ChocolateBet: July 2, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory
ChocoHOGlic Bacon Bar
Good
Weight: 1.5 oz. (42.4 g.) total bar
Calories: 233 calories (estimate)
Cost: N/A gift - thank you Jeff
Purchased from: N/A gift

Today was Day #5 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week.

Our ancestors spent time cooking outdoors, because they had to in many cases. In today's hectic world, it's a major accomplishment, and privilege, to have time to fire up a BBQ and dine in the backyard. Life is funny that way.

I had every intention of eating my barbeque meal in the yard today. However, phone calls got in the way, and I had to improvise. My barbequed mango and habanero sausage was microwaved instead, and my toasted marshmallows for s'mores were done over a stove burner in the kitchen.

I added some BBQ potato chips, carrot sticks and a bowl of fresh "strawberry cherries," and I had a picnic-worthy summer meal. (I finally escaped into the backyard for some iced tea later.)

Today's chocolate choice was a ChocoHOGlic Bacon Bar from Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory (Carson City, NV). Thank you Jeff for this bar. On the bar label, a clever pig looks at us from a cauldron-like hot tub of chocolate. I ate half of this bar plain, and the other half was part of a s'more sandwich made with the stove-toasted marshmallows mentioned above, and gluten-free, vanilla graham cookies (from Enjoy Life).

The bacon pieces in this bar were good; however, the milk chocolate was very sweet. I could taste the sugar, but not the chocolate.

I tried a dark chocolate version of this s'more with some leftover pieces from a (72% cacao) bar, and enjoyed this darker, less sweet version. Now, having had two s'mores before 12 Noon, I'll probably be ready for a backyard siesta in a few hours.

ChocolateBet: July 1, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Burger King
Bacon Sundae
Good - Good +
Weight: unknown
Calories: 510 calories in 1 sundae
Cost: $2.69 for 1 sundae
Purchased from: Burger King, in Redwood City, CA

Welcome to Day #4 of Chocolate and Backyard BBQ and Bacon theme week. Today the "backyard" belonged to the local Burger King. I had a bun-free version of their Carolina BBQ Whopper (burger) on a plate (at right, buried under lettuce).

And now, let's cut directly to the chocolate. For a limited time only, Burger King was offering a bacon sundae.

That is correct. A bacon sundae. Soft serve vanilla ice cream in a clear plastic cup was festooned with ribbons of chocolate and caramel sauce; and the sundae was topped with pieces of real, hardwood smoked bacon. The saltiness of the bacon added crunch and helped balance the sweetness of this sundae.

Note: As you might expect, the bacon sundae was not a low-calorie treat. It was a 510 calorie sundae, and the sugar and sodium levels were somewhat elevated; but it was quite tasty.

ChocolateBet: June 30, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Oaxacan Foods
Chicken Mole Negro Plate
Good +
Weight: N/A 1 plate
Calories: 450 calories (estimate for portion I ate)
Cost: $12.00 for 1 plate
Purchased from: Oaxacan Foods, booth at Palo Alto Farmers Market, Palo Alto, CA

Nothing says summer like a Oaxacan Foods hot lunch plate and a fresh watermelon drink, at the Palo Alto Farmers Market, and enjoying this meal at a picnic table in the yard across the street. What could be better? The yard belonged to The Chocolate Garage, which meant my Chicken Mole Negro plate with vegetables, rice, black beans and handmade corn tortillas, could be followed up with chocolate tasting at The Chocolate Garage.


Rich, savory mole sauce usually contains a mix of roasted and ground peppers and seasonings, as well as cacao/ cocoa powder. This dark, Oaxacan version of "barbeque" sauce was great with everything on the plate.

Today was Day #3 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque and Bacon Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: June 29, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wild Ophelia
Smokehouse BBQ Potato Chips
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 g.) / 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 150 calories
Cost: $5.25 in 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, in San Mateo, CA

Today was Day #2 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque Theme Week.

I loved the concept of putting BBQ potato chips and chocolate together. Sadly, not everything tastes wonderful drenched in chocolate. I could barely taste any BBQ flavor or discern any chip texture in this 70% cacao bar from Wild Ophelia (Chicago, IL). To be fair, it's almost impossible to balance these flavors to please all palettes.

The dark chocolate overwhelmed the few pieces of Russet Burbank potato chips from The Billy Goat Chip Company (St. Louis Missouri) embedded in the bar. Being a potato and potato chip lover, I'd be curious to try these chips with a very light dusting of cocoa and spices.

Note: Photos delayed this week due to camera being replaced.

ChocolateBet: June 28, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Wild Ophelia
Beef Jerky Milk Chocolate Bar
Good +
Weight: 2 oz. (57 g.) in 1 bar
Calories: 300 calories in 1 bar
Cost: $5.25 for 1 bar
Purchased from: Draeger's Market, in San Mateo, CA

Welcome to Day #1 of Chocolate and Backyard Barbeque Theme Week.

As we approach the 4th of July holiday in the U.S., I recall many delightful summers growing up in California. I remember working, playing, biking and swimming until it was time to refuel. And there was lots of food on or near smokey metal barbeques: grilled steaks, charcoal-flecked hamburgers with cheese and bacon strips, hot dogs, potato chips, corn on the cob, green salad, homemade peach and black raspberry ice creams, lemonade, fruit pies, and sliced watermelon, and more. We ate outdoors on red-checkered tablecloths; roasted marshmallows and ate s'mores over beach bonfires; and filled little bags of summer snacks to take on trail hikes.

Whew, that was a long list of food items.  My backyard grill of choice today is more likely to be a solar cooker, or set of set kebob skewers and a broiler, often because I'm out of charcoal briquettes.

Times have changed, but my love of good food outdoors has remained.

This week I plan to incorporate chocolate into as many of the examples cited above as possible. I thought this Wild Ophelia* Beef Jerky Milk Chocolate Bar fit right into this summer outdoors in the West theme and Independence Day timeframe. As the packaging states, "This is not your momma's chocolate bar."

This bar was flavored with bits of beef jerky and smoked paprika, adding a slight smokey and salty flavor to a smooth, 44% cacao, milk chocolate base.

*The Wild Ophelia collection of bars was created by Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut Chocolat (Chicago, IL).

ChocolateBet: June 27, 2012

Chocolate of the Day:

Premier Organics - Artisana Foods
Organic, Raw Cacao Bliss - Raw Chocolate Coconut Butter
Good - Good +
Weight: 2 Tbsp. (32 g.) / 8 oz. (227 g.) total jar
Calories: 177 calories in 2 Tablespoon serving
Cost: $11.59 total jar
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

I enjoyed a coconut ice cream sundae, topped with today's chocolate -- a raw, organic cacao and coconut butter from Premier Organics (Oakland, CA). The texture of this spread was more like traditional butter or a nut butter than chocolate sauce, but was quite good; and it would likely smooth out and melt if heated or spread on a warm croissant or piece of toast.

ChocolateBet: June 26, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Turtle Mountain, LLC
"So Delicious" Chocolate (non-dairy) frozen dessert
Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup (42.5 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) total container
Calories: 75 calories in 1/4 cup
Cost: $6.99 (estimate)
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

This organic, non-dairy, soy and gluten free, frozen dessert from Turtle Mountain (Eugene, OR) was made from coconut milk. This variant on chocolate ice cream did have an authentic taste and something of the smooth texture of fresh coconut.

Note: My apologies for a delay in posting pictures this week, due to a camera replacement taking place.