ChocolateBet: May 24, 2008

Chocolate of they Day:
2 pieces
Russell Stover
("Nut, Chewy and Crisp Centers" assortment box)
2 Cashew Cluster chocolates
Very Good
Wt: 32 grams for 2 pc. serving; 24 oz. (1 lb. 8 oz.)/680 grams total box
Calories: 160
Cost: $2.50* (recorded earlier for other chocolates in this box); sale price
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

ChocolateBet: May 23, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

Baratti and Milano
Finissimi Cremini al Limone (two chocolate and hazelnut layers, with a lemon layer in between)
Good+ - Very Good
Wt: 15 grams (estimate) / 2.12 oz. (60 grams) total package
Calories: 80 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A (gift that was shared with me)
Purchased from: (gift from Klaus Schilling, a family friend; who was visiting from Europe; thank you to my parents for sharing a piece of this chocolate gift.)

ChocolateBet: May 22, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
The Tea Room
Green Earl Grey - 58% Cacao (Organic)
"Dark Chocolate Infused with Green Earl Grey Tea"
Very Good+ - This was definitely my favorite of the 3 Tea Room tea-infused chocolate bars I tried this week.
Wt: .45 oz. (13 grams)/1.8 oz. (51 grams) total in whole bar
Calories: 70 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $2.99/total or whole bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods Market, in Los Altos, CA

And, this concludes Day #7 of Chocolate and Tea week on the blog.

Chocolate in the News:
I am not making up this story (below). Although accidents are not fun...Admit it, you would have liked to have seen this one, right? Wasn't there a Gary Larson cartoon something like this? (Some small birds or mice got loose from a truck/accident on the street in front of a cat's house; and the cat can't believe his/her good fortune.)

RIA Novosti - World (Russian News Agency)
May 19, 2008 - 19:44

Chocolate Cookies Stop Traffic on U.S. Highway
Washington, May 19 (RIA Novosti) - "A trailer loaded with 20,000 pounds of chocolate cookies overturned in Illinois in the early hours of Monday..."
http://en.rian.ru/world/20080519/107764394.html

ChocolateBet: May 21, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
The Tea Room
Honeybush Caramel - 38% Cacao (Organic) bar
(Milk Chocolate Infused with Honeybush Caramel Tea"
Good +
Weight: .45 oz. (13 grams)/1.8 oz. (51 grams) total in whole bar
Calories: 70 calories for 1/4 bar
Cost: $2.99 total
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

Day #6 of Chocolate and Tea theme week.

ChocolateBet: May 20, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
The Tea Room
"Mate and Star Anis - Dark Chocolate Infused with Mate Tea, Star Anis and Nibs"
72% Cacao (Organic)
Very Good
Weight: .45 oz. (13 grams) in 1/4 bar; 1.8 oz. (51 grams) total/whole bar
Calories: 70 calories in 1/4 bar
Price: $2.99 total/whole bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

Given this is Day #5 of my Chocolate and Tea week, it is only right that I try some chocolate from a company called The Tea Room (based in American Canyon, California).

The star anis, cocoa nibs and mate ingredients in this organic dark chocolate bar were a bit crunchy and unevenly distributed, but the rich, earthy flavors were nice. I found I liked the second bite I had (later in the afternoon) better than the first bite I had in the early a.m. I think the bar was a bit warmer (less brittle) as well. Temperature and time of day do matter...

I plan on trying more Tea Room flavors this week.

ChocolateBet: May 19, 2008

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

3 small squares
Starbucks Chocolate
Chocolate and Tea Tasting Squares (Assortment)

1) Tazo Chai (Milk Chocolate)
Very Good - spicy
2) Tazo Passion (Dark Chocolate)
Very Good - strong citrus/hibiscus flavors
3) Tazo Citron (Dark Chocolate)
Very Good - nicely balanced citrus and floral flavors

Weight: ~.51 oz. (15 grams) for three small squares (1 of each kind in assortment); 2.64 oz. (75 g.) in total/whole box
Calories: 72 calories (estimate) for 3 small squares
Cost: $5.99 (for a whole box)
Purchased from: Walgreens, in Palo Alto, CA

Today is Day #4 of Chocolate and Tea theme week. I am usually complaining about not being able to taste floral, herbal or tea flavorings infused in chocolates. (Worse yet are the ones that use artificial-tasting ingredients and are overpowering.) These Tazo co-branded chocolates (named for Tazo Chai, Passion and Citron teas) do not scrimp on the flavorings, and you actually get a pretty strong flavor punch. The Tazo Citron flavored dark chocolate was my favorite of the three. With well-balanced flavors, you could taste the citrus flavored tea and the dark chocolate.

Chocolate in the News:
And, now if I can segue from chocolate and tea - something that has the ring of civilization to it - to a chocolate-related story that falls...perhaps at the other end of the spectrum.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3945139.ece
This Times story from the U.K. makes me proud to be an American Citizen, and at the same time sparks thoughts of the downfall of civilization - all at the same time. The writer (Stephen Bleach) must be talking about Las Vegas. And indeed he is. (See clip pasted below.)

Two new chocolate extravaganzas in Las Vegas...(I must go visit next time I'm there.)
"Hot chocolate, sinful chocolate
They’ve done gambling, booze, sex, but the big new thing in Las Vegas is chocolate. Caesars Palace has installed a 13ft imitation-choc cuckoo clock that has melted chocolate running through it and dispenses free truffles when the birdie pops out. The Bellagio has gone one better. Its new 27ft, floor-to-ceiling chocolate fountain pumps two tons of the melted ooze at 240 pints a minute. Apparently, they won’t have to change the gloop for a year. We’ll have a salad, thanks."

ChocolateBet: May 18, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar

Chuao Chocolatier

Early Grey - Milk Chocolate (41% cacao) Bar Infused with Earl Grey Tea

Good+ - Very Good 

Weight: ~.7 oz. (20 grams) for 1/4 bar serving; 2.82 oz. (80 grams) total

Calories: 110 calories for 1/4 bar

Cost: $ 6.49 for total/whole bar

Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

For Day #3 of Chocolate and Tea theme week, I returned to a combination that I've tried before - Earl Grey tea-flavored chocolate. I admit, I'm not a huge milk chocolate fan; however the Earl Grey (bergamot) flavoring was catnip to me.

Related digression: I planted orange bergamot mint in my yard several years ago. Someone told me it was the flavoring for Earl Grey Tea. Not quite. Although the leaves from this herb (which is sold under several different names) do make a nice tea, Earl Grey tea flavor apparently comes from the rind oil of a citrus fruit (bergamot orange/lime). Now, I'm finding out whether I can grow this little tree in my yard.