Thursday, February 10, 2011

ChocolateBet: February 10, 2011


Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Monique's Chocolates
Dark Raspberry
Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 for 1
Purchased from: Monique's Chocolates, in Palo Alto, CA

Chief chocolatier Mark West's delicate infusion of raspberry into this dark chocolate (Ecuador - 72%) truffle, and an attractive two-tone pink pattern across the top, made this a good candidate for pre-Valentines Day Week, and also today's choice for Day #6 of Chocolate and Raspberry Theme Week.

My amateur observation about mixing these two flavors: too much raspberry fruit can yield an acidic flavor, unless it's balanced out with sugar. But too much sugar can ruin, or at least mask, some of the rich flavors associated with a fine dark chocolate. I appreciate both the art and the science involved in flavor blending, and the value of precise execution. (I'd have fun with the former, but I seem to be lacking in the latter. I sometimes wonder how chefs balance the creative urge to deviate from a formula while maintaining the rigor of the production side.)
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