John Robbins

For years now, I have been preaching about the health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa.  Sometimes I do not feel that anyone out there is listening.  You probably know that I eat about 2 ounces of dark chocolate daily.  I have even been known to add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to my oatmeal in the morning.  Here’s a great article by John Robbins of the Huffington Post who shares the same views as me.

The food police may find this hard to take, but chocolate has gotten a bad rap. People say it causes acne, that you should eat carob instead, that it’s junk food. But these accusations are not only undeserved and inaccurate, they falsely incriminate a delicious food that turns out to have profoundly important healing powers.

Healthy Heart

There is in fact a growing body of credible scientific evidence that chocolate contains a host of heart-healthy and mood-enhancing phytochemicals, with benefits to both body and mind.

For one, chocolate is a plentiful source of antioxidants. These are substances that reduce the ongoing cellular and arterial damage caused by oxidative reactions.

You may have heard of a type of antioxidants called polyphenols. These are protective chemicals found in plant foods such as red wine and green tea. Chocolate, it turns out, is particularly rich in polyphenols. According to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the same antioxidant properties found in red wine that protect against heart disease are also found in comparable quantities in chocolate.

Dark Chocolate

How does chocolate help to prevent heart disease? The oxidation of LDL cholesterol is considered a major factor in the promotion of coronary disease. When this waxy substance oxidizes, it tends to stick to artery walls, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. But chocolate to the rescue! The polyphenols in chocolate inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

And there’s more. One of the causes of atherosclerosis is blood platelets clumping together, a process called aggregation. The polyphenols in chocolate inhibit this clumping, reducing the risks of atherosclerosis.

High blood pressure is a well known risk factor for heart disease. It is also one of the most common causes of kidney failure, and a significant contributor to many kinds of dementia and cognitive impairment. Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate daily can reduce blood pressure in people with mild hypertension.

Aspirin

Why are people with risk factors for heart disease sometimes told to take a baby aspirin every day? The reason is that aspirin thins the blood and reduces the likelihood of clots forming (clots play a key role in many heart attacks and strokes). Research performed at the department of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, found that chocolate thins the blood and performs the same anti-clotting activity as aspirin. “Our work supports the concept that the chronic consumption of cocoa may be associated with improved cardiovascular health,” said UC Davis researcher Carl Keen. (Read more about this study in my book Chocolate is Healthy!)

Chocolate is Healthy! by Annmarie Kostyk

How much chocolate would you have to eat to obtain these benefits? Less than you might think. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adding only half an ounce of dark chocolate to an average American diet is enough to increase total antioxidant capacity 4 percent, and lessen oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Why, then, has chocolate gotten such a bum reputation? It’s the ingredients we add to it. Nearly all of the calories in a typical chocolate bar are sugar and fat.

As far as fats go, it’s the added fats that are the difficulty, not the natural fat (called cocoa butter) found in chocolate. Cocoa butter is high in saturated fat, so many people assume that it’s not good for your cardiovascular system. But most of the saturated fat content in cocoa butter is stearic acid, which numerous studies have shown does not raise blood cholesterol levels. In the human body, it acts much like the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.

Cocoa Butter

Milk chocolate, on the other hand, contains added butterfat which can raise blood cholesterol levels. And it has less antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals than dark chocolate.

Does chocolate contribute to acne? Milk chocolate has been shown to do so, but I’ve never heard of any evidence incriminating dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate is also healthier because it has less added sugar. I’m sure you don’t need another lecture on the dangers of excess sugar consumption. But if you want to become obese and dramatically raise your odds of developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, foods high in sugar (including high fructose corn syrup) are just the ticket.

Are chocolate’s benefits limited to the health of the body? Hardly. Chocolate has long been renown for its remarkable effects on human mood. We are now beginning to understand why.

Theobroma cacao

Chocolate is the richest known source of a little-known substance called theobromine, a close chemical relative of caffeine. Theobromine, like caffeine, and also like the asthma drug theophylline, belong to the chemical group known as xanthine alkaloids. Chocolate products contain small amounts of caffeine, but not nearly enough to explain the attractions, fascinations, addictions, and effects of chocolate. The mood enhancement produced by chocolate may be primarily due to theobromine.

Chocolate also contains other substances with mood elevating effects. One is phenethylamine, which triggers the release of pleasurable endorphins and potentates the action of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. Phenethylamine is released in the brain when people become infatuated or fall in love.

Another substance found in chocolate is anandamide (from the Sanskrit word “ananda,” which means peaceful bliss). A fatty substance that is naturally produced in the brain, anandamide has been isolated from chocolate by pharmacologists at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego. It binds to the same receptor sites in the brain as cannabinoids — the psychoactive constituents in marijuana — and produces feelings of elation and exhilaration. (If this becomes more widely known, will they make chocolate illegal?) (FYI – Dr. Andrew Weil talks about this in his book From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs)

If that weren’t enough, chocolate also boosts brain levels of serotonin. Women typically have lower serotonin levels during PMS and menstruation, which may be one reason women typically experience stronger cravings for chocolate at these times in their cycles. People suffering from depression so characteristically have lower serotonin levels that an entire class of anti-depressive medications called serotonin uptake inhibitors (including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) have been developed that raise brain levels of serotonin.

Green and Black's Organic, Fair-Trade Dark Chocolate

Since I am known as an advocate of healthy eating, I’m often asked about my food indulgences. One of my favorite desserts is a piece of dark organic chocolate, along with a glass of a fine red wine.

I do have a policy, though, to eat only organic and/or fair trade chocolate. This is because of what I have learned about child slavery in the cocoa trade. (BBC produced a great documentary on the subject.)

May your life be full of healthy pleasures.

John Robbins is the author of many bestsellers including “The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World”, the classic “Diet For A New America,” and “The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less.” He is the recipient of the Rachel Carson Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, the Peace Abbey’s Courage of Conscience Award, and Green America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. To learn more about his work, visit www.johnrobbins.info

The perfect quote on Facebook today… “For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can achieve the same effect.”

Dark chocolate is a super power food. The problem is that most people still think milk chocolate and chocolate candy when they think about chocolate. Hopefully, with the proper education from us, people will finally get it! Grab some dark chocolate to munch on while you read!  Enjoy

Annmarie Kostyk

We have not had a guest blogger in awhile!  Today I bring you Adam Wayda of Paris Patisseries talking about a recent chocolate tasting he conducted on the Pralus Chuao chocolate bar.  Totally brilliant review!

