Core Foods - Cashew Cacao bar - Mar. 31, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Core Foods
Cashew Cacao bar
Good
Weight: 3 oz. (85 g.) in 1 package/bar
Calories: 370 calories for 1 package/bar
Cost: $ lost receipt
Purchased from: Country Sun Natural Foods, Palo Alto, CA

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

This Cashew Cacao Core Meal bar from Core Foods (Oakland, CA) had a substantial heft and texture to it.

It was (very credibly) billed as as a "hearty oatmeal on the go" meal. The vegan, organic and gluten-free bar contained: gluten-free oats, raw cashews, raisins, raw flaxseed, cacao mass, filtered water and vanilla beans.

Core Foods is a not-for-profit company, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a mission to support people with healthy, nourishing food.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Momotombo - Maranon (Cashews) Milk Chocolate bar - Mar. 30, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chocolate Momotombo S.A.

Maranon (Cashews) Fine Milk Chocolate bar
Good ++
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total bar
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 1/3 bar
Cost: $3.75 (estimate) for 1 bar
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo; Managua, Nicaragua

Maranon (Cashew) y Canela (Cinnamon) Chocolates
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: 1.06 oz. (30 g.) / 3.18 oz. (90 g.) in total box
Calories: 160 calories (estimate) in 5 pieces
Cost: $8.00 (estimate) for 1 box
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo, Managua, Nicaragua

Fresh Chocolate with Maranon y Ron (Cashew and Rum)
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .5 oz. (14.1 g.) slice
Calories: 75 calories (estimate) in 1 small piece
Cost: $5.95 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Chocolate Momotombo, Managua, Nicaragua

Welcome to the first day of Chocolate and Cashew Theme Week.

I've come to equate Chocolate Momotombo (Managua, Nicaragua) with good chocolate. Happily, this bean-to-bar maker offers several chocolates that are blended with cashew (maranon, or anacardo, in Spanish), including today's Maranon (Cashews) fine milk chocolate bar; maranon (cashew) and canela (cinnamon) chocolates, and fresh chocolate with maranon (cashews) and ron (rum).

The company specializes in cacao from Nicaragua and local flavor additions (seeds, nuts, fruits). The fresh chocolate is more perishable than a bar, but is unique and worth trying. Looks like fudge, but a bit moister and more fresh tasting.

Read on if you'd like to know more about cacao and cashews...

More about Cacao and Cashews

Cashews

• The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree that produces an edible cashew seed (nut), attached to the cashew "apple"
• Cashew fruit (apples) look like an upside down reddish-orange bell pepper - with a greenish "comma" growing out of the bottom.
• It can grow as high as 14 meters, but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 meters, has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields.

Chocolate and cashews have several things in common; for example:

• Cacao "beans" and cashew "nuts" are both, in fact, seeds. 
• Both grow on trees, and are associated with a unique-looking fruit.
• Cacao and cashews both grow on tropical evergreen trees within 20 or so degrees from the Equator. 
• Cacao trees originally came from Central and South America. Cashew trees likely originated in Brazil. Both trees are now grown and processed in other countries—primarily in Africa and Southeast Asia/India.
• Both seeds are rich (containing 45-50% fat) and delicious, if they are processed correctly.
• Like many seeds, these two are both high in minerals, such as magnesium and iron. Per ounce*:
• Cashew nuts = Magnesium (20% of daily value), and Iron (10% of daily value)
• Dark chocolate = Magnesium (20% of daily value), and Iron (19% of daily value); dark chocolate is also high in Copper and Manganese.
• Both fruits can be seen in a range of colors (yellow, orange, red, etc.). Cacao fruit starts from tiny 5-petal white flowers that grow directly off the trunk and branches of the tree. Cashew fruit starts with a slightly larger, 5-petal, pinkish-red flower.

However, there are some differences between the two:

• A cashew is a seed that grows outside (hanging below) the cashew fruit (or "apple"); whereas cacao seeds are packed together inside a cacao pod.
• Cacao fruit (pulp) and cashew fruit are both edible, although cashew fruit + nuts should be handled with care**. While cacao is protected by a tough, thick outer rind/shell, and slightly bitter seeds, the white pulpy fruit that envelopes the cacao seeds (beans) is both edible and delicious. 

*These are approximate values. Each dark chocolate bar, e.g., varies somewhat in nutritional content, depending on percentage and source.

** In India, cashew fruit is sometimes used to make jams and spreads. However, the material around the nut is quite unpleasant (caustic). The cashew nut covering (attached to the fruit) contains a thick oil/sap (also found in poison oak and poison ivy)—that can cause an itchy skin rash.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Palmer - "Bee Mine" - Milk Chocolate bee - Mar. 29, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

R.M. Palmer Company
"Bee Mine" Milk Chocolate
OK+
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories for 1/3 package
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to the last day of a short, 4-day Spring Celebration Series, featuring different chocolate critters.

Today's "Bee Mine" hollow milk chocolate item was distributed by R.M. Palmer Company (Reading, PA). Originally created for Valentines Day, this holiday novelty item had been squirreled away in my chocolate vault just for such an occasion.

Loved the concept of having little honey-flavored bees inside a bigger chocolate bee. Very clever design. OK chocolate.

