Wednesday, March 31, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 31, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/6 bar
Chocolat Moderne
Moderne Kashmir Spice Chocolate and Toffee Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .58 oz. (16.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 95 calories
Cost: $9.00 for total bar
Purchased from: The Candy Store, in San Francisco, CA


Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week came to an exotic close today (Day #7), with the inclusion of this deep milk chocolate (51% cacao) Kashmir Spice bar.  The butter toffee in this gluten-free bar was infused with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. These spices were present, but not overpowering.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 30, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 bars
Weight Watchers
English Toffee Crunch - ice cream bars
Good +
Weight: 3.5 fl. oz. (103.4 mL) for 2 bars / 21 fl oz. (621 mL) in entire box of 12 bars
Calories: 200 calories for 2 bars
Cost: $3.99 for total box/package
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Today (March 30) was Day #6 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week -- and, apparently, drowning in holidays day. These Weight Watchers bars are made with low fat toffee ice cream and have a milk chocolate flavored coating, with some toffee pieces. Made in Le Mars, Iowa (the self-proclaimed ice cream manufacturing capital of the world), these toffee ice cream bars are only 100 calories each. I'm sure the low calorie count tempts people to have more than one bar. OK, maybe it was just me.  I had "only" two bars, because I wanted to honor today's strange holiday: "I am in Control Day" (www.holidayinsights.com).  And now I'm going for a walk in the park for some exercise. (Coincidentally, today's other lesser known holiday is "Take a Walk in the Park Day.")
On a more serious note, Passover begins today. It's a good time to try out flourless chocolate cake recipes.

Monday, March 29, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 package
Marich Confectionery Co.
Chocolate Toffee Pistachios
Good +
Weight: 2.25 oz. (63 g.)/ 4.5 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 315 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from: Safeway

Marich Confectionery Co., based in Hollister, CA, was started as a family business. And members of the same family are still there today. Marich makes a variety of chocolates and candies, including a few different toffee and nut products. In this case, California pistachios were glazed with toffee, and then coated with milk chocolate.

Today (March 29), according to www.holidayinsights.com, is also National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. Best wishes to all family-owned and/or operated chocolate businesses everywhere. And, today is also Day #5 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week here at the Chocolate Banquet blog.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 28, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Chocolove
Toffee and Almonds in Milk Chocolate
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 210 calories
Cost: $1.19
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in San Rafael, CA

I enjoyed this smaller (1.3 oz./37 grams) Chocolove bar.  The milk chocolate bar, with 33% cacao content, was a little on the sweet side for me, but still good. And, like the larger Chocolove bars, this smaller bar contained a love poem (printed on the inside the wrapper).

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: March 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 package
Coco-luxe, llc
Sugar Pine Bark
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) total package
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in one package/bag
Cost: $ (don't have receipt)
Purchased from: Coco-luxe, llc, at the Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, CA

The pieces of pine nut and sage toffee embedded in these pieces of dark chocolate bark were especially tasty.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week.

Friday, March 26, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
World Market/Cost Plus
Toffee Caramel Milk Chocolate (bar) - 42% cacao
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 460 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

This Toffee Caramel bar was my favorite World Market chocolate bar so far. It had a nice snap to it, and didn't seem overly sweet.

As noted yesterday, after a light dinner last night, I was still hungry. And, so I opened up a package of Marich Chocolate Toffee Almonds. Today (March 26) was "make up your own holiday day" (according to information found on holidayinsights.com). Therefore, I declared today Day #2 of Chocolate and Toffee Theme Week -- both justifying my overindulgence last night, and paving the way for more chocolate and toffee combinations this week. Toffee in the U.S. generally refers to butter and sugar mixture caramelized together, heated, cooled, and rendered into a crunchy end product. It is sometimes broken into bits and embedded in chocolate - as is the case with today's bar. In any case, it is very nice when mixed with chocolate.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 25, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1/2 piece/turtle
Robicheaux's Specialty Candy, Inc.
Pecan Turtle
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) in 1/2 piece/1 oz. (28 g.) total turtle
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.75
Purchased from: Robicheaux's Specialty Candy, Inc. (via online order)

Once again I combed through odd-holiday themed information from Holiday Insights (www.holidayinsights.com) to help select a new chocolate item. For example, today (March 25) is Pecan Day, not to be confused with National Pecan Day (in April). I had squirreled away this Robicheaux's pecan turtle in my chocolate vault, for just such an occasion. A variant of this pecan turtle, eaten last year, was topped with a chocsimile (chocolate replica/facsimile) of the State of Mississippi. (Robicheaux's is in Poplarville, MS.)

