Saturday, July 31, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 31, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Orange - Shichimi Togarashi (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 450 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

Today's chocolate choice (for Day #5 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Week) was a single origin Criollo (38%) milk chocolate bar topped with small pieces of orange, and a generous dash of shichimi togarashi (a Japanese spice mix that includes chili powder, black and white sesame seeds, ginger, and seaweed.) I enjoyed the "spicy" (chili) and the "roots" (ginger) aspects of today's entry -- as well as the very nice, smooth milk chocolate base Michael Mischer chose for this bar. The pieces of  real orange (pictured in greater detail, right) worked well; they added just the right amount of texture and taste.

Friday, July 30, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 30, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/5 bar
Green and Black's
Ginger - Dark Chocolate (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/5 bar (6 small squares)
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. Green and Black's Ginger dark chocolate (60% cocoa content) bar was embedded with small pieces of crystallized ginger that proved pleasantly pungent, without being overwhelming.

Ginger is the "spicy root" that has received a disproportionate amount of attention this week; and today is no exception. However, there may be one or two more roots claiming their turn in the chocolate spotlight in the next few days.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 squares/tiles
Poco Dolce
Ginger - Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.4 g.)/6 oz. (170 g.) total 8-piece box
Calories: 218 calories in two squares (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Poco Dolce, at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon earlier in 2010

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. And once again I found myself gravitating toward a chocolate that incorporated ginger -- one of the best spicy roots around to mix with the dark stuff. These Poco Dolce Ginger tiles were topped with sea salt.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 28, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Cowgirl Chocolates
Mild Milk Chocolate Sarsaparilla (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.25 oz. (35 g.)
Calories: 187 calories
Cost: $2.99
Purchased from: Sigona's Farmers Market, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

I've enjoyed all the bars I've tried from Cowgirl Chocolates; and I was happy to be able to include this Sarsaparilla bar as the choice for today (Day #3 of) Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week.

Each square of this bar (shown at right) reminded the eater to "Dream."

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 27, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 squares
Dolfin Chocolat
Noir Gingembre (Dark Ginger)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .313 oz. (9 g.) in 2 squares/ 3.76 oz. (108 g.) total package of 24 small squares (2 each of 12 flavors)
Calories: 46 calories (estimate) in 2 small squares
Cost: $11.00 for total package of 24 squares
Purchased from: Cacao Drink Chocolate, Portland, OR

Somehow Dolfin was able to infuse a gingerbread taste into these little dark chocolate squares. And, since I love gingerbread, you'll get no argument from me on this Noir Gingembre combination.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. Ginger is probably the most common spicy root mixed with chocolate. Ginger's strong flavor holds up nicely against almost any dark chocolate you can throw at it. However, sarsaparilla/sarsparilla, root beer, and other root-based flavors also mix surprisingly well with Theobroma Cacao (also known as the the food of the Gods).

Monday, July 26, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 26, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Root Beer - filled chocolates
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .84 oz. (23.7 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 126 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $
Purchased from Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

Yes, it is Day #1 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. And, what better way to kick off this theme week than with some root beer chocolates. Crafted in the shape of a small log, this filled chocolate from Michael Mischer was the product of artful flavor blending.

Seen in a relatively unskilled time lapse photography sequence (at right), the original two pieces can be seen as they slowly disappeared.

ChocolateBet: July 25, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 cup - 2 flavors of gelato
Gelateria Naia
1.) Cobblestone - Good + - Very Good
2.) Espresso - Very Good
Weight: ~ 4 oz. (113 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Gelateria Naia, in North Beach, San Francisco, CA

Today, Day #7 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week, I rewarded myself with some gelato. Naia has many wonderful chocolate-related flavors. "Cobblestone" is similar to rocky road, and contained chocolate gelato, marshmallows, and toasted hazelnuts.

The Naia Espresso gelato was a bit like affogato, one of my favorite desserts: a shot of espresso poured over vanilla gelato.

Thank you to Natasha (shown at right) who helped me pick out these two flavors.


And, finally, it's not every ice cream store that has a gelato cone "bouquet." Extra points for creativity.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 24, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 bar
Green and Black's Chocolate Limited
Espresso (dark chocolate with coffee bar)
Good +
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.)/3.5 oz. (100g) total bar
Calories: 110 calories in 1/5 bar or 6 squares
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Green and Black's produces a line of organic, dark chocolate bars. They've also continued to expand their Fair Trade story in 2010. The company's "Espresso" bar was the choice for today, Day #6 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week.

