True confession: my love affair with chocolate began with Little Debbie Nutty Bars. You know, those long wafer-like cookies filled with fake peanut butter and dipped in chocolate.
Yes, I loved those crunchy bars of peanut butter wonder.
Heck, I was a kid. What did I know about chocolate?
There wasn’t a whole lot of chocolate in my childhood. My mother was on a perpetual diet and my grandmother, the cook in the family, had a proclivity for lemon. Lemon pie. Lemon cake. Lemon cookies. I suspect she was pining for the subtle scent of lemon trees that graced her childhood home in Sicily.
Chocolate showed up on Easter Sunday. I remember the year I woke up at the crack of dawn and rushed into the living room to see what the Easter Bunny had placed in my basket. There it was—a thick, creamy milk chocolate bunny, at least a foot tall, with crunchy candy eyes and a big pink satin ribbon tied around its sweet chocolaty neck. Baby blue Easter eggs, chewy gooey jellybeans, and dozens of foil-wrapped chocolate eggs surrounded him.
But, oh no, WAIT! What was happening to his backside? It was caving in, melting slowly in a blaze of sunlight streaming through the window.
I grew up in Buffalo, New York. Sunlight streaming through a window was a big deal. Snow was undoubtedly still on the ground. The Easter Bunny had probably arrived in a sleigh. I have a photograph of me in my purple lace Easter dress, sitting at the dining room table beside that disappearing bunny in a basket. My arms were folded across my chest. I wasn’t about to eat THAT bunny.
No one messes with my chocolate. Not even Mr. Sun.
Fast-forward many years. I’m now a culinary nutritionist, and sugar is getting a bad rap. Everywhere you look you see books like Sugar Blues, Sugar Shock, Suicide by Sugar, The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program. And once again I’m thinking, “They’d better not mess with my chocolate.”
Poor chocolate. This delectably sensuous treat has become the subject of so much controversy. First it’s touted as the best superfood on the planet: antioxidant-rich, serotonin boosting, better than sex chocolate. “Yes, I’ll have some of that!” But then, “Oh no, don’t believe a word of it. Chocolate has caffeine. There are insect parts hiding in each and every bar.”
What’s a body to do with all this conflicting information?
Me? I’m a rebel at heart. I’ve studied with enough experts to know that scientists can make a case for or against anything. I’m choosing to stay with those promoting the health benefits of chocolate.
Here’s my take on cacao. It’s an extraordinary superfood, rich in antioxidants and minerals. It doesn’t have to be laden with sugar to taste delicious. In fact, the best chocolate I’ve sampled, other than the unadulterated nib, is generally about 70% cacao. The best products come from organic cacao beans, fairly traded, preferably from Madagascar.
But even more important than antioxidants and minerals, are the rich and satisfying experiences associated with chocolate. I’ve never met a cranky chocolate lover.
So the next time you reach for a piece of beautiful dark chocolate, listen to the snap when you break the bar in half. Arrange it on a plate. Smell the aroma of the cacao bean. Make sure to clear your palette so that you can appreciate all the subtly complex flavors. After you take a bite, sit with it a minute to see if there is a second rush of flavor on your palette or in your throat. Notice the crunch of the nibs when you’re lucky enough to find a chocolatier who fancies those little crunchy wonders as much as you do.
Sometimes I put a piece of chocolate in my mouth and just let it melt, noticing every nuance as the flavor notes unfold. I encourage you to invest in the finest, purest chocolate you can acquire. Learn what it means to truly savor a treat. And the next time you’re looking for a way to include a healthy dose of cacao in your diet, try my signature Chocolate for Breakfast Smoothie so that you, too, can enjoy a little guilt-free chocolate for breakfast.
Now tell me. Do YOU have a chocolate story? Best story wins a beautiful, soft and snuggly Chocolate for Breakfast T-Shirt. I’ll run this contest through February 10th, my birthday. The winner(s) will be announced that evening. Have some fun with this. I can’t wait to read them …
I have the perfect cure for the blues – my triple chocolate fudge cake with milk chocolate frosting & chocolate sprinkles!!! Works everytime on my family & friends!! <3
Sounds delicious!
