Sunday, July 31, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 31, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

3 pieces
Maui Specialty Chocolates
100% Pure Kona Coffee Flavored Milk Chocolate(s)
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 150 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ info lost
Purchased from: Maui Specialty Chocolates, in Kahului (Maui), Hawaii

Life is all about managing expectations. And, to be honest, I'm often times not expecting as much when I bite into most milk chocolates. But, today, I transported myself back to Hawaii. And, in my book, today's coffee-flavored chocolates from Maui Specialty Chocolates (Kahului, Hawaii) were toward the top of the milk chocolate scale.

I bought this small 4-pack of chocolates while on a recent trip to Maui. I carefully slit open the plastic pouch, and a delicious Kona Coffee smell wafted up to my nose. I enjoyed the first piece (of three that I ate today), all by itself.

And then, because this was Day #6 of Tout Sweetener Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week, I experimented with some "dry" sugar and salt dunks. I dipped the second chocolate into some raw Hawaiian sugar (obtained during a tour of the Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum in Kahului (Maui), HI). The grains of this less refined, golden sugar, added a little bit of a crunchy, rich sweet texture to the already rich, smooth coffee and milk chocolate.

Last, but not least, I dipped the third Kona Coffee chocolate first into the raw sugar (and took a bite), and then dipped it into a few grains of Hawaiian Traditional Red Alaea (Molokai Seas) Sea Salt. My first bite with the salt (shown) contained way too much salt; but after adjusting, and backing off to just a few grains, it was perfect.


Saturday, July 30, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 30, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

.5 oz. piece
Chuao Chocolatier
Honeycomb - Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramelized Honey
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.8 oz. (80 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories
Cost: $5.99 total bar
Purchased from: Sigonas, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Tout Sweetener Theme Week.

My favorite entries in this week's group of bars, truffles, and other chocolate creations? The ones that capture and elevate the unique flavors of natural sweeteners -- so they rise slightly above the chocolate --, without boosting the overall level of sweetness so much that it ruins everything. This is very difficult to achieve. Though this Honeycomb bar from Chuao Chocolatier was very sweet for a dark (60% cacao) bar, a small burst of real honey flavor arrived at the very end of the flavor curve. Like other Chuao bars I've tried, rather than being scored into squares or rectangles, it was artfully embossed with the Chuao name and a cocoa pod design.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Galerie Au Chocolat - Milk Chocolate Maple bar - July 29, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/15 bar
Galerie Au Chocolat
Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Bits of Pure Maple Syrup
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .226 oz. (6.33 g.) / 3.4 oz. (95 g.) total bar
Calories: 34 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.50 (Canadian)
Purchased from: Montreal airport (YUL) shop; Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Tout Sweetener Theme Week, and, like yesterday, I'm delving into the world of maple sugar/syrup mixed with milk chocolate. More specifically, this Chocolat au Lait Avec Croquant de Sucre D'erable Pur bar from Montreal-based Galerie au Chocolate was studded with tiny, crunchy bits of maple syrup.

While I enjoyed the real maple flavor of this bar, for the past few days, I've been reminded why I generally prefer less sweetener rather then more. It's all about the chocolate, and the play of subtle flavor combinations with chocolate; and it's less about the sugar for me, even when the sugar contributes its own unique wonderful flavor.



Thursday, July 28, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 28, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

Canada True/Heart Industries
1.) Maple Creams - 1 box (5 pieces)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.3 oz. (37 g.) in 1 box

Calories: 200 calories in 5 pieces
Cost: $14.99 total package of 4 boxes (2 of each kind)
Purchased from: Montreal Airport (YUL) airport shop, Quebec, Canada

2.) Maple Chocolates - 1 piece
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .27 oz. (7.4 g.) in 1 piece / 1.3 oz. (37 g.) in total box
Calories: 40 calories - 1 piece
Cost: $14.99 total package of 4 boxes (2 of each kind)
Purchased from: Montreal Airport (YUL) airport shop, Quebec, Canada

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Tout Sweetener Theme Week, and today's sweetener comes from Canadian maple trees -- in the form of maple sugar and maple syrup. I picked up these maple leaf shaped chocolates from Canada True/Heart Industries at the Montreal airport coming home from Canada recently.

The first box held a combination of white and milk chocolates with sweet, maple cream fillings. And since I believe I'd sampled these creams before in 2008, I opened the the second box -- that contained smooth-style milk chocolates sweetened with pure maple syrup.

Happy National Milk Chocolate Day to all.





