Friday, April 30, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 30, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
3/5 bar
Safeway Select
Milk Chocolate with Nibbed Hazelnuts (bar)
Good +
Weight: 2.1 oz. (60 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 327 calories for 3/5 bar
Cost: $2.00 (sale)
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

This bar was an authentic mix of milk chocolate and ground and nibbed* hazelnuts. It had a very slight mealy texture to it, due to the small hazelnut pieces, but tasted fine. It probably would be good melted over vanilla ice cream, with a dash of Frangelico (hazelnut flavored) liqueur.

And there was what I call the big bar challenge. I was planning to eat only a little bit...(Chocolate stories that begin like this rarely end well.) I unwrapped this large bar when I was very hungry. Rookie mistake. Enough said.

Today marked the end of (Day #7 of) Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

* While this is the first time I've seen word "Nibbed" used this way, it made sense. Nibs are small pieces or points of items, e.g. a nib is a corner of a pillow. Cacao beans, processed and ground into small bits, are called nibs, or cacao nibs.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/3 bar
Blanxart
Chocolate con Leche Avellanas (bar)
Good +
Weight: .56 oz. (15.9 g.)/ 1.7 oz. (48 g.) in total bar
Calories: 96 calories (estimate) for 1/3 bar
Cost: $2.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: (deli)

This morning I traveled to Spain -- well at least I pretended to -- for Day #6 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week. This Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar hails from Blanxart, based in Barcelona, Spain.

I hope to travel to Barcelona some day. It certainly sounds like an interesting food and chocolate city. Blanxart got its start there in 1954. At that time, the company's distinctive mark and logotype were developed based on an Arts and Professions image in the Barcelona History Museum --  chosen in part because it reflected the company’s philosophy of carefully crafting chocolates.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 28, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
La Suissa
Gianduiotto Bitter
Good +
Weight: .75 oz (21 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 107 calories for two pieces (estimate)
Cost: $1.50 for two pieces
Purchased from: The Candy Store, in San Francisco, CA

Today's choice for Day #5 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week were these two very smoothly blended, oblong-shaped hazelnut chocolates from Europe (Italy), via The Candy Store in San Francisco.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
5 pieces
(The Wynn) Chocolat Frederic Robert
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1.77 oz. (50 g.)/ 4.3 oz. (120 g.) total bag (~ 12 pieces)
Calories: 256 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $8.00 for total package
Purchased from: The Wynn/Encore Las Vegas gift shop, Las Vegas, NV

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week, where dark chocolate disks were topped hazelnuts, pistachios, and dried fruits: pineapple and apricot.

Monday, April 26, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1.5 oz. serving
Coco Delice Fine Chocolates
Caramelized Chocolate Hazelnuts
Very Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)/ 6 oz. (169 g.) in total package/bag
Calories: 217 calories (estimate)
Cost: $(no receipt)
Purchased from: Coco Delice at Chocolate Salon event in San Francisco, CA, last month

Whole hazelnuts (lightly toasted, if I'm not mistaken), a thin layer of dark chocolate, and cocoa powder. I found myself so happy to bite into a chocolate and taste something other than sugar. These well-executed caramelized chocolate hazelnuts from Coco Delice had just the right amount of sweetness for my taste.

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

Sunday, April 25, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Vosges
Balsamico
Very Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 72 calories in 1 piece
Cost: $
Purchased from: Vosges, Forum Shops in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, CA

This Vosges chocolate truffle, made with 12-year old balsamic vinegar, was topped with hazelnut pieces. The hazelnut topping qualified it for Day #2 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

I didn't have quite enough pieces for a Chocolate and Oil and Vinegar Theme Week....Perhaps in the future. (Note: Vosges does make a truffle with olive oil, as part of their Italian Collection.)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece/cup
Ococoa
Hazelnut Chocolate (cup)
Good +
Weight: .31 oz. (8.75 g.) in 1/2 cup /.62 oz. (17.5 g.) in one piece/cup (estimates)
Calories: 44 calories in 1/2 cup (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A

Purchased from: N/A

This deep chocolate cup, filled with hazelnut butter and chocolate ganache, was one of the last Ococoa chocolate cups, in a 9-piece box, from the Chocolate Salon that was held in San Francisco last month. I enjoyed a bite of this today with fresh strawberries as a send-off to (Day #7) of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week, and also the beginning (Day #1) of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week.