My love for chocolate started at a very young age. I had to be 4 maybe 5 years old and we lived on the second floor of a two family house. We had lived there for quite a few years so we were very close to the people on the first floor. The three boys that lived down there were mine and my brothers best friends. I remember one day being down there, playing with matchbox cars just having a good time, when the mom said, “you kids are being so good, go ahead and pick something from the candy drawer.” I couldn’t believe they had something called “a candy drawer” ! In my house we hardly ever had candy so you could imagine my excitement! When my friend opened the drawer and told us to pick something I was in awe.They had every kind of candy you could imagine. From Twizzlers to Sweettarts to Milkyway bars. You name it, they had it. But what caught my eye was the shiny sliver wrapping that was sporadically mixed throughout the drawer. I chose the Hershey Kiss. I still remember after all these years how that first taste of my very first Kiss tasted in my mouth. I thought it was the best thing in the world! I had held it on my tongue for a few minutes until it started to melt.Then I bit into it and the chocolate burst into every taste bud in my mouth. That very day is the day that I became hooked. You may or not believe it, and it may be bad or good, but there has not been one day that has gone by since than, that I have not had chocolate. My obsessions have changed over time but its always chocolate. I’ve gone from Kisses to Dove chocolates, to Reese’s peanut butter cups back to Kisses and so on. And its not just candy!! It could be cookies or brownies or cake!! As long as its chocolate, I am hooked!!
Lori, this story brought me right back to my grandmother’s candy drawer. I think there was something akin to “treasure” in that drawer. Having lived through the Depression, I’m sure that stash was as precious as gold.
CHOCOLATE WON’T LEAVE YOU…EVER!!
Chocolate won’t judge on your performance of how delightfully or fast you chew it, love it from the first time my mama poured it into my baby bottle with my warm leche!!!!! I love CHOCOLATE
I grew up right next to a candy factory.. Milroys has long since closed but they used to give local kids bags of broken chocolate… The aroma from the factory is still with me..
Mike, that sounds like a luscious memory, indeed! My guess is youhave lots of memories stashed in those broken bits of chocolate. If any of them surface, please come back and share!
My love for chocolate started at a very young age. I’m not even sure how I old I was. It started with drinking chocolate milk with my dad. He doesn’t have a love for chocolate like I do but he is the one that introduced me to my all time favorite food. After the chocolate milk I discovered chocolate candy bars…Hershey’s to be exact. I was in Heaven!
As I grew my chocolate palate grew. I tried Nestle Crunch (pretty tasty for a young palate), Snickers (good but too much going on to focus on the chocolate), Cadbury eggs (way too rich and took away from the chocolate), and so on. I loved chocolate but preferred it plain or with nuts instead of covering a candy bar full of other flavors that weren’t chocolate.
When I became an adult I discovered what I considered real chocolate. Hershey’s couldn’t compare. Dove chocolate became my true love. So rich, so creamy, so delicious. I still love it to this day. But not too many years ago I ventured out into unknown territory…dark chocolate. It is an acquired taste, but once you go dark you can’t go back. Milk chocolate became boring and bland to me.
Now, as a grown woman, I take pleasure in sampling different types of chocolate. I enjoy the subtle differences in texture and taste of different brands. I love chocolate in all forms…from candy, to pudding, to brownies, to cookies, to cake and so on. Chocolate is an adventure that I never plan to stop pursuing.
You are so right, Melia, once you taste the good stuff, you NEVER go back!
My love for chocolate started at a very young age. Every year around the holidays, my grandmother from France would send a box of fancy chocolates. With three older siblings living with me, it was difficult to get my favorite picks, but it didn’t matter. Every sweet mouthful of those silky-smooth chocolates was heaven. Our family was the type who focused on the dessert cart, the main meal being just a distraction. In other words, desserts were considered seriously in our house. As I grew, my love for chocolate intensified. I always loved going around town to find some of the best chocolates desserts available. Sigh…sweet, sweet memories!
Sweet, sweet memories, indeed, Lize!
I too am a fan of Little Debbie Nutty Bars. I take every layer apart and lick the peanut butter off and then eat the wafers last. I am like a little child.