Long before I overindulged in pastry, I got to know chocolate. Having Biagio Abbatiello as my purveyor of fine bars, from his luxe chocolate shop here in DC, made it easy. I’ve made my way around the world, from Trinidad to Madagascar, Indonesia, Costa Rica and beyond many times over – in dark and milk alike. Yes, even white, too. Along the way, I’ve developed some favorites, well-respected in the chocolate community, such as Amedei’s Porcelana or Domori’s Apurimac, and some other less renowned gems, like Patric’s 67% or Vestri’s 50g Pistachi. Yet, aside from a thorough romp around Michel Cluizel’s offerings, I haven’t delved into many of the French chocolatiers. But that’s about to change.

Usually when I visit Biagio’s shop, I get easily swayed by something new and rare. It’ll start innocently, when one of the salespeople tosses out something like, “Did you know this is one of only two bars in the world produced from Congolese beans?” And 20 minutes later I’ll be walking out with $50 in chocolate. So last week I went into the shop determined to buy some of the French bars I’d never sampled. Pralus’s Chuao immediately caught my eye, not only because of its swank packaging but because, since it was a Chuao, it would be fun to compare it to Amedei’s masterpiece Chuao, purportedly the finest chocolate in the world. The verdict?…

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

Color me impressed. Pralus’s Chuao might not have quite put the “wow” in Ch-wow, as Amedei’s version does, but it was definitely ch-great. I found the initial snap fairly satisfying – crisp without being too firm. I gave two chomps to help it melt a bit faster, picked up on a sweet but very mild hint of gorgonzola . . . and, within about 5 seconds, was hit with a pronounced acidity that, interestingly, cooled-down very quickly and began to balance itself out with some more muted bitter tones. Light, but very obvious, waves of strawberry became abundant and were held nicely by a classic and super sophisticated backdrop of Criollo and subtle oakiness. Or, put more succinctly . . . yum.

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

The texture, too, stood up pretty well. Though there was a slight grain, it was still dazzlingly smooth for a 75%. And the lingering finish to the overall flavor and texture? Almost as smooth as a baby’s bottom, though short-lived. There was a slightly bitter/tanniny, though moreso creamy/woody, flavor quality to the lingering elements. But, again, I found that it slipped away within a minute or so.

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar Inside (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

Aside from thoughts on the taste experience, you’re probably wondering, “PP, what’s with all these freaky lines on the inside of the chocolate?” Well, friends, welcome to the pour pattern and cocoa butter crystal formation found in many a fine bar – as seen in 16MP of ultra-hi-res. I only wish I could speak to the physics of it, but the gist is that the spread of the liquid chocolate from the center of the mold into which its poured, combined with different rates of cooling, from top/bottom and outside edge to inside, form some wild striations. In some bars, you can barely see a thing; in the Chuao, it’s like a Paleontology exhibit.

You probably thought the pastry cross-sections I take in my patisserie reviews were pretty fun, but I know the true chocophiles are sitting there saying, “No ******* way! Are you going to show this for every bar you review?” Count on it. Life wouldn’t be complete without a catalog of 30x magnification crystal patterns of the finest bars in the world. (Remember: You can click on any photo to see it larger in the PP image vault.)

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar Surface (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

Let me clarify that all the preceding photos got cleaned up to remove many of scratches, speckles and more that come about during shipping of the product. The shot below, however, is unaltered, so all the ugly bits are still in place! Kinda sad that an $11 piece of chocolate, weighing in at a mere 50g, gets banged-up so much, but it’s a rough road from France, my friends.

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar Interior (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

One thing that does not occur in shipping is air bubbles, which you can see clearly in the above and the below. Monsieur Pralus would do well to tighten up the quality control a bit. But, whatever, I’m mostly concerned with the flavor and texture.

Francois Pralus Chuao Chocolate Bar Air Bubbles (Photo Courtesy of Paris Patisseries)

So, yes, all things considered, I would definitely recommend Pralus’s Chuao. What it lacks in magic, it makes up for in pure sophistication. And though you’ll only ever see me do this for bars, as I wouldn’t want to **** off my patissier/chocolatier friends in Paris by doing this to their chocolate pieces and fine pastries, here’s how I’d score this along various 0-10 scoring dimensions of my own development (with a nod to Susan Cohen for coming up with the name of the first criterion)…

Brashness: 3.5
Mouth feel: 8
Grit: 1.5
Snap: 6.5
Acidity / Bitterness: 7 / 3.5
Personality: Sophisticated
Overall Opinion: 8

If you’re now thinking, “Where can I get this?!” I’m not quite sure what to tell you. Short of already having a good chocolate shop near you, it’s difficult to find one with a broad selection of ultra-luxe brands. Your best bet is to try to track this and others down online. Or, if you’re in the Washington, DC area, you can just swing by Biagio Fine Chocolate at 1904 18th Street, (202) 328-1506 ‎. Tell them Adam from the pastry blog sent you. They know yours truly all too well

Feel entitled to enjoy goodies like this all the time? Follow Paris Patisseries on Facebook, on the Paris Patisseries website, and on Twitter. That’s where you can keep up with my latest pastry adventures and see extra goodies deemed too awesome for the blog.

You are not paying attention if you did not learn something from that chocolate review!  Now go order yourself a bar and try your own tasting at home!

Annmarie Kostyk

Today’s guest blogger is Jeff Deasy of American Feast!  Jeff’s blog teaches us that fabulous food can be sustainable food too.  Jeff loves chocolate (who doesn’t?) and he’ll be sharing a fantastic line of chocolate sauces made by Robin’s Chocolate Sauce.  You can also follow Jeff and American Feast on Facebook and Twitter too!

Robin's Chocolate Sauce's Handcrafted & Artisanal Chocolate Sauces

Can a meal be truly great without a dessert? “Maybe” was a reply that came up a few times during a small, informal poll. And then there was a welcome completion of the thought: “But why chance it?”

