ChocolateBet: October 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 piece
fleurir
Sesame Hazelnut
Good +
Weight: .2 oz. (5.6 g.) / .4 oz. (11.32 g.) in 1 pc.
Calories: 30 calories (estimate) for 1/2 pc.
Cost: $34.00 for box of 18 pieces
Purchased from: fleurir, via foodzie.com

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. The sesame tahini and gianduja (hazelnut paste) mixed into a dark ganache made this dark chocolate from fleurir (Wash., D.C.) taste as creamy as a milk chocolate.

ChocolateBet: October 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 piece/tile
Poco Dolce
Sesame Toffee
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .6 oz. (17 g.) in 1 piece
Calories: 90 calories (estimate)
Cost: $2.25
Purchased from: ZombieRunner, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be able to find seven different sesame items for this theme week; but it has been no trouble at all. And, I haven't even gone halva(h) shopping yet. Another sign of the incredible abundance and variety in the world of chocolate.

Poco Dolce (San Francisco, CA) offers bittersweet chocolate squares, or tiles, in many different flavors. All are good. As my tastes have evolved, I sometimes find these tiles a bit too sweet. However, the bittersweet chocolate and a light sprinkle of sea salt nicely counter-balance the sweetness.

ChocolateBet: October 11, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/3 bar
Mazet
Bitter Sesame (bar)
Very Good
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33.3 g.)/ 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 173 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A gift
Purchased from: N/A - gift

First, a big belated thank you to Jasmin U. for this Mazet Noir Sesame bar (made in France) with a wrapper suitable for framing.

This Bitter Sesame dark chocolate had a nice hard snap to it, followed by a pleasant melt into a creamy, nutty texture and taste.

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

ChocolateBet: October 10, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/4 bar
Feletti 1882 S.R.L.
Extra Dark Chocolate bar
Good - Good +
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.)/ 3.53 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 130 calories (estimate)
Cost: not known
Purchased from: not known

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week. After a small nibble, I made some Cioccolato Extra Fondente (70% cacao) fondue out of this Feletti dark bar from Italy. I then dipped gluten-free sesame pretzel rings and also a very tasty sesame seed candy "bar" from Greece into this melted chocolate.

Later in the week, I will go out hunting/shopping at a local international market to find some chocolate and vanilla halva(h), a popular blend of chocolate and sesame seed paste from the Middle East/Mediterranean region.

ChocolateBet: October 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Lydia's Organics
Cacao Crunch Bar
Good - Good +
Weight: 1.5 oz. (43 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 80 calories
Cost: $2.59 total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

Chocolate can be mixed successfully with almost every food and drink category, including fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Today was the first day (Day #1) of Chocolate and Sesame Theme Week.

Today's raw, gluten-free, organic and vegan Cacao Crunch Bar from Lydia's Organics (Fairfax, CA), was a healthy, satisfying bar made from sprouted buckwheat, sprouted sunflower, sesame seeds, sprouted quinoa, agave nectar, cinnamon and Himalayan sea salt. Good for a light snack on the go.

ChocolateBet: October 8, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
SOMA chocolatemaker
A La Taza (Drink of the Gods)
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) (estimate) total package of dry mix
Calories: 384 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.75 (estimate)
Purchased from: SOMA chocolatemaker, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada


I routinely fail to follow food preparation directions and recipes. However, I highly recommend making SOMA's A La Taza drinking chocolate the proper way: on the stovetop (or even microwave) with lots of patient stirring. By resisting the temptation to take a short-cut, I was rewarded with a very smooth, thick, almost fluffy, hot drinking chocolate (seasoned with cinnamon and vanilla). I felt like I was sipping warm, dark chocolate mousse with my cinnamon toast (Rudi's gluten free Cinnamon Raisin bread).

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Cinnamon Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: October 7, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

2 wedges/pieces
Taza Chocolate
Chocolate Mexicano - Cinnamon
Good - Good +
Weight: .34 oz. (9.6 g.)/ 2.7 oz. (77 g.) total package of 2 discs
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $4.95
Purchased from: Info not available

This Mexican style, stone ground, organic chocolate from Taza Chocolate (Somerville, MA) can be patiently stirred and made into hot chocolate or drinking chocolate.

Or, a small wedge can be eaten by itself if you're impatient. It tastes a little gritty, but fresh and flavorful, this way. And breaking off a small segment or two from one of the two circular discs per package is certainly allowable and enjoyable.

This chocolate is also gluten, soy and dairy free.

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