Thursday, July 31, 2014

Endangered Species - Sea Salt and Almonds bar - July 31, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Endangered Species Chocolate
Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Almonds bar
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 100 calories (per label)
Cost: $2.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: New Leaf Community Markets, Santa Cruz, CA

Today was the final day (Day #7) of Smoke and Savory Theme Week, and the last day of July. Farewell July, I hardly knew ye. Summer does seem to evaporate all too quickly.

This Smoke and Savory week has been a great way to capture the flavor of outdoor barbecues and summer cook-outs, even if I can't always enjoy a lingering picnic myself.

Today's Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Almonds bar from Endangered Species Chocolate (Indianapolis, IN) provided just the chocolate I needed for eating enjoyment, and for a key ingredient in a miniature, smokey chocolate almond cake (see below).

The smooth tasting, bittersweet dark chocolate (72% cocoa) had visible bits of almonds embedded into the bar, and contained just a hint of sea salt. This bar was Certified Gluten-Free, NonGMO Verified and Rainforest Certified.

Endangered Species donates 10 percent of their net profits to species conservation efforts. Each of their bars features a bird or animal that has been impacted (generally by humans). Today's Sea Salt and Almonds bar features a Eurasian Eagle Owl, one of the largest owls in the world. Thankfully populations of these owls, after experiencing a significant decline, have rebounded somewhat, in part due to better forest management and greater awareness around pesticide use.

Smokey Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

How does one infuse smoke into chocolate cake or brownies? One excellent way to do so is to add "Smoke Infused Extra Virgin California Olive Oil" made with early harvest Arbequina olives grown in the Capay Valley.

This flavorful "Turbo" olive oil from enFuso (purchased at The Olive Press in Sonoma, CA) was the closest thing to barbecue by the spoonful I've tasted (outside of liquid smoke or smoked salts. It was a wonderful replacement for butter/oil in a miniature (gluten-free) chocolate cake. I grated part of today's Endangered Species Sea Salt and Almonds bar into this single-serving cake, and topped the cake with almonds and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt. Done, and eaten in short order.

Francois Pralus - Vanuatu bar - July 30, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Francois Pralus
Vanuatu Amelonado bar
Very Good
Weight: .875 oz. (25 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total bar
Calories: 130 calories (estimate) in 1/4 bar
Cost: $11.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #6 of Smoke and Savory Theme Week.

Smokey Dark Bar
Today's Vanuatu Amelonado single origin, dark chocolate (75%) bar from Francois Pralus (Roanne, France), was made with cacao grown in the South Pacific.

The bar was rich, dark and velvety smooth, with a smokey finish. According to notes on the bar's wrapper, the hint of smokey flavor comes from drying cacao beans on copra mats.

I love the opportunity that chocolate has given me to learn new things about the world. This chocolate was made from cacao beans grown on the West Coast of the island of Epi. (Epi is part of the island nation of Vanuatu, about 1,000 miles east of Northern Australia and west of Fiji.) I enjoyed learning a bit more about Vanuatu and Epi when researching today's post. Apparently "85 farmers produce 3 tonnes of cacao per year, primarily Amelonado."(Amelonado is a variety of Forastero cacao.)

Savory Milkshake
And, for a savory addition to today's smokey Vanuatu dark bar, I sipped a chilled chocolate + salted caramel milkshake, that = quite good, at The Fremont Diner in the Sonoma-Napa countryside, north of San Francisco. It was so country, that I found myself illegally feeding a chicken some cornbread under the patio table. (It's hard to resist a begging chicken.)



Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Taza - Chipotle Chili, Salted Almond Discs - July 29, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Taza Chocolate

1.) Chipotle Chili - Chocolate Mexicano
Good ++
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) / 2.7 oz. (77 g.) total package
Calories: 112 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.95 for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

2.) Salted Almond - Chocolate Mexicano
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .75 oz. (21.2 g.) / 2.7 oz. (77 g.) total package
Calories: 112 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

Today was Day #5 of Smoke and Savory Theme Week on Chocolate Banquet.