Our friend Robin sees no need to to take that chance and she has created a selection gourmet chocolate sauces capable of satisfying dessert lovers everywhere. Place a jar of her creation in a microwave oven for just 30 seconds and a warm sauce du jour is ready for service over a favorite treat. Ice cream, cheesecake, fresh fruit, or homemade pound cake will all do nicely.

Robin

Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is handcrafted in northern Maine from a family recipe using only the finest, freshest ingredients. She combines pure organic cocoa, organic cane sugar and organic vanilla with local farm-fresh dairy ingredients to create a dessert topping that is simple and sophisticated, exotic and homemade. No artificial ingredients, just pure decadent goodness.

What began as a holiday gift for friends and family has gained quite a reputation among sweet tooths, cocoa connoisseurs and grand kids throughout Maine. Robin made her first batch of “Original Recipe” organic chocolate sauce in a 12-gallon steam kettle in 2004. Since then, she, her husband, and their two sons have built up the family business to produce six distinct varieties. Robin processes the sauce patiently in small batches to produce a luscious, creamy texture and flavor.

Great Dessert for a Great Cause

Awareness of global environmental issues is at the heart of the business. Robin became conscious of the not-so-sweet realities of the chocolate trade by researching where and how her ingredients are grown and produced, and by whom. She is committed to using organic, shade grown and local or Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients whenever possible. These standards are crucial to maintaining a sustainable environment, protecting migratory birds and creating healthy communities—and your children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren will notice the sweet difference.

Robin’s Chocolate Sauce is more than a delicious dessert topping. It’s a resource for the education, awareness and advocacy of the issues concerning communities and the environment both locally and globally. Every delicious spoonful of sauce is helping make a difference.

National Wildlife Federation

With every purchase of Robin’s Chocolate Sauce, you’re supporting the mission of the National Wildlife Federation to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. What could be better than getting some delicious treats and supporting a great cause!

If you’d like to order some of Robin’s sublime chocolate sauces go to any of the following:

Robin’s Fair Trade™ Variety Pack

Robin's Tropical Dark Chocolate Sauce

Tropical Dark Chocolate Sauce: With just a hint of natural lime flavor, Tropical Dark is the perfect complement to fresh fruit slices. Try lemon or lime sorbet or a mixed melon cup with this variety. Dip cherries, orange, or pineapple slices in a fondue made with this dark, delicious chocolate. Or try making some Tropical Waffles!

Blueberry Chocolate Sauce: A surprising combination of Robin’s Original Recipe, natural blueberry flavor and a touch of cinnamon. A bit like chocolate blueberry pie in a jar! Serve as a topping for plain cheesecake or try a DownEast Sundae made with vanilla ice cream, fresh Maine blueberries and Robin’s Blueberry Chocolate Sauce. The perfect ending to your next lobster bake!

Robin's Ginger Pear Chocolate Sauce

Ginger Pear Chocolate Sauce: The heady aroma and flavor of freshly grated ginger and chocolate combined with the rich, smooth flavor of pear bring a touch of the Orient to the dessert table. It’s a recipe inspired by Robin’s mother and grandmother, New England cooks who always put extra ginger into their homemade gingersnaps, and absolutely delicious when served with plain pound cake. Robin’s Ginger Pear Chocolate Sauce is made with 70% dark chocolate and Fair Trade Certified™.

Orange Spice Chocolate Sauce: The piquant flavors of orange and Caribbean spices make this variety a delicious topping for a steaming dish of bread pudding, straight from the oven. Or try an “Orange Blossom Special”, a sundae made with mandarin orange slices, vanilla ice cream and Robin’s Orange Spice Chocolate Sauce, made with 70% dark chocolate and Fair Trade Certified™.

Robin's Raspberry Chocolate Sauce

Raspberry Chocolate Sauce: Made with Robin’s Original Recipe, this popular variety has just enough light raspberry flavor to give it that special “zing.” Especially delicious with rich chocolate desserts, dark fudge brownies or chocolate bread pudding. For a light touch, serve with sorbet and fresh raspberries.

Robin’s Original Chocolate Sauces: Robin’s Originals are made from the finest organic, shade grown cocoas from Central America and the Caribbean. Made from the finest organic, shade grown cocoas in Central America and the Caribbean, Robin’s Original Recipe is smooth, luscious and deliciously rich, with a deep chocolate flavor. Raspberry Chocolate Sauce has just enough light raspberry flavor to give it that special “zing.” With natural blueberry flavor and a touch of cinnamon the Blueberry is a bit like chocolate blueberry pie in a jar!

Today’s guest blogger is Rococo Chocolates in London, England to tell us about what’s happening in their chocolate shops over the upcoming London Chocolate Week!

Exciting and delicious news for all chocolate enthusiasts!

London, England Chocolate Week is approaching and all the lovers of chocolate are cordially invited to Rococo Chocolates for some delicious events at Rococo Chocolates at our flagship store, 5 Motcomb Street:

Rococo Chocolates Chocolate Bars

Monday 11th October

2:30pm to 3pm

Mini Cheese & Chocolate Tasting

Price: £5/head
Theme: Figs, Cheese & Chocolate
Be transported to a world of delights by sampling our most unusual chocolate truffles and bars and pairing them rather originally with some fantastic seasonal flavors.

7.30pm

Bespoke Chocolate Dinner Followed by a wine and chocolate pairing.

Price: £15/head for the 3 course dinner. £10/head wine and chocolate pairing.

Start the week with a fabulous dinner at Hardy’s Brasserie in Marylebone hosted by Chantal Coady and Laurent Couchaux. With courses based on recipes from Real Chocolate by Chantal Coady. End the meal with a selection of wines paired with our hand made chocolates. Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Rococo Chocolates Hot Lips' Chilli Truffles and Red Lips

Tuesday 12th October

2:30pm to 3pm

Mini Tea & Chocolate Tasting

Price: £5/head
Savour some fabulous high quality teas from Bellocq with our hand made truffles and bars.

Wednesday 13th October

2:30pm to 3pm

Mini Cheese & Chocolate Tasting

Price: £5/head
Theme: Walnuts, Cheese & Chocolate

Visit us during your lunch break for a mini tasting of our divine chocolates paired with some delicious cheeses and seasonal nuts.

Chocolate Unwrapped by Sarah Jane Evans

Thursday 14th October

3pm to 4pm

Chocolate Psychotherapy

Price:£10/head
Price includes consultation and tasting. Please book in advance as we have a limited number of places for this session. Chocolate therapy for everyone! Find out what your chocolate preferences say about you. Session with expert Murray Langham.