Whenever I decide to group similar chocolates into a Theme Week, I'm always interested to sample the different variations on a theme. For example, this dark bar -- unlike some chocolates included in this grouping -- was a completely smooth chocolate, and was flavored with "real coffee." That is, there were not actual textural elements in the form of crunchy coffee bits/espresso beans mixed into chocolate. However, there was a strong brewed coffee flavor to the bar. Once again, life is a chocolate banquet; there are many choices available.

Friday, July 23, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 23, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2/5 bar
Endangered Species
Dark Chocolate with Espresso Beans (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.)/3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 168 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Today's Dark Chocolate (72% cocoa) with Espresso Beans bar, from Endangered Species (Indianapolis, IN), had a very slight crunch from finely ground espresso beans embedded in the bar. It was just the right amount of texture for me. This bar was my selection for Day #5 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week.

Endangered Species focuses on wildlife conservation, and features different animals, such as this tiger, on each of their bars. ("10% of net profits donated to help support species, habitat and humanity.")

Thursday, July 22, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 22, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Anthon Berg
Chocolate Espresso Drink
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .44 oz. (12.5 g.)/5.3 oz. (150 g.) total package of 12 pieces
Calories: 55 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from:

This dark chocolate with a liquid coffee center from Anthon Berg was my selection for Day #4 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week. This non-alcoholic, Chocolate Espresso Drink was nestled in a package with 11 other small foil-wrapped "drinks".

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Espresso
Very Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece
Calories: 58 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Michael Mischer Chocolates in Oakland, CA, with Sunita de Tourreil of The Chocolate Garage. There, we had an opportunity to meet Michael Mischer, and to try his filled chocolates, which were every bit as good as his chocolate bars.

Today (Day #3 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week) I enjoyed the "Espresso" -- one of the filled chocolates I purchased yesterday (Oakland shop, and 12-piece box pictured at right). The Espresso consisted of a dark, coffee-bean shaped chocolate shell that surrounded an espresso flavored filling. I recommend trying Michael Mischer's filled chocolates. In a world of overly sweet caramels and centers, his are a skillful blend of flavors and textures, with some wonderful twists.

What delighted me most about Mischer's Espresso, I have to admit, was that I was immediately reminded of a Coffee-et -- a type of hard, coffee toffee candy from my childhood. One of these could yank a filling out if you weren't careful, but it tasted wonderful. These Coffee-ets were individually wrapped candies with "real cream, fresh butter and pure coffee" (according to a 1945 ad in Life magazine); they used to be made in Alameda, CA, by Miss Saylor's Chocolates. Sadly, I believe this brand disappeared from the commercial scene about 18 years ago.

ChocolateBet: July 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
6-7 pieces
Cocoa Bon
Dark Chocolate Espresso - "Bite-Size Chocolates"
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .3 oz. (10 g.) (estim.)/ 2 oz. (56 g.) in total package
Calories: 45 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Candy Baron, in San Francisco, CA

Espresso and dark chocolate make good companions. Both have the potential to run over milder flavors, but they stand up to and complement each other. I could taste both the dark chocolate and the crunchy espresso bean centers in this Cocoa Bon offering. Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week.

Monday, July 19, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Bissinger's - Naturals
Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans
Good+
Weight: .25 oz. (7 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package
Calories: 22 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.99 for total package
Purchased from: Draeger's in San Mateo, CA

Today marked the first day of Chocolate and Espresso Theme Week. The minute I opened Bissinger's Dark Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans, the smell of strong coffee wafted out. The two little crunchy Sumatra Mandheling espresso beans -- covered in (60 percent) dark chocolate -- that I ate, helped to power my evening walk. Since I ate these late in the day, I ate just two pieces to avoid staying up all night.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
.75 oz. melted for 1 sundae 
Taza Chocolate
60% dark chocolate bar (melted as sauce)
Good+
Weight: .75 oz. (21 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 112 calories for chocolate sauce (estimate) + 200 for ice cream

Cost: N/A - gift; thank you Alec
Purchased from: N/A - gift; store from Somerville, MA

Thank you to Alec for gifting me an assortment of Taza Chocolate bars (60%, 70% and 80% bars are pictured, right). He purchased these while on his recent bicycle trip from Boston to Detroit. (Taza Chocolate is based in Somerville, MA.)

Today I sampled the 60% dark Stone Ground Organic Chocolate Bar (yellow wrapper). All three bars were dairy free, gluten free, and soy free.

Since today (Sunday, July 18, 2010) was Sundae Day -- generally celebrated the third Sunday in July from what I gather -- I chose to melt 1/4 of this 60% Taza dark bar and use it as a topping for a scoop of homemade rum raisin ice cream (shown above right). Topped with a little mint, and it was officially a sundae -- also gone in six minutes. Did I lick the bowl? No I did not. I thought about it. But, my cat was watching.

