ChocolateBet: August 4, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 oz. serving
Enric Rovira
Crema de Chocolate con aceite de oliva Arbequina
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8.8 oz. (250 g.) in total container
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1-oz. serving
Cost: $60.00 (yes, you read that correctly)
Purchased from: Alegio Chocolate, in Berkeley, CA

Day #2 of Chocolate and Olive Week found me enjoying this creamy chocolate and Arbequina olive oil spread from Enric Rovira (Spain), that was made even better with the addition of a little salt. (The container came with a packet of salt.) Note: This spread is expensive -- the most I've ever paid for a single chocolate item. So, you can bet I will enjoy the other seven servings in this container.

ChocolateBet: August 3, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece/truffle
The Olive Press (made by Chocolate Visions, Inc.)
Clementine Olive Oil in Dark Chocolate Truffle
Good +
Weight: .46 oz. (13.2 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 69 calories (estimate)
Cost: $6.50 for box of 3 truffles
Purchased from: The Olive Press, at Jacuzzi Family Winery, in Sonoma, CA

Today was the kick-off day for Chocolate and Olive Theme Week. Day #1's selection was an Olive Oil Truffle, made with clementine (tangerine) flavored olive oil and a little bit of tumeric (according to an ingredients list). I could taste neither a distinct olive flavor, nor the clementine or tumeric flavors. The  truffle's ganache/filling did have a certain pleasant, smooth texture characteristic of chocolate and olive oil when they are mixed together, with just a hint of texture from what I believe was some added sugar.

To help ensure chocolate and olive compatibility, an advance taste test was held today for this week's planned items. Thank you to The Chocolate Garage for hosting.

ChocolateBet: August 2, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Barbeque (filled chocolate)
Very Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.4 g.) (estimate) 2 pieces
Calories: 136 calories (estimate) 2 pieces
Cost: $(varies by weight); filled chocolates run between $1.40 - $2.00/piece
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, Oakland, CA

Barbeque sauce and chocolate you say? Well, the best opportunity to try this combination might be (if you live in Northern California that is) to visit Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA, and buy a few of his Barbeque filled chocolates. What I enjoyed most was the balance between the flavors -- enough barbeque sauce-based flavor so that I could really taste it, but not enough to overwhelm the chocolate. For those who like smoky flavors, and were put off by bacon and chocolate, this is a great  alternative.

ChocolateBet: August 1, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
Cioccolato di Calabria
(Product of Italy, Imported by A.G. Ferrari Foods)
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .37 oz. (10.47 g.) / 1.48 oz. (41.8 g.) total box of 4 pieces
Calories: 56 calories (estimate) 1 piece
Cost: $5.99 for total box of 4 pieces
Purchased from: A.G. Ferrari Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. Licorice root is used to flavor candy, cookies and yes -- you saw this coming -- even some chocolates. This week has featured ginger, sarsaparilla, root beer, and now licorice root.

Once again, I find myself asking: Is there anything that doesn't go well with chocolate? I have paired chocolate with at least one item in every major food category; and so far, after hundreds of different combinations, I have yet to find something that doesn't work, on some level, with chocolate.

ChocolateBet: July 31, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Michael Mischer Chocolates
Orange - Shichimi Togarashi (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 450 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.95 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Michael Mischer Chocolates, in Oakland, CA

Today's chocolate choice (for Day #5 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Week) was a single origin Criollo (38%) milk chocolate bar topped with small pieces of orange, and a generous dash of shichimi togarashi (a Japanese spice mix that includes chili powder, black and white sesame seeds, ginger, and seaweed.) I enjoyed the "spicy" (chili) and the "roots" (ginger) aspects of today's entry -- as well as the very nice, smooth milk chocolate base Michael Mischer chose for this bar. The pieces of  real orange (pictured in greater detail, right) worked well; they added just the right amount of texture and taste.

ChocolateBet: July 30, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1/5 bar
Green and Black's
Ginger - Dark Chocolate (bar)
Very Good
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.)/3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 100 calories in 1/5 bar (6 small squares)
Cost: $
Purchased from:

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. Green and Black's Ginger dark chocolate (60% cocoa content) bar was embedded with small pieces of crystallized ginger that proved pleasantly pungent, without being overwhelming.

Ginger is the "spicy root" that has received a disproportionate amount of attention this week; and today is no exception. However, there may be one or two more roots claiming their turn in the chocolate spotlight in the next few days.

ChocolateBet: July 29, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

2 squares/tiles
Poco Dolce
Ginger - Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.4 g.)/6 oz. (170 g.) total 8-piece box
Calories: 218 calories in two squares (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: Poco Dolce, at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon earlier in 2010

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Spicy Roots Theme Week. And once again I found myself gravitating toward a chocolate that incorporated ginger -- one of the best spicy roots around to mix with the dark stuff. These Poco Dolce Ginger tiles were topped with sea salt.