Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Kraft
Daim
1.0 oz. (28g)
Very Good; these are very similar to a Heath bar
Calories: 2270 kjoules (~ calories) per 100 grams; 545 kcals (this is high for calorie # because it's not per bar, but rather a per 100 grams #. The calories in this 28 gram bar = approx. 152.6; unfortunately, that is not listed on wrapper, so you have to do some math.)
$1.69
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA
Chocolate Math:
Here's the secret decoder ring for those of us stuck in the old non-metric world...kilojoules (kj) are the metric equivalent of calories. One (1) calorie = 4.184-4.187 kjoules; or take the kj number and divide it by ~4.2 to get the rough # of calories. (1 joule = .2388 calorie?). Most chocolate bars run between 150 and 170 calories per 1 oz. So, in some countries you may see kcal figures (such as the above) that sound high, or different than this general rule. That is because they are listing the number of calories per 100 grams. (Not as helpful if all you are looking for is the number of calories or kcals in the specific bar you're eating.) So, if you only see a kcal number per 100 g (and not kcals per bar on the label), just multiply the 100g # by .28 (there is about 28 grams in 1 oz.).
For example: 545 kcal x .28 = 152.6 calories for 1 oz. Daim bar.
I could blather on about other types of less serious chocolate math (e.g. some formulas having to do with weight gain or loss and chocolate consumption and stress eating), but I'll wait until another day/evening to do this.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
ChocolateBet: November 27, 2007
1 bar
Owyhee (Idaho Candy Co.)
Old Faithful Peanut Cluster ("Original Creme Center")
Good - Very Good
Net Wt.: 1 1/2 oz. (43g) in 1 bar
Calories: 220 calories
Cost: $ 1.19
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, Los Gatos, CA
Powell's Sweet Shoppe has proven to be a great place to buy "vintage" candy bars, like today's Owyhee Old Faithful Peanut Cluster, and new chocolates I haven't tried yet.
ChocolateBet: November 26, 2007
1 bite
Cadbury
Starbar ("Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Peanut Centre")
Good - Very Good
Weight: 53 grams for whole bar
Calories: approx. 40 calories in one bite / (1085 kJ, 260 kcals/total bar)
Cost: $1.89
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA
This Cadbury Starbar with caramel and peanut butter looked good. However, I realized, as I was about to take a second bite, that this bar contained wheat gluten. As soon as I read this in the ingredients list, I had to stop. I really can't have gluten. From what I was able to gather from one bite, it tasted fine otherwise.
I found this Powell's Sweet Shoppe last Saturday while walking through Old Town Los Gatos, on a cold (at least by California standards) night with nice holiday lights; after having dinner. I bought several items. They had some older/vintage candy brands that I'd heard about, but had not seen before. Fun stuff.
ChocolateBet: November 25, 2007
1 bar
Owyhee (Idaho Candy Co.)
Idaho Spud
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.)
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $ 0.99
Purchased at: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, in Los Gatos, CA
The Owyhee Idaho Spud candy bar from Idaho Candy Co. may not be everyone's favorite bar; after all it was inspired by a potato. (I love potatoes.) And agar isn't everyone's favorite textural element, but I liked this bar (and the (gel-like) agar's contribution) much more than I thought I would.
This Idaho Spud bar was just like Steve Almond described in his 2004 book, Candyfreak. They have a slightly weird gel center; but they are very good. I also liked the fact that they were not too sweet.
ChocolateBet: November 24, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Cherry Hibiscus (bonbon)
Good - Very Good; I found it was hard to taste the flavors in this one. It may be that they are very subtle, or maybe they lose something by being packaged in the same container with 4 other flavors? (e.g. the Peppermint might bleed over into the florals a bit or neutralize some of their smells/flavors?)
Wt: 62 grams total/pkg of 5 bonbons
Calories: ?
Cost: $12.99/pkg,box or 5 different flavors
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Cherry Hibiscus (bonbon)
Good - Very Good; I found it was hard to taste the flavors in this one. It may be that they are very subtle, or maybe they lose something by being packaged in the same container with 4 other flavors? (e.g. the Peppermint might bleed over into the florals a bit or neutralize some of their smells/flavors?)
Wt: 62 grams total/pkg of 5 bonbons
Calories: ?
