this is definitely not your ordinary mars bar... i wish that all grocers had this bar at the point of check out... the bon bon bar is incredibly delightful with a scent of orange. it is full of caramely-gooey-wonderfulness - - - i am sure that when candy bars were first made, they were made like this.
the bar may seem a bit steep at five bucks a pop ... but you can definitely tell that the company is not skimping on good and real ingredients... you can taste the rich butter and delight your buds with the candied oranges.
beijing, the year is 1916 and you are a guest of the imperial family in the forbidden city... you pass through the gate of supreme harmony and look below to see puyi, the last emporer, riding his bicycle. the eunuchs in their beautifully embroidered robes are desperately trying to catch up to him. you discreetly pass the troupe and reach the gate of earthly tranquility. to the left are residences where concubines turn to fantasy worlds in their opium dens. you continue your quest until you reach the jagged paths of the imperial palace gardens. there, you enter the hall of imperial peace and find a red package that is left for you on the altar table - - - it is jade chocolate dragon's breath bar.
you gently open the lotka paper wrapper and you immediately become surrounded by heady aromas. a single bite is earthy and then it turns meaty... lapsang souchang flavors are well noted. the texture is punched with roasted sesame seeds and once the chocolate melts, gentle fireworks ignite from the spice of the chili peppers.
jadepromo
okay, i am a total sucker for packaging - - - this has to be the most darling box of chocolates ever. when i was at the teuscher store in san francisco, i had to get it (even though most of the time, pretty packaging does not equal good chocolate)!
the teuscher champagne truffles are gentle, delicate, and a tad too sweet... panache made up for the latter. dark chocolate ganache surrounds a champagne cream center. half of the truffles are dusted with confectioner's sugar and the other half are dusted with cocoa powder.
the story on the back reads:
the boy with the champagne bottle was in a series of collectible items for children at the beginning of the last century. in 1917, when adolf teusher was 8 years old, this picture has been part of his album compilation. thirty year later, in 1947, he had chosen this theme for the first printed box of champagne truffes.
applause goes to jade chocolates with their mango orchid. this is an elegant and delicate piece of work. the tips of dried mango slices are dipped in chocolate and the base of the "petals" are fused with chocolate around a bamboo skewer. the orchids are presented in an corsage box - - - such brilliant packaging.
jadepromo
in the movie the fabulous destiny of amélie poulain, mr. dufayel encourages amélie to basically seize the day and go after the man she loves and a life she desires. a line that is permanently glued to my monitor, dufayel states, "voilà, ma petite amélie; vous n’avez pas des os en verre, vous pouvez vous cognez à la vie. si vous laissez passer cette chance, alors avec le temps, c’est votre coeur qui va devenir aussi sec et cassant que mon squelette. alors, allez y, nom d'un chien! " in other words, he basically says, "my sweet little amelie. you do not have bones made of glass and you can take life's knocks. if you let this chance pass you by, eventually, your heart will become dry and brittle like my skeleton. so, girl! go get him and don't waste time!"
lindt's petits desserts crème brûlée unintentionally pays tribute to the film. amelie's simple pleasure of taking a teaspoon and cracking her crème brûlée is brought to life with this bar. bits of caramel crack and pop in the mouth. i just wish the bar was not so sweet and perhaps made as a dark bar.
oh, stop, you tease! sexy can be gentle, reliable, and faithful... right? this chocolate bar is delicate with hidden bursts of ginger. if you are seeking the dangerous type, do keep in mind that this will not put you through ginger asphyxiation . . .
i was feeling a bit nostalgic and i fell into a bosco chocolate syrup mood. I found this great retromercial with dick van dyke and some very odd clowns...
bosco was developed by a new jersey physician using only natural cocoa and it has been around since 1928. countless mom's mixed bosco with milk for their children arriving home from school and alfred hitchcock used bosco chocolate syrup as fake blood in the psycho shower scene.
if your market does not carry bosco, you can get bosco from their online store! also check out the most adorable vintage t's!
