Wednesday, April 30, 2008

koeze co.: cream-nut:
milk chocolate peanut butter clusters


this cream-nut chocolate, by the koeze company, has been around since 1910. it is creamy, peanutty, buttery... just like the box says. this novelty treat is not overly sweet and large pecans are incorporated in the mix. i would rate this several notches above a reeses peanut butter cup. it is a bit reminiscent of fund raising candy... before fund raising candy turned cheap.

Friday, April 25, 2008

bon bon bar:
orange caramel ● pecan nougat


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.

I will have to do a better scan of their cute logo! i just love that the company is based in LA - - - that rocks!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

hershey's: bliss
rich & creamy dark chocolate

Choclate-Snob: Hershey's Bliss
hershey's bliss dark chocolate
dear hershey,

last night, when you came back into my life, i was unsure about letting you in... but you tempted me. you just had to wear that flashy pink outfit with sparkles and tell me that you have changed...

having grown up together, our history has been long, fun, and complex. i still remember the good times when we made s'mores at camp; the funny times when you bumped into that guy's peanut butter; and the scary times when i snuck you into china.

last night's moment we shared on the sofa was full of suspense. when i started opening your package, i knew i should have stopped - - - but i had to keep going...

as we started kissing, i noticed that you did not have any distinctive flavor. you were just too sweet and you left a weird sugary taste in my throat. by the way, what was with that nut residue? it felt like you slipped me a peanut m&m.

sorry hershey, but i am still not ready for us to get back together... you pretended to be something you are not or maybe it is the other's in my life who take me on adventures and find ways to indulge me.


i hope we can still be friends,

hugs and kisses,

rachel




p.s. this girl doesn't camp anymore.

Monday, April 21, 2008

jade chocolates: dragon's breath 65% cacao


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

Friday, April 18, 2008

teuscher: champagne truffes


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.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

jade chocolates: mango orchid 55% cacao


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

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

lindt: petits desserts | crème brûlée


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.

Monday, April 14, 2008

new tree: sexy ginger 73%


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 . . .

Friday, April 11, 2008

bosco: chocolate syrup

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.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

golden gopher:
german chocolate cake cocktail

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.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

starbucks: chocolate tasting squares

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?:

  • bite-size excursions to new realms of chocolate and coffee
  • the cacao pod and coffee bean come from distant lands and they have the power to take you away. care to join us in a little excursion?
  • when coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate.®

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

starbucks: chocolate tasting squares

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?:


  • bite-size excursions to new realms of chocolate and coffee

  • the cacao pod and coffee bean come from distant lands and they have the power to take you away. care to join us in a little excursion?

  • when coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate.®

scharffen berger:
mocha dark chocolate with freshly roasted coffee 62%


my, my... the scharffen berger mocha with freshly roasted coffee is delicious! this bar is gentle, warm, and appealing. it is composed of wonderful nibbly bits (crunch, crunch, crunch). i wish my mocha's tasted like this!

Monday, April 7, 2008

new tree: apricot crave comfort

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.

san francisco international chocolate salon

please join us at the san francisco international chocolate salon this sunday! it will be from 10-6 on april 13. we will be on the panel again... so please come and find us to say hello.



the second annual san francisco international chocolate salon participants include: newtree gourmet belgian chocolate, the tearoom, coco-luxe confections, saratoga chocolates, sacred chocolate, guittard chocolate, the chocolate traveler, san francisco toffee company, marti chocolatt, christopher elbow artisanal chocolate, chocoholics divine desserts, cosmic chocolate, poco dolce, the xocolate bar, jade chocolates, ghirardelli chocolate, gateau et ganache, charles chocolates, amano artisan chocolate, trader joes, moonstruck chocolate cafe, rushburn toffee company, chuao chocolatier, schoggi, scharffen berger chocolate maker, coco delice fine chocolates, vermeer dutch chocolate cream liqueur, nespresso, silver stone wines, sol rouge winery, xox truffles, the san francisco chocolate factory, le creuset, swissmar, putumayo world music, chocolate television and tastetv, and more.

click here for tickets: http://www.sfchocolatesalon.com/

Friday, April 4, 2008

chocolat poulain:
chocolate trading cards


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 - - - i highly recommend this gorgeously made film!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

cube:
il cioccolato d'origine fondente


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...