Cost: $12.99/pkg,box or 5 different flavors
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: November 23, 2007
1 bite
Goetze's
Chocolate Cow Tales
Good
Weight: (1 bite of) 1 oz./28 gram sized Cow Tale
Calories: Approx. 15 calories for 1 bite
Cost: $ 0.39 (a bargain)
Purchased from: Surf Super (market) in Gualala, CA
This Chocolate Cow Tale was a very sweet, taffy-like, long rope (or tail) shape. The chewy chocolate caramel from Goetze's Candy Company (made in Baltimore, MD) was a bit sticky to unwrap, but it was something fun and different -- with a chocolate caramel "tail" wrapped around a white creamy center (bone?).
Note: This contained wheat flour and was not gluten-free.
Dagoba - ChocolateBet: November 22, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Dagoba
Conacado 73%
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1 oz. (of 2 oz./56.7 grams total)
Calories: 154 calories for 1 oz.
Cost: $3.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Surf Super (market), Gualala, CA
Organic, forest-grown cacao from the Conacado Cooperative in the Dominican Republic; very rich flavor - almost smoky; very good.
1/2 bar
Dagoba
Conacado 73%
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 1 oz. (of 2 oz./56.7 grams total)
Calories: 154 calories for 1 oz.
Cost: $3.29 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Surf Super (market), Gualala, CA
Organic, forest-grown cacao from the Conacado Cooperative in the Dominican Republic; very rich flavor - almost smoky; very good.
ChocolateBet: November 21, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Chocolate Peanut Crunch
1 oz. of 3 oz. (85 grams) total
Good - Very Good; fair trade certified, organic; cocoa content is 32%
151 calories for 1/3 bar; 452 calories total
$3.69
Purchased from: Surf Super (market) in Gualala, CA
1/3 bar
Sweet Earth Chocolates
Chocolate Peanut Crunch
1 oz. of 3 oz. (85 grams) total
Good - Very Good; fair trade certified, organic; cocoa content is 32%
151 calories for 1/3 bar; 452 calories total
$3.69
Purchased from: Surf Super (market) in Gualala, CA
Monday, November 19, 2007
ChocolateBet: November 20, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
(homemade gluten-free) Pumpkin bread with (large size) Ghirardelli All Natural Premium Baking Chips chocolate chips; 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate
Good - Very Good - but a bit too dry (had to improvise somewhat, e.g. didn't have xanthum gum). However, this bread got better the next day - after sitting covered overnight and then reheated. Perhaps some of the moisture "came back" somehow; the air near the ocean where we were would have been moister, and it was foggy outside. Of course I have no idea if this would have affected anything; it's just speculation on my part.
~ 8 oz. for bread (Wt for total bag of chips: = 11.5 oz. (326 g.)
Calories: ~ 200 with 80 for choc chips?? (The entire 11.5 oz. bag of chips has 1,760 calories.)
Cost: ~$9.00 for all the ingredients to make one large pan
Ingredients purchased primarily from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA
Comments:
- This pumpkin bread tasted a bit like Boston brown bread - but drier, and with chocolate chips instead of raisins.
- These Ghirardelli chocolate chips are bigger in size than most.
- It is definitely more difficult to calculate calories and costs with home-baked ingredients.
2 pieces
(homemade gluten-free) Pumpkin bread with (large size) Ghirardelli All Natural Premium Baking Chips chocolate chips; 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate
Good - Very Good - but a bit too dry (had to improvise somewhat, e.g. didn't have xanthum gum). However, this bread got better the next day - after sitting covered overnight and then reheated. Perhaps some of the moisture "came back" somehow; the air near the ocean where we were would have been moister, and it was foggy outside. Of course I have no idea if this would have affected anything; it's just speculation on my part.
~ 8 oz. for bread (Wt for total bag of chips: = 11.5 oz. (326 g.)
Calories: ~ 200 with 80 for choc chips?? (The entire 11.5 oz. bag of chips has 1,760 calories.)
Cost: ~$9.00 for all the ingredients to make one large pan
Ingredients purchased primarily from: Safeway, Menlo Park, CA
Comments:
- This pumpkin bread tasted a bit like Boston brown bread - but drier, and with chocolate chips instead of raisins.
