ChocolateBet: September 14, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
1 bar
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Caramel - Five Star Bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) total bar
Calories: 299 calories (estimate)
Cost: $3.99
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week. Ooey, gooey caramel -- the kind that stretches out in the middle when you cut a caramel-filled milk chocolate bar in half. There is a very delicious aspect to this kind of texture and taste. In the end, it was a bit too sweet for my taste; however the almonds suspended in the caramel added some crunchy texture and helped cut the sugary sweetness a little.

And I liked the small bar shape and size of this Caramel Five Star Bar from Lake Champlain Chocolates (Vermont). Although the shape was deceptive, as this was a 2 oz. (56 g.) bar. Some chocolates are better if they're quite thin. Others need room for hearty fillings and additions, like this one.

ChocolateBet: September 13, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving
Amport Foods/American Importing Co. Inc.
Caramel Nut Crunch
Good - Good+
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.)/ 12 oz. (340 g.) total package
Calories: 170 calories
Cost: Information not available
Purchased from: Information not available

I planned on walking a local trail this evening after work; and I was looking for a trail mix that I could take along with me. This Caramel Nut Crunch blend from Amport Foods (Minneapolis, MN) contained peanuts, caramel and chocolate chips, cashews, almonds, raisins and walnuts, and certainly fit the bill.

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: September 12, 2011

Chocolate of the Day: 

Stonyfield Farm, Inc.
Oikos
1.) Chocolate nonfat yogurt - OK+- Good
2.) Caramel nonfat yogurt - Good
Weight: 4 oz. (113 g.) each cup
Calories: 200 calories (total for 2)
Cost: $ not available
Purchased from: information not available

Time to get some culture today -- yogurt culture that is. New Hampshire-based Stonyfield Farm is behind the Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt brand. Today I sampled two Oikos nonfat yogurt flavors: Chocolate and Caramel.

Chocolate flavored yogurt is a bit of a challenge in my experience. Fresh, unsweetened Greek yogurt topped with dark chocolate shavings, dried figs and toasted walnuts is my favorite rendition of this flavor; and it's unfair to compare a custom favorite with any standard item purchased in a grocery store. But, you could gussy up your Oikos yogurt with your own toppings. Hats off to Stonyfield for their contribution to their contribution to sustainable and organic practices on a large scale over time.

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Madre Chocolate
Very Good - Very Good +
Weight: .75 oz. (21.5 g.) / 1.5 oz. (43 g.) total bar
Calories: 112 calories (estimate)
Cost: $12.00 (estimate)

Purchased from: The Chocolate Garage, in Palo Alto, CA


Today was a good day to celebrate life and chocolate. Thank you to friends and family who joined me for a walk around San Francisco Bay (mile 955), lunch, and a celebratory chocolate tasting to mark the fifth year since I've been eating a different chocolate each day. (Thank you Toni for the lovely Vosges Assortment box -- fresh from Chicago no less.)

The Triple Cacao bar from (Hawaii based) Madre Chocolate was a great way to experience cacao, and a perfect choice for a five-year anniversary chocolate. This dark bar contained cocoa solids, toasted cacao nibs (beans), and small pieces of dried cacao fruit (the whiteish pulpy fruit surrounding the seeds).

It's difficult to obtain fresh cacao fruit in the U.S., as it is only grown in Hawaii (and Caribbean and Latin nearby countries); and the slightly slimy, stringy texture of this fruit may not be appealing to everyone. Cacao fruit is also quite perishable, but I highly recommend trying it if you get the chance. It is has lovely, light citrus flavor.

Thank you to all who have been part of this chocolate adventure.  I'm looking forward to another five years of chocolate research. 

ChocolateBet: September 10, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Lindt and Sprungli
Grandeur 34% Hazelnuts - Dark Chocolate bar
Very Good
Calories: 395 calories
Cost: $4.69 total bar
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, Palo Alto, CA

The following is my answer to a question you may not have asked: Yes, the dark chocolate version of today's  Grandeur (34% hazelnuts) bar was just as good as yesterday's Milk Chocolate version. The treatment of the whole, toasted nuts and caramelized nut pieces was superb.

And, this concludes (Day #8) of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week. Alas, no time for a nice pour of Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) into some hot chocolate, and other possible combinations of hazelnuts and cacao. Maybe next year.

Another milestone: tomorrow will be the 5th anniversary of my deciding to eat a different kind of chocolate every day. Five years and more than 1,800 chocolates later, I have (unbelievably) many thousands more chocolates to investigate. And, a good place to research new chocolates and combinations is with a small, chocolate tasting community, such as The Chocolate Garage. Thanks to all who helped celebrate this weekend's milestone.

ChocolateBet: September 9, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/2 bar
Lindt and Sprungli
Grandeur 34% Hazelnuts - Milk Chocolate bar
Very Good
Weight: 2.65 oz. (75 g.) / 5.3 oz. (150 g.) total bar
Calories: 397 calories
Cost: $4.69 total bar
Purchased from: Piazzas Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA


Today was Day #7 of Chocolate and Hazelnut Theme Week. For those unacquainted with this blog, you may be asking, what does this mean, and why should I care?

I eat a different chocolate every day, and to make life interesting, I will frequently choose an item to combine with chocolate for a week -- thus creating a theme week. This week's item: hazelnuts. And, today involved eating more tasty, toasted hazelnuts -- and caramelized hazelnut pieces -- embedded in milk chocolate, for brunch, in between meetings at work. The nuts made the bar. I hope you benefit from my findings. I'll be nibbling on the dark chocolate version of this Lindt Grandeur "34% Hazelnuts" bar tomorrow.

ChocolateBet: September 8, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

1/6 bar
Majani 1796 S.p.A.
Chocolate with Hazelnuts bar
Good
Weight: .583 oz. (16.66 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) total bar
Calories: 87 calories
Cost: $6.99 total bar
Purchased from: Village Market (Ferry Building), San Francisco, CA

This Chocolate with Hazelnuts milk chocolate (22% minimum cacao) bar from Majani (Italy) had no discernible pieces of nut -- cioccolato alla nocciole gianduja was blended seamlessly together smoothly with a little cocoa butter and soya lecithin.

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