6pm to 7pm

Chocolate Unwrapped

Fascinating journey, matching some finest wines with Rococo chocolates guided by Master of Wine and author of Chocolate Unwrapped: Taste & Enjoy the World’s Finest Chocolates (published September 2010), Sarah Jane Evans. Test your taste buds with an explosion of flavors and some unexpected pairings.
Available Places: 16, Price: £30/ head (includes generous tastings of wines, chocolate truffles, chocolate bars, goody bags and Sarah Jane’s new book!)

Rococo Chocolates Hot Chocolate

Friday 15th October

2:30pm to 3pm

Mini Cheese & Chocolate Tasting

Price: £5/head
Theme: Prunes , Cheese & Chocolate

Taste some delightful autumn fruits with a selection of ripe wonderful cheeses paired interestingly with our chocolates.

Saturday 16th October

All Day

Living Chocolate Exhibit

Free For Everyone!

‘Bean to Bar’ demonstration, using our own cocoa bean grinder to grind our own cocoa nibs from Grenada into chocolate.

10am to 12pm

Chocolate Cake Competition

Enter a special Rococo competition by bringing in your best chocolate cake, made with Rococo chocolate. All cakes will be tasted by our Prof du Choc Laurent Couchaux as well as by Chantal Coady herself. The winner will have their recipe published on the Rococo website and will also receive a voucher for a chocolate tasting at our flagship store!
Available Places: 12
Price: Free.
To enter: Please bring your cake to Rococo Chocolates at 5 Motcomb St. branch on Saturday morning before 12pm.

6pm to 6:45pm

Chocolate and Wine tasting

Experience some unusual and exciting pairings of wine and chocolate with our own sommelier Luciana Girotto.
Available Places: 12
Price: £5/head.

Rococo Chocolates Nougat

Sunday 17th October:

11am to 11:45am

Chocolate breakfast with Chocolate story for kids.

Prolong your lazy Sunday morning by coming to Rococo Chocolates for a chocolate breakfast of hot chocolate & mini chocolate croissant while listening to chocolate fairy tale.
Available Places: 12
Price: £ 5/ head

2pm to 3pm

Chocolate Painting for children

Be an artist for one hour, create and design chocolate painting that looks and smells fantastic! Available Places: 12, Price; £8/head

Please contact Rococo Chocolates at the 5 Motcomb Street branch for details.
Tel.: 020 72450993

Rococo Chocolates Chocolate

Some Selections at Mass Ave. Wine Shop

Our guest blogger today is Jill Ditmire of Mass Avenue Wine Shop in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Jill is the ultimate foodie combining her love of food, wine, beers, desserts  (Mermaid Treats)and in one location.  She loves her chocolate too!  She has wine tastings, live music, lots of sampling going on and she supports the arts.  Perhaps a glass of wine, a tarot card reading or a massage and a Chocolate Caramel Cupcake Mistake is more your cup of tea.  To follow…a recipe for the Chocolate Covered Bacon…because I know that you’re definitely going to want to make that at home!

More Selections from Mass Ave. Wine Shop

Jill recently attended the 2010 Indiana State Fair.  Most people still think of state fairs as 4-H competitions and lots of farmers.  They are there too, but  state fairs are about enjoying yourself and partaking in the food, chocolate and wines that local artisans are creating.  Here’s a bit of what Jill experienced at this year Indiana State Fair.  You can visit Jill at Mass Ave. Wine Shop in person Monday-Saturday 12pm – 9 pm.  I highly recommend a snack there too!  Might I suggest the Croque Merman?  It’s Prosciutto, fontenilla, carmelized onions, currants and cayenne chutney on toasted farmhouse bread.  To go?  Get some chocolate Mermaid treats to go along with some wine, an assortment of cheeses and perhaps some nice side salads and give up cooking for the weekend?  You can also follow Mass Ave. Wien Shop on Twitter and Facebook.  I’m hoping Jill puts out a cookbook to share her recipes with us…Did I mention Mass Ave. Wine Shop offers over 100 different beers and over 100 wines under $15?  You really need to go.  Send your friends too!

DEEP FRIED WINE

2010 Indiana State Fair Year of the Pig

Yes, it’s time once again to toss moderation into the corn hopper. Or maybe the pig trough as the 2010 Indiana State Fair celebrates “the year of the pig”. So pig out on these one of a kind fair food items and wines that if you could drink with, might make the gustatory experience even more glorious.    The wines are widely available at Indianapolis area wine shoppes during and after the state fair. The food however, is a once a year experience.

Krispy Creme Donut Burger

Doughnut Burger-(Krispy Kreme “buns” wrap around a beef burger. Oh my.) Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz is the gulper for this calorie groaner (OVER 1000!) Black raspberry, white pepper/ginger spice highlight the flavors in this full bodied bubbly. YES– a “champagne”. It is big, rich, wacky. A match made in food heaven. Maybe some of the heart healthy tannins/resvertrol in the shiraz grape will offset the humongous amount of cholesterol and fat in the burger.

Pigs in Mud (Chocolate Covered Bacon)

Pigs in Mud (Dark Chocolate Covered Bacon) Barista Pinotage- this earthy dry red from South Africa has distinct aroma of roast coffee. Flavors show rich dark fruit and mocha. PERFECT combo.

Pulled Pork Taco– Root beer sauced slow roasted pork served with traditional taco toppings needs an EZ drinking red. Gran Familia Rioja from Spain does the trick. Medium bodied with delicious aromas and flavors of black cherry, plum, vanilla.

Dairy Bar Milkshake-(Chocolate or Vanilla soft serve ice cream done as a thick drink) Chocovine could be added and then this State Fair staple gets an International twist. Mooovalous. Why isn’t it the year of the cow?

ChocoVine Wine

Deep Fried Oreo-(Just what it says) Of course Chocovine would be another perfect pairing as it is the adult version of Chocola (and wasn’t Cowboy Bob and Sourdough the Singing Biscuit a regular feature of the State Fair ‘back in the day’?) As if deep fried chocolate cake and cream isn’t decadent enough then add Malamado Malbec Port. This rich full bodied fortified wine from Argentina oozes lush aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, mulberry, white pepper.  A glass of this might just  be more satisfying than the deep fried fix.