- These Ghirardelli chocolate chips are bigger in size than most.
- It is definitely more difficult to calculate calories and costs with home-baked ingredients.
ChocolateBet: November 19, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Vivani
Dark Chocolate with Green Tea, 100% Organic; Cocoa Content: 70%
Good (had some bloom on it, and may have been sitting on shelf too long, or gotten overheated in transit to store; not sure)
Wt. 3.5 oz. (100g) total; 1/4 bar serving that I had ~ 25 g.
Calories: I ate ~ 140 calories worth in 1/4 bar, out of ~ 562 calories total in whole bar.
Cost: $3.59
Purchased from: Surf Super(market), in Gualala, CA
1/4 bar
Vivani
Dark Chocolate with Green Tea, 100% Organic; Cocoa Content: 70%
Good (had some bloom on it, and may have been sitting on shelf too long, or gotten overheated in transit to store; not sure)
Wt. 3.5 oz. (100g) total; 1/4 bar serving that I had ~ 25 g.
Calories: I ate ~ 140 calories worth in 1/4 bar, out of ~ 562 calories total in whole bar.
Cost: $3.59
Purchased from: Surf Super(market), in Gualala, CA
ChocolateBet: November 18, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 of a massive chocolate caramel apple
Very Good (but also very rich)
?? Calories
$ ? (expensive)
Trinks, Gualala, CA
Chocolate thoughts/news/other:
One small apple rolled in multiple layers of caramel, chocolate, nuts, can grow to an impressive size.
1/3 of a massive chocolate caramel apple
Very Good (but also very rich)
?? Calories
$ ? (expensive)
Trinks, Gualala, CA
Chocolate thoughts/news/other:
One small apple rolled in multiple layers of caramel, chocolate, nuts, can grow to an impressive size.
ChocolateBet: November 17, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 pc.
Joseph Schmidt
Truffle - Almond Supreme
Very Good
Wt: ~ 1.5? oz.
Calories: ?
Cost: $2.99 ?
Purchased from: Z. Ciaccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA
Stopped in North Beach/San Francisco for lunch at Cafe Divine, on the way up to a long-weekend vacation spot on the northern California coast.
1 pc.
Joseph Schmidt
Truffle - Almond Supreme
Very Good
Wt: ~ 1.5? oz.
Calories: ?
Cost: $2.99 ?
Purchased from: Z. Ciaccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA
Stopped in North Beach/San Francisco for lunch at Cafe Divine, on the way up to a long-weekend vacation spot on the northern California coast.
ChocolateBet: November 16, 2007
1/4 bar
Lazzaroni
Bittersweet Chocolate with Amaretti di Saronno Crumbles
Very Good+
Weight: 3.17 oz. (90g) for 1 bar
Calories: Approx. 120 calories for 1/4 bar
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, in San Francisco, CA
I could taste the amaretto cookies in this bittersweet chocolate bar from Lazzaroni (Italy). I thought the crunchy almond-flavored amaretti cookie bits (sugar, apricot kernels, egg whites) embedded in the bar made for a delicious blend of flavors.
ChocolateBet: November 15, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Blackcurrant
Very Good
Wt.: 62 grams for total pkg of 5 different chocolates
Calories: ?
$12.99/package of 5
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, in San Francisco, CA
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Blackcurrant
Very Good
Wt.: 62 grams for total pkg of 5 different chocolates
Calories: ?