ChocolateBet: July 17, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/8 bar
Taza Chocolate
Good
Weight: .375 oz. (9 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A - gift -- Thank you Alec
Purchased from: N/A -- gift (purchased in store in Somerville, MA)

Thank you to Alec for providing Taza Chocolate bars for a tasting. Tonight Alec and I did a taste test of three different Taza Chocolate stone ground, organic bars: 60%, 70% and 80% cacao dark bars. I had tried the 70% bar some time ago. Today's choice was the 80% cacao bar. All three bars were dairy free, gluten free, and soy free, and included ground vanilla beans.

All three Taza bars also had a slightly grainy consistency. I am not sure whether it came from the stone ground technique or the ground vanilla beans. Tomorrow, my Chocolate of the Day will be the 60% bar, and I will try melting it so see what effect this has.

Friday, July 16, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 16, 2010


Chocolate of the Day:
1/2 bar
chocri
Red Fruits and Flowers - Milk Chocolate Bar
Very Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) in 1/2 bar (estimate)
Calories: 262 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.90 (approximate)
Purchased from: chocri

Today, I am writing once again about chocolate (from chocri) that I custom built and ordered. 
Today's milk chocolate bar was topped with a colorful blend of red fruit and flowers. Apparently, when ordering this bar, I didn't take time to give it the creative name it deserved. The label (with the name I chose) read: "Red Fruits and Flowers Milk Chocolate Bar." Given that chocri allows customers to name their own bars that they create, I should have dubbed this the "Red Sassy" or "The Red Nature Bar," or, even more simply: "Red." If anyone wants to suggest alternative names for this bar, let me know. Below is a list of the ingredients:
1.) Milk Chocolate (32%)
2.) Raspberry
3.) Strawberry
4.) Papaya Cubes
5.) Candied Rose Petals
6.) Flower Mix

ChocolateBet: July 15, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 serving
Anette's Chocolates
Testarossa Winery - Pinot Noir Chocolate Sauce
(over vanilla ice cream)
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 9 fl. oz. (266 mL) in total jar
Calories: 70 calories (estimate) + calories in ice cream
Cost: N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift; thank you Alex

I enjoy pairing certain chocolates with certain wines -- as side-by-side pairings, more often than literal mixtures of the two. But that hasn't stopped me from trying different combinations that are available. Today's choice was a sauce that combined chocolate with Testarossa Winery Pinot Noir (red wine).

It must be challenging to balance the nuances of two substances like wine and chocolate -- when each of these by themselves have quite a bit of complexity. Today's Pinot Noir chocolate sauce was nice, and I liked it more than the vanilla ice cream I chose to eat with the sauce.  The label on the jar suggested that this Pinot Noir Chocolate Sauce might also be good with pound cake, strawberries, and other dessert items.

Today concluded Day #7 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 14, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Sweet's
Cabernet Flavored Dark Chocolate Wine Gels
Good - Good +
Weight: .59 oz. (16.8 g.) / (3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 64 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $3.99 (plus any other charges if ordered online)
Purchased from: Sweet's

"Life is a caber(n)et my friend, life is a caber(n)et!" OK, I had to get that pun (loosely based on a song from the musical "Cabaret") out of my system. Not funny, you say? Ahem, let us proceed.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week, and I tried Sweet's (gluten-free) Cabernet flavored wine gels. Like the Sweet's Port wine gels I tried yesterday, there was an alcohol-related flavor I didn't particularly care for. Yesterday, I was thinking this might have been due to my eating a product that was slightly past its due date. But, this same (artificial, alcohol-like?) flavor was still detectable in this newer batch of wine gels. These gels do contain both natural and artificial flavors (and an ingredient listed as "Red Wine Reduction"). It would be great if this flavor could be toned down just a bit.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 13, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Sweet Candy Co/Sweet's
Good - Good +
Weight: .59 oz. (16.8 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total package
Calories: 64 calories
Cost: $5.00
Purchased from: ?

Today (Day #5 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week) I tried a new variation on the combination of chocolate and port. Sweet's (gluten-free) dark chocolate covered Wine Gels contained a port wine reduction -- and both natural and artificial flavors. I ate these a bit past the expiration date, and there was an alcohol-like flavor I didn't care for that much. I look forward to trying Sweet's Cabernet flavored Wine Gels tomorrow.

Monday, July 12, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 12, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 truffle
Wine Country Chocolates
Champagne (truffle)
Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 67 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, Sonoma tasting room, Sonoma, CA

Today (Day #4 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week) I enjoyed a Champagne truffle --  the last piece in a Wine Country Chocolates 7-piece black, round assortment box. I liked that I could taste a bit more of the wine/grape (champagne) flavor in this truffle, compared to the red wine flavored truffles I tasted earlier this week. It can be tough to rate similar truffles. So much goes into the perception of taste. Factors include temperature and age of a chocolate; time of day an item was eaten; or the taster's level of hunger and/or thirst -- to name a few.

