ChocolateBet: August 6, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece/olive
"The Original Chocolate Olive"
Good - Good +
Weight: .4 oz. (11 g.) / 2 oz (57 g.) (estimates) total package of 5 pieces/olives
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $5.95 total package of 5 pieces/olives
Purchased from: ? (lost receipt)

I had been saving this small package of pit-free, red pimento-stuffed green (chocolate) olives for today, Day #4 of Chocolate and Olive Theme Week.

I will probably offer the rest of these realistic-looking olives to unsuspecting family members and friends. Or, perhaps I could melt them down and make chocolate olive fondue.

Note: The chocolate olive market may have become saturated in a down economy. Or maybe fewer people are drinking variations on a chocolate martini? I tried to order some "Cholives" from a small company in Wisconsin; however, sadly, I found out this company closed down last month (July 2010).

ChocolateBet: August 5, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
3 pieces/olives
The Candy Store
Chocolate Olives
Good +
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) (estimate)/ ~ 9 oz. (254 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 89 calories (estimate)
Cost: $
Purchased from: The Candy Store, in San Francisco, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Olive Theme Week. The Candy Store's plastic cocktail shaker was filled with realistic-looking green and black olives. The detailed description accompanying these chocolate olives read: "a french confection of almond and hazelnut nougatine covered with white and dark chocolate." These were a bit sweet for something that looked so genuinely savory, but I give them a high grade for clever packaging.

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.