ChocolateBet: April 6, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Xocolatl de David
Salted Caramel bar
Good+
Weight: 1/3 oz.
Calories: 50 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

This slim, dark chocolate (72% cacao from Ecuador) Salted Caramel bar from Xocolatl de David (Portland, OR) had a thin layer of caramel artfully applied in the middle. The different sweet-salt and cacao flavors were balanced.

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

ChocolateBet: April 5, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kika's Treats
Dark Chocolate Covered Crunchy Corn Cake Bites
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56.5 g.) / 4 oz. (113 g.)
Calories: 220 calories (estimate) for 1/2 container
Cost: N/A - sample
Purchased from: Kika's Treats, San Francisco, CA

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

These light, fresh and crispy, gluten-free, chocolate-covered corn cakes from Kika's Treats (San Francisco, CA) were one offering in a fun line-up of treats from Cristina Arantes, a very talented baker, maker and chef who is from Brazil. The light sprinkling of sea salt on these semisweet cakes was just about perfect -- not too much, but just the right amount to satisfy.

Kika's Treats (open by appointment, for pick-ups) is located in the "Dogpatch" area of San Francisco -- a fun neighborhood for foodies.

ChocolateBet: April 4, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Trader Joe's
Dark Chocolate Bar - Caramel with Black Sea Salt
Good - Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.)/ 3 oz. (85 g.) total bar
Calories: 140 calories in 1/3 bar (estimate)
Cost: $1.99 total bar
Purchased from: Trader Joe's in Mountain View, CA

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate (70% cacao) bar was attractively packaged and very reasonably priced.

The caramel encased in the dark chocolate was golden colored and had a nice even flow to it; but the use of corn syrup resulted in a certain taste that I didn't love. The Hawaiiian Black Sea Salt was a nice touch, as was the "g" in the bottom left corner of the package, indicating: "No Gluten Ingredients Used."

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. 

ChocolateBet: April 3, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Patric Chocolate
Salty Signature Seventy bar
Very Good
Weight: .759 oz. (21.45 g.)/ 2.3 oz. (65 g.) total bar
Calories: 112 calories in 1/3 bar (estimate)
Cost: $9.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week. This new 70% bar from Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO) was stamped with the painterly "Patric" signature on the front, and was sprinkled with two different types of salt on the back -- giving this side the look of a dark chocolate galaxy swirled with salt stars.

Quoting from owner/maker Alan 'Patric' McClure's website:

"...we have sprinkled Prussian Blue salt, for sparkle, and Bali Sea Salt, for crunch. We sourced both of these salts with the advice and the help of The Meadow in NYC, home of the world's best Selmelier: Mark Bitterman, author of Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral.

Note regarding availability: This bar is a limited edition release, and when all 950 bars are gone, Patric won't be making more.

Note regarding quality: This bar is a testament to the school of thought that foods with less than five ingredients are generally better, and healthier. Ingredients in this Salty Signature Seventy bar were: Cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and the salt mentioned above.

ChocolateBet: April 2, 2012 - Chocolate #2,000

Chocolate of the Day: 

Kika's Treats
Sea Salt Caramels with San Francisco Bay Salt
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) in approximately 3 pieces
Cost: $2.90 for approximately 3 pieces
Calories: 149 calories (estimate)
Purchased from: Kika's Treats, in San Francisco, CA

Wahoo!  Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

But, today wasn't just any day -- and the salt wasn't just any ordinary salt. This week was a big chocolate milestone week.

Today's custom-crafted Sea Salt Caramels from Kika's Treats (San Francisco) were topped with (hometown) San Francisco Bay salt. And, drum roll please, Kika's chocolate caramel treat, made with coconut palm sugar and puffed brown rice, went down in the (b)logbooks as the 2,000th unique, daily chocolate to appear here on Chocolate Banquet -- a tasty adventure that began more than 5 1/2 years ago.

Cacao-induced milestones: 
This week, I will have eaten:
1.) 2,000 different chocolates, from more than 725 different companies/makers
2.) 125 pounds (my weight) in chocolate later this week -- over 5 1/2 + years
3.)  300,000 calories in chocolate

OK, enough with the numbers. It really is more fun to focus on the great chocolates being created.
Thank you to Cristina B. (the wonderful force behind Kika's Treats) for whipping up this special batch for this occasion. These will also be served at my "Walking the Bay" exhibit in San Francisco this week.

ChocolateBet: April 1, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:


Xocolatl de David

1.) Piment d'Espelette bar
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) ttl pkg.
Calories: 59 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

2.) Almond and Pimenton bar
Weight: .4 oz. (11.3 g.) / 2.2 oz. (62 g.) ttl pkg.
Calories: 60 calories (estimate)
Cost: $8.95 total bar
Purchased from: Fog City News, in San Francisco, CA

Today's first bar, of two, from Xocolatl de David (Portland, OR) contained espelette pepper and a hint of Fleur de sel. I broke off a small shard from this relatively thin bar -- that was just the right thickness for tasting.

I haven't found espelette peppers to be very flavorful when mixed with chocolate. The dark chocolate (74% cacao from Dominican Republic) may have overpowered this more mild member of the "pepper" group.

I did find the company's second Almond and Pimenton bar (made with 68% cacao from Bolivia) to be more flavorful. The olive oil fried marcona almonds with pepper and Fleur de sel were hard to beat. Not terribly spicy, but very tasty.

Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Pepper Theme Week, and Day #2 of Chocolate and Salt Theme Week.

R.E.A.L. - Chocolate raw truffles - March 31, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

R.E.A.L. (Raw Energy and Life) Foods
Chocolate raw truffles
Good - Good +
Weight: 2.25 oz. (63.75 g.) / 3 oz. (85 g.) total container
Calories: 325 calories in 3 pieces
Cost: $6.69 total container/4 pieces
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Los Altos, CA

I do feel different (calmer?) after I finish this healthy chocolate and other products like it.  No real sugar buzz or other effects.

The cacao nibs provided texture and crunch. Flavors/seasonings included sea salt and some peppers, spices, goji berries, spirulina and maca.

Today was Day #6 Spicy Pepper Theme Week.; Day #1 Chocolate and Sea Salt Theme Week.