ChocolateBet: July 8, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

NewTree

1.) Cherry Dark Chocolate bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) total bar
Calories: 63 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: NewTree store, in San Francisco, CA

2.) Quinoa Flax Dark Chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 2.82 oz. (80 g.) total bar
Calories:  63 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.75 for 1 bar
Purchased from: NewTree store, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #11 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate and Fruit Theme Week.

What better way to cook spicy, Hawaiian mango and chicken kebobs and ripe, red bell peppers than on a tiny, pig-shaped barbeque grill.

For dessert, I fixed a gluten free version of cherry cheesecake to accompany two Dark Chocolate (66% minimum cacao solids) bars from NewTree (Belgium/U.S.).

Both the Cherry Dark Chocolate and the Quinoa Flax Dark Chocolate bars were either reformulations or updates on previous bars that I'd tried in years past. Both was good. The Cherry bar had some very nice floral and fruit notes.

ChocolateBet: July 7, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

zotter
Bacon Bits bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.47 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 385 calories (estimate)
Cost: $7.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, San Francisco, CA

Summer weather this month has been perfect for cooking and eating outside, so I decided to extend this July theme week. Today marked Day #10 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week.

My breakfast this morning was the Bacon Bits bar from zotter (Austria). Made with 70% cacao organic and fair trade chocolate, the bar was filled with a relatively smooth and sweet hazelnut nougat with "bacon crackling" center.

The bacon flavor, or any salt/savory flavor, was very subtle. A smidge more salt or smokey flavor might have toned down the sweetness of this filling. I admit, however, not everyone shares my preference for bars for less sugar. So this bacon bar may be fine just the way it is for most people.

Later this month, I plan on pairing zotter's Chilli Bird's Eye bar (pictured above right with Bacon Bits bar), perhaps with a barbeque item. Until then, I enjoyed a Vietnamese-style BBQ Beef Rice Plate from Joy Hing BBQ Noodle in San Francisco, CA, with some garlic broccoli and a Thai iced tea. I sat by the door, to enjoy sunshine and a warm, gentle breeze from outside. This wasn't technically a backyard barbeque, but it was close.