Fire and Chocolate

You all know how I love the chocolate from the folks at Lake Champlain Chocolates. They make some really , really great stuff. But I have to admit that I am less than thrilled by the prospect of trying their newest bar.  For some reason they have partnered with some rock and rollers - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - to make a new bar - Grace Under Fire.

http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/Chocolate/Chocolate-Candy-Bars/Grace-Potter-Chocolate.aspx

It's a dark chocolate bar with pistachio and red pepper.  That's the part that makes me less than thrilled.  I just don't like pepper in my chocolate.

As always, the dark chocolate is delicious.  The pepper has a kick, especially the aftertaste.  Those of you who like hot flavors in your chocolate should definitely try this bar.  Me - I would much rather have the dark chocolate and pistachio without the red pepper.

I actually prefer Vosges' bar in this category:

It also has the hot factor - here it is Mexican ancho y chipotle chillies (Voges can never include a simple ingredient) but in this dark chocolate bar the pepper is paired with cinnamon, (oh, sorry -  Ceylon cinnamon).  I prefer the sweetness of the cinnamon in this combo.  In the Lake Champlain bar, the pistachio is good at first, but is quickly overwhelmed by the pepper.  In fact, I had to eat some Hershey's macadamia nut Kisses to get that hot pepper taste out of my mouth.  Love those macadamia nut Kisses!

I love Lake Champlain chocolates, but not the Grace Under Fire bar. I clearly have no grace under fire and just rush to cram Hershey's Kisses in my mouth.

As a side note - I have to tell you that if you haven't tried the new Peanut Butter Chocolate Bugles - YOU HAVE GOT TO GET SOME!!!  I found them at Target and ate them all - I have to go get more to photograph for the blog. 

Lessons?

Partnering with a rock band doesn't always make it better.  Has it ever?  I'm not sure.

Adding peanut butter always does make it better.  Before you argue, try the Bugles.

They don't add hot pepper to ice cream!  Sometimes staying in the box is a good thing.  Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.

But I love creativity, so rock on, Lake Champlain!

Coconut Chocolate Bars

I love the folks at Seattle Chocolates.  I got to meet them at the Fancy Food Show and they really are a terrific group.  They sent me samples of their latest new truffle line and I can't wait to review them!!  In the meantime, let's get back to coconut.  They have a bar that is nothing short of amazing:

Delicious smooth dark chocolate with coconut flakes AND the ingredient that really makes it rock in my opinion - sea salt.  Very different, very, very good.  An excellent, excellent bar.  It's a truffle bar - so see the creamy truffle center? (And you gotta love the coconut AND the sea salt - talk about the islands, mon!).

Seeds of Change (organic - kumbayah) has a dark chocolate and flakes of coconut bar:

And while also good, I enjoyed Seattle Chocolate's a bit more.  The chocolate was creamier.  But if you don't want the sea salt, this bar is an option.

This Lindt bar actually has a coconut filling and milk chocolate, so it is much sweeter than the other two:

And it comes in these cool little cubes:

I have to say - it's pretty damn good.  You can't really compare it to the others because it is so different.  Totally yummy, but sweet.  And I like the little squares!!

Vosges has this neat little assortment of baby bars.  I like this because sometimes you really don't want a whole ginormous bar.  Especially when you may find you don't even like it!

Two of these bars involve coconut - the Woolloomooloo Bar - described as roasted and salted macadamia nuts, Indonesian coconut (not just any regular coconut, mind you), hemp seeds, and deep milk chocolate:

I think I would really like this bar if it weren't for the hemp seeds.  They add a little grainy seedy taste - just like you can imagine.  I swear I think Vosges adds ingredients just to show off.  Or to up the bullshit factor - it actually says on the wrapper - "hemp oil will provide softer skin, stronger nails and thicker hair."  Dear God.  At least they have in tiny print a disclaimer saying the FDA hasn't approved any of this idiocy.

The other coconut bar is the Naga Bar - sweet Indian curry powder, coconut flakes, deep milk chocolate:

This bar is all about the curry.  If you like curry - you'll like this bar.  Me - I'm not that big a fan of curry.  This is an interesting bar to me, I'm glad I tried it, but I wouldn't ever crave it.  Or buy it again.

Vosges has great chocolate, but when you add curry - well, the chocolate doesn't matter as much.

Leave it to Lindt to go completely off the reservation and do a white chocolate and coconut bar:

You all know how I love Lindt, but this bar is not for me.  Not because it's necessarily bad, but because milk and dark chocolate go so much better with coconut!

I'd have to say my favorite chocolate bar with coconut (where the main ingedient is chocolate, not a coated coconut) is the Seattle Chocolates bar - so creamy, with such a fantastic combination of flavors.  And I LOVE the fabulous art deco wrapper!

Lindt's Chocoletti is kind of a hybrid with its coconut filling, but it's pretty great too.

I think the most exciting thing is the variety of choices and the creativity of all the chocolate makers.  How great is that?  I'm telling you, no matter how bad a day you have, at the end of it, if there's still chocolate out there, everything will be alright.  And as long as there is a new chocolate bar to try, there's a reason to carry on!

Woohoo!!!!!

