Woodblock Venezuela bar - Sept. 3, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Woodblock Chocolate
Venezuela - Ocumare 70% cacao bar
Very Good
Weight: .88 oz. (25 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 134 calories (estimate) for 1 bar
Cost: $4.00 for 1 bar
Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, Palo Alto, CA

Today marked the beginning (Day #1) of Chocolate and Venezuela Theme Week. I've been looking forward getting back to featuring plain (unflavored), single origin bars for some time. First, it's interesting to see what flavors predominate in, or are unique to, a single region or country. Second, I enjoy seeing what different chocolate makers are able to produce, using similar cacao beans.

High-quality beans from Venezuela, in the hands of a good maker, yield dark chocolate bars that I can only compare to fine, full-bodied red wines, with a well balanced, fruit/acidic bite to them. Such was the case today, with this dark, slightly fudgey bar that was made, bean-to-bar, by family-run Woodblock Chocolate manufactory (in Portland, OR).

The small, dark 70% cacao bar from the Ocumare region of Venezuela packed a big flavor punch. And, without any effort at all, I savored each bite of this rich tasting, two-ingredient bar (cocoa beans, sugar).

Patric - Black Licorice bar - Sept. 2, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Patric Chocolate
Black Licorice bar
Good + - Very Good
Weight: .76 oz. (21.6 g.) / 2.3 oz. (65 g.) in total bar
Calories: 114 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $8.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Patric Chocolate, Columbia, MO

Today was the last day (Day #7) of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week, and I indulged a whim to pair chocolate with licorice and figs.

The result: a plate of fresh figs marinated in Pastis (a French anise flavored apertif), sherry, saffron-infused honey and lemon peel -- paired with pieces of a Black Licorice Bar from American craft chocolate maker, Patric Chocolate (Columbia, MO).

Patric Chocolate's Limited Edition (from July 2013) licorice bar was full of flavor and smooth in texture. This bar was infused with organic anise seed, house-made licorice extract from organic licorice root, and a touch of sea salt. The bar was soy and gluten free.

Fig Cake + Milk Chocolate

Chocolate of the Day: 

Perugina
Milk Chocolate bar
Good+
Weight: .7 oz. (?? g. ) .36 lb. total wedge
Calories: 105 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A
Purchased from: small store in San Francisco, CA

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

I bought a wedge of pressed, dried fig cake with almonds (from Spain). This dense cake became a bit softer and more lovely when heated in the microwave -- and even better with small squares of Perugina milk chocolate (owned by Nestle - Vevey, Switzerland) melting beside it.

If you like figs and you like chocolate, it's hard to go wrong with almost any combination of the two. But I did like this simple pairing. The almonds in the fig cake also added some additional crunchy texture and balanced out the slightly acidic flavors of both fig and chocolate.

Belgian Milk Chocolate - Aug. 31, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Fresh and Easy
Mini Hunk Bar - Belgian Milk Chocolate
Good
Weight: .397 oz. (11.25 g.) in 1/4 bar / 1.59 oz. (45 g.) total bar
Calories: 60 calories in 1/4 bar
Cost: $0.99 for package of 3 bars
Purchased from: Fresh and Easy, Mountain View, CA

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week. It's been easy to find many combinations that work with these two foods.

Today's combination involved shaved Belgian chocolate over chopped figs and vanilla gelato*. The results were on the sweet side, but I enjoyed this cold dessert on a hot summer day. (Optional additions to this sundae: cinnamon, ginger liqueur, crumbled gluten-free ginger snaps, strawberries, almonds, etc.)

*Note: In the past, I've also made fig ice cream by blending vanilla ice cream (or gelato), dried figs and milk chocolate shavings, then re-freezing this mixture.

Chocolate Salami - Aug. 30, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Dude Sweet Chocolate
FDA Chocolate "Salami"
Good +
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) total salami
Calories: 150 calories (estimate) in 1 oz.
Cost: $15.00 for 1 salami
Purchased from: Dude Sweet Chocolate, Dallas, TX

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Fig Theme Week. This chocolate and fig salami from Dude Sweet Chocolate (Dallas, TX) arrived just in time for a summer picnic.

Slice this salami and serve it up with meat, cheese or sherry and you'll up the creative quotient at your table, inside or out.

Made with 72% South American chocolate, California marzipan (almonds, sugar), dates, dried figs, and cocoa nibs, this cleverly disguised treat looked (and had a bit of the texture) of a salami, but was very rich, dense and satisfying, due in large part to the dates and figs. However, the blend of nibs and marzipan with the chocolate was also just right, and not too sweet. Brava to chef Katherine Clapner.

L'Amourette Figs bar - Aug. 29, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

L'Amourette LLC
L'Amourette Chocolatier - Figs Chocolat Noir bar
Weight: .7 oz. (19.8 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 125 calories for 1/5 bar
Cost: $4.99 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Figs Theme Week. And I celebrated this occasion with a "Figs" Chocolate Noir (72% dark chocolate) bar from L'Amourette Chocolatier/L'Amourette LLC (San Francisco, CA).

L'Amourette handcrafts a line of chocolate bars that are vegan and soy and gluten free. The chocolate in this bar had a distinct dark, slightly acidic tang, and was made using Venezuelan Trinitario cacao beans. The generous bits of dried figs had just the right texture - not too tough and chewy and not too gooey soft, and poked out of the chocolate enrobing.

Chocolate fudge, fig cheese - Aug. 28, 2013

Chocolate of the Day: 

Original Chocolate Fudge Co.
Chocolate
Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) (estimate) / 3 oz. (85 g.) in total container
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1/2 oz. serving
Cost: N/A
Purchased from: N/A

Another late summer day, another chocolate, fig and cheese plate. I could eat these all year long. Fresh figs are a rich, flavorful seasonal treat, and to have figs embedded in a small cylinder of Coach Farm goat's milk cheese -- all the better.

A tiny spoonful of smooth Chocolate fudge from the Original Gourmet Fudge Co. (Salem, NH) provided the chocolate-to-go, and to ground this tasting experience in solid sweet + savory territory. (Note: the company is now primarily focused on lollipops and not chocolate items.)