Chocolate Stash

Did I mention I like dark chocolate?

This is just part of my stash. Too bad chocolate doesn't keep like wine does. Maybe I need to buy one of those cryogenic freezers to store my chocolate. Then I can serious start to justifying 'collecting' chocolate. I'd buy those Valrhona Grand Cru and Michel Cluizel bars, divide them into 5 or 10 gram pieces, wrap them, and store them in the cryogenic freezer.

Maybe they will start producing 'vintage' chocolate -- single plantation chocolates are all the rage now, so why not label them with the year of the harvest?

Maybe I'm crazy, but I do like dark chocolate.



Pete bought this in Italy on one of his many business trips last year. I finally opened it. We don't have a well developed vocabulary for describing chocolate like we do for wine, but I'll give it a try. This chocolate is intense, a good balance of sweet and rich chocolate flavour. It's very smooth.

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Last week, I finally had the Dagoba Xocolatl bar. The name, borrowed from the Aztec's word for the beverage made with cacao beans and water, and from where we get the word chocolate is appropriate. Besides the addition of cacao nibs, the most important addition to this bar is the chilis, which hint how chocolate might have tasted when it was first served with spices when brought to the New World.

This chocolate makes me feel happy -- it's like a rush that goes right to the very crown of your head.



Finally, Lindt's entries into the single source chocolate scene. Of all three, the Madagascar is my favourite. It's the smoothest, smoother than the Cuba, which is labled "fine", and much more flavourful than the "mild" label would have you believe. The Ecuador 75%, is good, but just a little too strong to enjoy on its own for general eating. (If you like it though, maybe you want to try some 99.3% I have.)

Random post

This is a food blog, isn't it? And I'm still alive. Therefore I must have eaten something in the last few months. Unfortunately, not much of it is worth writing about.

I did go to the apple festival this year, joined by Sylvia, and Nancy and Chris. Yeah! We had apple pie, hot apple juice, and did the apple tasting. I bought an Ashmead's Kernel tree. One newer variety of apple that is really good, that I didn't buy enough of is the Yataka. I hope it becomes commercially available soon.

Really Good Chocolates

A selection of mostly dark chocolates from Cocoa West on Bowen Island:


Clockwise: "Cocoa West" poblano truffle, rooibos tea, dark chocolate truffle, "O" truffle (?), nut cluster, dark chocolate with nibs, vanilla truffle (?), lemon.
Also sampled: espresso bar, mint (the perfect chocolate covered mint filling), Hungarian heat truffle (paprika infused vodka), caramel.
All were extremely good.

Spotted Dick - Now Microwaveable!

Pete brought this home from some fish and chips place in Britannia Beach. Some food from England should just stay in England. (It tasted better than it looks.)

Somen noodles

Just a simple easy dinner for me -- somen noodles in miso:

Dim Sum at Empire with Paul

Paul is visiting from Toronto, so an outing for good dim sum has become standard.

Vegetarian goose, fish paste stuffed eggplant, ha gow (shrimp dumplings) and mini egg tarts:


Mango, coconut and green tea gelatin:


All were excellent. Mmm mmm mmm.

Dinner with Doug and Janice

The week before their wedding, Pete and I went over to Doug and Janice's for dinner. Doug is an awesome cook - he's quite a foodie, and really works at it.

Rotisserie roast leg of lamb with Moroccan spices and cherry tomatoes and cucumber salad:


Berries in sparkling wine gelatin:

(Sorry, I forget the name of the wine he used.)

(Yes, I had to be really annoying and take pictures of the food. Hmm...I think I'll only do that for food I make at home from now on.)

After dinner, we compared trip notes, as Doug and Janice spent 3 weeks in Spain and Portugal and recommended which sherries (Jerez) and ports (Porto) to go taste. The nice thing about Doug is that in addition to really enjoying fine wines and liquers, he enjoys good beer as well.

They grow tomatoes, cucumbers and golden raspberries on their patio, supplemented with produce from the East Van Farmers' Market, including (I believe) tomatoes from the Tomato Man. (I think Doug has taken a course at Dubrulle -- and no, he is not snobby about food at all, he just likes good food, and best of all, he shares!)