Deep Fried Oreos

IF you really COULD bring wine to the Fair:
Badger Mountain Pure White- Boxwine extraordinaire. 4 bottles equals one box. This fabulous organic offering from Washington State is blend of off dry riesling and succulent smooth semillon. Chill it and swill it. Fits in a cooler, a backpack, a golf cart, a stroller. Oh, ok, well…

By the way. The Indy International Wine Competition renamed and moved its self to Purdue University this year and is no longer affiliated with the Indiana State Fair.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Ingredients:
6-8 slices thick cut, best-quality bacon
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven, until bacon is cooked to your liking. 15 minutes for soft bacon, 20 minutes for crispy bacon. Let bacon cool on the parchment paper for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

Meanwhile set up a double boiler. Heat a large saucepan filled with water over high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer. Set a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water. Add the dark chocolate and stir with a fork until smooth and completely melted.

Cover another baking sheet with parchment paper. Using tongs, carefully dip the bacon into the melted chocolate turning to coat all sides in chocolate. Transfer to the clean sheet of waiting parchment paper. Repeat with remaining slices of bacon. Let set until chocolate is hard.

Pigs in Mud (Chocolate Covered Bacon)

Chef Levana Kirschenbaum

Today’s guest blogger is Chef Levana Kirschenbaum of Levana Cooks and Levana Desserts.  Chef Levana has a catering business, a bakery and a restaurant in Manhattan, New York.  She believes in simple and healthy when it comes to cooking and baking.  You can buy Chef Levana’s Cookbooks on Amazon or at your local bookstore.  Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook and Twitter too! Think chocolate is just for dessert and snacks.  Think again!  She’s be kind enough to share her favorite chocolate recipes with us today, so get out your grocery list and get everything you need.  Have  a fantastic day!

Chocolate Anytime Menu:

Black Bean Chocolate Soup
Chicken Breast with Mole Sauce
Assorted Truffles
Chili Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Coconut Pie

Black Bean Chocolate Soup

Serves 12

Beans and chocolate? I recently teased my friend Sara into identifying the odd ingredient in this soup, which she loved. I enjoyed watching her racking her brains, and didn’t feel any guilt about it: After all, she was working for food, and was kept guessing through a second bowl. PS, she never did identify it, she said all she could tell is that this was like no other bean soup she ever had. That’s the magic of chocolate!
Canned beans will work here just fine, as the soup has lots of fabulous flavors going for it.

Ingredients:

Sofrito:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, quartered
4 large cloves garlic
4 ribs celery, peeled and cut in thirds
1 large red pepper, seeded and quartered
1 bunch flat parsley, stems and all
1/2 small bunch cilantro, stems cut off
6 pounds good quality canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine
3 tablespoons bottled hot sauce
6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground
3 quarts (12 cups) water
2/3 cup grated semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon oregano

Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Make the sofrito: In a food processor, coarsely grind the onion, garlic, celery, pepper, parsley and cilantro. Add ground mixture to the hot oil, and sauté until translucent (if you have sofrito in your freezer, skip this step; use 1 cup thawed sofrito and proceed with the recipe from this point). Add the beans, tomato paste, wine, hot sauce, bay leaves and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 30 minutes. Add the chocolate, cumin and oregano and cook for 15 minutes more. Adjust texture and seasonings. Serve hot.

Chocolate Black Bean Soup with Onion and Sour Cream Garnish

Chicken Breasts with Mole Sauce

I can’t tell you how many times I have knocked my guests’ socks off with this dish: Improbable ingredient combo, simple preparation, amazing dish!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped fine
8 chicken cutlets (do not pound thinner)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
Good pinch saffron
Good pinch cayenne
6 bay leaves, or 1 teaspoon ground
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the cutlets, juice, saffron, cayenne and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Transfer the cutlets to a platter. Whisk in the tomato paste and chocolate chips and cook one more minute. Pour the sauce over the cutlets, and serve hot with rice.

Chicken Breasts in Mole Sauce

Chocolate Truffles

I think after sharing this recipe and all its variations with you, I am finally
satisfied that all of you chocolate lovers will think of me very kindly. For the
ultimate gift, multiply this recipe, then divide in 2-3 equal parts and add a
different flavor to each. I wish you this kind of danger everyday! They look
as professional and taste as delicious as if you had bought them in the best
boutique. A guest recently caused total consternation at my dinner table
when he declared he didn’t care for chocolate. A chocolate-addict friend of
mine seated near him looked at him in horror, as if he had admitted to being
a criminal of some sort, and proceeded to ignore him the rest of the meal.
Fortunately for him, the evening was just winding down! Could it be he had
just never tasted good chocolate before? Could he get rehab?

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy or rice milk powder
1/2 cup soy or other non-dairy milk (oat, rice, grain, almond)
1/2 cup natural non-hydrogenated margarine (health-food stores)
2 cups semisweet real chocolate chips, only the best
1/4 cup pure cocoa powder
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup brandy, rum or bourbon

Directions:

Whisk the milk powder and the milk in a small saucepan until smooth. Turn
on the heat, set at a low flame, and add the margarine, chocolate chips,
cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk until the mixture is just melted. Turn off the
heat, add the egg yolk and brandy and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate
the mixture until set, a couple hours. Shape into little balls (do not smooth:
leave them a little bumpy, that is the trademark of truffles), and roll into
cocoa powder. Keep refrigerated and tightly covered in plastic wrap until
serving.

Variations:
Coffee truffles: Add 1 tablespoon instant coffee.
Peppermint truffles: Omit the rum, and add a few drops peppermint
extract (health food stores).
Nut truffles: Add 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or
pecans to the mixture. Or place a toasted hazelnut in the center of each
truffle.
Raspberry truffles: Omit the rum, and add 1/2 cup seedless raspberry
jam and 3 tablespoons Creme de Cassis to the mixture.
Peanut butter truffles: Replace the margarine with 1/2 cup smooth
peanut butter.
Roll the truffles in chocolate sauce or ground toasted nuts instead of
cocoa powder.