This Mexican Chocolate double header from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA) featured the sultry smokiness of Chipotle Chili and the savory goodness of salted almonds. The month of July may be drawing to a close, but I'm determined to enjoy summer while it lasts, with all the outdoor living, picnics, and smoke and savory flavors I can manage.

Taza stonegrinds (with hand-carved, Oaxacan granite millstones no less) their rustic, Mexican style chocolate that is packaged in discs that break off into smaller wedge-shaped segments for hot chocolate or other uses (e.g. incorporate a wedge or two into a mole or a barbecue sauce; or grate it into (or melt and pour over) Mexican Chocolate ice cream or vanilla yogurt).

The "rougher" stoneground texture resulted in fresher, less processed/homogenized flavors. It may take some getting used to if you favor buttery smooth chocolate, but I recommend giving these organic, kosher, gluten-, dairy- and soy-free Taza chocolates a try.

I tried all of these "uses" for these two Taza (smokey and savory) Mexican Chocolates today. Que rico. The Chipotle Chili chocolate had some earthy, smoky fire to it, balanced nicely with a rich, dark chocolate (70% dark) flavor. I loved the Salted Almond ("40% Dark"), and had no trouble eating a wedge of this chocolate all by itself. All four flavors: 1.) sweet (organic cane sugar), 2.) salt (kosher salt), 3.) nutty (organic roasted California almonds), and of course 4.) chocolate (organic cacao beans) were well balanced and really sang together.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Vosges - Smoky Tellicherry Bar - July 28, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Smoky Tellicherry Bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total bar
Calories: 240 calories in 1/2 bar
Cost: $5.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Fresh Market, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Smoke and Savory Theme Week.

The Smoky Tellicherry Bar from Vosges Haut-Chocolat (Chicago, IL) had both smoke and savory elements, and a black peppery kick from coarsely ground Tellicherry* peppercorns and bits of uncured peppercorn bacon.

Vosges founder Katrina Markhoff and team have elevated the art of bacon and chocolate over the past decade. The company offers one of the largest "libraries" of bacon bars and products around. The slightly earthy, dark chocolate (72%) bar base eclipsed some of the more subtle savory and bacon flavor nuances in this bar, but overall it was quite good.

At $5.99 this bar was reasonably priced, given the relatively high quality of the flavor additions.

For those who would like to try this particular Vosges bar, you may be in luck if you live in a city with a "The Fresh Market" (a chain of markets with more than 150 locations in the U.S.). This bar was a limited edition made especially for The Fresh Market.

*Charcoal colored and flavorful, dried Tellicherry peppercorns are considered some of the best in the world. According to the packaging, the peppercorns in this bar came from the Malabar Coast of India.


Sunday, July 27, 2014

Lillie Belle Farms - Blue Cheese and Whiskey bars - July 27, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Lillie Belle Farms

1.) Whiskey In The Bar
Good ++
Weight: .5 oz. (14 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) for 1/5 bar
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

2.) Stella Blue bar
Good +
Weight: .416 oz. (11.6 g.) / 2.5 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 63 calories (estimate) for 1/6 bar
Cost: $8.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

Today was Day #3 of Smoke and Savory Theme Week.

Both of today's Limited Edition bars from Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) were infused with relatively subtle flavor, given that Blue Cheese and Whiskey have a strong taste.

The "Whiskey In The Bar" dark chocolate (65%) bar was charred-oak smokey, dark and slightly bittersweet. I liked its relatively complex, barrel aged flavor.

The Lillie Belle Farms "Stella Blue" bar was made with bean-to-bar, (50%) milk chocolate. It had a slight savory taste to it; however, I think most people would be hard pressed to identify this flavor as blue cheese, from Lillie Belle next door neighbor Rogue Creamery (Central Point, OR).



Saturday, July 26, 2014

Lillie Belle Farms - Almond and Smoked Sea Salt Bark - July 26, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Lillie Belle Farms
Caramelized Almond and Smoked Sea Salt Bark
Good - Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) / 4 oz. (112 g.) total bag
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $ 6.00 (guesstimate) for 1 bag
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Smoke and Savory Theme Week.