This visit to Vegas has been a little bittersweet. That's because Afghanistan Affair man and I talked about coming here when he got back. Bastard. (Oops, did I type that out loud?) I've been to Vegas several times (solo every one) and I've always thought that it would be a great place to go with someone you were into. I mean, let's face it - Vegas IS Sin City. It's sexy. It's fun. It's hot! But, c'est la vie. The hope of finding somebody to share stuff like this with is what keeps me trying.

However, mostly the trip has been sweet. The weather is amazing, the town is packed (Spring Break and March Madness), and I'm here making money. I'm also sitting in my room at the gorgeous Bellagio enjoying the view:






See the mountains? And the water? That's where the fabulous Bellagio Fountains are - I can see them too when the shows on. How cool is this???

Not only is the view great, the Bellagio is decorated for spring and it is gorgeous:

Now that's some yard art I can live with! That globe has water coursing over it and it is breathtaking.

The speech went well (the BP does come in handy!) and I spent the rest of my day checking out the chocolate situation. One of the places mentioned in the LA Times - Chocolate at the Wynn - is closed. Boo!

But M & M World is alive and packed:

Now you have to admire the genius of M & M World. Every time I've ever been in one (Vegas,Times Square) it has been packed. This one is FOUR floors of M & Ms promotional items that people are falling all over each other to buy. People (myself included) are paying to buy marketing materials. I bought a M & M hoodie for $42 and I love it! I will plaster the M & M logo on my body and pay to do it! I love M & Ms and I want the world to know it! There was even a celebrity there:





I wonder if he's single?

You could also make your own color combination of M & Ms choosing from just about every color imaginable. Lowe's paint section ain't got nuthin' on Mars. At $11.99 a pound (good God!) these were flying out the door. Take that, Naked Cowboy.

But, of course, I didn't stop there.

There's a Vosges Store in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. The Forum Shops are my favorite place to shop in Vegas. I love the ceiling that changes as if you were outside. I like the cheesy Greek statuary and the fountains. And they have some very high-end shops, but a good mix of affordable ones too. Oh - I saw the Cher store - she's performing out here. And the stuff was cool - kind of hip and Gothy. But if I met a guy wearing a Cher shirt - that would scare me. But I digress. Vegas does that to me - too many shiny objects.

Love the saying in the window: one taste and my lips were seething. Vosges is just soooo cool.

I was intrigued by this because I didn't really think seething seemed quite right, but number two in the definition is right on:

–verb (used without object)
1.to surge or foam as if boiling. (uh...maybe not, eww)
2.to be in a state of agitation or excitement. (oh, yes)
3.Archaic. to boil.

Oh - the fountains are going right now! WOW! It's dusk and they are lit up - so romantic. Sigh.

Anyway - I went a little crazy in Vosges. But, hey, I passed by all those ritzy designers and I don't gamble - what's a ton of chocolate? And I got something I have been dying to try. One of their cheese truffles:

I didn't have my autopsy tools, so I had to bite this one to show you the inside.

Gotta tell you - didn't like it. Ate one, trashed the other. At $2.75 each this wasn't the cheapest experiment. Hey - I guess I DO gamble! The money that goes to Vegas STAYS in Vegas!

The cheese taste wasn't too overpowering, but it was definitely there and I just don't think the combination does much for either chocolate or cheese. But you may like it. I didn't like the bacon chocolate combo either but some people do. I think these two are fads that will not stand the test of time. But hey, the Circus Peanut is still around, so what do I know?

I also went to Payard and have great shots of the chocolate fountain at Bellagio. But I'll save those for next time. Wish you all were here with me - we would be having a blast!!

The one good thing about being a solo traveler is you can spend as much time as you want doing whatever you want to do. It would be the rare man who would want to hike up and down the strip in search of chocolate. Freedom is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I am so lucky to be here, to have work that I adore, and a shopping bag full of some of the best chocolate in the world. I just need to stop thinking about what I don't have and start celebrating what I do have. Motivation by chocolate!!

Chocolate, Bacon, and Mad Men

Carole Walker not only gave me chocolate Peeps, she gave me a Vosges Haut-Chocolat bar. The name - Mo's Bacon Bar. The description - applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate. The picture -

Okay - my picture is lame. The bar itself just looks like a regular chocolate bar. I wanted to show you the slab of bacon on the wrapper! The verdict? Hmmm.....sweet and salty, which I love, but I must confess that I found the involvement of bacon kind of creepy. I think I want any meat I consume to not be in my candy. But I'm damn glad I tried it! Carole, you are the best!!

I was in Target today and on impulse decided to give chocolate gum another chance. I was in line, this was by the register - I am a sucker!!

Guess what? It's not too bad! Here's the difference - Dentyne stuck with mint, there is really only a hint of chocolate. Like a tease. No meat. I liked it.

What a great world we live in! A world where people make cool, exotic candy bars; where gum makers constantly innovate; and where shows like Mad Men are popular. If you haven't see this show, I highly recommend it. It has restored my faith not only in the medium of television, but in the critics (they all like it!). Why do I love it so much?

The costumes, the sets, the attention to detail are amazing. You really feel like you are back in the Kennedy Era. I like the way there is depth to the characters, and it is revealed slowly. I love the writing - so many shows today are just lame comedies. This one makes you think. I love the advertising industry and its history. I like realizing how far women have come and how much power they have always had (they just used it a little differently). And I love watching the lead character's struggle with his desires.

What are you grateful for? Are you finding the joy or focusing on the pain? Life is as good (or bad) as you make it. Carpe chocolate! Carpe vita!