Chocolate Truffles

Chili Hot Chocolate

A friend recently brought me a box of insanely expensive hot chocolate mix. I couldn’t wait to try it, and….I was frankly underwhelmed. What’s the big deal, I thought? It certainly didn’t beat boiling some milk or dairy-free milk, with some good cocoa powder, a little sugar and maybe a little vanilla extract or other flavoring. Yes, that’s the whole story! No problem making your own natural mix the instant way, using milk powder, dairy or not, and mixing it with boiling water, making a delicious cup of hot cocoa in a jiffy. I still make it for my children, who now enjoy it with their children. Love of hot chocolate is forever: thank God for small blessings!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, best quality
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 cups milk, preferably whole, but low-fat is okay (dairy-free milk OK)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (get racy and try other real flavorings: chili powder, cinnamon, cloves etc….)
1 to 2 tablespoons coffee powder, optional, if you want mocha.

Directions:

In a small saucepan, whisk all ingredients until smooth, and bring to just below boiling. Whisk again to make the mixture frothy. Serve hot.
Makes 4 servings

Individual serving: combine 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 cup milk, into a large cup. Microwave about 2 minutes. Mix until smooth.

Chili Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Coconut Tart

For this fabulous tart, celebrating yet another great love match -chocolate and coconut – you are under no pressure whatsoever. Make the crust a couple days before dessert time, and make the filling even a few days before serving, then pour the filling over the crust the day you are serving the dessert. Of course there is no problem making both the crust and the filling on serving day, just as long as you allow the filling to set.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup natural margarine (health food stores)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups flour, any flour, a little more if needed

Filling:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup natural margarine (health food stores)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, only the best
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons rum
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups unsweetened grated coconut (health food stores)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Make the crust: in a food processor, cream the margarine, sugar and egg yolks until fluffy. Add the cocoa and flour and pulse just 3-4 seconds, adding a little flour if needed to make a smooth-firm dough. Working quickly, starting from the center toward the sides, spread the crust evenly in a 12-inch spring form pie pan, coming up the sides, patting firmly.  Prick the crust with a fork all over. Bake about 30 minutes. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days before filling and serving.
Make the filling: In a saucepan, whisk the coconut milk and tapioca flour until smooth. Turn the flame on low, and add the margarine, chocolate chips, cocoa, rum and sugar. Whisk only until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Quickly whisk in the eggs one at a time, and whisk 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Turn off the flame, and fold in the coconut. Refrigerate the filling until firm, and pour over the baked crust. Serve at room temperature, alone or with coconut sorbet.

Chocolate Coconut Tart

CHOCOLATE SHOPPING:

NATURAL MARGARINE
CONF. SUGAR
EGGS
COCOA POWDER
FLOUR
CC
RUM
COCONUT MILK
SUGAR
TAPIOCA FLOUR
GRATED COCONUT
RICE MILK
VANILLA
COFFEE
SOY MILK POWDER
WASABI
CARAMEL EXTRACT
GREY SALT
CUTLETS
CRANBERRY SAUCE
OO
CAYENNE
SAFFRON
BAY LEAVES
WHITE WINE
TOMATO PASTE
ONIONS
PARSLEY
CILANTRO
GARLIC
RED PEPPER
CELERY
BLACK BEANS SOAKED
RED WINE
RED HOT
CUMIN
OREGANO

Lee McCoy (Photo Courtesy of Chocolate Reviews)

Today we have guest blogger Lee McCoy from the United Kingdom.  Lee has a fantastic blog called Chocolate Reviews also dedicated to the world of chocolate.  He’s just writing from the other side of the vast pond.  I hope you all enjoy his brilliant post and start following not only his blog, but Facebook as well.  You will be happy you did!  Chocolate lovers unite!

America or England? Which Country Is Most Important in the World Of Chocolate?

Let’s talk stereotypes. The British think Americans are big, big in terms of body mass, big cars, big buildings. big attitudes and make terrible chocolate. American’s probably think we’re quaint, easily pushed around and drink tea with one finger pointing to the sky. History proves us English are more adventurous than however.

Walter Churchman

Our first encounter with cocoa beans comes from our raiding of Spanish ships on the way back from the New World in 1579. We did think they were sheep droppings so our involvement with chocolate didn’t start too well. Thankfully we made up ground with Walter Churchman creating the first chocolate bar in 1728 and whose business was eventually taken over by Fry’s in 1761. About this time Bakers started producing chocolate in the States.

Fry's Chocolate

The English continued to revolutionise the chocolate market when Fry’s became the first chocolate company to manufacturer of the highly popular chocolate Easter Eggs. At the same time over in the States, chocolate was also a booming industry as the country had a staggering 69 chocolate manufacturers during the 18th Century [Chocolate: History, Culture  and Heritage]. James F. Gray of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has stated that “chocolate is more American than apple pie” and such a belief rocks the beliefs of many an Anglophile. He contends that chocolate “was a Creole” … invention”. Now, obviously there’s going to be some bias there, but not as much as you may think.

Chocolate

In Britain during the 17th and 18th Centuries chocolate was a preserve of the rich. Prices were higher than in America due to the more expensive transportation costs, the duties charged on cocoa bean imports and the belief of people such as Walter Churchan who stated that his patent on chocolate production should prevent everyone else making chocolate. Also we Brits passed a stupid law that stated that any goods brought to England had to be transported on-board English ships with English sailors. Whilst in America the opposite was true. There was a massive proliferation of chocolate producers due to the absence of excessive import duties, lower transportation costs of the raw ingredients (America was significantly closer to central America and the Caribbean) and a greater supply of chocolate producing machinery.

Map of the Caribbean

But where did all the raw ingredients to make this American chocolate come from? Port records from 1768 to 1773 show that in actual fact 79% of the cocoa imported into America actually came from non-British sources. At this time “British” would have meant the Caribbean Islands under British control, so from that fact alone, our involvement in the production of chocolate is much less than many would have thought given our involvement in the Caribbean slave trade.

Fry's Chocolate Factory

Although there was little or no record of chocolate being imported to the UK from America, Fry still complained that ships from America bringing “very large quantities of Chocolate which is a quality equal to much that is made in England”, thus proving the impact, even then, of American chocolate production.

There’s an interesting juxtaposition between chocolate consumption between England and America too which proved that during the 18th and 19th centuries chocolate had a greater impact on the general populous in America than it did in England as chocolate from America was often used by the lower and middle classes as a morning “pick me up” whilst in England it was used by the upper classes as a sign of decadence – and this class divide still lasts today.