Sue Ann, I’d like to tell you that there’s a new generation of chocolate lovers. When my almost 4-year old daughter was about 2, my husband would take her to The Sweet Life, his favorite candy store in NYC’s lower east side, (he is a major chocoholic.) where he’d stock up on his favorite goodies. Upon seeing the store, she would let out this adorable sound, “Oooohhhhoohhh,” which in retrospect I wish I’d recorded; it was a sound of sheer delight. We’ve since moved to Brooklyn and she’ll sometimes say, “Mama, can we go to Manhattan to get some chocolates.” Yes, a young choco-phile in the making.
I LOVE your Facebook posts! Such celebration and love! I’m a caterer and cooking teacher, and scrumptious, great quality food is my favorite thing in the whole history of favorite things.
I can’t say where my love of chocolate began, because it seems to have always been there, in my genes, even – coming to me straight through my family. While in Europe in World War II, my grandfather used to trade away the cigarettes in his ration box for extra Hershey bars. (Who cared about smoking when there was chocolate to be had?) The day he came home from the war, my grandmother had rushed around, making all his favorite foods, including chocolate-frosted donuts. She’d dressed my mom, a young toddler, in her best dress, and put her in her highchair at the table, just before he arrived. While my grandparents were kissing and crying, my mom managed to pull the plate of donuts close, and a few minutes later, greeted her daddy with a huge, beaming, chocolate-covered smile.
My mom made me a very special dark chocolate cake, with walnuts in the dark chocolate frosting, for my birthday every year. The recipe came from an old neighbor of a colleague of hers, and although none of us ever met Mrs. Boyer, we call it Mrs. Boyer’s Cake to this day. And I feel close to my mom, who LOVED great food, every time I make it.
And my own daughter’s first chocolate experience was around the age of 18 months – a bar given to her by her great-aunt. She didn’t say a word when she tasted it, but her eyes opened wide, and she began jumping up and down, only stopping to lick her fingers.
As a caterer and teacher, I sometimes offer a tremendously fun chocolate-tasting class; and I like to give my favorite customers a tiny box of truffles, as the best thank-you I can imagine. I think my ancestors would approve!
I love this story, Annie. I can see those tender moments: “While my grandparents were kissing and crying, my mom managed to pull the plate of donuts close, and a few minutes later, greeted her daddy with a huge, beaming, chocolate-covered smile.” Oh how that line made me laugh!
I am too old to remember. Actually, my first chocolate memory was when two of my boy cousins smeared a chocolate pie in my hair. I was about 4 yrs. old at the time and they were older. They were jealous that their Dad was playing with me. My uncle had 5 boys and no girls.
In your hair? That’s hysterical!!
Sue Ann, I had to search the deep, dark (chocolate) recesses of my mind to figure out the origins of my (chocolate) lust… It hearkens back to the days when I was a bonny lass (3 years old or so), when Dad would take us to the local rootbeer stand. While my siblings ordered rootbeer floats, I was adamant about my “order.” My father recalls me stating in no uncertain terms: “I’ll have a chocolate malt, Dad.” It has since become a family quote. 🙂
Since then, I’ve left the ice cream behind and gone for the gold. Unadulterated chocolate suits me just fine — the chocolate-y-er, the better.
Makes me want to create a chocolate malt, Kimby! I love this story. . .
Yes, I too am chocolate lover. When I was single, I would travel the globe looking for the best chocolate and stop at all the wonderful cafes. Then I was stopped in my tracks when it came to sweets, and all the concepts flowing regarding the idea of sugar being so bad for you. I love how you mention that there are in fact health benefits!
Yes, Nasrine, we simply must stop making sweets the enemy, yes? Let’s just find delicious ways to satisfy that sweet tooth, both in life and at the table.
My affair with chocolate apparently began when I was about 3 years old. I say “apparently” because I don’t remember. I was only told.
In grade school I remember being told I was allergic to chocolate. So, no chocolate candy. No chocolate “drink” at school. When I asked my mom how we knew I was allergic she said that one day when I was little I asked each of my family members (unbeknownst to the others) for a frozen fudge bar. I have 2 sisters and one brother, and then there’s my parents, so conceivably I had 5 fudge bars that day, and ended up with hives.
I don’t know whether to believe that or not, but it makes for a good story. I know that when I started trying chocolate again in my teens, I was all-okay. So glad that allergy did not last a lifetime.