Today's second chocolate of the day, was an unplanned addition in the evening. Hungry, and lacking willpower, I opened a package of Marich Chocolate Toffee Almonds. Sadly, the only image I can show is part of an empty box.

1/2 package
Marich Confectionery Co.
Chocolate Toffee Almonds
Very Good
Weight: 2.25 oz. (63 g.)/ 4.5 oz. (125 g.) in total package
Calories: 315 calories in 1/2 package (estimate)
Cost: $ (no receipt)
Purchased from: Safeway

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 24, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
5 pieces
Posh Chocolat
The chocolates (pictured, from left to right)
1.) White Truffle Oil Caramel w/ Cyprus Flaked Sea Salt
2.) (Mystery Chocolate with dark ganache, blue dots on top)
3.) Bacon Caramel with Alder Wood Smoked Salt
4.) (Rose Water with dark ganache, pink flowers on top)
5.) Coconut-Pineapple Caramel with Hawaiian Pink Sea Salt
Weight: 1.9 oz. (53 g.) (estimate) for 5 pieces
Calories: 275 calories (estimate) for 5 pieces
Cost: n/a - thank you for the samples
Purchased from: n/a - from Posh Chocolat, at the Chocolate Salon, San Francisco, CA

If you're fond of salt caramels, Posh Chocolat offers some very nicely paired flavors in their chocolate caramel line. I tried three salt caramels, and two other chocolates (shown above right). My favorites were the Bacon Caramel, although the Coconut-Pineapple Caramel was surprisingly good. The flavors tasted very authentic, and were well balanced. I also really enjoyed the Rose Water flavored chocolate. Again, very authentic. I like florals. (My apologies for not being able to identify the chocolate topped with blue dots. I couldn't find a reference photo on the Posh website for this one.)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 23, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

2 pieces
Socola Chocolatier
1.) Notorious H.O.G. - Very Good - Very Good +
2.) Jasmine Tea - Very Good +
Weight: .84 oz. (24 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 121 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $ lost receipt
Purchased from: Socola Chocolatier, at the Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, CA

Socola (the Vietnamese word for chocolate) is run by two sisters. The company's mascot, Harriett, is a winged alpaca that appears on Socola packaging and some chocolates. I had the chance to hear about Harriett from Susan, one of the two sisters behind this venture, at the Chocolate Salon, held in San Francisco last weekend. It was fun to hear about how the company and flavors have evolved. Pictured (above right) were some items from this event.

Inside the 4-piece blue box were the two chocolates listed for today (lower right, and upper left, respectively). Notorious H.O.G. contained delicious hints of bacon. However, my favorite was the Jasmine. Exactly as advertised, all the wonderful flavor you'd find in an aromatic cup of jasmine tea.

Monday, March 22, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 22, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1 piece
Ococoa Fine Chocolates
Almond Cherry
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A
Purchased from: N/A - Courtesy of Ococoa Chocolates, at the Chocolate Salon event, held in San Francisco, CA

I'm finally coming down from the chocolate and sugar high from the Chocolate Salon -- a one-day celebration of chocolates, organized by TasteTV, held Saturday, March 20, at Fort Mason, in San Francisco. (There are also Chocolate Salons held in other cities.)

It was a pleasure to talk with chocolatiers and small chocolate business owners in person. Yes, there were many who hailed from the San Francisco area, but also other from other cities. Two companies from the Los Angeles area I enjoyed meeting were: Ococoa Fine Chocolates and Choclatique. Also, Posh Chocolat, from Missoula, Montana, is proof that talented people can create chocolates anywhere they wish. More about these companies this week...