Painting of a Cocoa Plantation

Whereas we Brits were instrumental in the development of many cocoa plantations across the Caribbean, the Spanish and Dutch had a similar involvement in other nations across the Americas and Africa. It would appear that those immigrants into America such as the protestants and Jews escaping persecution, landing in Boston, New York and Philadelphia brought with them an entrepreneurial spirit that had a huge impact in developing chocolate as we know it today.

Cocoa Pods

But the true answer to the question “Which Country Is Most Important in the World Of Chocolate?” is neither America or England. It is every country that produces cocoa. From Côte d’Ivoire with their 37% of world cocoa production to countries such as Bolivia and Colombia which have farmers fighting against the call to produce narcotics and disease to the newer countries such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Malaysia which are struggling hard to get their cocoa in front of chocolate producers and consumers.

Cadbury Chocolate Bar

Even with the shifting production of chocolate into a much wider group of nations America still dominates production in terms of volume and value considering Kraft’s recent purchase of Cadbury, the giant Mars Inc., and the less well-known companies as Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill who do shift some chocolate.

History has shown us that the Brits were producing chocolate earlier than our American cousins, their free-trade ethics and entrepreneurial mind-set let them surpass us in terms of product development. Although the British were largely responsible for the development of cocoa plantations, it has been the Americans that have been hugely successful in the commercialisation of chocolate which can be seen by the global dominance of chocolate confectionery. Even though us Brits prefer to say we are ahead of America in terms of producing more palatable chocolate in the past with

Red Star Chocolate (Photo Courtesy of Red Star Chocolate)

the likes of Divine Chocolate and Green & Blacks, we have very few brands taking the world by storm in the field of fine chocolate. Even though we have a bean-to-bar producers such as Willie Harcourt-Cooze, Red Star Chocolate and Artisan du Chocolat, none of them seem to be getting the woops of joy that the American Amano and Askinosie brands are getting. In fact, for the purpose of this research I tried to rate all the chocolatiers I’ve reviewed. Out of the eleven in the “best” category, there were four French chocolatiers, three American, two Italian, one Swiss and only the one English. That sums it up really.

Now, when can I book a trip and review the rest?

Again, I apologize for the lack of posts this week.  I’ve started a 9-5 job in addition t my writing and I’m trying to get on a schedule.  You’ll see more posts, although not daily, in the future.

A friend pointed out that the cocoa was omitted from the Homemade Oreo Cookie recipe.  I went back and checked the blog that I found it on and she forgot to list the cocoa.  It was very un-chocolate goddess of me to not notice the omission.  The recipe has been updated and is good to go.  My friend also asked if you could substitute Black Cocoa Powder (aka Black Onyx Cocoa Powder).  Indeed, you could.  In fact, Madame Chocolat (aka Hasty Torres) told me that Black Cocoa Powder is what type of cocoa powder used to make the real Oreo cookies.  Who knew?

Today’s guest blogger is Marc Lieberman of Mink Chocolates in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. You may follow Mink Chocolates on Twitter and Facebook.  Mink Chocolates also has a blog to follow too!

What does it all mean?

by Marc Lieberman of Mink Chocolates

Well into my vacation, I dream that instead of putting the nightly
deposits in the safe, Ben puts five bags of cash in the milk chocolate
ganache and all the deposit slips and till tapes in the dark chocolate
ganache. All the while the machines are spinning and everyone is
oblivious to the shredded bits of banknotes floating in their fondues.

Mink Chocolates (The Greyhound. Same as the cocktail. Fresh zest of grapefruit and vodka in dark chocolate ganache enrobed in dark chocolate.)

He rationalizes it as the equivalent of putting the family heirlooms in
the cereal box because the home invader would never think to look
there. I wake up fretting about whether or not that tactic is food safe.

I tell the story over breakfast to my wife who is trying to feed our 2-1/2
year old. Levi gets to pour a glass of water onto his make believe
rock garden every time he eats a big spoonful of Cheerios. Picking
her battles, my wife is convinced she’s won this one. Between
shoveling processed oats into his mouth, and trying to feed herself, I
ask her if she thinks the dream is indicative of my constant state of
worry that the chocolate shop will be in disarray when we get back to
town.

Mink Chocolates (A bite sized s'more. Marshmallow and Rice Krispy square topped with chocolate ganache.)

She thinks it’s simple; there was too much MSG in the previous
night’s Chinese takeout.

Convinced I’ve foretold a variation of some sort of calamity, I send
Ben a text. “How’s it going?” I’m nothing if not succinct. He’s slow to
reply, which is disconcerting because like all my staff, their iPhones
are in their aprons, set to vibrate, and always at the ready. I assume
the Café has either burnt down, or Ben’s leading a staff retreat at the
Lions Pub.

Mink Chocolates's Chocolate Bars

Soon my BlackBerry plays the opening refrain to the James Bond
Theme, the song I’ve set as Ben’s alert. I like to think of him as an
operative and me as the mysterious benevolent chocolate dictator,
and all our communiqués are top secret. “May I speak?” is his cryptic
text that lets me know he can chat on the phone if I’m available. I call
him up.

We exchange hi, how are you’s, then he’s all business.

Mink Chocolates's Traditional Chocolate Gift Box

“Things are quite good”, he says, “people still want to eat chocolate
even if you’re not here”.

I get the numbers, all the phone messages, and updates on various
staff drama, and am temporarily reassured.

“Cohen’s taken it upon himself to make a merchandising statement in
honor of Pride weekend, using only the Queen Cake chocolate bar”,
Ben tells me, trying to contain his laughter. “You’ll definitely have to
put it into production when you get back”.

Mink Chocolates's (The traditional yellow Wellington rubber boots signifies lemon. A big hit of fresh citrus zest in a milk chocolate ganache enrobed in dark chocolate.)

Queen Cake is Mink’s 70% dark chocolate bar hand filled with
marzipan. It’s my take on some versions of king cake eaten during
the carnival season in the South. Didn’t think of it at the time, but I
guess the cross promotion is self evident.

Ben and I hang up. I’m home in a couple of days. They’ve managed
without me, and done quite well actually, so at my wife’s behest, I’m
going to try and chill the rest of the trip.