I love that story, Mary! And I’m so glad you outgrew that allergy. . .
I’m not sure, but I think it was on my DNA strands, and I waited throughout my infancy until my mother thought it safe to forever point my palette in the direction of its lifelong passion. (One that she shares.) I’m not at all sure they’re memories of my EARLIEST chocolate experience, but my most nostalgic are memories of coming in from playing in the snow with siblings or friends and my Mom offering us cups of hot cocoa she made on the stove with milk and cocoa and sugar and sprinkled with those tiny lumps of corn syrupy child-love called marshmallows. It tasted like love. Then I too grew through sampling all of the grocery store candy bars; and at Easter and Halloween I wanted nothing to do with anything that wasn’t at least mostly chocolate. Ice cream and cakes were always chocolate (with the occasional branching out to a good carrot cake). When my husband and I lived in Germany for three years and traveled some European countries, I discovered true “chocolat”, “chokolat,” and “cacao.” My palette was confused at first but gradually grew to love the less milky, less sugary, more exotic options. And now the internet, including sites like CFB, continue to allow me to discover and sample options from around world. My chocolate story continues…
Yes, Rebecca, your chocolate story continues and I plan to help you write some of it!
My first and most delicious chocolate memory is of my mom, who passed away when I was 3, making me a mug of luscious hot chocolate topped with creamy Ready Whip whipped cream.
I remember asking her to sprinkle a little General Foods International coffee powder on top
because I often saw her drinking it and I wanted so much to be like her.
I recall enjoying the smooth, creamy, comforting hot cocoa (SwissMiss to be precise) while sitting at my little Strawberry Shortcake table. I can still see my mom’s face, smiling down on me, as I drank.
It’s funny – I only have 3 memories of my mother, but my sweetest and fondest is of our chocolate moment. Since then, nothing comforts my soul better hot chocolate. Sure, there are other, better quality brands out there, but none of those brands take me home, back into my mother’s arms, like Swiss Miss.
Rachel, I can smell (and feel) that mug of luscious hot chocolate and I can see you sitting at your little Strawberry Shortcake table. I know your mom is smiling down at you, thrilled with the mother YOU’VE become. This story touched me deeply. . .
I was born in ’67, he in 1900BC, the first time I laid eyes and my tongue on him was as a child-most likely he came in the form of a bunny or an egg. That never mattered to me, it’s not looks that count-right? It’s what’s inside!!
White became my flavor of choice and I can’t tell you why, but I am thinking it was b/c I knew none of my siblings would steal him away from me, I’d never catch him cheating. But evolve, I did. Slowly… Ignorant as I was to the other fish in the sea, I grew up near Hershey, PA so I thought the Kisses were the bomb-lol-what did I know? I was only 10. I was open to any ethic background.The Italian Baci’s with their hazelnuts turned my adolescent taste buds on, when living in Italy I explored others and in other forms-dark chocolate gelato with pistachio was, unfortunately for my waist-a daily and nightly treat. In Peru I dabbled and flirted with others…and then he appeared, he was dark and a little salty and it was then that I realized I met my chocolate soul mate and since then we’ve had a hot love affair. He never fails to turn me on, and having him my mouth…..I should stop there….but, I will tell you, I am not selfish or jealous, I WILL share.
Can you hear me clapping? LOL
My love of chocolate originated with Christmas morning where my mother would have the table all decorated with special Christmas plates and mugs. She would then bring out the special homemade hot chocolate (I think it was Dutch or something). So special and the only time we had it was on Christmas, My love for chocolate evolved when I began to visit and then live in Italy – I learned that I did not have to eat the entire chocolate bar, but could have just one small piece of GOOD chocolate which would do the chocolate. The association I had with chocolate and love strengthened when I first experienced a Perugina Baci chocolate and visited the Lindt factory.. uhm..
When I got older and opened an American bakery in Florence, I had to find an Italian equivalent to the Nestle Toll House morsel. My business partner and I scoured the trade fairs and finally found this delicious dark chocolate “cubetti” from Perugina which would arrive on our doorsteps in 50 kilo bags. We would take our knives and open up these big bags and chop chop chop for hours until we had our version of morsels.. Irregular in their shape, divine in taste! We used them for chocolate chip cookes, brownies and cakes. We wound up using more chocolate than anyone else in the city of Florence and were rewarded with a mini scooter . So, chocolate is love and so much fun and joy!