Friday, April 23, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 servings
Safeway Select
Classic Trail Mix with Peanut Butter Chips with Sea Salt
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 13 oz. (386 g.) in total container
Calories: 280 calories in 2 servings (6 Tablespoons)
Cost: $4.99
Purchased from: Safeway, in Palo Alto, CA

Many centuries ago, we made our own trail mix to take with us on camping trips. One evening, when spending the night in a shelter on the Appalachian trail, with a few other individuals, I had a tiny mouse run across my face while prone in my sleeping bag. I'm sure he or she was looking for -- trail mix. What on earth does this have to do with chocolate you ask? Well, today, I'm going hiking on the San Francisco Bay Trail, and I'm bringing a modern version of trail mix with me -- with "candy coated chocolate pieces" and, wait for it, Sea Salt as well. Oh, in addition to the more traditional elements: almonds, peanuts and raisins, it also has peanut butter chips in it -- qualifying this mix for Day #6 of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 22, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

To celebrate Earth Day today (April 22), I created a special Chocolate Banquet brunch menu, with 8 chocolates, to honor the eight planets (used to be nine, sorry Pluto).

Seven of these chocolates forming this imaginary chocolate solar system were from Vosges, based in Chicago, Illinois. Vosges not only has a global feel to the company and chocolates, but also has adopted earth-friendly practices, such as using recycled materials, and donating to good causes in this vein. Fortunately, I happened to be in Las Vegas last week, where there is a Vosges satellite shop in the Western U.S.

Deluxe Chocolate Brunch "Menu"

The first course on today's brunch menu is bacon and eggs - a la Vosges...

1.) Vosges - Bacon and Eggs - 1 egg
(A dark chocolate egg with caramel and bacon inside)
Very Good

After this first course, and some fresh orange slices and mint tea,  I tried most of the chocolates in a 9-piece box I had picked up at Vosges. (This box, with the addition of the earth chocolate in the center that was not from Vosges, is pictured at right.)

2.) Vosges - Buddha's Leaf - 1 truffle (top row, center)
(Dark chocolate truffle flavored with Malaysian Pandan leaf - from Vosges Green Collection)
Very Good + - Yum

3.) Vosges - Ambrosia - 1 truffle (bottom row, center)
(Cointreau, white chocolate, macadamia nut pieces)
Very Good

4.) Vosges - Black Pearl  - 1 truffle (not pictured)
(Black sesame seeds, ginger, wasabi)
Very Good - Very Good +

5.) Vosges - Naga - 1 truffle (bottom row, right)
(Milk chocolate truffle with sweet Indian curry powder)
Very Good

6.) Vosges - Woolloomooloo - 1 truffle (bottom row, left)
(Milk chocolate, macadamia nuts, coconut)
Good + - Very Good

7.) Vosges - Rose - 1 truffle (top row, right)
(Dark chocolate, topped with a rose petal)
Very Good - Very Good +

8.) (Vendor unknown) - 1 piece (pictured above, right, beginning of today's post)
A foil-wrapped chocsimile of planet Earth (from Country Sun Natural Foods)
Good +

For those interested, below is more information on today's Earth Day Chocolate Brunch Banquet.
Total Weight (chocolates only): 4.1 oz. (121 g.)
Total Calories: 750 calories in total brunch (chocolates, fresh fruit, dab of peanut butter, tea)
Total Cost: $35.00 (thank you very much to Vosges, for the additional free samples to try)
Purchases from: Vosges, Forum Shops in Caesar's Palace, in Las Vegas, NV; and Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was also Day #5 of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week, and I believe I've included chocolate combined with seeds, nuts, nut butter, and fruit in today's brunch.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 cup/piece
Ococoa
Cashew Apricot (cup)
Very Good
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 89 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A
Purchased from: N/A

This chocolate cup filled with cashew butter and apricot was one of my favorite Ococoa creations I've tried to date; and it was today's choice for Day #4 of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 20, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:


1.) ProBar LLC
Koka Moka (bar) - 5/6 of 1 bar
Good +
Weight: 2.5 oz. (71 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 300 calories in 5/6 bar
Cost: $3.59
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

This ProBar was a great fit for Day #3 of Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week (as well as Earth Day Week). In addition to a nut butter (organic peanut butter), the Koka Moka bar was chock full of other nuts (raw cashews, almonds and brazil nuts); seeds (organic raw sunflower, brown flax, and brown sesame seeds, and raw pumpkin seed, hemp seed, and organic cardamom, fennel and fenugreek seeds); and fruits (organic raisins and dates, pineapple, papaya and apples). My apologies to many more ingredients that I'm leaving out.