It wouldn't be right to discuss Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) and savory flavors without mentioning the company's Smokey Blue Truffles, made with Rogue Creamery blue cheese from next door.

I've already featured these blue foil wrapped beauties, with their uniquely appealing, slightly salty, tangy and savory flavor, way back in 2008. But, I couldn't resist re-tasting them again today, along with a piece of Lillie Belle Caramelized Almond and Smoked Sea Salt Bark. The blue cheese truffles were just as good as I remembered them to be.

The almond bark had a very subtle smoked sea salt flavor. (Disclaimer: I adore smoked sea salt, so I'm easily seduced by any item that contains it. It also helps balance sweet and acidic flavors as well.) The "secret" ingredient in this bark was a very subtle hint of peppermint oil. I might have missed it if I hadn't seen it in the ingredient list. The mint gave the slightly smokey nuts and chocolate a tiny hint of uplifting zing. Any more mint, and it might have battled with the other flavors, but this micro-accent amount worked.






Friday, July 25, 2014

Hagensborg - Italy bar - July 25, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Hagensborg Chocolates
Wild B(o)ar - Italy bar
Good ++
Weight: 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 380 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $7.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Jacksonville Mercantile, Jacksonville, OR

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate, Smoky and Savory Theme Week.

This Wild B(o)ar "Italy" bar from Hagensborg Chocolates (Burnaby, BC, Canada) was the perfect chocolate to straddle the fence between these two theme weeks. A happy convergence indeed.

The reference to Italy came from the Ritrovo rare black truffle salt (i.e. Italian black truffle, salt and olive oil), sprinkled on roasted pieces of (California) almonds, that were incorporated into an organic* milk chocolate (39% cocoa) bar base.

However, as yummy and authentically truffle-flavored this chocolate was, what really made me smile was the bar's design. A satisfied cartoon pig reclined with a full belly, and above the pig floated words such as "chomp gobble munch" Also a few "bites" were taken from the edges as part of the design.

This Wild Boar Hagensborg Italy bar was made with "85% organic ingredients."



Thursday, July 24, 2014

Caffarel - individually wrapped chocolates - July 24, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Caffarel
3 pieces
Very Good
Weight: 1.1 oz. (31.13 g.) (estimate) in 3 pieces
Calories: 165 calories (estimate) in 3 pieces
Cost: $0.95 each x 3 = $2.85 total for 3 pieces
Purchased from: SweetE Organic, Mill Valley, CA

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

These three individually wrapped gianduiotto pieces from Caffarel (founded in Turin, Italy, and now a subsidiary of Lindt and Sprungli) offers "Eccellenza Piemontese" (roughly translated: Piedmont regional excellence). Underneath these bella orange, purple and green foil wrappings were handsome, wedge shaped, creamy chocolate infused with finely ground hazelnut flavor.

On a Related Note...
The Piedmont region of Northern Italy (that includes the city of Torino, or Turin) is the birthplace of many wonderful hazelnut chocolates and buttery hazelnut chocolate spreads.

I also sampled a gianduiotto product from Giraudi, similar to today's chocolates from Caffarel described above. These slightly smaller hazelnut chocolates tasted very similar, which is to say they were very good as well.


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Giraudi - Individual chocolates - July 23, 2014

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Giraudi

1.) Cremino Chiaro - Very Good
2.) Tartufo Dolce - Extra Dark - Good + - Very Good
3.) Tartufo Dolce - Gianduja - Very Good

Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) (estimate) for 3 pieces
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (estimate for 3 pieces)
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

Giraudi Cioccolato Artigianale (Torino, Italy) offers a line of individually wrapped chocolates. The company is located in the Piedmont region ("foot of the mountains" area in Northern Italy) known for it's hazelnuts and gianduja (a hazelnut and chocolate spread said to be invented in this region, likely in the later 1700s after chocolate came to Europe from the Americas).

I chose three of these Giraudi chocolates for today, Day #5 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week. All three chocolates had a hazelnut element.

The Cremino Chiaro small square (attractively wrapped in blue foil) was a miniature version of the large, three-layered "Cremino Dark" cake-sized masterpiece I had yesterday. Very creamy, with buttery hazelnut flavor.

