ChocolateBet: October 21, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1/5 bar - Kras - 88% Ghana Cacao Dark Bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .48 oz. (14 g.) / 2.4 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 69 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ Not applicable
Purchased from: Not applicable

Thank you to Bill for sharing chocolate brought back from a recent trip to Croatia. Given its high (88 percent) cacao content, this bar was very smooth tasting (not bitter) and had a nutty flavor.

And now, with the second chocolate of the day, we move into "Chocolate and Halloween/Day of the Dead Theme Week."

2.) 1 small package - Simply Sinful Candy - Toffee - with Dark Chocolate and Almonds
Very Good
Weight: .85 oz. (24 g.) (estimate) in sample
Calories: 128 calories (estimate)
Cost: $ N/A - samples were being handed out at festival
Purchased from: Simply Sinful Candy booth, at the Waterfront Festival - Art, Wine and Chocolate; Suisun Bay, CA

Earlier this month, I attended the Waterfront Festival in Suisun Bay, CA. Toffee chef Patsy Anderson (pictured right) and associates, from local company Simply Sinful Candy, were handing out samples of their toffee made from local ingredients. (Their sugar, for example, comes from the C and H Sugar Factory nearby.)

Their Simply Sinful (devil) logo inspired me to hold off on eating this toffee until today -- Day #1 of Chocolate and Halloween/Day of the Dead Theme Week. Halloween is, after all, the one acceptable holiday for devils. Simply Sinful's Toffee also comes in pecan and other flavors.

ChocolateBet: October 20, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 tin
Dean and DeLuca
Dark Chocolate Orange Peel
Very Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) / 6 oz. (170 g.) total container, tin
Calories: 400 calories (estimate) for 1/2 tin
Cost: $9.00 for total container
Purchased from: Elements (gift shop), Aria Resort, CityCenter; Las Vegas, NV

Dean and DeLuca's round silver tin filled with Dark Chocolate Orange Peel pieces concluded (Day #7 of) Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

I thought I tasted a hint of cinnamon along with the orange oil used to flavor these dark gems -- providing a nice tie-in for the holidays, now that we're slouching toward Thanksgiving. Part of me still wants to cling to the false notion that it must still be summer--ish; but I had to don a warm coat this evening, so it's time to move on. Tomorrow I'll be starting to embrace the Fall/Winter holiday season with a warm chocolate Halloween/Day of the Dead hug.

ChocolateBet: October 19, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

5 sticks
Sweet's
Orange Sticks
Good +
Weight: 1.48 oz. (42 g.) / 4.1 oz. (116 g.) total package
Calories: 160 calories in 5 sticks
Cost: $1.99 + shipping for online orders
Purchased from: Sweet's / Sweet Candy Company, Salt Lake City, UT

Sweet's has been a family business since 1892, if I understand their materials correctly, making them one of the longest running family businesses in the candy industry. Their orange sticks, with fairly natural tasting orange gel centers, were dipped in dark chocolate. Other types of chocolate covered sticks (e.g. raspberry) are also available from the Salt Lake City-based company.

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

ChocolateBet: October 18, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
2 pieces
Jean Philippe Patisserie
Sevillian
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.47 g.) (estimate) for 2 pieces
Calories: 130 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.00 for 2 pieces
Purchased from: Jean Philippe Patisserie, Aria Resort at CityCenter, Las Vegas, NV

No matter what your chocolate preference, it is worth a visit to Jean Philippe's Patisserie, in either the Bellagio or Aria Resort location, if you're in Las Vegas. Impressive decor and chocolate fountains and/or sculptures can be found inside. And, for those even mildly tempted by marzipan I recommend Jean Philippe's dark chocolate coated, brightly decorated, orange marzipan Grand Marnier ganache chocolates. These survived my trip home from Las Vegas, and I enjoyed them today, Day #5 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 17, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece
ethel's chocolate/Ethel M Chocolates
Orange Liqueur
Good +
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate)
Calories: 75 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.00 for 1 piece
Purchased from: Ethel's Chocolate, Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel; Las Vegas, NV

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. Las Vegas is a great chocolate town, and Ethel's Chocolate is a well-known chocolatier in this area. I was walking through the Flamingo resort, having just purchased an Ethel's Orange Liqueur chocolate. As I bit into this barrel-shaped, filled dark chocolate -- decorated with orange flecks on the outside, and with a creamy, orange filling on the inside -- I noticed some movement in the background. Yes indeed, those were live flamingos.

ChocolateBet: October 16, 2010

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

1.) 1/4 bar
Godiva
Truffle Bars - Dark Chocolate with Creamy Vanilla Filling
Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 57 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $2.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

2.) 1/4 bar
Godiva
Truffle Bars - Oranges and Cream in White Chocolate
Good - Good +
Weight: .35 oz. (10 g.) / 1.4 oz. (40 g.) total bar
Calories: 57 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $2.95 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draegers, in San Mateo, CA

Truffle Bars from Godiva are currently available in chocolate and orange ice-cream inspired flavors. This fact came in very handy as today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Orange Theme Week. 

I decided to sample these two Godiva bars with a small taste of The Macallan 12-year old single malt scotch whiskey. Sample sips were available on the show floor at BlogWorld Expo (Las Vegas). I recommend trying both scotch and chocolate(s) separately first, to be able to fully appreciate each. However, as far as combining the two -- the Godiva vanilla-filled dark chocolate Truffle bar paired particularly well with the scotch.

Note: Due to travel this week, photo posts will be delayed.

ChocolateBet: October 15, 2010

Chocolate of the Day:

4 pieces
Droste (Holland)
Pastilles - Milk/Orange Chocolate
Good +
Weight: .71 oz. (20 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total package
Calories: 115 calories in 4 pieces
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today's choice for (Day #2 of) Chocolate and Orange Theme Week came from Europe. Holland-based Droste's smooth, round chocolate pastilles are available in different flavors. These pastilles were milk chocolate with "natural orange" flavoring.

Thank you to those who helped evaluate these with me at the BlogWorld Expo show. It's always fun to make new chocolate/travel friends.

Note: Due to travel this week, photo posts will be delayed.