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.

disney: princess chocolate bar

at times, i review the novelty bar - - - i have been known to be surprised by some....

now picture yourself, in an enchanted forest in a darling little cottage... you have just chatted with some chickadees at the windowsill, finished washing the dishes (chipping a nail), and handwashed all the stacked up laundry of seven dwarfs. a charming countrywoman (disguised as the evil queen) shows up with a poisoned apple and a princess bar.

you must try one. pray tell, which one do you choose?...

.....mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all? definitely the poisoned apple. a kiss would not bring you back to life if you chose the chocolate.

although I cannot recommend purchasing this bar at any level, do check out the movie enchanted.

askinosie: san jose del tambo 70%

i am often afraid of cute packaging. i become concerned that manufacturers are trying to make up for bad chocolate. well my fellow snobs, this is definitely not the case with askinosie.... the chocolate is superb along with the packaging, the website, the people, the philosopy... yes, they are all in all just fabulous.

let's talk san jose del tambo! the bar is full of adventurous flavor. i feel like indiana jones has taken me on a wild ride and we have discovered a new treasure with this bean to bar.

in this bar, they added cocoa nibs...most bars with nibs leave you with "shells" in your mouth. here askinosie systematically places them so that they do not take over the palate.

buy this bar.


here is the darling map they included inside.

YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS BAR:

spicy chocolate easter bunny: CONTEST

it has been proven over and over again that chocolate easter bunnies are way down on the chocolate scale. here is your chance to spice up your bunny and win some fantastic prizes from tsp spices.

the rules:

1. dress your chocolate easter bunny to "spice it up" (it can still be in the wrapper).
2. put it in front of a backdrop, national monument, or a homemade scene.
3. take a picture of your spicy bunny.
4. give your picture a clever title.
5. you may eat the bunny ears off but you may not do it in photoshop.

send us a high-res jpg of your spiced up bunny to contest@chocolate-snob.com. use the subject line "spicy bunny".

contest ends on march 20, 2008

voting:

the panel consists of complete snobs. remember to be creative and imaginative. email us with your favorite posted bunny by march 17 to determine the fan fav.

prizes (from our good friends at tsp spices...):

grand prize winner with the most creative spiced-up bunny - prize - tsp 'spice basics' and tsp 'sweet basics' spice collections, valued at over $80

most green - (this bunny must be environmentally sensitive) prize: tsp 'green basics' spice collection, valued at over $40

fan favorite - prize: tsp 'savoir fare' spice collection, valued at over $15

best use of spices - prize: tsp 'sweet heat' spice collection, valued at over $15

most imaginative - prize: tsp 'sun shine' spice collection, valued at over $15

happy valentines day card and quiz

hello my darlings,

happy valentines day! let's hope we will all be celebrating with a special loved one.... good chocolate.

i really cannot thank you enough for making this blog so popular - - - many kisses to all of you!

continue below for the sweet valentine's quiz that my good friends at mental floss created...


chock full of chocolate quiz

1) what company was the first to offer a valentine's day chocolate box?
a. cadbury
b. whitman
c. hershey
d. godiva

2) like water for chocolate was a 1992 film that told of early 20th century life in what country?
a. germany
b. venezuela
c. switzerland
d. mexico

3) what floppy-eared dog puppet used to tell tv audiences that "nestle makes the very best chawk-lit"?
a. droopy
b. farfel
c. ollie
d. cleo

4) who wrote the classic young adult novel titled the chocolate war?
a. s.e. hinton
b. walter dean myers
c. robert cormier
d. paul zindel

5) what song, originally a british hit for the group hot chocolate, became the only #1 american single for the band known as stories?
a. you sexy thing
b. emma
c. brother louie
d. every 1's a winner

click here for the answers...

to be the smartest chocolate snob ever, pick up your mental floss subcription here!

adapted (with permission) from mentalfloss.com; for a daily
dose of quirky fun, visit http://www.mentalfloss.com/ and check out
mental_floss magazine at your local newsstand.

rock, taylor, tini, and giant

during the filming of giant...the relationship between rock hudson and elisabeth taylor was completely innocent; they liked to party together and one of their favorite concoctions - a chocolate martini - almost made a cameo appearance in the film. the famous wedding scene where taylor is attending her sister's ceremony and is surprised by hudson's unexpected arrival was filmed after an all night drinking session between taylor and hudson. "in between takes," hudson was fond of saying, "elizabeth and i were running out and throwing up. we were both so hung over we couldn't speak. that's what made the scene." (from http://www.tcm.com/)

here is ting's favorite recipe for chocolate martinis... we love ting!