5 minute bosco chocolate cake recipe...
if you need a quick chocolate cake fix, this is for you
preheat the oven to 350 degrees
put four eggs in a bowl and whisk
in a separate bowl, combine a bottle of bosco (22 ounces) with a stick of butter and mix well.
put the bosco mixture with the eggs, add 1 cup of sugar, and sift in 1 cup of flour. mix well.
pour in a greased and floured lasagna pan and bake for 20 minutes... the cake is finished when the center is bouncy.
stab the cake several times.
add 1/4 cup of your favorite liqueur (i used vermeer chocolate liqueur) to 2 cups of powdered sugar - mix well. pour over hot cake.
cut the cake in four even pieces, stack, and serve.
my fiance met me after my meeting downtown and we walked over to the golden gopher for cocktails.
dave, our mixologist and a musician, made us the most fabulous mint julep's (something quite hard to find in LA). after the julep's, we decided to have a german chocolate cake cocktail for dessert - - - a formidable pièce de résistance. here is the recipe:
german chocolate cake cocktail
fill a shaker with ice and add equal parts absolut citron and frangelico.
shake, shake, shake...
prepare a sugar rimmed glass. dust a slice of lemon with sugar and garnish glass with the lemon.
strain ice and pour.
drink instructions: try not to get too much sugar in your mouth and sip the cocktail. after your initial sip, gently bite into the lemon garnish. how bizarre...it really does taste just like german chocolate cake.
okay starbucks! the jig is up!
starbucks mocha dark chocolate
the mocha dark chocolate tastes exactly like the scharffen berger mocha dark chocolate.... it has the same density, texture, snap, and crunch. the coffee beans are even crushed the same. hmmm, the chocolate wrapping shows that the mocha dark is created with starbucks® guatemala casi cielo®... but is it really that different from what scharffen berger is using? why don't they just come out and state that this is scharffen berger's chocolate? but again, i could be totally wr-wr-wr-wrong...
starbucks dark chocolate
the dark chocolate is smooth and not that complex. there is a sweet berry finish.
starbucks milk chocolate
the milk chocolate reminds me of staking out waffle shops in brussels and stopping at chocolate shops along the way. it is very much of a smooth belgian-y chocolate.
side note: okay, i may be a bit hypocritical in judging their copywriter. sure i have stated that i have been kidnapped by samurai or that i have been left on island with pirate's booty... but really, who came up with these registered statements on a 3x4.5 inch box of chocolate?:
diderot was a french philosopher and a leading figure of enlightenment. he spoke highly of the new world and encouraged america not follow the mistakes of the old world - - - a.k.a. russia.
diderot suffered from dropsy and in 1784 his last supper consisted of soup, boiled mutton, chicory, and an apricot. as he was eschewed from eating the apricot, he stated furiously, "mais quel diable de mal veux-tu que cela me fasse?" ... "what in the devil do you want me to do with it?"
deucedly, diderot put the apricot in his mouth, chewed once, choked on the pit, and then died. how unfortunate it was that jefferson’s new world plantation was the physical cause of diderot’s death.
if diderot had only waited for new tree he would have had the will to keep on living. the apricot crave comfort chocolate bar is gentle and aromatic...it has a lovely nectar scent and taste. the bar is wonderful and addictive...and there are absolutely no pits.
chocolat poulain / goutez et comparez / qualite sans rivale
“il avait ete a la peine, il etait bien juste qu'il fut a l'honneur” (jeanne d'arc)
aristide boucicaut, the legendary director of the bon marché in 1850, was a marketing savant. he basically invented “gift with purchase” by giving away chromolithograph trading cards on thursdays. children would race to his store every week (with parents in tow) to get the latest chromo for their collection.
chocolate companies soon caught on and slipped chromos in their packaging. the cards covered: children’s songs, history, geography, natural sciences, professions... the chromos were not only used to sell more bars but they were also used for education.
the chromo above, from chocolat poulain, depicts joan of arc at her trial…
the judges were astonished that a small country-woman was able to attend the coronation of charles vii (july 17, 1429 at reims cathedral). the judges asked why joan was given a place of honor next to the king rather than a nobleman. She proudly stated "it had borne the burden; it was only right that it should have the honor".
if you have not yet seen the messenger: the story of joan of arc
this is a brilliantly made box of chocolate from italy. inside are 6 chocolates from 6 different regions. also included is a tasting booklet in english and italian.
noka has nothing on cube! this chocolate is quite complex and quite interesting. you will venture on an exciting journey with each one.
here are my notes:
no. 1 - cuba 70% - light up a cigar and survey your dense tobacco fields...
no. 2 - ecuador 71% - this is gentle and sweet. notes of cherries with a nice bitter finish
no. 3 - tanzania 75% - love it - gentle warm forest feeling of comfort. finishing with notes of vanilla
no. 4 - sao thome 70% - intense, velvety, and dense
no. 5 - madagascar 66% - sweet, smooth, earthy, with a touch of deep raisin
no. 6 - peru 64% - peanut buttery sweetness and it does not resemble chocolate. it has an odd flavor
i found the link to their site... you may want to brush up on your italian...