Wednesday, July 27, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 27, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Chocolatier Blue
Sage Honey
Good - Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 135 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.00 (approximate, part of larger order)
Purchased from: Chocolatier Blue, Berkeley, CA

Chocolatier Blue offers a wide variety of colorful chocolates. Today's Sage Honey chocolates were covered with artfully decorated dark chocolate shells, and were filled with white chocolate sweetened "wild California sage honey." My only disappointment: I couldn't taste the honey.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Tout Sweetener Theme Week.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Ethel's Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .28 oz. (8 g.)/ 4.5 oz. (127 g.)
Calories: 42 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ info not available
Purchased from: Ethel's Chocolate, Henderson, NV

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and "Tout Sweetener" Theme Week.

Despite the "No Sugar Added" description, these chocolate-covered cherries were quite sweet. So, those who cannot have sugar, but like sweet things, shouldn't feel deprived. The cherry in the middle was dried-fruit chewy, but not tough; however, I couldn't taste much of the natural cherry taste.

While white cane sugar is the most common sweetener included in chocolate, I'll be exploring other sweet substances combined with cacao this week, including, but not limited to: honey, maple sugar, raw sugar and -- such is the case  today -- no sugar, and/or artificial sweeteners.






Monday, July 25, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bottle
Honest Tea Inc.
Honest CocoaNova
Cherry Cacao Infusion
Good +
Weight: 10.1 fl. oz. (300 mL)
Calories: 50 calories in 1 bottle
Cost: $1.05 (sale)
Purchased from: Andronico's, in Stanford Shopping Center; Palo Alto, CA

Cherry Cacao Infusion is a USDA Organic, Gluten Free and Dairy Free beverage in a bottle from Honest Tea Inc. Made from natural cherry juice, cacao, roasted chicory and carob, and a small amount of cane sugar, this drink is refreshing when chilled, and not too sweet. The additions of chicory and carob mask the cacao taste, but help to create a richness that balances with the cherry juice.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.




Sunday, July 24, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
L.A. Burdick Chocolate
Richelieu
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .39 oz. (11 g.) (estimate) for 1 piece (part of an assortment box)
Calories: 58 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ part of previous assortment 
Purchased from: L.A. Burdick Chocolate, online order

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week.

Fortunately, I was able to reach into my chocolate vault to pluck out a Richelieu -- an "amuse bouche" (small, bite-sized truffle) from an L.A. Burdick Chocolate assortment box. Burdick's description of the Richelieu follows: "...a milk and dark chocolate interior with cherry liquor, cherries and cumin seeds."

The chocolate ganache was creamy and smooth. My favorite part of the tasting experience: the cherry on top and cherry elements in the truffle -- which added complex bursts of concentrated natural cherry throughout. I wanted to taste the cumin seeds mentioned above, but while I thought I detected some seed texture, any cumin flavor escaped me. Either it was lost in an artful seamless merger of ingredients, or perhaps this tiny truffle missed having its full allotment of cumin.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 23, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

.2 oz. serving
Vervacious
Chocolate Balsamic
(with fresh cherries and ice cream)
Good+
Weight: .2 fl. oz. (5.8 mL) (estimated) / 3.4 fl. oz. (100 mL) total bottle
Calories: 20 calories (estimate)
Cost: $10.95 total bottle
Purchased from: Williams-Sonoma, in Palo Alto, CA

Today, on the 4th Day of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week,  I topped a small dish of ice cream with three fresh cherries and a drizzle of Chocolate Balsamic sauce from Vervacious. I look forward to trying this original topping on other fruits and with other items in the future.


Friday, July 22, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar/piece
Idaho Candy Co.
Owyhee Cherry Cocktail
Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42 g.)
Calories: 215 calories
Cost: $1.29
Purchased from: Raleys, in Newark, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. This sweet little chocolate mound, with a hint of almond flavor, contained crushed peanuts which added crunchy texture, and was stuffed with cherry goodness: a sugary cherry creme, cherry syrup, and an actual cherry in the middle.

This classic packaged candy was from Boise-based Idaho Candy Co., a company that also offers the Idaho Spud -- another classic. While I don't remember eating this candy as a child, it's fun to conjure up a pretend scenario where I did -- sitting out on a porch on a summer day, with cherry syrup dripping onto my shirt no doubt.