Carmel, I love this story, especially the part about chocolate arriving on your doorstep in 50 kilo bags! Can we say, heaven?
My love for chocolate began pretty late in my life (I am 25). I found out I was pregnant in April of 2010 when Easter was right around the corner. I was so exhausted ALL the time & the only food I could keep down was dark chocolate. All of a sudden I became the best baker I ever knew! Chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, double chocolate chip cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries, marshmallows, pineapple… anything that could be dipped in luscious, velvety smooth chocolate, was dipped. I actually asked for a piece of chocolate in the delivery room about an hour before my son popped out. I never really liked chocolate before. My friends and family would eat it in front of me and i would gag. I now understand why their love of chocolate was so strong. My son is a year old now and 4 times a week (okay… 6.) we whip up everything chocolate for dessert and I am so happy he has a love for chocolate just like his momma!
Desiree, I love that story! It’s funny how our palates change. I’m so glad yours expanded to include this exquisite treat.
I did not really discover chocolate until I was an adult. Living at home until leaving for college, the only chocolate in the house was totally off limits because it was my Dad’s stash of Hershey’s chocolate bars (with and without nuts) and we were forbidden to touch it. We were allowed candy at Christmas and Halloween (spoils from trick or treat) and I remember liking tootsie rolls and tootsie roll pops and candy corn (none of which qualifies as chocolate).
My cousin’s mother worked at the Fanny Farmer candy shop at 7-corners when I first came to the DC area. And my favorite candy there was white chocolate almond bark. And I liked Hershey’s Candy Kisses… I still like Hershey’s Candy Kisses but at least now I limit myself to the dark ones! I do make homemade chocolate truffles every year at Christmas time… in the past I’ve made them with Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate chips and they are simply MARVELOUS… this year I tried them with Godiva dark chocolate chips and they were not as successful. But I’m rambling (for a change). 😉
My first experience with chocolates to “die for” was when a friend brought me chocolates from the Netherlands. OMG… what a treat to taste REAL chocolate. Since that was about 22 years ago, I’ve lived nearly 2/3 of my life without any appreciation for quality chocolate. Dark chocolate was never in my vocabulary… milk chocolate and mostly boring chocolate was all that I’d had before experiencing the marvelous chocolate my friend Pieter brought me.
And now, I’m into worrying a bit about my weight (although trying to stop that), so I allow myself DARK chocolate as a treat and am learning to appreciate having just a bit of sweet after a meal instead of the pig-out on less than optimal chocolate!
What I need to find is a source of REALLY GREAT dark chocolate bars other than the Trader Joe’s ones although I like those just fine for a bit of sweet after dinner. When I think back on chocolates I have LOVED, the only chocolate that comes to mind is the chocolate from the Netherlands AND some really great artisan chocolates that my sister-in-law brought me from Oregon one year. (enjoyed reading other’s posts here) 🙂
Well Victoria, you’re in for a treat because “the Cluster” and “the Bar’ will delight your palate! Once you start eating the “good stuff” you never go back. . .
My love of chocolate started like just about everyone else’s, my dad was an addict and apparently his father was also. One of the reasons I am the way I am is somewhat in part of the fact that my dad was also selfish, making me desire the cocoa even greater. Not only would he hoard the treasure, it was also hidden. He was very secretive by not indulging directly in front of my brother and I, his way of not divulging the type or quantity of the loot. As a child I would be woken shortly into my evening sleep by the sound of M & M’s crashing into the Corelle bowls, the same one’s I would use for my plain old rolled oats at breakfast. At Halloween it was even worse with him having to test the evenings take, making certain it wasn’t “tainted and that his two precious boys were safe”. Every once in a while it seemed as though our bags lightened a bit while we were at school, surely for no other reason than the protection of our precious teeth. One of the best things I learned from my dad was how great chocolate chip cookie dough tasted. My mom would make up huge batches around the holidays, thus freezing some for ease later. My dad and I used to go to the basement together and sneak into the chest freezer and bite off hunks from the rolled logs of dough. It was great. He always let me have the last bite, which I thought at the time was quite commendable. Then when my mom found out what we were doing, my dad (THE KING) pretty much sold me out, stating that the teeth impressions could in no way shape or form be his. He really did show me the ropes though, and he did share on occasion. Best of all he helped shape me into the person I am today and I love him for it. I hope to pass on the same prowess and chocolate superiority to my two boys that my dad did to me.