With so many trees in blossom now, today I was inspired to try Ococoa's Almond Cherry chocolate, which had a cherry blossom swirl design on top. I enjoyed the layering of ingredients inside a slightly deeper cup shape, with almond butter on top and flavorful, authentic cherry on the bottom. Very nice.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Coco Delice Fine Chocolates
Orange Cardamom
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: ~ .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Coco Delice, (at Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, CA)

Orange and cardamom are a particularly nice combination of flavors when mixed with chocolate. I've had this combination once before, and had the same reaction. Thumbs up.

Thank you to Chef Dennis, at Coco Delice, who allowed me to nab an orange cardomom display model (one of only three pieces that were left), and who also explained the inspiration behind the company's peanut butter bonbons (that I tried earlier this week). As young chef(s) he (and his brother) experimented with melting down chocsimiles (of e.g. chocolate easter rabbits and the like) to create their own chocolate and peanut butter items.  That early practice paid off.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of this chocolate before eating it. So, I will refer all interested parties to www.cocodelice.com. (Note: the image to the right came from this website.)

ChocolateBet: March 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 kids scoops
Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream
1.) Chocolate + Salt Caramel - Very Good
2.) Peanut Butter Curry - Very Good
Weight: 5 oz. (143 calories) (estimate)
Calories: 330 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.50 for 2 kids cups

Big chocolate day in San Francisco. I stopped by the Walt Disney Family Museum (they carry a few chocolates in their gift shop); and attended the Chocolate Salon show at Fort Mason, organized by TasteTV and with other sponsors. You'll be hearing more about this event in the next few days. It was a great opportunity to taste many new and interesting chocolates.

Last, but not least, I visited Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream (in the Mission) on the way home. I'd been planning to stop here for awhile. My one requirement: to find parking within 10 minutes of driving around the area. The list of unique flavors on the Humphry Slocombe website looked intriguing - and many of them didn't even involve chocolate. (Surprise.)  This no-chocolate problem can easily be remedied. Hello chocolate sundae made with chevre and strawberry jam ice cream, the next time this flavor is available. Today was my lucky day. I found a space a block away, and I enjoyed both the chocolate + salt caramel and peanut butter curry flavors. Pictured are both kid-sized scoops (in cups). The second photo was an accident, but it did capture today's chocolate and sugar activity level.

Friday, March 19, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2/3 package
Coco Delice Fine Chocolates
Peanut Butter Bonbons
Very Good +
Weight: 4 oz. (113 g.)/6 oz. (169 g.) total package/bag
Calories: 600 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.99
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in San Rafael, CA

Yes, you are correct. Four ounces was a large serving of bonbons. I was eating them after a very long walk today, along with much healthier food and drink. And they were good.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/5 bar
World Market/Cost Plus
Honey and Green Tea - Milk Chocolate (bar)
Good +
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.)/3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 92 calories in 1/5 bar (3 squares)
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus in Mountain View, CA

Technically, yesterday was the last day of Chocolate and St. Patricks/Green Theme Week. However, since I acquired a few extra "green-themed" items in the last few weeks, more green related items are on the way.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 17, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 heart-shaped bar
Sacred Chocolate
Mintifluous - Poignant Peppermint
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.)
Calories: 334 calories
Cost: $9.99 (pricey, but good)
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in San Rafael, CA

This heart-shaped peppermint-flavored, raw dark chocolate bar was wrapped in a shiny green wrapper, and epitomizes "green" in more ways than one. First, hats off to Sacred Chocolate-tiers for making a nice raw chocolate with a great smooth consistency, and just the right amount of mint flavoring. Perhaps the stone-ground reference on the label had something to do with the smooth texture. Second, gluten (and dairy and soy) free was a plus. Happy St. Patrick's Day all.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 16, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar
Endangered Species Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Deep Forest Mint bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 grams)/3 oz. (85 grams) in total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in San Rafael, CA

This was Day #6 of Chocolate and St. Patrick's/Green Theme Week. 

