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 . . .

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.

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.

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.®

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!

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/

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!

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...

shaman's vision: organic dark chocolate with coconut

please support the yarn painting and bead work of the huichol's... or, just make a direct donation. do try to resist the temptation of buying this bar as a means of supporting the tribe. the chocolate is shockingly brutal, dry, and unpalatable. the vision was definitely blurred... peyote, perhaps?

villars: chocolat a l'ancienne 64%

this is just a decent dark chocolate... no disappointment but no thrill ride either... it is fine for the novice or for the movies... if you do decide to go to the theatre, check out my grandfather in superhero movie.

happy 90th birthday milt!

addendum:
over the weekend we went to see milt's film. it was absolutely horrible. i don't think intoxication could even fix the film. i retract my film outing suggestion!

scharffen berger: milk nibby 41%: milk chocolate with roasted cacao nibs

hmmm.... i was a bit reticent with this purchase. hershey's insisted they would not cut values, taste, or production methods when they bought out scharffen berger. my thoughts immediately turned to china when the cadres said hong kong would still be the same after the handover.

well, with this bar, i literally licked the wrapping. this bar is completely delicious and it is a very mature bar for being milk. nice earthy tones with great texture. i want more.

sorry, i could not find this particular bar on amazon... but i did find the scharffen berger extra rich milk chocolate

spicy chocolate easter bunny: WINNERS

easter has passed and we have some great winners for the spicy chocolate easter bunny contest. here they are... thank you to all of our great and clever entries... some were just too spicy to post. thank you also to tsp spices who made this happen.

the grand prize winner with the most creative spiced-up bunny goes to:

neverland patch by dominick and gina

they win the tsp 'spice basics' and tsp 'sweet basics' spice collections, valued at over $80

. . . .

the most green - (this bunny must be environmentally sensitive) prize goes to:

all edible by jolyn

tsp 'green basics' spice collection, valued at over $40

. . . .

fan favorite prize goes to:

i know who shot bambi's mother by fifi

she wins tsp 'savoir fare' spice collection, valued at over $15

. . . .

best use of spices goes to:

carmenita in the kitchen by dean

he wins tsp 'sweet heat' spice collection, valued at over $15

. . . .

most commercial goes to:

the simpsons by loretta

tsp 'sun shine' spice collection, valued at over $15

lacasa: conguitos

conguitos are tasty chocolate covered nuts. these nuts are not the bio modified nuts we have here.... i am sure that is why peanut butter sandwiches cannot be packed in lunches anymore. the spanish nuts are crunchy, small, roasty, and packed with flavor. the chocolate is dark and not as sweet compared to peanut m&m's. the pack came with the company conguito mascot container... it holds the chocolate so they don't melt in your hand. this company has been around since 1852.

food should taste good: chocolate tortilla chips

chocolate tortilla chips? are you kidding? well my dears, they are fantastic. they remind me of dutch cocoa cookies that i cannot find anymore. the texture is great and they are not greasy.

besides enjoying them on my own, my chocolate snob colleagues and i came up with some innovative combinations:

• we dipped them in melted nutella (divine);
• we coated them in chocolate (it was a step above neimans chocolate dipped potato chips);
• then i made a mole chicken with crunched chips on top (it was out of this world).

these chips certifiably delicious. food should taste good® also carries other tortilla chips... my favorites in order are olive, jalapeno, and multigrain.

recchiuti: fève 85% with cacao nibs

i want to hate this bar and it is not because i was overcharged at rechuitti. this bar is bitter, it has a sour tobacco smell, and it is dense with cocoa nibs. yet somehow, i find complete chocolate intoxication and i am filled with an unusual gustatory sensation. how can i hate complication? this is a very interesting bar... i want to try more.

notes: bitter, smoky, spicy, manky, tobacco, leather, chalk, dry, tree fruit, long finish, complex, wild berry, raisin

acetaia montale rangone: cioccolatini al balsamico e nocio

this is the chocolate you will want to eat before you die... including every single day before then...

starting from the 13th century, ancient artisanal methods were passed from generation to generation to create a heavenly syrup... this velvet elixir of modena is known as balsamic vinegar - - - instrumental in fending the masses from plagues and evil spirits...

from the land that lies between the valley of the river secchia and to the west of the river reno, trebbiano grapes are harvested. the grapes are pressed, simmered gently over an open flame to a seventy percent reduction, filtered and cooled, and then slowly, slowly transformed through a complex 25 year aging process. the liquid passes through a series of five wooden barrels: oak, juniper, cherry, chestnut, and mulberry.

this balsamic is used to create delectable and edible jewels.

cioccolatini al balsamico
cioccolatini al balsamico has rich overtones that grace this chocolate with an ideal balance of sweet and piquant. there is an initial subtlety then a surprising taste of vinegar.... the surprise flavor immediately turns to plum, then to strawberry. heaven.


cioccolatini al nocio
cioccolatini al nocio pictured at the very top and below is complete and utter satisfaction. the walnut liquor is strong and lustful. i blush with the lurid passionate thoughts it provokes.


here is what seems to be handcrafted boxes. all the chocolates are produced in limited batches.

meet giuseppe...


the man behind the most amazing artisinal chocolates. imagine the sensation of being enveloped by some heady elixir after biting into the gold dust of angels' wings...the taste he has created is way beyond chocolate...it is divine!

giuseppe's balsamic farm has been in the family for over a hundred years. it seems impossible that he just started making chocolate three years ago.

please have your local chocolatiers import his chocolate. also, let me know who carries it and when! here is his contact: stefania casadei.

ciao!

chocolate, erte, and stephan

who knew chocolate snob would capture such a tremendous fan base from all places around the world including guayaquil, ecuador; doha, qatar; and canton, ohio? originally the blog was created to sort out my chocolate journals.

yesterday, i received a really touching letter from stephan who works as an artist in residence for the art deco society. below is his gorgeous erte inspired piece "chocolate".

stephan writes...

• "I found your blog quite by accident and I must say that I am overwhelmed.
  
  I am an admitted chocoholic although I work as an artist and designer...I am something of an authority on the life and art of Erte. I do have on my web pages a costume design for a woman meant to represent chocolate. She is part of the Neopolitan Suite. She is joines by Vanilla and Strawberry costumes...
  
  ... Thank you providing a great blog. I'll be reading it on a regular basis."

fresh & easy: belgian chocolate bar 72% cocoa with cocoa nibs

fresh & easy grocery just opened up a new store on hollywood boulevard. since they are a stones throw away, i had to check out their chocolate supply. i headed down the hill and found that the police had the store cordoned off because of oscar preparations. i was not to be deterred... i manoeuvered the car past traffic enforcement, used my parking karma, climbed the barricades, and went shopping!

to my surprise, i found a belgian chocolate bar (72% cocoa) with cocoa nibs. the chocolate is not superior but the texture is great. the crushed cocoa nibs definitely worked me over. this bar is perfect if you do not want to splurge and still want to maintain some form of dignity. take this bar to the movies.