Thursday, July 21, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Baskin Robbins
1.) Cherries Jubilee - Good +
2.) Jamoca Almond Fudge - Good +
Weight: 4 oz. (1/2 cup)/ 1 pint of each flavor
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: Baskin Robbins, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Cherries Theme Week. I made a miniature parait/ice cream sundae that incorporated two Baskin Robbins Classic Flavors: 1.) Cherries Jubilee, and 2.) Jamoca Almond Fudge.  The small glass cup I used was filled to overflowing after I added whipped cream and a cherry. These ice cream flavors were sweet and refreshing, but the hand-packed pints had also been, to be fair, sitting in my freezer for a few weeks, which may have dulled the flavors and textures a bit.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 oz.
ChocoVivo
Cherries, Almonds and Black Peppercorns bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) / 2.6 oz. (74 g.) total bar
Calories: 292 calories
Cost: $7.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage

I tried another stone-ground rustic chocolate today, for Day#7 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. This Cherries, Almonds and Black Peppercorns bar from ChocoVivo was made from Trinitario beans from Tabasco, Mexico, and was described on the package label as "chunky and minty." Each bite of this dark bar had slightly chewy (bing cherries) and crunchy (almonds) elements. The black pepper was barely detectable in the bar that I had. The texture of this chocolate bar was less than silky smooth (as expected), but was not unpleasant. The maker claims that more of the nutritional elements are preserved with less processing.



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 19, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 package
Taza Chocolate
Chocolate Mexicano - Salt and Pepper
Good +
Weight: 0.675 oz. (19.25 g.) / 2.7 oz. (77 g.) total package
Calories: 99 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.00
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. During a theme week I generally try to incorporate a beverage that contains chocolate and the theme of the week ingredient, if available.

Today I made some Taza Chocolate hot drinking chocolate from the company's Mexican style, "Salt and Pepper, Stone Ground and Organic" offering. (A range of other flavors are also available.) Sold in a package of two discs (that are further segmented into wedges), these coarsely ground wedges can be eaten without the addition of hot water and/or hot milk as well.

Stone ground is an acquired taste, or I should say texture, for some. It may not appeal to those who swoon over the velvety smoothness of a Swiss-style chocolate. If you do make a hot beverage, make sure to take time to stir and allow the ingredients to fully dissolve, otherwise you may end up with puddling of salt and pepper sludge at the bottom of your cup.

Monday, July 18, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar
Xocolatl de David
Parmigiano-Reggiano bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .726 oz. (20.46 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) bar
Calories: 108 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

Xocolatl de David (Portland, OR) has produced some very nice savory chocolate bars. This bar with Parmigiano-Reggiano --yes, parmesan cheese -- was made with 72% cacao from Ecuador. It was less sweet, which allowed the cheesey flavors to come through.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. It was also the day when four different ideas for peppery, (gluten free) savory snack foods mixed with chocolate that had been percolating in my head this week, finally saw the light of day. I tried several snack + cacao combos:

1.) Spicy Cocoa Barbeque Cassava Chips
2.) Olive Oyl popcorn with nuts, dried fruits, black pepper and chocolate
3.) Sea Salt and Black Pepper Kettle potato chips with lemon pepper chocolate fondue
4.) Black pepper sprinkled on this Xocolatl dark bar with parmesan cheese; sea salt and black pepper twigs with this bar, and also oven crisped bacon and pepper with this bar.

It's all good. Savory, crunchy things do pair well with chocolate and pepper, with varying degrees of success.

I also wanted to try making a few sweet chocolate and pepper items: chocolate ice cream with pepper, stuffed fresh figs with whipped cream, nutmeg, chopped nuts, port and pepper; and pfeffernusse/pepper  cookies. Expect to see these in the future...

Sunday, July 17, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 17, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 small bar
Teuscher Chocolatier
Schokolade mit Rosa Pfeffer
(Chocolate with Pink Pepper)
Weight: .9 oz. (25 g.)
Calories: 134 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.50
Purchased from: Teuscher shop, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA

Continuing on yesterday's combination of dark chocolate and pink peppercorns, today I nibbled on a Teuscher Chocolatier Schokolade mit Rosa Pfeffer (or, translated into English: Chocolate with Pink Pepper) bar. A cacao/cocoa solids base of between 45 and 55 percent is about right for this combination. Chocolate that was any more bitter would likely dampen the pink pepper notes.

Like yesterday's Madre Chocolate Pink Peppercorn dark bar, there was a hint of vanilla. Unlike yesterday's bar, there were almost no detectable pink pepper skins for visual or textural interest (and no smoked salt). But, the Swiss are famous for their very smooth chocolates, and that was just fine here.

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

Saturday, July 16, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 16, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Madre Chocolate
Pink Peppercorn Smoked Salt (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.5 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 109 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. This week focuses primarily on add-ins to chocolates in the form of peppercorns, often accompanied by a little salt. Happily, there are chocolates available now with almost every type and color of peppercorn imaginable.