2.) Ococoa
Macadamia Guava (cup) - 1 cup
Good +
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 89 calories (estimate)
Cost: $N/A
Purchased from: N/A

Also a fantastic fit for Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week are Ococoa cups -- small chocolate parfait cups layered with nut, seed and fruit flavors. I like macadamia nuts; however, I don't recall having tried macadamia nut butter. It's probably one of the hardest nut butters to work with (other than brazil nut butter perhaps?). I enjoyed it most as the guava, chocolate and nut flavors all blended together.

Monday, April 19, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 19, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Ococoa 
Pistachio Date - 1 cup
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.)/5.6 oz. (157.5 g.) (estimate) box of 9 cups
Calories: 89 calories (estimate) in one cup/piece
Cost: $N/A
Purchased from: N/A

Today is Day #2 of Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Week here at Chocolate Banquet, and I celebrated with another Ococoa deep dish chocolate cup. This tasty one, decorated with pistachio nut pieces on top, was layered with green pistachio butter paste, and a piece of date at the bottom.

And since it is also Earth Day Week, I added a second chocolate:

2.) Organic Food Bar Inc.
Active Greens - Chocolate 
Very Good
Weight: 2.4 oz. (68 grams) in 1 bar
Calories: 310 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $2.79
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

This moist, rich-tasting bar was surprisingly good. While humble in appearance, it packs a nutritional wallop with a long list of organic ingredients, including: dark chocolate, almond butter, dates, raisins; flax, quinoa and broccoli sprouts; agave syrup; sesame seeds; and carrot juice and beet juice.  I like chocolate and I like salad; and this is probably the closest I've come to eating a chocolate salad bar.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 cups/1 package
Suncups, LLC
Nut Free Sun Cups - Sunflower Butter Dark Chocolate
(created and distributed for Suncups, LLC by Seth Ellis Chocolatier)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.) in 1 package of 2 cups
Calories: 230 calories
Cost: $1.99
Purchased from: Cost Plus/World Market, Mountain View, CA

These organic, gluten free, and fair trade dark chocolate cups, made with sunflower butter, offer an alternative to those with a hankering for a peanut butter cup, but who are allergic to peanuts. And, since today is Day #2 of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter with Fruit Theme Week, I was inspired to eat these cups with some fresh fruit - apple slices and dried apricots to be exact.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 17, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:
2 pieces
Ococoa
1.) Sesame Fig - Good +
2.) Sunflower Honey - Very Good
Weight: 1.24 oz. (35 g.) in 2 pieces/ 5.6 oz. (157.5 g.) total box of 9 pieces
Calories: 178 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $N/A
Purchased from: N/A - from Ococoa at Chocolate Salon in San Francisco, CA

When I started eating a different chocolate every day, I never dreamed there would still be this many new chocolates to eat more than three and a half years later -- much less dozens of possible theme weeks and items to combine with chocolate. Life is full of the unexpected. Today marks the start of yet another theme week. Today is Day #1 of Chocolate and Seed/Nut Butter and Fruit Theme Week.

This week, I'm returning to a wonderful 9-piece box of Ococoa chocolate cups that combine a range of nut, seed, and dried fruit ingredients. I tried two of these cups today. The Sesame Fig cup had a piece of fig embedded in the middle, and the Sunflower Honey cup, with a bee design stenciled across the top, blended tasty sunflower seed butter and honey flavors. (One drop of aged balsamic vinegar or port would probably mesh well with chocolate and fig. Good excuse for a chocolate and fig theme week later this year.)