$12.99/package of 5
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, in San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: November 14, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Black Muscat
Very Good
? oz/g. for 1 piece (unknown); 62 grams for whole pkg. of five (5)
Cost: $? for 1 pc.; $12.99 total/pkg of 5
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach/San Francisco, CA
I think these are vegan chocolates; but I can't find the package they came in now. They have molds of buddhas and other interesting shapes and figures, which is kind of fun. The Xocolate Bar was founded by a couple (Malena and Clive) who are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Black Muscat
Very Good
? oz/g. for 1 piece (unknown); 62 grams for whole pkg. of five (5)
Cost: $? for 1 pc.; $12.99 total/pkg of 5
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach/San Francisco, CA
I think these are vegan chocolates; but I can't find the package they came in now. They have molds of buddhas and other interesting shapes and figures, which is kind of fun. The Xocolate Bar was founded by a couple (Malena and Clive) who are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
ChocolateBet: November 13, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Peppermint
Good - Very Good
Wt: ? for 1 pc; 62 grams total for pkg of 5
Cost: $? for 1 pc; $12.99 for a pkg of 5 different bonbons
Purchased from Z. Cioccolatos in North Beach/San Francisco, CA
1 piece
The Xocolate Bar
Peppermint
Good - Very Good
Wt: ? for 1 pc; 62 grams total for pkg of 5
Cost: $? for 1 pc; $12.99 for a pkg of 5 different bonbons
Purchased from Z. Cioccolatos in North Beach/San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: November 12, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 pkg/3 servings
Harry & David's
Moose Munch Confection: Original Dark Chocolate
Very Good
Wt.: 4.5 oz. (127 g)
Calories: 660 calories
$3.99
Purchased from: Michaels (the arts and crafts store), Mountain View, CA
1 pkg/3 servings
Harry & David's
Moose Munch Confection: Original Dark Chocolate
Very Good
Wt.: 4.5 oz. (127 g)
Calories: 660 calories
$3.99
Purchased from: Michaels (the arts and crafts store), Mountain View, CA
ChocolateBet: November 11, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Lindt
Lindor (truffle)
Dark Chocolate
Good - Very Good; a bit too sweet for me
Wt: ~ .5 oz.?
Calories: ~70-80?
Cost: $0.39
Purchased from: Michaels, Mountain View, CA
1 piece
Lindt
Lindor (truffle)
Dark Chocolate
Good - Very Good; a bit too sweet for me
Wt: ~ .5 oz.?
Calories: ~70-80?
Cost: $0.39
Purchased from: Michaels, Mountain View, CA
ChocolateBet: November 8, 2007
1 serving (5 pieces)
Dove/Mars
Milk Chocolate Pecan Pie Flavored Caramel
Weight: 40 grams in 1 serving (5 pieces) / 5.8 oz. (164.4 g.) in total package
Calories: 200 calories in one 5-piece serving
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Walgreen's, Palo Alto, CA
These individually wrapped, bite-sized, Dove Milk Chocolate Pecan Pie Flavored Caramels contained a "Promises" message on the inside of each wrapper, a bit like a fortune cookie.
ChocolateBet: November 7, 2007
1/4 bar
Hebert's Fully Loaded
Rocky Road (bar)
Very Good
2.75 oz. (78 grams) total
Calories: 100 for 1/4 bar
$ 1.50 (sale)
Purchased from Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA
This "Fully Loaded" Hebert's Rocky Road milk chocolate bar was chock full of traditional rocky road confection ingredients: milk chocolate, walnuts, dark chocolate and marshmallow pieces.
This bar was manufactured by Hebert Confections, LLC, in Shewsbury, MA.
ChocolateBet: November 6, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Hebert's (fully loaded)
Dark Chocolate Turtle bar
("dark chocolate with pecan pralines & toffee")
Very Good?
Wt.: 2.75 oz. (78 grams)
Calories: 400 calories in total bar
$1.50 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA
Good; but I shouldn't have eaten so much. I hope this lack of time for real meals and vegetables won't catch up to me too soon.
1 bar
Hebert's (fully loaded)
Dark Chocolate Turtle bar
("dark chocolate with pecan pralines & toffee")
Very Good?
Wt.: 2.75 oz. (78 grams)
Calories: 400 calories in total bar
$1.50 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA
Good; but I shouldn't have eaten so much. I hope this lack of time for real meals and vegetables won't catch up to me too soon.
Monday, November 5, 2007
ChocolateBet: November 5, 2007
Chocolate of the day:
Teuscher
1 piece - walnut marzipan
Very Good
Wt: ~ .4 oz.
Calories: ? (~70-80)
$ ? (per piece?)
This was part of a tiny hand-packed assortment box of 4-5 pieces
Purchased at Teuscher store in San Francisco, CA, near Union Square
Teuscher
1 piece - walnut marzipan
Very Good
Wt: ~ .4 oz.
Calories: ? (~70-80)
$ ? (per piece?)