The Tartufo Dolce (sweet truffle) pair were very nice also. The Extra Dark (black wrapper with a top twist) was, just that. Slightly more dark chocolate flavor, and slightly less hazelnut -- but it still had tiny crunchy bits (that I presumed with hazelnut bits). The Gianduja piece (brown wrapper with a top twist) contained slightly more milk chocolate and hazelnut flavor.




Giraudi - Dark Cremone chocolate - July 22, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Giraudi
Dark Cremone chocolate (with hazelnut)
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) (estimate) / 17.6 oz. (500 g.) in total package
Calories: 300 calories (estimate) in 3 slices (2 oz.)
Cost: $N/A - gift - Thank you Claudia!
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

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

This princely (or princessly) block of Dark Cremone chocolate from Giraudi (Italy), was bound with twine and embossed with a red seal. It was impressive in both size and taste.

Weighing in at 500 grams (17.6 oz.), I was very happy to be able to share this with other Italian chocolate lovers. The taste...Ah, the taste. It had classic gianduja (very creamy, almost buttery smooth hazelnut and chocolate) flavor without being cloyingly sweet. This is what fudge dreams it would like to be when it grows up.

Thank you to Elana and Gigi for your expert tasting help.







Monday, July 21, 2014

Giraudi - Milk Chocolate Bar with Pine Nuts - July 21, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Giraudi
Frutta Secca - Milk Chocolate Bar with Pine Nuts
Good ++
Weight: 3.53 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 529 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift - Thank you Claudia!
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

This smooth and creamy 36% milk chocolate bar from Giraudi (Torino, Italy) was part of the company's Frutta Secca (dried fruit and nut) line of (milk and dark) chocolate bars. The bar was peppered with a thick layer of fresh pine nuts on one side, that provided a slightly sweet, soft crunch.

We like to hear stories about our food here and where it's grown. And, these pinoli ("pine kernels") also came with an origin story. These pine nuts came from the San Rossore Park area of Pisa (in Tuscany, Central Italy).


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Giraudi - white chocolate bar + Italian hot chocolate - July 20, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

Giraudi
White chocolate bar with nuts and candied fruit
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 4.24 oz. (120 g.) in total package
Calories: 630 calories (estimate) in 1 package
Cost: N/A - gift (Thank you Claudia!)
Purchased from: Cafe Venetia, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

This large white chocolate bar with nuts and candied fruit from Giraudi (Torino, Italy) was sweet and very tasty. The almonds, hazelnuts, pistachio and pine nuts helped add crunchy texture and were fine counterpoints to the sweet fruits and rich and creamy white chocolate.

Because I don't "count" white chocolate, I made some Italian hot chocolate to accompany this Giraudi bar.

I swizzled in a bit of Torani Raspberry syrup into some "European" style Sipping Chocolate (from Trader Joe's), and experimented with a tiny splash of Galliano (a sweet, herbal liqueur containing vanilla and anise) from Tuscany. (Amaretto (a sweet almond liqueur from Italy) or Frangelico (a hazelnut and herb flavored liqueur produced in Canale Italy) also would have been nice mix-ins.)

Cafe Venetia, a local cafe, in Palo Alto, CA, specializes in Italian coffees, chocolates and other treats.









Saturday, July 19, 2014

Lillie Belle Farms - Sicilian bon bon - July 19, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Lillie Belle Farms
"Sicilian"
Very Good
Weight: .8 oz. (22.64 g.) (estimate) in 2 pieces
Calories: 115 calories (estimate) in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.00 (estimate) for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Lillie Belle Farms, Central Point, OR

This orange-foil wrapped, hat-shaped "Sicilian" bon bon from Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) unexpectedly transported me back to Southern Europe to a summer evening many years ago, where I first tasted some heavenly amaretti (almond cookies) with Sherry and Port.

The well matched layers of sweet almond paste and cherry mingled with dark chocolate. These were very satisfying, and took me even further south -- to Italy, where marzipan and Sicilian almond cookies topped with candied cherries are popular, and possible inspirations for today's chocolate.