Jeffrey, I love this story. I found myself back in my childhood “listening to the sound of M & M’s crashing into Corelle bowls.” I had forgotten all about Corelle bowls! LOL Sounds like THE KING created a prince of chocolate. . . Thank you for sharing these memories.
As a child in the ’70s my parents would take my brothers and I to my granny’s house several times a week during the summer. As an adult, it has always amazed me how she hardly ever measured anything. She could take so many handfuls of flour, a little pinch of this, a little sprinkle of that and create the most amazing dishes. So, what a treat it was on the days she would make fried sweet rolls. She would make all kinds of rolls but the best were these fried long johns that she poured a rich chocolate cooked frosting over. The fresh warm rolls with the just cooled chocolate frosting was heaven as each bite melted in your mouth.
Oh my goodness, Terri, I can practically taste those fried sweet rolls. I have some delicious memories of my grandmother’s kitchen as well. We need to return to Grandma’s kitchen, yes?
OOOO! You’ll have to read the blog post from Mayree’s Deep South Cakery in a post from April 13th. I was five and had followed my mom into the small-town grocery story to talk to Mr. Luther when she had told me to stay put…
“Mama heard me talking to Mr. Luther and spanked me all the way back to the car. I took my punishment like the pro I was at taking punishment, mischief having always placed me in a position of needing it. Mama went back in the store. A few moments later Mr. Luther came out with a Hershey’s bar with almonds for me. To eat. Without sharing. That must have been the moment I became a chocoholic. I remember the taste of the smooth milk chocolate, the velvetiness of it coating every taste bud. Each roasted almond was carefully eaten around until only a single molecule of chocolate held it to the bar, to be individually consumed without complication of flavor. Mama made a fuss over Mr. Luther making a fuss over me but it was worth it. It’d be sick in a most carnal sort of way to say it about what I will and will not do today, but back then, I’d take a spanking for chocolate any day.”
I love this story, Mary! I can just see you nibbling that bar down to a single molecule of chocolate. “Each roasted almond was carefully eaten around until only a single molecule of chocolate held it to the bar, to be individually consumed without complication of flavor.” You make me laugh!
Oh Sue Ann, I love the way you write about food! I also realized how much I love chocolate and always have. I’ve never been much for the fruit-flavored candy, and I’m definitely not a ‘sweet’ person (let’s not get into that) 😉 but I LOOOOVE chocolate. I honestly can’t remember when my love affair with chocolate began. It seems to have been with me from the start. i will say it’s evolved over the years. I as a milk-chocolate loving youngster, but when I hit my mid-thirties my taste buds started to change. That’s when the whole ‘not sweet’ thing began. When I heard that dark chocolate was actually GOOD for you, I was hooked.
And by the way, I’m SO with you… there are two sides to every story, and both of them can be backed by science, so do what works best for YOU without regard for what others are doing. I wish I had a compelling story to share here, but I think you’ve collected some amazing ones above. So cool how you’ve created a virtual ‘chocolate party’ in this space, all these readers coming together to share around a single, elegant, delicious topic. 🙂
A virtual chocolate party, yes! I love that. That’s exactly what this is. . .
When I was nine months old, my Mom let me try her chocolate ice cream cone. I ended up eating it all, because I cried every time she tried to take it away. Haven’t stopped since….
Sounds like to had her trained at a very young age to deliver, CHOCOLATE. Love that, Marcy!
“Lemon cake. Lemon cookies. I suspect she was pining for the subtle scent of lemon trees that graced her childhood home in Sicily”. I love this line!
I’ll bet you have many of those moments, Nasrine. . . 😉
Sue Ann! I realize I did not comment on this exquisite piece though I read it.. .more than once. Its a strange feeling to realize that I have been on the outside of one of the most exotic foods in the world! Yes, yes… I LOVED my chocolate bunnies as well… though I don’t remember them in such detail. Most likely due to having to keep it cloaked from my brothers who upon devouring their would greedily attempt to steal mine! Brothers! I do remember sweets were important to me… they helped to bond childhood friendships. Share your candy and you are immediately liked!
yet this deeper exotic sensual relationship that you describe is something foreign to my ears.