Not everyone celebrates St. Patrick's Day, but it's easy to appreciate a green forest or bunches of shamrocks. I bought this dark bar (72% cacoa) on the drive home from an overnight trip to Sonoma County, after spending yesterday morning walking through an old growth redwood forest.

Above right is a scanned image of the Endangered Species bar wrapper, with a picture of a of a beautiful forest; and I've also included a few pictures (below right) from my walk through Armstrong Redwoods State Park.

Monday, March 15, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 15, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
1.) Sweet Memory Chocolates - Mint Truffle - Very Good
2.) Le Grand Confectionary - Key Lime Truffle - Good
3.) Sweet Memory Chocolates - Dark Chocolate Almond Turtle - Very Good

Weight: 1.75 oz. (estimate for total eaten)
Calories: 263 calories total (estimate)
Cost: $6.30 for three pieces above
Purchased from: Sweet Memory Chocolates, in Healdsburg, CA

To celebrate Day #5 of Chocolate and St. Patricks/Green Week, I found three chocolates that I thought best fitted this theme, including one with mint, and one with key lime. The third piece (in the back) is a chocolate "turtle" -- perhaps the biggest stretch. (Turtles are green, and this is a chocolate turtle, right?)

I found these chocolates in Healdsburg, a nice, small Northern California town, with few large chain or franchise retail shops.  This works for me, as I liked talking to family run small businesses, like Sweet Memory Chocolates (shop pictured at right). Thank you for help with making my St. Patrick's/Green chocolate selections.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 14, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 "potato"
See's Candies
St. Patrick's Day Potato
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 grams)
Calories: 340 calories for 1 potato
Cost: $3.50 (gift from Megan - thank you!)
Purchased from: See's Candies, in/at Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

This week has been a salute to the color green, and countdown to St. Patrick's Day. Hats off to the chocolatiers at See's. This really looked like a baked potato, inside and out.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 13, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) World Market - Dark Chocolate (bar) 72% cacao; 1/5 bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.)/3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 88 calories in 1/5 bar
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

2.) World Market - Reserved Green Tea - Chocolate Jasmine tea (1 tea bag)
Good+
Weight: .07 oz. (2 g.)/1.55 oz. (44 g.) total container of 22 bags
Calories: 1 calorie (estimate) in one tea bag
Cost: $6.99 for total container, 22 bags
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

A toast to St. Patrick's Day this next week, with Green chocolate tea today. The tea did contain roasted cacao nibs. However, just in case some think this isn't "real chocolate," I sampled part of a dark chocolate bar, also from World Market/Cost Plus.

Friday, March 12, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 12, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 package
Kara Chocolates
Leprechaun Droppings - Gold Coins
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 299 calories
Cost: $3.99
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

I tried another type of gold chocolate coinage today. This time courtesy of a leprechaun.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 11, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 container
Lucerne Foods
Mint Chocolate Chip flavored ice cream
Good +
Weight: 3.75 oz. (111 mL)/ 7.5 oz. (222 mL) total container
Calories: 180 calories in 1/2 container
Cost:
Purchased from: Safeway

It seemed appropriate to eat green foods in honor of St. Patrick's Day next week. And this ice cream was a nice green color, although probably with the assistance of some artificial coloring.

ChocolateBet: March 10, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Cadbury Roses (assortment package with 10 different flavors)
Caramel
Good - Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) in 1 piece / 7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 51 calories in 1 piece (estimate)
Cost: $7.99 for total package
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

I was wondering....But, fortunately, when I took the shiny aqua blue wrapper off this Caramel, I found it came coated with chocolate. Because, it would have been awful if I'd had to eat yet another piece of chocolate today if this one didn't work out.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 9, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Cadbury Roses (assortment box of 10 different flavors) - 1 piece
"Golden Barrel" - Good + - Very Good (gold wrapper)
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) in 1 piece /7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 51 calories
Cost: $7.99 for total package of 10 flavors
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

Nice butterscotch flavor. Yes, it was sweet, but in a good way.

