Sunday, September 30, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 30, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Christopher Elbow
No. 5 - Cafe - bar
Good
Weight: .58 oz. (16.6 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 87 calories (estimate) in 1/6 bar
Cost: $7.00 total bar
Purchased from: Cocoa Bella, San Francisco, CA

I first became aware of Christopher Elbow's individual, filled chocolates and truffles.


More recently, I bought a few of the company's chocolate bars. Today, I tried Elbow's No. 5 - Cafe bar, a 61% dark chocolate bar with fresh roasted, ground coffee.

This bar was relatively thick, with a snap to it, and had a homogenized, faintly waxy texture that I've found characteristic of bars with added soy lecithin -- often added to give chocolate a smoother texture. The coffee flavor was subtle and there was no noticeable coffee ground grit or texture that I could detect. The choice of a sixty-one percent cocoa blend seemed to work well.

I loved eating this bar with fresh black mission figs and strawberries. But, then again, please forgive me, I've kind of gone cuckoo over black mission figs and chocolate, and coffee, this week.

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week.



Saturday, September 29, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 29, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

JagRma LLC
NuttZo Omega 3 Seven Nut and Seed butter
Good+
Weight: 2 Tablespoons (32 g.) / 16 oz. (454 g.) total jar
Calories: 180 calories
Cost: $10.29 total container
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week(s). The question I asked myself this morning was: "Is it possible to combine all these items together in a yummy sandwich?" Answer: Yes.

To build this sandwich, I toasted two slices of gluten-free bread. One piece of toast was spread was NuttZo Seven Nut and Seed Butter spread, made with dark chocolate, peanuts, almonds brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, flax seeds and sunflower seeds. I lightly sprinkled this spread with cinnamon and ground coffee. The second piece of toast was mounded up with two varieties of sliced fresh figs.

Last, but not least, I put these two halves of my NuttZo sandwich together and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Later, I made a second NuttZo sandwich with sliced fresh strawberries, figs and fig jam. This one did not have coffee or cinnamon, but was also very tasty.

Thank you to Danielle,  JagRMa founder, for Nuttzo butters (also available in non-chocolate, peanut free version) and for inspiring creative possibilities. Even your jar is upside down, so the nut bits are on top when you unscrew the lid and the oil is on the bottom. Brilliant.



ChocolateBet: September 28, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dick Taylor Chocolate
Black Fig bar
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) total bar
Calories: 149 calories (estimate) in 1/2 bar
Cost: $9.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week.

Black Mission figs have become a new favorite ingredient of mine after this week. These figs were consistently delicious no matter how they were prepared -- roasted with honey, dried, marinated, made into a spread, or eaten fresh.

Even if you're not ultra-excited about figs, if you like dark chocolate you might enjoy Dick Taylor's Craft Chocolate Black Fig (70%) bar made with cacao from Ecuador. This dark, rich bar paired well with a large cup of coffee with steamed milk (and, later, with a tiny glass of sherry), and I'm sure would pair well with other sweet or savory dishes as well.

This fig bar also was a great snack on a walk by the San Francisco Bay. Thank you to Julie for chocolate tasting help.







Thursday, September 27, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 27, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

How Do You Take Your Coffee
RoBooSTAS Eating Roast Coffee and Dark Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.)/ 1 oz. (28.3 g.) total package
Calories: 73 calories (estimate) in 1/2 package
Cost: $0.99 total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Palo Alto, CA

At the heart of today's chocolates were roasted Robusta coffee beans, that were coated with dark chocolate and a brown "candy" shell. These Roboostas were made in a peanut-free and gluten-free facility (Thank you to mom-owned company, How Do You Take Your Coffee (based in Reno, NV)).

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week. To fulfill the fig part of this rich, fall flavor trifecta, I enjoyed a large mug of dirty chai -- a spicy milk tea with cinnamon, cardamom and other spices, sweetened with homemade honey fig syrup; and I "dirtied" this chai up with a small shot of decaf vanilla coffee. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 26, 2012


Chocolate of the Day: 

Nuubia Chocolat
1.) Espresso Whiskey - Good - Good +
2.) Honey - Good + - Very Good
Weight: for 4 pieces: 1.28 oz. (36.2 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 192 calories (estimate) for 4 pieces
Cost: $6.25 per ounce ($100/lb.)
Purchased from: Cocoa Bella, in San Francisco, CA


Today's two high-end ($100/lb.) petite -- but precisely made and decorated -- dark chocolate square gems from Nuubia Chocolat (Pleasanton, CA) included the company's dark truffle with espresso whiskey flavored ganache, and a Honey truffle. The espresso truffle did have some dark, rich coffee and very faint sweet whiskey-like notes that I liked. The honey truffle was a very nice blend with natural honey and other complex notes (some almost nut-like) all the way through to the finish.


I enjoyed these chocolates with dried figs that I had marinated in coconut palm sugar, coffee and dark rum.

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week.



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 25, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Talenti
Coffee Chocolate Chip gelato
Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup / 1 Pint total container
Calories: 120 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $4.99 total container
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Chocolate, figs and coffee continued to mix in mysterious and wonderful ways this morning. Breakfast consisted of a small affogato (a shot of espresso over a scoop of gelato) and 5 different fig spreads on toasted gluten-free bread.