This was part of a tiny hand-packed assortment box of 4-5 pieces
Purchased at Teuscher store in San Francisco, CA, near Union Square
ChocolateBet: November 4, 2007
Chocolate of the day:
Teuscher
1 piece - milk chocolate honeybee
(shaped like a bee; can taste honey it's made with - slightly crunchy (honeycomb?)
Good+ - Very Good
$ ? (per piece)
? oz./grams
? Calories
Bought at Teuscher store in San Francisco, near Union Square
This was part of a tiny hand-packed assortment box of 4-5 pieces.
Teuscher
1 piece - milk chocolate honeybee
(shaped like a bee; can taste honey it's made with - slightly crunchy (honeycomb?)
Good+ - Very Good
$ ? (per piece)
? oz./grams
? Calories
Bought at Teuscher store in San Francisco, near Union Square
This was part of a tiny hand-packed assortment box of 4-5 pieces.
ChocolateBet: November 3, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
Recchiutis
1 piece
Cassis Strata (cassis fruit gelee layer, dark chocolate ganache)
Very Good, but I would like to have tasted fruit flavor even a bit more
~.4 oz./? grams
Calories: ?
$ ?
I bought this (and a few other pieces) at the Recchiuti chocolate shop in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. They have some very nice/interesting flavor combinations, but I would love to have some of these flavors come through a bit more than they do now. The flavors are not quite strong enough for me, although they're very nice, high-quality chocolates. (Recchiuti is a local San Francisco Bay Area business and, I was told, was founded by Michael and Jacky Recchiuti.)
Recchiutis
1 piece
Cassis Strata (cassis fruit gelee layer, dark chocolate ganache)
Very Good, but I would like to have tasted fruit flavor even a bit more
~.4 oz./? grams
Calories: ?
$ ?
I bought this (and a few other pieces) at the Recchiuti chocolate shop in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. They have some very nice/interesting flavor combinations, but I would love to have some of these flavors come through a bit more than they do now. The flavors are not quite strong enough for me, although they're very nice, high-quality chocolates. (Recchiuti is a local San Francisco Bay Area business and, I was told, was founded by Michael and Jacky Recchiuti.)
ChocolateBet: November 2, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Recchiuti
Sur de Lago ("bitter" chocolate ganache topped with crushed Sur de Lago cacao nibs)
Very Good
Wt. ~ .4 oz.
Calories: ?
$ ?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, in San Francisco, CA
1 piece
Recchiuti
Sur de Lago ("bitter" chocolate ganache topped with crushed Sur de Lago cacao nibs)
Very Good
Wt. ~ .4 oz.
Calories: ?
$ ?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, in San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: November 1, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Recchiuti
Burnt Caramel (burnt caramel and dark chocolate ganache)
Very Good
Wt. ~.4 oz.
Calories: ?
$ ?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, in San Francisco, CA
1 piece
Recchiuti
Burnt Caramel (burnt caramel and dark chocolate ganache)
Very Good
Wt. ~.4 oz.
Calories: ?
$ ?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, in San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: October 31, 2007
Chocolate of the day:
Recchiuti
Star Anise and Pink Peppercorn
Very Good
Weight: ~ .45 oz. (estim.)
Calories: 65? calories
Cost: $ ?
Bought at: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
Recchiuti is a high-end supplier of carefully executed chocolate jewels that you can view at the company's attractive display case in the San Francisco Ferry Building. They're pricey, but good.
Trying today's Recchiuti chocolate with spices helped mask my frustration over not having more time to hunt down a more Halloween-specific chocolate to feature for today -- Halloween. One of the biggest chocolate holidays of the year.
I tried looking in Latino markets close to home for chocolate skulls or skull molds associated with El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, celebrated in Mexico), another late autumn holiday celebrated this week, but no luck.
Vosges chocolates' web site looked like they carried chocolate skulls, but I couldn't find them online (at least in time for this year). Next year!
Recchiuti
Star Anise and Pink Peppercorn
Very Good
Weight: ~ .45 oz. (estim.)
Calories: 65? calories
Cost: $ ?
Bought at: Recchiuti, SF Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
Recchiuti is a high-end supplier of carefully executed chocolate jewels that you can view at the company's attractive display case in the San Francisco Ferry Building. They're pricey, but good.