I hope that the abundance of rain, green grass and wildflowers we're receiving in California this year will be good for our (real, non-chocolate) honeybees, which seem to be having a rough go of it.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Palmer - "You Mooove Me" (Cow) - Mar. 28, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Distributed by R.M. Palmer Company
You Mooove Me - Milk Chocolate Cow
OK+
Weight: 1.16 oz. (33 g.) / 3.5 oz. (99 g.) in total package
Calories: 170 calories for 1/3 cow
Cost: $2.99 for 1 package
Purchased from: Walgreens, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to a spring celebration of chocolate animals this week.

The last few days featured chocolate Easter bunnies, in part inspired by real rabbits seen enjoying green grass* in the area. And, today, I'm moving on to other chocolate critters.

Today's "You Mooove Me" Hollow Milk Chocolate cow was distributed** by R.M. Palmer Company (Reading, PA). This item came from the chocolate vault, where chocolate animals from holidays past were hiding.


This well-rounded, slightly goofy-looking, foil-wrapped cow was not one you'd typically see in a pasture. And the chocolate is not super top quality. But the design was great. The cow was a traditional milk chocolate novelty candy item that included dextrose candy, and both natural and artificial chocolate flavors.

But wait, there's more. Inside this hollow milk chocolate cow, there was a whole herd of tiny "Chocolate Milk Flavored Candy Cows" that had a faint, hot cocoa confection flavor.

*I was inspired by the beautiful green grass we've been experiencing following actual rain...something we haven't seen for 4-5 years, due to a serious drought. And I get a kick out of chocsimiles (chocolate facsimiles) of animals and other nouns.

**"Dextrose candy made in Malaysia" -- I'm guessing this refers to the tiny candy cows in the middle.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Ghirardelli Chocolate - Milk Chocolate Bunny - Mar. 27, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Milk Chocolate Bunny
Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 g.) / 3.5 oz. (100 g.) in 1 bunny
Calories: 152 calories (estimate) in 1 oz. (28.3 g.) of bunny
Cost: $3.50 for 1 bunny
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Happy Easter to all who celebrate this Spring (and big chocolate) holiday.

Today I'm featuring Ghirardelli Chocolate Company's blue-ribbon-wearing, milk chocolate bunny named Noe—who was holding what appeared to be a gold Easter egg.

Poor Noe. I've always felt a little guilty biting into any chocolate animal, especially when it has a cute little smile.

To compound my crime, I ate some small, individually-wrapped caramel versions of Noe yesterday (pictured at right). And today we conducted a science experiment by leaving one bun in the sun to see if it would melt into fondue. (It did.)

This classic, hollow milk chocolate rabbit was shared with family and friends.

Thanks to Megan and Jeff for the mini milk chocolate versions of this bunny.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Ghirardelli - Milk Chocolate Caramel Bunny - Mar. 26, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Ghirardelli Chocolate
Milk Chocolate Caramel Bunny
Good
Weight: 2 pieces (20 g.) / 4.14 oz. (117.6 g.) in total package/bag
Calories: 80 calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $4.99 (estimate) for 1 package
Purchased from: Safeway, Palo Alto, CA

Happy Spring to all. And Happy Easter Weekend to those who celebrate this holiday.

Rain has brought green back to the San Francisco Bay Area. Green grassy hills as far as one can see (over all the buildings that is). Cows and horses are grazing on the green grass in pastures, and bees are buzzing around flowers in bloom.

Spring is a great time to celebrate life and being outdoors. And, as always, here at Chocolate Banquet, we celebrate with chocolate.

First, let's start with the quintessential Easter bunny. Recently, my mother spotted a rare bunny on her lawn. The mystery bunny returned several times and was finally captured on my brother's cell phone.

Rabbits are often considered yard pests in more rural settings. However, we live in such a developed area, it's highly unusual to have a visit from a real Easter bunny. (Easter squirrels maybe, but not bunnies.)

Today's Milk Chocolate Caramel Bunny is for you mom. The individually wrapped, Milk Chocolate Caramel Bunnies (package of 12) were from Ghirardelli Chocolate (San Leandro, CA).

Each diminutive Ghirardelli milk chocolate bunny (named Noe*) was filled with a soft caramel filling.

Tomorrow I'll be featuring Noe's bigger, 100% chocolate (caramel-less) sibling.

*Noe the bunny also has a back-story. See Ghirardelli website for more. 

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.

Nada Moo! - Lotta Mint Chip Frozen Dessert - Mar. 25, 2016

Chocolate of the Day: 

Nada Moo (aka Nada Moo!)
Lotta Mint Chip Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Good - Good +
Weight: 1/4 cup (37.5 g.) / 1 Pint (473 mL) in total container
Calories: 70 calories in 1/4 cup serving
Cost: $1.99 (estimate) for 1 container
Purchased from: Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Palo Alto, CA

Welcome to Day #9 of Chocolate and Coconut Theme Week.

Today's Lotta Mint Chip non-dairy frozen dessert was from Nada Moo (Austin, TX). The company's name roughly translates into nothing from a cow.

This organic, creamy, minty rendition of an ice cream classic was made with coconut milk. And the results were quite good. Cold flecks of chocolate balanced the creaminess with a slightly sharper, darker, and chewier accent flavor.

The contribution of coconut milk also contributed to this dessert's rich mouth feel and taste, making up for any lack of butter fat. At only 140 calories per 1/2 cup single serving, the coconut milk helped this frozen dessert taste a lot richer than I expected.

If you want to amp up the chocolate, I found it was good with homemade chocolate mint sauce too.

The content and images in this post belong to ChocolateBanquet.com.