Instead of the traditional vanilla gelato in the affogato, I enjoyed a scoop of (gluten free) coffee chocolate chip from Talenti gelato and sorbetto (Dallas, TX). Talenti founder, Josh Hochschuler, was inspired by (and learned how to make) Italian style ice cream (helado/gelato) while living in Argentina.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week.




ChocolateBet: September 24, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jovial Foods, Inc.

1.) Chocolate Cream Filled - organic chocolate cookies
Good+
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) total package of 6 servings
Calories: 160 calories in 1 package of 2 cookies
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

2.) Fig Fruit Filled - organic cookies
Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) total package of 6 servings
Calories: 130 calories in 1 package of 2 cookies
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA


I bought two flavors of these small, gluten free cookies: 1.) chocolate and 2.) fig, with chocolate cream and soft fig fruit centers, respectively. It was good to find another good alternative to traditional fig bar cookies (that are made with wheat flour).

Each box of these organic cookies made in Italy for Jovial Foods (North Franklin, CT) contained 6 packets of 2 cookies each. The chocolate cookies were slightly crunchy with a creamy filling. Both flavors were satisfying without being too rich, and paired well with coffee/tea -- and also with imaginary chocolate and fig and coffee ice cream sundaes I was conjuring up, possibly for later this week.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Fig and Coffee Theme Week.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 23, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Paiarrop S.L. (Producer)/ Forever Cheese LLC (Importer)
ChocoHigos
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate for 2)/ 4.9 oz. (140 g.) total container/package
Calories: 130 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $9.99 total container/package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

What are ChocoHigos? Your first and only hint: "Higos" is the Spanish word for figs. And these little chocolate-covered beauties were produced in Valencia, Spain.

Dried Pajarero figs were hand-dipped in dark chocolate with a touch of vanilla. And they were very tasty. A nice complement to un cafecito, or a cup of coffee, as shown on the package.

These ChocoHigos were imported into the U.S. by Forever Cheese LLC (New York); and I bought them at the local Whole Foods grocery store.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week. So, in honor of the number "2" I created a fig, coffee and chocolate tapas plate with some cheeses. (Thank you Katy and Trip for mentioning cheese.)

I roasted some figs with honey and coffee liqueur and cinnamon, ate them with a slice of Torrone a pani - with dark chocolate and almonds, and some cheeses. Died-and-gone-to-heaven-on-a-little-plate just about captured this moment.


Saturday, September 22, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 22, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO
Dark Chocolate with "Citrus" notes
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (58 g.) total bar
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $3.99 total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

TCHO (San Francisco, CA), a pioneer in educating the public about the different tastes and origins of cacao, created a "PureNotes" line of bars: Chocolatey, Nutty, Fruity and Citrus bars, so named for characteristic flavor notes. To make this Citrus 67% cacao dark chocolate bar, the company obtained organic beans from the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar, and crafted them into chocolate with light bright citrus notes characteristic of this region.

I had previously tasted a small Citrus 70% cacao version of this square bar in 2009; this 67% bar was a slightly different formulation. It was quite nice for savoring a la carte. However, I decided to melt a bar and used this luscious fondue for a fresh fig brunch plate with Tuscan Ricciarelli (gluten free almond) cookies (with traces of orange and vanilla); chopped almonds; a tiny glass of sherry; and a small cafe latte on the side. It's that time of year, when golden summer gives way to fall, where richer, darker flavors have a stronger appeal.

Today was Day #8 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate Figs and Coffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 21, 2012


Chocolate of the Day:

Ritual Chocolate
Madagascar 75% cacao bar
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

This 2011 harvest dark bar made by Ritual Chocolate (Denver, CO) was perhaps the most subtle but well balanced Madagascar bar I've eaten this week, with both very slight acidic notes and also a faint hint of caramel.

Made with organic cacao beans from the Sambirano Valley in Northern Madagascar, the bar was enveloped in gold foil paper, and wrapped in attractively designed packaging adorned with a lemur.

Warning, tangent about lemurs ahead.... A lemur is a monkey-like marsupial with large eyes and a long, ringed tail, native to this large island nation off the east coast of Africa. I've been told many farmers regard lemurs as pests; and I'm left to wonder whether lemurs like/can eat cacao fruit or not. I somehow remember reading that they might be able to eat cacao without ill effects. (I remember feeding a lemur a banana while in Madagascar in 2005; sadly there was no cacao fruit to see, or taste, on that trip, much less some to feed to lemurs.)

Today was Day #7 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week. 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 20, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Patric Chocolate
Madagascar 67% dark chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 2.3 oz. (67 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 333 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

I love tasting dark chocolate bars with two or three ingredients. This is gutsy chocolate making! Those two or three ingredients have to be good.

Fortunately, Alan "Patric" McClure of Patric Chocolate is a talented new American chocolate maker, and he has crafted an interesting 67% cacao dark bar from Madagascar beans. The bar had some of the characteristic of acidic/citrus fruits, maybe a bit of ripe blueberry that are often associated with beans from this part of the world.

