ChocolateBet: October 31, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:


1.) 1 witch monster pop
Long Grove Confectionery Co.
Monster Pop
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.)
Calories: 225 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.69
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA


2.) 1 piece
Chocolate Visions
Pumpkin
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate) /piece
Calories: 60 calories
Cost: $2.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Visions, Scotts Valley, CA

Halloween is a major holiday for chocolate consumption in the U.S., so Happy Halloween all! Listed here are some items from my Halloween treat plate.


Long Grove Confectionery makes several novelty, Halloween and holiday chocolate items. This witch monster pop was good chocolate Halloween fun. I enjoyed this witch monster with two Salted Bourbon Caramels -- a carryover from Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week (from Salted Caramel, Chicago, IL).

And Pumpkin too!

The Chocolate Visions (Scotts Valley, CA) seasonal Pumpkin chocolate had a very authentic pumpkin pie taste. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some real pumpkin mixed in with pumpkin pie spices. (Postscript: They roast and puree "Cinderalla" pumpkins and mix with dark chocolate, butter, cream and spices.)

ChocolateBet: October 30, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bottle
Anthon Berg
Cutty Sark (chocolate bottle)
Good
Weight: .55 oz. (15.6 g.)
Calories: 80 calories (estimate)
Cost: $14.99 total package of 16
Purchased from: BevMo, in Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week. This small, foil-wrapped "chocsimile" (chocolate facsimile) of a Cutty Sark bottle (from Anthon Berg) contained a whiskey-flavored filling inside a harder chocolate bottle shell.

During a visit to Amador County (California) to the historic towns of Sutter Creek, Volcano, Jackson and others small settlements dating back to the 1800s/California gold rush days, I enjoyed a stop at a cheese and wine shop, and a confectionary/ice cream store. I wanted to combine a bite of cheddar cheese with Irish Whiskey and some chocolate. But, the closest bit of cacao that I could find was a chocolate milkshake -- not the best chocolate match with this cheese. I'll try this with different chocolates when I get home.

ChocolateBet: October 29, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/5 bar
Mink Chocolates
"Open in Case of Emergency" bar
Good - Good+
Weight: .352 oz. (10 g.) / 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 46 calories
Cost: $7.00 (approx.)
Purchased from: Mink Chocolates, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

OK, it was not a true emergency. But, it was Day #6 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

So I broke open this "Open in Case of Emergency" dark (70% cacao) bar -- made with fresh mint and Kentucky Bourbon whiskey -- from Mink Chocolates (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).

I ordered a whole library of Mink bars awhile back after visiting their store in Vancouver (a few blocks up from the Convention Center). I've been gradually sampling these fun bars, in small chocolate sips. I may have to reorder the last few volumes in the cleverly titled set, as it's been a few months -- and, unlike a good hardcover book, fresh or filled chocolates are more perishable.

ChocolateBet: October 28, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Chocolate Visions
Single Malt
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00
Purchased from: Chocolate Visions, in Scotts Valley, CA

Life is good when you can enjoy a theme week involving chocolate and single malt whisky.

Today's Single Malt chocolate from Chocolate Visions (Scotts Valley, CA) was gathered while on a chocolate and wine field trip in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California last weekend. (Picture from Ridge Vineyards overlooking Silicon Valley, bottom right).

Chocolate Visions makes bars and truffles with added flavors and ingredients, including several flavored with local wines. (You'll see these next week.) But the Single Malt chocolate with the red lion was the perfect choice for today (Day #5 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 27, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
fleurir
Irish Coffee
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .4 oz. (11.32 g.)
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34.00 for 18-piece box (+ any shipping)
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week.

As the weather gets colder, visions of rich hot chocolate drinks spiked with whiskey start dancing in my head. And, chocolates like today's "Irish Coffee" from fleurir (based in Washington, D.C.) encourage this thinking. A milk chocolate ganache with Irish whiskey, Irish cream, and coffee, this Irish Coffee was a delicious rendition of the hot drink by the same name -- condensed down to a small square.

ChocolateBet: October 26, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
"Whisky" (filled chocolate)
Very Good
Weight: .49 oz. (13.8 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 72 calories (estimate)
Cost: $1.35 (with discount)
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week. Some whisky-flavored chocolates are so mildly flavored, you'd have to strain to taste any alcohol. Not so with this tiny, half-barrel shaped, foil-wrapped chocolate. I took one small bite, and quickly had to shove the rest in my mouth to prevent the authentic-tasting, liquid whisky filling from dripping onto my lap. Sadly, this meant, no picture was taken of the chocolate itself.