I hit the pool. I’m trying to finish Candy Freak by Steve Almond, billed
as a journey through the chocolate underbelly of America. I started
the paperback just after Christmas, when the hysteria of the biggest
chocolate season of the year slowly wound down, but put it aside as
both the 2010 Winter Olympics and the start of construction on the
new Mink A Chocolate Café retail outlet at Morgan Crossing was
getting underway.

I pick it up at the bookmark. Two pages into this candy porn
confessional, and I’m fast asleep. I dream that everyone in the Café
is eating my chocolate bars like Big Walter Horton playing the
harmonica, sliding them from side to side. Ben’s playing boogie
woogie blues on an old upright piano. The keyboard not only makes
music, it can send text messages. I learn the deposit is in the safe.
It’s easier to sleep when there’s nothing to worry about.

Mink Chocolates's Bonbons

How to Make Your Own Chocolate Bars

Making your own chocolate at home has obvious attractions – the smell of melted chocolate, the power over your creation, and not at last the left over chocolate in the forms and on the spoons that just begs to be licked off. But what others like just spells m-e-s-s-y for others, so I’m offering you two ways to create your own chocolate bars in the following: 1) at home and 2) with Chocri Chocolate.

1) Making Chocolate Bars at Home

You need:
* Two or three chocolate bars of a chocolate that you really like. I suggest Lindt or Tcho chocolate
* Anything that you want to mix into or put onto your chocolate bar. Suggestions: M&Ms, Banana Chips, Nuts, Marshmallows, little balls of Marzipan, Sprinkles, Gummy Bears, Granola, you name it.
* If you’re fancy, a molding form – that requires some online ordering or specialty candy supply store shopping. Generally though, you just need a relatively, not too flat form

In theory, you would now temper the chocolate (temper means you expose it to different temperatures in a strict order). However, that’s really tricky to do and really creates a mess because you will need several bowls and you have to keep transferring the chocolate mass from one to the other, so we’ll do the easy version here. If you like, you can also add a very little bit of coconut oil to the mix, which should take care of the blooming (white streaks on the chocolate if it isn’t well tempered).

Now, melt the majority of the chocolate in a bowl that you place over hot water. When the mass is nice and creamy, take it off, and add the rest of the chocolate, which should melt immediately and will cool the chocolate down a bit. Pour the chocolate immediately into the form. When doing that, make sure that you don’t fill as much chocolate in from the start as the form will hold – the chocolate will distribute evenly and fill out the corners even if it doesn’t look like that in the beginning. You will find out how much chocolate you need in the form, but start with little and then increase.

Next, shake the form with small but fast hits against the table, not only for the chocolate to distribute evenly, but also for the air to leave the chocolate. You might even see little bubbles come out of the chocolate. Once it’s evenly distributed, you can mix in your ingredients, or place them beautifully on top of the chocolate bar. That’s the best part! If you’re like me, you’ll find that it isn’t altogether easy to make it look pretty, so don’t fret if it doesn’t look perfect the first time – it will still taste great.

Now place the form with chocolate and ingredients into the refrigerator and let it sit there for 30 minutes. Afterwards, take the form out, cut the borders off and resist the temptation to bite into it immediately before anyone was able to admire your creation!

Chocri Chocolate Make Your Own Chocolate Bar

Now, if this sounds like too much mess and/ or time to you, consider this:

2) Create Your Chocolate Bar Online

Visit Chocri Chocolate and click on “Create a chocolate bar”. Choose a base chocolate (dark, milk ,white or a combination base), and then choose your toppings from a wide variety, spanning across fruit (strawberries anyone?), spices (hm, cinnamon), nuts (pecans!), confections (peanut butter drops), decor (a marzipan rose, so pretty) and grains (coffee and milk chocolate ROCK!).

When you completed your bar, don’t forget to give it a personalized name. It’s not only free, it’s also cute. Add your very own bar to the cart and repeat the process or pick one of our [recommended creations] And then order it and that’s it! We deliver it to your doorstep – without the smell of molten chocolate, but all of the excitement of holding your very own creation in your hands.

We use only fair trade, organic chocolate from Belgium, and our toppings are European quality ingredients. I’m sure you’ll love it! [Try us out!]

Chocri Chocolate's Chocolate Bars

Today we welcome Jeff Deasy of American Feast as Guest Blogger! He’s going to tell you about Theo Chocolate.

Theo Chocolate Bon Bons and Bars

Founder and CEO of Seattle’s Theo Chocolate, Joseph Whinney, witnessed the effects of unfair, unsustainable cocoa trading as a conservation volunteer in Central America. That experience led him to pioneer the manufacture and supply of organic chocolate products as the first individual to import organic cocoa beans into North America in 1994. Over a decade later, Theo is proud to be the first to roast organic cocoa beans and the first roaster of Fair Trade certified cocoa beans in the United States.

Theo Chocolate Factory

Food and Wine Magazine honored Theo with an Eco-Epicurean Award for making the world “a better — and more delicious — place.” Theo also won “Outstanding Chocolate” at the NASFT Fancy Food Show in New York City.

Eco-entrepreneurs deserve kudos for the risks they take to start up companies that strive for sustainability. Joe Whinney of Theo Chocolate is among the most deserving, so it’s quite fitting that the popular environmental news site Grist named him one of its top 15 green business founders.

Theo Chocolate Factory

All of Theo’s ingredients are carefully selected to ensure they meet the company’s high standards for social and environmental responsibility. As true chocolate makers, they carefully steward cacao (cocoa beans) through the process of roasting, blending and conching in order to coax out the distinctive flavor imparted by each unique growing region. Theo’s production is guided by their passion for chocolate and their ultimate goal is to lead the industry with the excellence and integrity of their offerings.

The company is located in a beautiful, historic building in Seattle, Washington. They welcome visitors for tours of the chocolate factory at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm, seven days a week, with additional tours at 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost is just $6.00 per person. You can reserve a place on the tour by calling 206-632-5100. Tours last about 1 hour and include a thorough explanation of artisanal chocolate making and delicious samples! Theo’s factory is in the Fremont district of north Seattle at the intersection of Phinney Avenue North and 35th Avenue North.

To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook

To follow American Feast’s Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter