ChocolateBet: September 25, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Talenti
Coffee Chocolate Chip gelato
Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup / 1 Pint total container
Calories: 120 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $4.99 total container
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

Chocolate, figs and coffee continued to mix in mysterious and wonderful ways this morning. Breakfast consisted of a small affogato (a shot of espresso over a scoop of gelato) and 5 different fig spreads on toasted gluten-free bread.

Instead of the traditional vanilla gelato in the affogato, I enjoyed a scoop of (gluten free) coffee chocolate chip from Talenti gelato and sorbetto (Dallas, TX). Talenti founder, Josh Hochschuler, was inspired by (and learned how to make) Italian style ice cream (helado/gelato) while living in Argentina.

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 24, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Jovial Foods, Inc.

1.) Chocolate Cream Filled - organic chocolate cookies
Good+
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) total package of 6 servings
Calories: 160 calories in 1 package of 2 cookies
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA

2.) Fig Fruit Filled - organic cookies
Good +
Weight: 1.2 oz. (33 g.) / 7 oz. (200 g.) total package of 6 servings
Calories: 130 calories in 1 package of 2 cookies
Cost: $3.99 total package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, Los Altos, CA


I bought two flavors of these small, gluten free cookies: 1.) chocolate and 2.) fig, with chocolate cream and soft fig fruit centers, respectively. It was good to find another good alternative to traditional fig bar cookies (that are made with wheat flour).

Each box of these organic cookies made in Italy for Jovial Foods (North Franklin, CT) contained 6 packets of 2 cookies each. The chocolate cookies were slightly crunchy with a creamy filling. Both flavors were satisfying without being too rich, and paired well with coffee/tea -- and also with imaginary chocolate and fig and coffee ice cream sundaes I was conjuring up, possibly for later this week.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate, Fig and Coffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 23, 2012

Chocolate(s) of the Day: 

Paiarrop S.L. (Producer)/ Forever Cheese LLC (Importer)
ChocoHigos
Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) (estimate for 2)/ 4.9 oz. (140 g.) total container/package
Calories: 130 calories (estimate) for 2 pieces
Cost: $9.99 total container/package
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

What are ChocoHigos? Your first and only hint: "Higos" is the Spanish word for figs. And these little chocolate-covered beauties were produced in Valencia, Spain.

Dried Pajarero figs were hand-dipped in dark chocolate with a touch of vanilla. And they were very tasty. A nice complement to un cafecito, or a cup of coffee, as shown on the package.

These ChocoHigos were imported into the U.S. by Forever Cheese LLC (New York); and I bought them at the local Whole Foods grocery store.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate, Figs and Coffee Theme Week. So, in honor of the number "2" I created a fig, coffee and chocolate tapas plate with some cheeses. (Thank you Katy and Trip for mentioning cheese.)

I roasted some figs with honey and coffee liqueur and cinnamon, ate them with a slice of Torrone a pani - with dark chocolate and almonds, and some cheeses. Died-and-gone-to-heaven-on-a-little-plate just about captured this moment.

ChocolateBet: September 22, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

TCHO
Dark Chocolate with "Citrus" notes
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (58 g.) total bar
Calories: 145 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. serving
Cost: $3.99 total bar
Purchased from: Whole Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

TCHO (San Francisco, CA), a pioneer in educating the public about the different tastes and origins of cacao, created a "PureNotes" line of bars: Chocolatey, Nutty, Fruity and Citrus bars, so named for characteristic flavor notes. To make this Citrus 67% cacao dark chocolate bar, the company obtained organic beans from the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar, and crafted them into chocolate with light bright citrus notes characteristic of this region.

I had previously tasted a small Citrus 70% cacao version of this square bar in 2009; this 67% bar was a slightly different formulation. It was quite nice for savoring a la carte. However, I decided to melt a bar and used this luscious fondue for a fresh fig brunch plate with Tuscan Ricciarelli (gluten free almond) cookies (with traces of orange and vanilla); chopped almonds; a tiny glass of sherry; and a small cafe latte on the side. It's that time of year, when golden summer gives way to fall, where richer, darker flavors have a stronger appeal.

Today was Day #8 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week, and Day #1 of Chocolate Figs and Coffee Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 21, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Ritual Chocolate
Madagascar 75% cacao bar
Good+
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.5 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 219 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 for total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

This 2011 harvest dark bar made by Ritual Chocolate (Denver, CO) was perhaps the most subtle but well balanced Madagascar bar I've eaten this week, with both very slight acidic notes and also a faint hint of caramel.

Made with organic cacao beans from the Sambirano Valley in Northern Madagascar, the bar was enveloped in gold foil paper, and wrapped in attractively designed packaging adorned with a lemur.

Warning, tangent about lemurs ahead.... A lemur is a monkey-like marsupial with large eyes and a long, ringed tail, native to this large island nation off the east coast of Africa. I've been told many farmers regard lemurs as pests; and I'm left to wonder whether lemurs like/can eat cacao fruit or not. I somehow remember reading that they might be able to eat cacao without ill effects. (I remember feeding a lemur a banana while in Madagascar in 2005; sadly there was no cacao fruit to see, or taste, on that trip, much less some to feed to lemurs.)

Today was Day #7 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week. 

ChocolateBet: September 20, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Patric Chocolate
Madagascar 67% dark chocolate bar
Good +
Weight: 2.3 oz. (67 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 333 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $8.00 total bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA

I love tasting dark chocolate bars with two or three ingredients. This is gutsy chocolate making! Those two or three ingredients have to be good.

Fortunately, Alan "Patric" McClure of Patric Chocolate is a talented new American chocolate maker, and he has crafted an interesting 67% cacao dark bar from Madagascar beans. The bar had some of the characteristic of acidic/citrus fruits, maybe a bit of ripe blueberry that are often associated with beans from this part of the world.

Today was Day #6 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 19, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Michel Cluizel
Milk Chocolate (50%) Madagascar bar
Good +
Weight: 2.46 oz. (70 g.) total bar
Calories: 369 calories (estimate) in 1 bar
Cost: $9.00 total bar
Purchased from: Cocoa Bella, in San Francisco, CA

This relatively dark milk chocolate (50%) bar was made by Michel Cluizel (Paris, France) with beans from the Mangaro plantation, in northwest Madagascar. The description on the back of this bar included this tasting note. "It expresses...notes of caramel, exotic fruits, spice cake and honey."

Most of the pure (no milk added) dark chocolate bars made with cacao from Madagascar seem to have a unique citrus/acidic fruit flavor. In contrast, milk chocolate bars made with beans, from this large island nation off the east coast of Africa, take on a different taste altogether. The addition of milk is a powerful thing. "Caramel" notes seem to be a common descriptor used with these milk bars. While I favor the dark chocolate bars with a less diluted bean flavor, this Michel Cluizel bar is one of the best milk chocolate Madagascar bars I've tasted.

Today was Day #5 of Madagascar Chocolate Theme Week.