Friday, April 16, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 16, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 small square
Golden Road Foods
Crispeez - covered in "a milk confectionery coating and drizzled with white"
Good - Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21 g.)/ 6 oz. (170 g.) in total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 90 calories in one small square
Cost: $3.99 for total box
Purchased from: Cost Plus/World Market, in Mountain View, CA

Given a choice between a very large portion of chocolate and a smaller one, I'll take the latter, as I can always go back for more if I want. Larger portions are harder to finish; and, due to weaknesses on my part, I'm more likely to overeat, and regret it later. For this reason, I really liked that these Crispeez squares were quite a bit smaller than other similar bars containing rice cereal. Although they were richer as they were completely covered in milk chocolate. Today's entry concludes Day #7 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: April 15, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Pamela's Products 
Chocolate Walnut Cookies - 3 cookies
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.45 oz. (69 g.)/ 7.25 oz. (206 g.) in total package/box
Calories: 360 calories in 3 cookies
Cost: $3.49 in 1 box/package of cookies
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in Los Altos, CA

Because I can't eat gluten/wheat, I'm always happy to find wheat-free treats. Pamela's has been offering a wide range of gluten-free cookies for many years. (My favorites so far: the dark (double) chocolate chunk cookies, and the ginger cookies, although the latter don't have chocolate in them.) Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week. These chocolate chip walnut cookies contained three different types of rice flour (brown, white and sweet rice flours), and tapioca starch.



2.) Mel and Kat, LLC
Milk and Krunchies - DJ AM's toffee mix crispy treat - 1 piece/package
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 3.54 oz. (100 g.) in 1 piece/package
Calories: 420 calories in 1 package
Cost: $4.00
Purchased from: Sugar Factory, in the Mirage Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, CA

I had intended to have just one chocolate per day; however, traveling in Las Vegas this past week has taken it's toll. There are many temptations here, and I'm just talking about chocolate. Thankfully I'm not easily sucked into gambling or other vices. Today was my last day in Sin City, and I decided to take a stroll through the Mirage Hotel and Casino before heading to the airport and a flight home. In the process, I discovered the Sugar Factory. This sounded like a place that might carry a few fun chocolate items. I was happy to find this toffee flavored crispy treat -- perfect for Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week. Sadly, I was informed that they had just sold the last of an item that would also have been a great match: rice crispy-type treats in the shape of cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Ah well.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 14, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/4 bar
Charles Chocolates
Caramelized Crisped Rice in 41% Milk Chocolate (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) / 3.4 oz. (95 g.) in total bar
Calories: 128 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $4.59 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draegers, in Menlo Park, CA

Today marked Day #5 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week on Chocolate Banquet. This rich milk chocolate bar contained caramelized rice that was just at the right crispiness level for me.  This bar was large enough to share with a few people, and I did just that.

ChocolateBet: April 13, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Alter Eco 
Dark Chocolate Quinoa - Midnight Crunch - 1/5 bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 107 calories (estimate) in 1/5 bar
Cost: $
Purchased from: (not available)

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week. This Alter Eco fair trade dark (61% cocoa) bar was the first item I've tried with chocolate and quinoa; I'm always excited to try new combinations of food and other edible items with chocolate. This bar was also labeled as being soy-free, gluten-free, GMO-free, and vegan.

Being in Las Vegas week, I stopped in to visit Vosges and Payard Patisserie and Bistro, both in Caesar's Palace (Forum Shops and Hotel and Casino, respectively). While I'm embarrassed to admit eating a three-course "dinner" at Payard this evening, my excuse is that one of these three courses fit in with Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week.

2.) Payard Patisserie and Bistro
Rice Crispy Treat (bars)
Very Good
Cost: $4.00 for a package of two bars
Purchased from: Payard Patisserie and Bistro, in Las Vegas, NV
Payard's rice crispy bars are as high-end a version as you'll find. They are partially dipped/covered in dark chocolate, and "Payard" appears in tiny gold script across one (chocolate-coated) side of this bar. (Also available at Payard is an excellent flourless chocolate cookie that I highly recommend trying; and their Yuzu truffles were very good as well. I'll look forward to returning and featuring these later.)