Note: I neglected to ask Fog City News for the maker/brand name. I will fill this in later.

ChocolateBet: October 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur GmbH
Scotch Whisky - Highland Harvest (bar)
Very Good - Very Good+
Weight: .62 oz. (17.5 g.) / 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 93 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

The chocolate choice for Day #2 of Chocolate and Whisk(e)y Theme Week: a blend of cacao, organic cane sugar, milk, Scotch whisky -- from the Highlands region of Scotland no less (at least I think it was). All this came in the form of an organic, filled chocolate bar from Austrian-based, bean-to-bar maker: zotter.

ChocolateBet: October 24, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
Chocolat Moderne
"The Player" bonbon - Single Malt Scotch
Good+
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total pkg. of 5
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $15.95 for package of 5 bonbons
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today's "The Player" bonbon with Dark Single Malt Scotch Ganache was the kick-off chocolate for (Day #1 of) Chocolate and Whisky (or Whiskey if you're Irish) Theme Week.

This heart-shaped chocolate, decorated with a white and purple decorative smear across the top, was part of Chocolat Moderne's Devotion collection of 5 bonbons. 

ChocolateBet: October 23, 2011

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1 serving (4 pieces)
Trader Joe's
Gone Bananas!
Very Good
Weight: 1.52 oz. (43 g.)/ 8 oz. (227 g.) total package
Calories: 130 calories in 1 serving (4 pieces)
Cost: $1.99 total package
Purchased from: Trader Joe's, in Mountain View, CA

Deep in the jungle where cacao and bananas are grown lurks a... sock monkey. Well, outside of said monkey being featured on a box of Trader Joe's "Gone Bananas!...one piece at a time" (chocolate covered frozen banana slices) I'm not sure that's true; but it's fun to imagine.

Hats off to Trader Joe's once again for providing quality chocolate items at a reasonable price. These banana slices (product of Thailand) are to be enjoyed frozen (and not defrosted) -- per the sock monkey's instructions. I agree with the monkey; these are best served right out of the box.

Please Note: I added the nuts in the photo (at right) as a garnish. These banana slices do not contain nuts.


Oh my goodness, after double checking my chocolate spreadsheet tracker (yes, I do have one), I realized I might have eaten a similar item from Trader Joe's before (another Gone Bananas! item). So, to prevent a possible repeat, I sampled an "My Goodness Bar" (a 61% bittersweet chocolate bar with honey roasted peanuts and toasted coconut) from Chocolate Visions (based in Scotts Valley, CA). It was very good as well.

ChocolateBet: October 22, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Chocolate Visions
Peanut Butter Banana Bonanza
Very Good
Weight: 1.75 oz. (50 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 262 calories (estimate)
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. Peanut butter and chocolate pair well together, and today's Peanut Butter (and 61% dark chocolate) bar with banana chips from Chocolate Visions was a winning combination.

I purchased this Peanut Butter Banana Bonanza bar as part of a chocolate walk in San Francisco today - which included a tour at TCHO, and stops at Recchiuti, Scharffen Berger, and Fog City News -- where I found today's bar, a perfect match for peanut theme week.

And, today's gratuitous monkey tie-in: a monkey finger puppet from a Latin American street vendor on Market Street in San Francisco. It's become a tradition; any Chocolate Banquet blog posts incorporating chocolate and peanuts, peanut butter, and/or bananas also seem to attract monkeys. 

ChocolateBet: October 21, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Nature's Path Foods
Crispy Rice Peanut Choco Drizzle (bars)
Good++
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 6 oz. (168 g.) total package
Calories: 120 calories
Cost: $3.99 (sale) total package of 6
Purchased from: Safeway, in Menlo Park, CA

Today's individually-wrapped, gluten-free Crispy Rice Peanut Choco Drizzle ("EnviroKidz Organic") cereal bars hailed from Nature's Path Foods, based in Blaine, WA.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week.

I would have bought this box of bars -- that contained organic chocolate icing and organic peanut butter -- for chocolate and peanut theme week anyway, but the picture of the lemur on the front of the box sealed the deal. Why? Because I'm finding ways to force fit monkeys (I'll include lemurs too) and bananas into this theme week as well.