Trying today's Recchiuti chocolate with spices helped mask my frustration over not having more time to hunt down a more Halloween-specific chocolate to feature for today -- Halloween. One of the biggest chocolate holidays of the year.
I tried looking in Latino markets close to home for chocolate skulls or skull molds associated with El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, celebrated in Mexico), another late autumn holiday celebrated this week, but no luck.
Vosges chocolates' web site looked like they carried chocolate skulls, but I couldn't find them online (at least in time for this year). Next year!
ChocolateBet: October 30, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Recchiuti
Rose Caramel
Very Good
Wt.: ~ .4 oz.? (estim.)
Calories: ~ 65 calories (estim.)
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, in the Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
1 piece
Recchiuti
Rose Caramel
Very Good
Wt.: ~ .4 oz.? (estim.)
Calories: ~ 65 calories (estim.)
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Recchiuti, in the Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
ChocolateBet: October 29, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Whole Foods/Belg.?
Belgian Little Bites - Dark Chocolate
Very Good; small individually-wrapped chocolates
Weight: 4.4 oz./125 g. pkg total
Calories: ~ 26 calories each
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA
Extreme Chocolate Reading...
This week I read a great article about chocolate in the New Yorker magazine (Oct 29, 2007 issue, p. 68). This piece, titled (Notes from a Gastronome) "Extreme Chocolate" is by Bill Buford; and it focuses on Dagoba founder, Frederick Schilling.
The author also takes you, dear readers, deep into the jungles of South America to talk about how beans are grown, harvested, fermented, and eventually poured into chocolate molds somewhere else in the world. Some interesting history about families in this business as well.
1 piece
Whole Foods/Belg.?
Belgian Little Bites - Dark Chocolate
Very Good; small individually-wrapped chocolates
Weight: 4.4 oz./125 g. pkg total
Calories: ~ 26 calories each
Cost: $?
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA
Extreme Chocolate Reading...
This week I read a great article about chocolate in the New Yorker magazine (Oct 29, 2007 issue, p. 68). This piece, titled (Notes from a Gastronome) "Extreme Chocolate" is by Bill Buford; and it focuses on Dagoba founder, Frederick Schilling.
The author also takes you, dear readers, deep into the jungles of South America to talk about how beans are grown, harvested, fermented, and eventually poured into chocolate molds somewhere else in the world. Some interesting history about families in this business as well.
ChocolateBet: October 28, 2007
1 piece
Shaw's
Dark Coffee Toffee
Very Good
Weight: .65 oz.
Calories: 80 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.95 (for a whole bag/package of these dark coffee toffees)
Purchased from: Shaw's, Millbrae, CA
This Shaw's Dark Coffee Toffee candy had a great coffee toffee taste -- close to a toffee-ette*, another childhood favorite candy that tasted great, but could pull the fillings right out of your mouth. They were so good, you were more than willing to take that chance. My mother loved coffee, and thought nothing of giving her six children this coffee toffee candy now and then. Wow, that was brave.
But, I digress. Shaw's was a favorite neighborhood candy spot that had a few different locations in California during its hey-day. The closest location was within bicycling distance of our childhood home and sold candy, ice cream and gifts. Have bicycle (and a few quarters), will buy chocolate.
Sadly, it now appears that the Shaw's Millbrae location, several miles up the peninsula, is the last remaining outpost. Thank you Shaw's for keeping kids of all ages something sweet to remember.
*This candy no longer exists. I believe the company that made them may have been based in Alameda, CA.
ChocolateBet: October 27, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
Cocoa Pete's
Berry Berry Dangerous
1.25 oz. (for 1/2 of a 2.5 oz. total pkg)
Very Good; hard to taste (dried?) strawberry though.
160 calories
$?
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA?
1/2 bar
Cocoa Pete's
Berry Berry Dangerous
1.25 oz. (for 1/2 of a 2.5 oz. total pkg)
Very Good; hard to taste (dried?) strawberry though.
160 calories
$?
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA?
ChocolateBet: October 26, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 oz.
M and M's / Mars
Light and dark pink-colored chocolate M and M's (special "edition")
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 14 oz. (396.9 g.) package
Calories: 140 calories for 1 oz. serving
$2.50 (sale price)
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA
This was a nice, fresh-tasting bag of milk chocolate, special edition M and M's chocolate candies. Mars M and M's Brand is planning to contribute $550,000 to "Susan G. Komen for the Cure" this year. The pink-colored blend of M and M's were designed to show continued support in the fight against breast cancer.
Note on avoiding duplicate chocolates:
I'm choosing to count different versions (shapes and colors) of a few chocolate candies (such as M and M's and Reese's peanut butter cups) as different types of chocolate for the purposes of this chocolate bet. You may disagree, but I figure if it has a different retail sku, and different packaging, and either a different recipe - i.e. different colorings, shapes - then it counts as a "different" chocolate. On the other hand, if the chocolate candy appears in different wrapper colors, but it's really the same item inside the wrapper, and/or has the same bar code, then I'd have to say no, this wouldn't do... My apologies if you're bored with this whole thing by now.
ChocolateBet: October 25, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving (heaping tablespoon?)
Arbonne
Chocolate Protein Shake powder (mixed with milk and water)
Good - Very Good - Not bad for one of these types of drinks
~1 oz? of powder into ~ 6 oz. of milk/water and ice
Calories: ?
$ 0 - gift sample
Obtained from: my sister
One of these days I'm going to dedicate a week to chocolate diet drinks; that should be fun. And if consuming these products resulted in the loss of a pants size, then I would be OK with that too. Maybe I'll try this in January 2008, as part of a resolution to lose a bit of weight.
1 serving (heaping tablespoon?)
Arbonne
Chocolate Protein Shake powder (mixed with milk and water)
Good - Very Good - Not bad for one of these types of drinks
~1 oz? of powder into ~ 6 oz. of milk/water and ice
Calories: ?
$ 0 - gift sample
Obtained from: my sister
One of these days I'm going to dedicate a week to chocolate diet drinks; that should be fun. And if consuming these products resulted in the loss of a pants size, then I would be OK with that too. Maybe I'll try this in January 2008, as part of a resolution to lose a bit of weight.
ChocolateBet: October 24, 2007
Vosges Haut Chocolat
Gianduja Bar ("exotic candy bar" line)
Good - Very Good
Weight: 32 grams/85 grams total
Calories: 190 for 1 serving
Cost: $6.95 (estimate)
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA
This Gianduja "exotic candy bar" from Vosges Haut Chocolat (Chicago, IL) was made of almonds, caramelized hazelnuts, and deep milk (41% cacao) chocolate.
As described on the bar's packaging, first almonds and hazelnuts were caramelized with sugar, then ground into a thick paste, and blended into milk chocolate.
ChocolateBet: October 23, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving/scoop
Safeway Select (light ice cream)
Caramel Caribou "Denali" light ice cream
Good - Very Good for light ice cream
Wt: ~ 1/2 cup or 62 grams
Calories: 120 calories/serving
Cost: ~ $3.00 for whole container (on sale - two for $5.99)
Purchased from: Safeway supermarket in Palo Alto, CA
1 serving/scoop
Safeway Select (light ice cream)
Caramel Caribou "Denali" light ice cream
Good - Very Good for light ice cream
Wt: ~ 1/2 cup or 62 grams
Calories: 120 calories/serving
Cost: ~ $3.00 for whole container (on sale - two for $5.99)
Purchased from: Safeway supermarket in Palo Alto, CA
ChocolateBet: October 22, 2007
1 bar
Vosges
Mo's Bacon Bar
Very Good - Yum
Weight: 3.0 oz. (85 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 425 calories (estimate) for whole bar (according to label)
Cost: ?
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA
This Mo's Bacon Bar from Vosges (Chicago, IL) is a bar that most people will probably either love or hate. Count me in the former camp.
What is a Mo's Bacon Bar? The packaging described the gluten free, savory milk chocolate bar by listing the ingredients (a combination of) "applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt, (and) 'deep' milk chocolate."
Creator, Katrina Markoff explains, on the back of the package, that her interest in experimenting with chocolate + bacon dates back to age 6, when she remembers eating chocolate chip pancakes with syrup, and bacon.
The bacon pieces I tasted in this Mo's bar were just the right texture; they were still crunchy and they harmonized almost perfectly with the deep milk (41% cacao) chocolate that encased them.
ChocolateBet: October 21, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 pop
Tootsie Roll Industries
Tootsie Roll Pop - Chocolate
Good; enjoyed nostalgic value (and biting into the center)
Wt: 0.6 oz./17 grams
Cost: free
Obtained from: Candlewood Suites, South Austin, TX
For all of us of a certain age... Yes, I think I can still remember the Tootsie Pop TV commercials I watched when I was a kid. I remember a wise cartoon owl character admonishing us to try not to bite into the chocolate tootsie pop center. You were supposed to be patient and lick the candy shell off instead. But, people had trouble being patient. And people would inevitably bite into the thing after only 3 or 4 licks, as I recall. Several baby boomer authors have written with humor and nostalgia about our candy-coated culture, and a few fondly reference TV commercials in the 1950s - 1970s. The book that I've read that seems most directly tied to this theme is Steve Almond's "Candy Freak." I also just bought a copy of the life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson - which I will read looking for chocolate memories (and the commercials that sold us these memories) as well. I'll look forward to reading a few more of these books in between new chocolate search expeditions.
1 pop
Tootsie Roll Industries
Tootsie Roll Pop - Chocolate
Good; enjoyed nostalgic value (and biting into the center)
Wt: 0.6 oz./17 grams
Cost: free
Obtained from: Candlewood Suites, South Austin, TX
For all of us of a certain age... Yes, I think I can still remember the Tootsie Pop TV commercials I watched when I was a kid. I remember a wise cartoon owl character admonishing us to try not to bite into the chocolate tootsie pop center. You were supposed to be patient and lick the candy shell off instead. But, people had trouble being patient. And people would inevitably bite into the thing after only 3 or 4 licks, as I recall. Several baby boomer authors have written with humor and nostalgia about our candy-coated culture, and a few fondly reference TV commercials in the 1950s - 1970s. The book that I've read that seems most directly tied to this theme is Steve Almond's "Candy Freak." I also just bought a copy of the life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson - which I will read looking for chocolate memories (and the commercials that sold us these memories) as well. I'll look forward to reading a few more of these books in between new chocolate search expeditions.
ChocolateBet: October 20, 2007
Chocolate of the Day:
1 scoop
Amy's Ice Creams
"On Any (Given) Sundae" ice cream
Good+
Weight: 4.5 oz. (estimate) total
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ 2.98
Purchased from: Amy's Ice Creams, Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom Airport)
Well, you have to try the BBQ when you're in Texas, right? I'm not a big meat eater anymore; but I do enjoy at least one barbeque item when I'm in Austin or San Antonio.
Unfortunately, I was too full of BBQ from the Salt Lick (near Amy's Ice Creams) in the Austin, TX, airport, to completely finish this cup of ice cream (very unusual for me).
1 scoop
Amy's Ice Creams
"On Any (Given) Sundae" ice cream
Good+
Weight: 4.5 oz. (estimate) total
Calories: 290 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ 2.98
Purchased from: Amy's Ice Creams, Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom Airport)
Well, you have to try the BBQ when you're in Texas, right? I'm not a big meat eater anymore; but I do enjoy at least one barbeque item when I'm in Austin or San Antonio.
Unfortunately, I was too full of BBQ from the Salt Lick (near Amy's Ice Creams) in the Austin, TX, airport, to completely finish this cup of ice cream (very unusual for me).
ChocolateBet: October 19, 2007
Chocolove
Chilies and Cherries in Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.066 oz. (30 g.) in 1/3 bar / 3.2 oz. (90 grams) total bar
Calories: 151 calories for 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.99
Purchased from: Z. Cioccolatos, North Beach, San Francisco, CA
I brought this Chocolove bar with me on my business trip to Texas this week -- in case I didn't have time to search for new chocolates. I thought this chocolate with (ancho and chipotle) chili peppers in it might be a good thematic choice given that I'd be in Texas.
The bar was made of good, quality dark (55% cocoa content) chocolate; and it could have passed for a higher percentage than this. I really liked the fact that I could taste the cherries and the chilies in this well-balanced bar.
The "free" love poem inside the wrapper was clever.
This subject of this passionate poem reminded me to go back and rent/watch two movies: "Chocolat" with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche; and also "Como Agua Para Chocolate" (aka Like Water for Chocolate). Both are good films for lovers of chocolate, chilies, and love poems.
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