Monday, April 12, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 12, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Divine Chocolate Inc.
Crunchy Milk Chocolate (bar) with crisped rice
Good +
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 210 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $
Purchased from: (not available)

Welcome to Day #3 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week. This bar with a nice shiny silver wrapper tasted good; however, there were a few drawbacks associated with this packaging: 1.) shiny wrappers are difficult to photograph (so apologies to Divine Chocolate for the poor quality image here); and 2.) shiny wrappers are more difficult to read. As I bit into this bar, I tasted a very familiar malty, authentic grain taste....uh oh. This bar contained gluten, wheat and barley -- all lovely ingredients I can't have. These items were clearly listed on the label, but I missed seeing them when I bought the bar.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 11, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Kaia Foods
2 servings
Buckwheat Granola - Cocoa Bliss
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 4 oz. (114 g.)/ 12 oz. (340 g.) total package
Calories: 440 calories in 2 servings (1 cup)
Cost: $5.99 for total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

I'm in Las Vegas this week; chocolate temptations are everywhere. However, I brought this healthy-looking buckwheat item with me from home. I liked that this gluten-free, raw granola was not too sweet. This cereal was also nutritionally dense, which is to say, there were quite a few calories in a 1 cup serving -- 440 calories to be precise, not counting the nonfat milk I poured all over it. (I went downstairs and bought milk from Starbucks for the granola; that was fairly easy. Finding a spoon to eat this in my hotel room was more challenging.)

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Rice/Grains Theme Week. Because, however, some may not consider buckwheat to be a true grain (or type of rice), I decided to sacrifice and eat one more chocolate today. My second chocolate: a few bites of a fairly new Ghirardelli milk chocolate bar (below) with crisped rice. It's odd that I bought this bar in Las Vegas, since Ghirardelli is based in the San Francisco Bay Area -- where I live. But, such is the wide geographic reach of chocolate.

2.) Ghirardelli Chocolate
Luxe Milk - Crisp - 1/4 bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.)/ 2.81 oz. (80 g.) total bar
Calories: 100 calories for 1/4 bar (2 squares)
Cost: $3.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Essentials (shop) in Harrah's Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Saturday, April 10, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 10, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Coco-luxe Confections
Tin Roof (marshmallow, peanuts, crispy rice)
Good +
Weight: 3.2 oz. (90 grams) (estimate)
Calories: 300 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.50
Purchased from: Coco-luxe, in San Francisco, CA

Sometimes I eat chocolate for breakfast, especially when I know I'll be out and away from a computer for most of the day. Today was one of those days. I'm traveling to Las Vegas, and will likely stop at some chocolate shops there later today.

Today is Day #1 of Chocolate and Rice and Grains Theme Week.  I can't eat wheat/gluten, so this rules out most chocolate cookies and cakes. Fortunately, there is a great selection of chocolate items made with rice and other wheat alternatives.

Today's Tin Roof bar from Coco-luxe Confections (San Francisco) is one example. The crispy rice was blended into the relatively light marshmallow and peanut filling of this bar. It must be a challenge to keep the rice ultra-crispy this way; however, this Tin Roof bar was an amalgamation of fun flavors. I also liked the short ingredient list. That's my kind of bar -- not a lot of extra stuff or preservatives.

Friday, April 9, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 9, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Endangered Species - Dark Chocolate with Raspberries (bar)
1/3 bar
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar
Cost: $
Purchased from: Whole Foods

2.) Sweet Candy Company - Sweet's Raspberry Sticks
3 sticks
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .89 oz. (25.2 g.)/ 4.1 oz. (116 g.) total package/box
Calories: 96 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $4.65 for total package
Purchased from: Draegers, in Menlo Park, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week. However, the choice of red wine today was an Ariel 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon that had been dealcoholized. I wanted to investigate some high-end red grape juice and low-alcohol alternatives to mix with chocolate. It's not fair to compare this Ariel wine with the very full-bodied port and late harvest Cabernet I had yesterday, but it's good to know that there's an alternative like this available.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 8, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1.5 oz. (part of bar)
Organic Meltdown (made in Switzerland for Brand Stand Ltd.)
Swiss Organic Dark Chocolate with Rooibos and Raspberry
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)/ 3.2 oz. (90 g.) total bar
Cost: $
Calories: 242 calories in 1.5 oz. bar (estimate)
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week, and it's clear that this idea became a thinly veiled excuse for overindulgence. I enjoyed sharing today's 58% cacoa bar with Laurie and Gerri at the Grapevine wine bar in Willow Glen, CA. And, remaining faithful to the week's theme, I combined this chocolate with three wines:
1.) Lustao - San Emilio Sherry
2.) Eden Canyon "Presente" Late Harvest Cabernet
3.) Fonseca, Vintage Port, 2003
This "sweet and saucy" trio, was matched with Grapevine's Frutti di Bosco Parfait dessert, with raspberry sauce, custard and fresh berries. A very satisfactory dinner was made with these items, an antipasti selection, and some truffle-oil infused popcorn. Alas, I forgot my camera. So, no pictures of this chocolate banquet.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 7, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Coco-luxe
4 pieces + 1 glass Sangiovese red wine
Very Good
Weight: 2.5 oz. (estim.) + glass of wine
Calories: 375 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.00 (special promotion via Bloomspot)
Purchased from: Coco-luxe - Bloomspot, in San Francisco, CA