“So the next time you reach for a piece of beautiful dark chocolate, listen to the snap when you break the bar in half. Arrange it on a plate. Smell the aroma of the cacao bean. Make sure to clear your palette so that you can appreciate all the subtly complex flavors. After you take a bite, sit with it a minute to see if there is a second rush of flavor on your palette or in your throat. Notice the crunch of the nibs when you’re lucky enough to find a chocolatier who fancies those little crunchy wonders as much as you do.”
I feel like I am in the sacred Temple of Chocolate and that YOU are her High Priestess… tutoring me in the sacred tao of chocolate. Never will I look at it or taste it the same. I have been awakened!
and I can hardly WAIT to partake in your Divine Chocolate made in the temple itself! xo
I love this response, Kathleen. I think I’ll use the tao of chocolate to describe the sumptuous chocolate I’m about to launch into the world! And yes, sometimes I feel like I’m becoming the High Priestess of Chocolate. LOL
SueAnn, I love that you not only grant permission for a passionate life with chocolate but encourage us to come out of the closet with it as well! I always have a quality chocolate bar in my purse or desk drawer – away from the unrefined snack scarfing fingers of the rest of the family that would fail to appreciate the complexities of a Valor Chocolat Noir with toffee and caramel or a Black’s pure 80% square of bitter-sweet simplicity – just like life.
Thank you for your wonderful newsletter. Your enthusiasm is contagious!
Heart & Soul Hugs,
~Schelli
Schelli, we simply must have a stash of the good stuff with us at all times. “The clusters” will be housed in an adorable little tin so you will be able to carry it with you in your handbag and never be without!
Hi,
I don’t really have a story have just always loved chocolate! However I am wondering when we will be able to purchase your new line of chocolates Sue Ann? Mouth is watering waiting to taste them!
Robin
Hi Robin, thanks for asking! The label design is almost complete so as soon as we have the packaging in place I’ll place a shop page on this site. The chocolates will debut at the Chocolates Galore Event in Sterling, VA on February 17th.
Maybe it’s just me, but I just looove the creamy goodness of Belgian or artisan chocolate. The dark chocolate is ok, but more bitter to me. I like sweetened cacao nibs, but the unsweetened ones are like eating crunchy unsweetened cocoa imho – really bitter and pungent. Not at all the deliciousness of a creamy fine artisan chocolate. My hubby is a chocolate eating machine – doesn’t matter what kind.
We have fun looking at the ratings of different chocolates and then getting a couple and seeing which ones we like best. like to take the time to savor every bite of my chocolate whereas he gobbles his down. We both enjoy them tremendously however.
But going back.. I still remember the smell of chocolate Toto (sp) cookies baking at Christmas time (maybe you have heard of them since they are a Sicilian cookie). The dining room table would be covered in plates of cookies and we would ice them with homemade chocolate icing. I loved the way the icing would melt on the still warm cookies and my Grandma would let us pop a few of those warm chocolately covered cookies in our mouths before my Mom would notice. I can’t wait to try your chocolate treats!
Just thought of a good chocolate tale to tell! A few years back we were in Uganda & had just come back to our guest house, covered in mud from tracking the giant mountain gorillas. I peeled all of my soiled clothes off and went straight to the shower, but I slipped as I entered and my foot hit the wall on the opposite side, breaking one of my toes. I screamed in pain and started crying. Sean, my boyfriend came running in, wrapped his arms around my sorry sniffling self for a couple of minutes while I gathered what had happened, and then he said, “Hold on a sec.” He left the bathroom and came back a minute later with a hunk of 85% cacao dark chocolate for me. Best. Boyfriend. Ever. It really did make everything better.
I was raised on the cheap stuff. When a college boyfriend brought me a box of Godiva, a whole new world opened up for me. I prefer milk chocolate, like the what the Europeans do with it, and always want nuts mixed in for good measure. That being said, I’ve branched out in recent years. Always glad for your suggestions.