Today was Day #6 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 19, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Michel Cluizel
Milk Chocolate (50%) Madagascar bar
Good +
Weight: 2.46 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 369 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 total bar
Purchased from: Cocoa Bella, in San Francisco, CA

This relatively dark milk chocolate (50%) bar was made by Michel Cluizel (Paris, France) with beans from the Mangaro plantation, in northwest Madagascar. The description on the back of this bar included this tasting note. "It expresses...notes of caramel, exotic fruits, spice cake and honey."

Most of the pure (no milk added) dark chocolate bars made with cacao from Madagascar seem to have a unique citrus/acidic fruit flavor. In contrast, milk chocolate bars made with beans, from this large island nation off the east coast of Africa, take on a different taste altogether. The addition of milk is a powerful thing. "Caramel" notes seem to be a common descriptor used with these milk bars. While I favor the dark chocolate bars with a less diluted bean flavor, this Michel Cluizel bar is one of the best milk chocolate Madagascar bars I've tasted.

Today was Day #5 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.

Monday, September 17, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 17, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hagensborg Chocolates
64% cocoa Wild B(o)ar - Madagascar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 170 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.69 total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Hagensborg Chocolates (Burnaby, BC, Canada) likes pigs. Two previous chocolates I remember tasting in years past from this same company featured truffle pigs. A small herd of wild, cartoon pigs were running amok and enjoying a "savage feast of Madagascar dark chocolate" on the label of this b(o)ar.

Inside the wrapper, a very satisfied-looking reclining boar, with a protruding chocolate stomach, was imprinted on the bar -- and there were three, pre-cut, bite-shaped nibbles along the edges of this 64% cocoa bar.

As with the previous bars this week that hailed from Madagascar, this chocolate did have citrus/fruity acid notes.

Today was Day #3 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.


Sunday, September 16, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 16, 2012


Chocolate of the Day: 

Patric Chocolate
Madagascar 67% dark chocolate bar with habanero salt
Good +
Weight: 1.15 oz. (32.5 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 172 calories (estimate) for 1/2 bar
Cost: $11.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

This evening after a dinner of chocolate sausage (made with cacao nibs) -- more on this later -- I enjoyed a dark chocolate bar that captured the overlap of two chocolate theme weeks. (Today was Day #8 of Spicy Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #2 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.)

This Madagascar 67% dark chocolate offering from Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO) had a light sprinkle of salt crystals on the back side of the bar. Tiny, emerald-tinged salt gems had been infused with habanero chili pepper flavor.

 
The salt harmonized well with the chocolate that had citrusy fruit/acidic notes characteristic of Madagascar cacao beans. When it comes to chili flavor, it's hard to beat the smoky sweet peppers (like chipotle and ancho) when mixed with chocolate, but it was fun to try a bar with a light habanero kick.

ChocolateBet: September 15, 2012


Chocolate of the Day:  

Monique's Chocolates
1.) Madagascar truffle - 64% dark
2.) Liquid Chocolate with Madagascar chocolate and Mexican spices
3.) Ash's Chai truffle

Monique's Chocolates (Palo Alto, CA) offered customers single origin truffles and other specialty chocolates, as well as Liquid (drinking) Chocolate(s) with several options.

I started by sampling a plain, dark chocolate (64%) truffle from Madagascar (Sambriano), and then had a cup of Liquid Chocolate made from this same Madagascar chocolate base. It had well balanced, subtle citric/acidic notes -- a characteristic often associated with this country of origin.

Monique's Liquid Chocolate was available either hot or iced. I chose the iced option, and selected the Madagascar chocolate base, a 1% fat milk as my "liquid" of choice, and Mexican Spices (cinnamon and Ancho chili) as an added flavor.

Last, but not least, I enjoyed Monique's Ash's Chai truffle, made with milk chocolate, tea and chai spices. This Monique's chocolate, topped with pieces of ginger, was a great chocolate replica of this sweet milky, spicy tea beverage.

Today was Day #6 of Spicy Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #1 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.





Saturday, September 15, 2012

ChocolateBet: September 14, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Rick's Rather Rich Ice Cream
Mexican Chocolate
Very Good
Weight: ~ 1/2 cup serving/1 Quart
Calories: 250 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.50 for 1 pre-packed Quart to go
Purchased from: Rick's Ice Cream, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #5 of Spicy Chocolate Week, and I celebrated the day with a small bowl of Mexican Chocolate ice cream from Rick's Ice Cream (Palo Alto, CA). This ice cream shop is a local favorite, with several wonderful specialty flavors. Other flavor favorites of mine at Rick's have included: Lemon Lavender, Saffron Pistachio, Rose, Molasses Chip and White Chocolate Ginger.

I enjoyed this Mexican Chocolate ice cream with a little extra dash of cinnamon on top. Que rico y delicioso.

We're enjoying some Indian Summer sunshine this week. I hope it lasts a bit longer. However, I do see some red edging starting to appear on a few green leaves to the north of us. I may have to hunt for a spicy, hot chocolate drink for tomorrow's selection.




Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...