Today's bar was unique, and place-specific in just about every way -- from the bar's molded design that includes Maya-influenced, historic totem-like figures, to incorporation of locally grown island cacao and other ingredients. Madre Chocolate's 70% dark "Locavore" (vegan, soy-free) bar was rich and fruity tasting, and riddled with flecks of rosy-colored, Hawaiian pink peppercorn -- from the peppercorn skins is my guess. Madre Chocolate specializes in hand-crafted, lightly processed, bean-to-bar items, made from locally grown cacao. For example, the smoked sea salt and pink peppercorns in this bar are from Hawaii as well. The only ingredient not from Hawaii that I could see: a hint of Mexican vanilla.

Friday, July 15, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Nosh This
Salt and Pepper Caramels
Very Good +
Weight: approx. 1.3 oz. (36.8 g.)
Calories: 187 calories (estimate)
Cost: Approximately $4 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Nosh This, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. San Francisco-based Nosh This offers a variety of salt caramels and confections, including Bacon Crack -- written about previously on Chocolate Banquet. This Salt and Pepper Caramel was very good. The chocolate coatings and caramel centers were well executed; and I enjoyed the micro-bursts of freshly ground black pepper flavor, amongst savory salt overtones.

Unfortunately, while I was getting my camera out earlier to photograph these caramels, I laid this small package to rest on my dining room table -- directly under a skylight, for a few minutes. And the sun had its way with this artfully prepared treat. It still tasted wonderful, but I'm not including a picture for this reason.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 small squares
Dolfin
Lait Hot Masala
Very Good +
Weight: .32 oz. (9 g.) for 2 squares/ 7.6 oz.(216 g.) total box of 48 squares
Calories: 48 calories (estimate)
Cost: $19.95 total box of 48 squares
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today was the first day of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week. Dolfin's small, individually wrapped, milk chocolate square flavored with hot masala spices was part of a 48-piece assortment of different flavors. Judging from the tiny illustration on this square, a hot masala mix generally contains pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

4/5 bar
Artisan du Chocolat
Ginger and Lemongrass (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.27 oz. (36 g.) / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) total bar
Calories: 190 calories
Cost: $6.00 for total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week. I like to make my own teas. Pouring a cup of boiling water over coin-sized slices of fresh, peeled ginger, and/or chopped lemongrass -- with a drizzle of honey, is an easy recipe for a satisfying herbal tea. So, naturally, I was interested in trying this Ginger and Lemongrass chocolate bar from London-based Artisan du Chocolat.

This 40% milk chocolate bar was a bit too sweet for me; but fairly well balanced in terms of flavorings. It offers something a little fun and different, and nothing that will offend. Findings in a Chocolate Garage tasting: This bar paired surprisingly well with blue/stronger cheese(s), and fruit.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Rococo Chocolates Ltd.
Rococo Bee Bar - Organic Dark Earl Grey Tea
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (20 g.) total bar
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00
Purchased from: Miette Bakery, Ferry Building location, in San Francisco, CA

Rococo Chocolates (based in London) makes a large and a small version of their Organic, dark Earl Grey Tea bar. This Bee Bar (with small bees on one side of the bar) is the smaller, 20-gram version. Rococo wrapper designs often incorporate images of historic-looking molds that might have been used for chocolates.

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week.

Monday, July 11, 2011

ChocolateBet: July 11, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

2 petite bars
Maison Bouche
1.) Jasmin - Good - Good +
2.) Bergamot - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (guesstimate for 2 petite bars -- no info given on label or website for petite bars)/ 3 oz. (84.9 g.) (guesstimate for total package of 12 tiny bars)
Calories: 90 calories
Cost: $18.00 (part of 12-pc set)
Purchased from: Miette Bakery, Ferry Building location, in San Francisco, CA

This tiny, adorable, flavored 40% milk chocolate bar assortment was from Maison Bouche (based in Oakland, CA). Each of the 12 petite bars was scored into 15 even tinier squares. I bought them because of their floral and tea flavors. Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Tea Theme Week.

I usually enjoy natural floral flavors infused into chocolate(s). However, I associated this Jasmin-muguet scent and flavor too closely with perfume (it was not the same Jasmine flavor as you'd find in certain Asian Jasmine teas), which made this bar less yummy for me. The citrusy Bergamot (primary flavoring for Earl Grey tea) fared better with me, because I associated this flavor with tea. So much of life is about managing one's expectations, and realizing what predispositions you bring into a situation.
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