2.) Cadbury Roses (assortment box of 10 different flavors) - 1 tiny bar
"Blush" - Good + - Very Good
Weight: .316 oz. (9 g.)/.95 oz. (27 g.) total package/box of 3 tiny bars
Calories: 44 calories in 1 tiny bar (estimate)
Cost: (don't have info)
Purchased from: (don't have info)

I liked the tiny 9 gram size bar. Larger bars are harder to finish if there are not people to share them with at the time.

Monday, March 8, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 8, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
3 pieces
Cadbury Roses (assortment package of 10 different flavors)
1.) Hazel in Caramel (2 pieces) - Good - Good +
2.) Hazel Whirls (1 piece) - Good - Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) in 3 pieces / 7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 153 calories in 3 pieces (estimate)
Cost: $7.99 for total package
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

The Roses assortment box has allowed me to try several different, individually-wrapped Cadbury chocolates this past week. Some were even adulterated and mixed with real roses and other edible flowers. (See Chocolate and Flower Theme Week posts, March 1-7, 2010.) Today was hazelnut and chocolate day. (See image.) I tried two of Cadbury's Hazel in Caramel chocolates (shown in front with shiny purple wrapper), and one of the Hazel Whirls (in back of this group with purple and orange wrapper).

Sunday, March 7, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 7, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
2 pieces
Cadbury Roses (assortment package of 10 different flavors)
1.) Cadbury Dairy Milk - Good +
2.) Country Fudge - Good - Good +
Weight: .733 oz. (20 g.) in 2 pieces/7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 109 calories in 2 pieces (estimate)
Cost: $7.99 for total package
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

Take two (chocolate) Cadbury Roses and combine with hot milk and rosewater, and stir.  Results: a very nice hot chocolate. And this (Day #7) concludes Chocolate and Flower Week.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 6, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
3 pieces
Cadbury Roses - package of 10 different flavors
1.) Caramel Velvet (1 piece - green wrapper) Good - Good +
2.) Tangy Orange Creme (2 pieces - orange wrapper) Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (30 g.) in 3 pieces/7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 150 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $7.99 for total package
Purchased from: World Market/Cost Plus, in Mountain View, CA

More Cadbury Roses today. And in honor of Day #6 of Chocolate and Flower Week, I brewed some hibiscus flowers (El Bravo Te de Jamaica) into Pink Hibiscus Tea and enjoyed that with the Tangy Orange Cremes, with a few tangerine sections on the side. The hibiscus was a great addition, and added some fruit punch flavor to this nutty orange cream chocolate.

Friday, March 5, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 5, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar + 4 saffron threads/stamens
Chocolove
Cherries and Almonds in Dark Chocolate (55% cacoa content) bar
Good +
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.)/ 3.2 oz. (90 g.) total bar (less than .25 gram for 4 saffron threads)
Calories: 149 calories for 1/3 bar (estimate)
Cost: $3.99 for total Chocolove bar
Purchased from: (lost purchase info)

Yes, it's true, I tainted this chocolate bar with flower stamens (saffron)*. I was inspired to heat these two ingredients together after I sampled another saffron-flavored chocolate awhile back (that hasn't appeared on this blog yet). Findings from this experiment: I am not an expert flavor mixer, but this combination has potential.

Chocolove bars come with love poems. This one (an excerpt from "Ask Me No More" by Thomas Carew) read, in part:
"...Ask me no more where Jove bestows,
When June is past, the fading rose; 
For in your beauty's orient deep
These flowers, as in their causes, sleep..."

Well, this week, I too have been putting flowers to sleep, with chocolate.

*Saffron, the spice, comes from crocus flowers. The orange threads are actually stamens. There are only three stamens per flower, which is one reason why saffron is so expensive.