Random monkey/banana fold-in factoids: 
- Monkeys have been known to enjoy the fruit from cacao trees.
- Cacao fruits are harvested, split open and scooped out. The fruit pulp and seeds are put into vats, baskets and/or other containers to ferment; and banana leaves often cover this mass during this fermentation process -- the first steps in making chocolate.
- Lemurs do eat bananas and other fruits where they live in Madagascar; ironically they are suffering from habitat loss because of slash-and-burn agriculture to clear the way for vanilla and cacao plantations.

ChocolateBet: October 20, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 cup
Double Rainbow
"It's A Goody" ice cream
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/2 cup (105 g)/ 1 pint container
Calories: 350 calories in 1/2 cup
Cost: $4.99 total container
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. In this case, the peanut was in the form of ribbons of peanut butter running through vanilla ice cream, studded with fudge chips. That would be a description of "It's A Goody" ice cream from Double Rainbow (San Francisco).

And if you want to monkey it up a bit, you can add a few slices of banana. I was tempted to do this, but this would have been one flavor too many. For some reason there was a mint flavor to this ice cream -- leading me to wonder whether some mint chip ice cream bled over into a batch of this It's A Goody flavor.

ChocolateBet: October 19, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2/5 bar
Green and Black's
Peanut and Sea Salt (bar)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.4 oz. (40 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 260 calories in 2/5 bar
Cost: $2.29 total bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week -- with some deference to bananas and monkeys as well. Yes, well, one sort of leads to the others. (See yesterday's post.) In this case, I ate some banana slices with today's peanut chocolate choice.

This Peanut and Sea Salt bar from Green and Black's was made with organic milk chocolate (37% cocoa content) and sweet, caramelized peanuts. And the Sea Salt? It was very subtle; I couldn't really taste it. Too focused on the organic sugary side I guess.

ChocolateBet: October 18, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece
fleurir
Peanut Butter, Banana
Good+
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost: $34.00 box of 18 pcs. (+ any shipping, handling)
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. This Peanut Butter, Banana chocolate from fleurir (Wash., D.C.) had layers of peanut butter and banana ganache, which generally adds to the tasting experience.

It's very difficult to bring peanuts and chocolate together without my imagination wandering off to bananas, and then monkeys. Monkeys may not eat processed chocolate, but they do eat (and help disperse the seeds) of the cacao fruit that grows in Latin American countries. So, maybe we owe monkeys a small debt of gratitude for helping spread and bring to the attention of man this fruit with the lovely seeds. So, I'm incorporating a little monkey thank you during the rest of this chocolate and peanut theme week.

ChocolateBet: October 17, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bite
Integrated Sports Science
Oh Yeah! bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .3 oz. (9.33 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A ($3.00)
Purchased from: N/A - thank you to Alex and Dr. Jay's, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. The generously sized Oh Yeah! high protein, Chocolate and Caramel bar from Integrated Sports Science (Charlotte, North Carolina) had the satisfying heft of a candy bar, but with healthier ingredients. 

ChocolateBet: October 16, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Bakery on Main
Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bars
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.2 oz. (34 g.) for 1 bar / 6 oz. (170 g.) total package of 5 bars
Calories: 170 calories in 1 bar
Cost: lost info
Purchased from: lost info

Gluten free snack bars run the gamut -- from chewy sweet cardboard to surprisingly edible and good tasting. I'd put these Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola bars from Bakery on Main (Glastonbury, CT) in the latter category. I'm pretty sure I will eat the rest of this package of five, individually-wrapped bars made with peanut butter, chocolate chips, rice, corn flakes, sesame and sunflower seeds -- and seasoned with raisin juice, honey and salt.

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week and Day #2 of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 15, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 package
Betty Lou's, Inc.
Organic Golden Smackers - Chocolate Peanut Butter Patties
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.41 oz. (40 g.)
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week, and the first day (Day #1) of Chocolate and Peanut Theme Week. This chocolate peanut butter patty from Betty Lou's (McMinnville, OR) contained both Organic peanut butter and Organic sesame seeds.

(Note: to those who are grain sensitive -- there are some Organic oats in this Vegan snack as well.)

ChocolateBet: October 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 oz. bite
Israeli - no other info.
Halvah (with chocolate)
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 14 oz. slice
Calories: 70 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.39 (.88 lb. at $4.99/lb.)
Purchased from: Crossroads Market, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. I found some genuine (made in Israel) middle eastern halvah with chocolate, at a local international market. Thank you to Elise for taste testing help.