chewy -- even the first three small bites taken cut into some kind of filling, so I imagine these bars are pretty packed. They don't overpower the taste of the dark chocolate, surprising because I've had acai and know it to be a very strong flavor (most liken it to dark blueberries, but the acai is unique in taste. I couldn't describe it). I suppose one way to describe this bar would be as a high-end Chunky, only thinner and perhaps better for your blood.

Who wants to fall in love. I'd rather fall in chocolate. - Unknown

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a square of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Evening Dream: 60% Dark Chocolate with a hint of Madagascan Vanilla. I have always enjoyed Ghirardelli, I try to use it in baking as much as possible, and when we saw this bar at Fresh Market we had to try. This particular bar offers a velvety dark texture and mild dark taste. "Hint" is appropriate to describe the vanilla, because it s very subtle. Unlike yesterday's Lindt bar when the flavors seemed to make themselves known gradually, it isn't so pronounced here. You really have to concentrate to get that supplement of vanilla.

Overall, though, I like the flavor. It doesn't have the bitterness of other darker chocolates.

Today's Chocolate

2008-04-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Today's chocolate is a square of Lindt Creation (70%) Cherry and Chili, a dark chocolate filled with dark mousse, cherry and chili filling. I grabbed this weighty bar at The Fresh Market during a buying bingem intrigued by the combination of so many flavors. Tempting, despite my aversion to those gooey chocolate cherry cordials I had to force down my throat during holidays with relatives. (shudder) This looked much better.

It almost seems like overkill, but after sampling the chocolate I must commend the fine folks at Lindt for an unusually delightful confection.

The outer chocolate "shell" has a fine sheen, with each square noticable printed with the Lindt and Sprungli crest. At first bite, however, the bar is deceptive. You get the creaminess of the mousse first and can sense the solid dark giving away as you bite down, as though the square would crumble. It manages to stay together, though. But if you're like me and you nibble, you'll wonder where the rest of the flavors come to play.

Bite too deeply, and you might experience a rush of thick cherry filling. It is subtle, more sweet than tart, but the outer shell breaks easily in your mouth as you continue the square. You'll be nearly done savoring that flavor when you detect a warming on your tongue. There's the chili. It's not as pronounced as Moonstruck's chili bar, but it provides a spicy finish that doesn't overpower the other flavors. This seems like a good confection to go with a bold red wine.

Once you consume chocolate, chocolate will consume you.- Unknown