What a great start to to (Day #1 of) Chocolate and Italy Theme Week.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Madecasse - Pink Pepper and Citrus bar - July 18, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Madecasse LLC
Pink Pepper and Citrus bar
Good+ - Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 small bar
Calories: 132 calories (estimate) in 1 small bar
Cost: $ part of a larger tasting pack (previously recorded)
Purchased from: online order
Madecasse.com

Today was the last day of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

"Surprises" can be a mixed blessing. This morning, I found a few chocolates that were either past their prime or inedible for various reasons. (Surprise clean-out!)

However, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I had this Pink Pepper and Citrus bar from Madecasse, that I hadn't tasted yet.

This small-sized, 63% cocoa bar had an unexpected flavor mix, with a subtle blend of sweet pink pepper and exotic combava fruit. (I've included a screen shot of the larger version of this Madecasse bar that shows a picture of a combava, a close relative of the lime.)

This was a delightful fresh-tasting bar, with a very slight hint of molasses and a bright exotic citrus finish. For those who don't care for spicy hot, not to worry. There was just enough sweet pink peppercorn taste to make it interesting, without being hot.

Madecasse makes bean-to-bar chocolate in Madagascar (Africa). The company founders were Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar, fell in love with the country, and wanted to work with farmers to help them get a fair price for their cacao. Making chocolate in-country (rather than overseas) allows Madecasse to make a more positive impact on the local economy.









Thursday, July 17, 2014

Creme Brulee Cart - Kentucky + Chocolate - July 17, 2014

Chocolate of the Day:

The Creme Brulee Cart
Kentucky + Chocolate
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1 serving
Calories: 500 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.25
Purchased from: The Creme Brulee Cart, San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #6 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

After reviewing a few ancient items in my Chocolate Vault, and deeming them unsuitable, I took a walk through the Mission District of San Francisco to hunt for a chocolate I hadn't had yet. After walking in a methodical grid pattern, I was pleasantly surprised to discover The Creme Brulee Cart (storefront -- I had previously seen only their food truck).

They had an array of creamy brulee possibilities. I ordered up a "Kentucky" creme brulee (with a sugary top torched to perfection). This vanilla creme brulee base was enhanced with bourbon butterscotch, chopped candied pecans, and added chocolate sauce. Very tasty.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Island Princess - Dolphins with macadamia nuts - July 16, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Island Princess
Dolphins - Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
OK++ - Good
Weight: .49 oz. (14 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.) total box
Calories: 77 calories (estimate) in 1 piece
Cost: $ (unknown)
Purchased from: (unknown)

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

What a pleasant surprise reminder of a (past) Hawaii trip it was, when I found this shimmering blue box of Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts (Hawaii Dolphins) from Island Princess (Honolulu, HI) -- way in the back of my chocolate vault.

Molded into small, milk chocolate dolphins, each piece in this box harbored a dry roasted macadamia nut in the center. 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Pacari - Raw Maca (bar) - July 15, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pacari
Raw Maca (bar) - 70% cacao
Good++
Weight: 1.76 oz. (50 g.) total bar
Calories: 300 calories (estimate per label) in 1 bar
Cost: $ N/A - gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate Surprise Theme Week.

What's surprising about today's chocolate? Sometimes the ingredients of a bar are themselves unique or unusual, like today's Raw Maca (bar) from Pacari Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador), made from 70% Ecuadorian Arriba Nacional cacao and maca.

What is maca? This radish relative, with a butterscotch-like aroma, is a tuber native to South America that has been cultivated for its medicinal properties for several centuries. It's also been called "Peruvian Gingeng." Maca is considered a "superfood" by some and has been recently marketed as a way to help balance hormones and increase energy. I don't know about all that, but it gave this chocolate a pleasant slightly sweet, almost earthy flavor, and was surprisingly good.

Pacari Chocolate crafts bars and other chocolates (raw and roasted) from Ecuadorian organic (and kosher) chocolate, and often includes anti-oxidant rich, local/regional ingredients such as Andean blueberries, salt and maca.

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