Day #5 of Chocolate and Flower Week

ChocolateBet: March 4, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 scoops of ice cream, in a cup
Polly Ann Ice Cream
1.) Jasmine Tea ice cream - Very Good
2.) Bumpy Freeway ice cream - Very Good
Weight: 8 oz. (226.4 grams) (estimate)
Calories: 500 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.25 total
Purchased from: Polly Ann Ice Cream, in San Francisco, CA

Polly Ann Ice Cream offers several exotic and interesting flavors of ice cream. And if you have trouble deciding, someone behind the counter can spin a wheel and choose a flavor for you. (Wouldn't a "wheel of indecision" be handy for other life decisions?) However, this evening I didn't need the wheel, as I knew just what I wanted. This week I've been combining chocolate with flowers in some form. It took a combination of two different flavors to make this happen. The Jasmine Tea ice cream was a very tasty and refreshing floral flavor. And the Bumpy Freeway (very similar to Rocky Road) ice cream was good was well.

I didn't see any dogs come in for their free ice cream cone while I was there; but the sign did say that that dogs needed to be accompanied by a human being to collect on this offer.

Extra bonus this evening: a free sunset over the Pacific Ocean (see image), visible from Polly Ann's.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 3, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 hot milkshake
Rose, Kulfi and Chocolate Hot Milkshake
Very Good
Weight: 11 oz. (311 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 500 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.32
Purchased from: Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream, in Palo Alto, CA

It was probably a cold, dismal, rainy day (like today) when someone at Rick's created a hot milkshake, by putting a freshly made milkshake into a microwave oven. And guess what, this idea works. Apparently some flavors (such as chocolate and cinnamon; or lemon and ginger were suggested) yield better results than others. I thought the Rose/Kulfi/Chocolate shake was pretty tasty.

Before going to Rick's, I consulted one of my inspiration sources for chocolate mixology -- holidayinsights.com -- and found that today was Happy Peach Blossom Day -- a good fit with the chocolate + flower theme for this week. However, I was unable to find a peach blossom item in time; so I went with a rose once again, in the form of this milkshake. The rose hot shake made more sense than trying to do something with "If Pets Had Thumbs Day," also celebrated on March 3. On the other hand, if our cat (Dizzy) had thumbs, not only would she be opening my bedroom door for an early wake-up call every morning, but she would also be trying to open the microwave oven door to sample hot milkshakes.

ChocolateBet: March 2, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Cadbury Roses - Strawberry Dream
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)/7.7 oz. (220 g.) total package
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) for 1 piece
Cost: $7.99 for total package (10 different kinds of chocolates)
Purchased from: Cost Plus/World Market, in Mountain View, CA

2.) Mariebelle Chocolate Rose Tea
Good+
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.)/2 oz. (56 g.) total container
Calories: 80 calories for 1 serving with milk
Cost: $12.00 for total container
Purchased from: Mariebelle shop, in New York City, New York

Continuing on the floral theme from yesterday, I found myself sipping chocolate and rose tea (with milk) and eating Cadbury Rose chocolates today. It felt very proper and British for a moment, until I almost spilled everything while trying to take a picture of these items.

Monday, March 1, 2010

ChocolateBet: March 1, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1.5 oz. (of larger bar)
Rococo Chocolates
Orange and Geranium dark bar
Very Good + - Yum
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)/2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar (estimates)
Calories: 203 calories (estimate) in 1.5 oz.
Cost: $
Purchased from: The Candy Store, in San Francisco, CA

Happy March to all. The Indian Holi celebration of the colors of Spring has been going on this past week. Seeing all the revelers decorated with patches of powdered bright colors, inspired me to seek out some chocolate mixed with flowers this week. I love floral smells and tastes in most food items. So, I was very happy with this Rococo bar. If you're not so inclined, you still may enjoy it. There are small pieces of orange confit embedded in this smooth, dark chocolate bar. The label for these organic bars uses artwork/images from old chocolate mold catalogs.

Last, but not least, thank you to The Candy Store in San Francisco for introducing me to this Rococo bar. As mentioned in a previous post, they specialize in candy, but have a nice selection of chocolates as well in their small shop (pictured).
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...