The Coco-luxe store in San Francisco (near Haight and Ashbury) offers wine tasting as well as chocolate. I sat at the counter/bar, and received a small plate of three different chocolates (shown at right) to accompany my choice of wine. Thank you to Phil for recommendations. I enjoyed the glass of 122 (degrees) West Sangiovese I had. The wine was especially well matched with the small dark cube of chocolate (front). And, darn it. I forgot to ask about what this was. As for the other two chocolates: a (seasonal) Browned Butter truffle and a small serving of chocolate "block party" almonds (that had some added spices), the almonds tasted fine by themselves and the truffle was fairly good; however, the browned butter truffle that I chose didn't seem to mesh with the wine as well as the small dark cube. But, discovering what you like is part of the fun of tasting.

Trader Joe's
1 PBandJ bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Menlo Park, CA

This peanut butter, milk and dark chocolate, and raspberry jam bar provided the "raspberry" element for today -- Day #6 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 6, 2010

Chocolate of the Week:
1/2 bar
Chocolove
Raspberries in Dark Chocolate - 55% cacoa content
Very Good
Weight: 1.6 oz. (45 g.)/ 3.2 oz. (90 g.) total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $3.25 for total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in San Rafael, CA

To celebrate Day #5 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week, I paired this Raspberries in Dark Chocolate bar with some Sheffield Tawny Port. For a few minutes I did feel rich. As nothing says I-don't-care-about-my-waistline-or-my-wallet like nibbling on several squares of chocolate while sipping a tiny glass of Port. As an added bonus, I read the Sonnet by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, printed on the inside of the wrapper. Chocolove includes love poems with their bars. To all: enjoy your prosperous moments in life.

Monday, April 5, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 5, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving (2 Tablespoons)
Cuisine Perel
Raspberry Pinot Noir Chocolate Sauce
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 Tablespoons (37 g.)/ 12.7 Fl. Oz. (375 ml) in total bottle
Calories: 140 calories for 1 serving
Cost: $16.95 for total bottle (about 12 servings)
Purchased from Draegers market, in Menlo Park, CA

Cleverly packaged, but fiendishly difficult to extract*, this raspberry and wine flavored chocolate sauce ended up atop a sundae (pictured); and I also tried a dab of  this chocolate sauce, and with a gluten-free ginger cookie.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week.

*Note: The cork top was stuck in the bottle. I used a wine bottle opener to get it out, after prying off the black plastic cork cover. Fortunately, I'm fairly determined when it comes to extracting chocolate.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

ChocolateBet: April 4, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) Poco Dolce - 4 Raspberry Bunnies
Very Good +
Weight: 1.8 oz. (50 g.)/2.7 oz. (76 g.) total package of 6 bunnies (weights are estimates)
Calories: 255 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Poco Dolce, at the Chocolate Salon, held in San Francisco, CA

2.) Coco Delice - 2 Brandied Cherries
Very Good
Weight:1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate); 4 oz. (112 g.) (estimate) for total box of 8 pieces
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $15.99 for total box of 8 pieces
Purchased from: Andronicos, in Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Both of these chocolates were very good; however, the bunnies won by a nose. This was fitting, as today was Easter Sunday. I combined today's chocolates with a very small glass of Obester Winery Red Wine (blend), in keeping with the fact that today was also Day #3 of Chocolate and Red Wine and Raspberries Theme Week.
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