ChocolateBet: July 11, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 truffles
Wine Country Chocolates
Port Truffles
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) (estimate) for 2 truffles
Calories: 134 calories (estimate) for 2 truffles
Cost: $
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, tasting room in Sonoma, CA

Today, Day #3 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week, I selected a Port truffle from the assortment of chocolate truffles I purchased recently from Wine Country Chocolates in Sonoma. My only quibble with these chocolates is that the differences between the zinfandel, cabernet and port truffle flavors were difficult to detect when I tried them.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 10, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1. Wine Country Chocolates - 1 piece
Cabernet Sauvignon truffle
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 67 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, Sonoma tasting room, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week. I continued to work on my Wine Country Chocolates assortment box purchased recently from the company's Sonoma tasting room. Today I enjoyed their Cabernet Sauvignon truffle.


2.) Schellville Grill - 1 piece
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Very Good
Weight: 4 oz. (estimate)
Calories: 400 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.50
Purchased from: The Schellville Grill, in Schellville, CA (Sonoma area)

After doing some walking, sightseeing and light wine tasting, I was able to try dinner at the Schellville Grill -- in the heart of Sonoma, CA, wine country. (This restaurant serves dinner Thurs, Friday and Saturday.) And I was happy to discover that some of the "Desserts by Emily" there were flourless chocolate cakes. I believe what I had was a "plain" (although it was fairly exceptional) chocolate cake, as opposed to Emily's other flourless chocolate variations that include fruit/berries or wine.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 9, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Wine Country Chocolates
Zinfandel truffle
Good +
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 67 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $
Purchased from: Wine Country Chocolates, in Sonoma, CA

Recent walking trips up to Sonoma County inspired a new chocolate-related theme week. Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Wine Theme Week. I'm not sure I could have identified the wine flavor in this truffle as zinfandel exactly, but I was aware of a subtle wine-like taste. I probably should have tasted this truffle alongside the other wine chocolate truffles I bought, to better differentiate the individual wine grape flavors; but then wine theme week would have become wine theme day.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 8, 2010


Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Trader Joe's
Lumpy Bumpy bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 290 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $1.99
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Menlo Park, CA

The Lumpy Bumpy bar. What a great name; and there were, in fact, a few random lumps (peanuts) in the dark chocolate coating that surrounded a caramel and peanut nougat filling. I realize some people cut a chocolate bar with a knife to show a nice clean cross-section. But, this image (right) is closer to what you might see if you enjoy this bar like a real human might.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 7, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Monique's Chocolates
Hawaii - Dark 55% Waialua
Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 66 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

This single origin dark truffle (shown at right) from Monique's Chocolates was made from cacao grown on an old Dole pineapple plantation in Hawaii. The taste was rich and smooth; and the texture was fine, but perhaps a bit on the stiff side. (The trick was to warm this truffle slightly - so the ganache (filling) was nice and velvety.)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

ChocolateBet: July 6, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 truffle
Monique's Chocolates
Bolivia - Dark 68% truffle
Very Good  - Very Good +
Weight: .45 (12.7 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 65 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 for 1 truffle
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, in Palo Alto, CA

My choice for Day #7 of Chocolate and Single Origin Week (with an emphasis on chocolates from South America) was this 68% dark truffle from Bolivia. It had clear and pleasant notes for a dark chocolate, and was apparently made from a strain of wild cacao trees that had been fenced in and allowed to grow. There are many interesting stories that come with single origin and/or single plantation chocolates. And, the more ingredients that are mixed together, the more stories. Thank you also to the (more local) cows who contributed the nice cream for these truffles, and to Monique's Chocolates for skillful blending of ingredients from so many different parts of the world.

ChocolateBet: July 5, 2010


Chocolate(s) of the Day:
2 truffles
Monique's Chocolates
1.) Columbia 70% - Very Good
2.) Brazil (Santarem) 65% - Very Good + - Yum
Weight: ~.9 oz. (25.47 g.) (estimate for 2 pcs.)
Calories: 131 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00 for 2 truffles
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

To celebrate Day #6 of Chocolate and Single Origin Theme Week, I visited Monique's Chocolates, a shop with a nice selection of single origin and blended chocolate truffles. The 70% Columbia truffle was nice and smooth. However, my favorite was the 65% truffle (made with cacao) from Brazil. This dark truffle (pictured above right, with green pattern on top) had wonderful smoky and earthy notes. Thank you to the owners and staff at Monique's for making some helpful suggestions, and answering questions about chocolate suppliers and origin stories.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...