ting says... "i prefer the white creme (less) and more vodka for an everyday drink. for dessert, i prefer the dark creme with shaved curled chocolate."

ingredients:

2 oz base spirit (vodka, light rum or brandy)
1/2 oz chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
chocolate syrup to coat rim of martini glass
raw sugar
chocolate shavings (60% or higher cacao)
long lemon twist

coat rim of martini glass with chocolate syrup and dip in sugar. mix all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass. garnish with shavings and twist.

mexican hot chocolate

growing up, there was an ice cream parlor close to my elementary school that sold mexican hot chocolate... i clearly remember the fantastic elixir with hints of chili and cinammon. my twin brother and i would treat ourselves to this luxury on our walks back home from school. we would soon forget about st. vincent's, the nuns, and the mischief. today, the ice cream shop is a bar-b-que joint and i cannot find that magical drink except in my own kitchen.

so, my fellow chocolate snobs! here is my invented nostalgic recipe from childhood....

mexican hot chocolate recipe
(serves a fabulous party of 12 with leftovers)

1. get 16 ounces of a great bar of chocolate that is 70% cacao or higher. i used bernard callebaut 72%.



2. immerse the chocolate into 3/4 of a gallon of milk over low heat. frequently whisk so the milk does not curdle on the bottom of the pan.


3. add four teaspoons of ancho chile. i used organic tsp ancho chile. this is from a fabulous spice company that you should definitely check out! keep stirring.


4. add three large cinammon sticks (and it didn't hurt to add two teaspoons of organic tsp cinammon).


5. add 1/8 cup of brown sugar to taste (you may want to add a tad more since i am not fond of sugary cocoa).


6. keep it on the stove a bit - - - you want the hot chocolate to absorb those spices. add a dash of sea salt to bring out the flavor a bit more.

7. now for the whipped cream! in a ceramic bowl, add a pint of heavy whipping cream and start blending on high with a hand mixer. add 1 teaspoon of organic tsp ancho chile and 5 teaspoons of powdered sugar (to taste - do not make this super sweet). keep blending it until it has the consistency of whipped butter.



8. put a dollop of the whipped cream in your cup of mexican hot chocolate and remember childhood.

YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS RECIPE:

ratatouille: dark chocolate mousse a la bouchon : thomas keller

if you click on the image, you will be taken to the printed recipe.

the awards season is coming up and studios are trying to round up votes. i received a lovely piece from the walt disney company and its pixar animation studios unit promoting ratatouille... it was in the form of a menu "pour votre consideration".

if you have not yet seen ratatouille, i highly recommend it to any foodie. the film is listed in my amazon store.

the menu includes several recipes... of course one that caught my eye was thomas keller's dark chocolate mousse a la bouchon.

here is the recipe:

dark chocolate mousse

ingredients:

4 1/2 ounces of dark chocolate
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced.
2 tablespoons espresso or hot water.
1 cup cold heavy cream.
3 large eggs, separated.
1 tablespoon sugar.

preparation:

combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than the body temperature. to test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. it should feel warm. if it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate. once melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

when the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. refrigerate for at least 8 hours (the mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day).

makes 8 servings

YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS RECIPE:

priority club: chocolate

here is a good example of how i do not want my rewards... priority club sent this bar and i no longer want to be a member. this is a very waxy soft variety of american chocolate. the quality of the chocolate is poor and it will result in throat burn.


YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS BAR:

bovetti: dark chocolate with sechuan peppers

the bovetti bar reminds me of royalty... kings, queens, the court, servants... what is quite interesting about the complicated bar is that the peppercorns are smooth and not strong (it is not your grandfather's peppercorn steak). at first bite, there is a warm tingle that turns to a surprise ending of anisette. it is as if i am enjoying a pastice on the croisette in cannes (at the Carlton) with my tiara on.... bisous!

notes: mint, anise, leather, pepper, complex, citrus, love

YOU BE THE CHOCOLATE SNOB... RATE THIS BAR:

chocolate covered company: valentine's berries : chocolate covered strawberries

these chocolate covered strawberries are heavenly. personally i have never been a fan of the chocolate dip, but the boys at chocolate covered company have come up with something sneaky - - - magnificence! i am now a believer... this chocolate is not waxy and the strawberry is lush, huge, and it has flavor (it is no where near those genetically modified tasteless strawberries). the large berries are quite elegant with colored streams and the smaller berries are adorable with miniature heart sprinkles. the packaging is in a silver box and they are cushioned really well for shipping.