chocolate

Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Mint Mill Box

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0000

I don’t consider myself a chocolate connoisseur just because I love chocolate. Although as an unabashed chocolate lover, I was only too happy to review Sjaaks’ Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Mint Mill Box. I admit to being a little late to the party when it comes to all things organic, but I thought, how can one go wrong with chocolate?

My goodies arrived in a half-green, half-transparent box with a gold bow tied around it, which attractively displayed the chocolates. A USDA organic seal proclaiming Sjaaks' chocolates are 100% certified organic (which means no pesticides, herbicides, or other toxic chemicals are used in the growing process) and the additional fair trade label reassures customers that this product not only tastes good, but makes you feel good to purchase it. Unlike some of my favorite chocolates, the Mint Mills didn't taste as creamy or chocolaty as I am used to, and the strong mint flavor seemed to overpower the chocolate itself. So I gave the rest of the chocolates to my mother, who pronounced them “very good.”

Sjaaks Organic Chocolates has a nice back story. After meeting and falling in love in Southern Spain, founders Jacques and Pam Holten returned to the U.S. and started a traditional chocolate business in Pam’s hometown of Eureka, California. Eventually their vegetarian-inspired consciousness persuaded them to produce organic chocolates that reflect their passion for healthy eating and living. Thus, love + vacation = a chocolaty happily ever after.

Written by: Gita Tewari, February 17th 2010

Winter Wonderfuls: Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowmen

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Sjaaks Organic Chocolates

I finished the last Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowman on the wintriest day in Atlanta. Anyone who is familiar with the city and its weather knows that snow covered roofs, cars, trees, and streets meant a snow day for hundreds of thousands of adults and kids alike. So it was one of those rare and perfect days to stay in and enjoy a chocolate-y treat!

Originally, I was a bit perplexed to find a box of nine little, white, individually wrapped, peanut butter snowmen waiting to be consumed. Crunchy peanut butter chocolate didn’t strike me as festive, and the snowmen looked like they were in costume for Halloween, but the box's homemade graphic appeal and the ease with which the snowmen could be shared won me over.

More importantly, and always exciting when it comes to edible indulgences, is that Sjaak’s chocolates are certified organic and fair trade. They also have a great selection of vegan products that would make anyone’s mouth water. It’s worth visiting Sjaak’s website, not only for its visual delight but also for its history and socially responsible mission.

As for the chocolate itself, I had mixed feelings. While the crunchy peanut butter filling delivered on the crunchiness, it wasn’t as flavorful as I’d hoped. It was also kind of slim because of the thick chocolate coating. Then again, the chocolate was the real winner, with a somewhat fudge-y, smooth taste and feel.

While the Winter Wonderfuls wouldn’t be at the top of my holiday wish list, they were a great introduction to Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates. Anyone who has a taste for organic, vegan-friendly chocolate should exploring the rest of their products. (They even have dark chocolate lavender truffles!)

Written by: Irene Wazgowska, February 1st 2010

Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat and Freaks

admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:01:00 +0000

By Lisa Lampinelli

itBooks

What is not to love about a comedian who combines the raunch of Margaret Cho with the political incorrectness of a Don Rickles, and the acerbic wit of a Dorothy Parker? Lisa Lampinelli deftly employs all of these qualities to describe a hard-fought but nonetheless victorious perspective on her own decisions and accomplishments. She is at all times irreverent and few escape the barbs of this “equal opportunity offender,” but Lampinelli focuses most on the two loves of her life: comedy and 'the blacks' as she says, hence Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks.

Lampinelli might proudly proclaim herself “the queen of mean” but she is also apparently one of many microcosms of today's prototypical feminine persona. She is the woman who yearned for love but once believed she did not deserve that for which she had yearned for. She is the woman who shakes off external expectations and mores and discovers what is equal parts a mundane aspect of the human condition and a uniquely and revelatory idiosyncratic fact. That those who choose their own path in search of their own truth and own the consequences are usually happy. Something that legions of her gay fans, myself included, can attest to as we seek to balance our masculine and feminine personae on a daily basis. To follow now with some cases in point. She offers a window into her own experience concerning her transition from settling for Constitution State doughboys which she considered a compromise for her true desire to dating men who actually “turned her on”:

...I didn't date hot guys—I loved' em! And I started going after them. Andre had gotten me hooked! They were new to me. Finally I could walk down the street with a guy have other girls say, “Where'd you get that one!” That has never happened to me before. I know it might sound shallow, but for once in my life, I didn't want the smart one, I didn't want the funny one, I wanted the hot one. Andre was my first piece of fine chocolate—and I started going through men like New York City was a Godiva wholesaler. And to be honest, my mouth was always full!

Lampinelli, the proud woman, fell in love with the type of man that had a six-pack and was sensual on the mattress and made her feel the élan vital, but also cuddled, wrote poetry, and cheered on every one of her successes. She describes her thinning waist and her subsequently growing confidence from size twenty-four to a size fourteen, and giving men a taste of their own medicine and catcalls the cat-callers all while realizing that waist size and ego size need not be proportionate.

Lampinelli's other love, comedy, was a long time in the making with the traditional training of life that renders our best comics. As an example, she chronicles her role as the jester of her small family, and a devoutly Catholic upbringing as the middle child in search of attention who ate weird things and put a smile on the face of her mother even in the worst times. She traces the evolution of her trademark mastering of the Roast as a result of her working to never be caught unawares if a heckler should seek to ruin her performance.

Lampinelli's portrayal of her adventures are endearing for someone who is larger than life on stage and for someone who frequently grasps the mantle of relieving us of the ubiquitous burden of political correctness.

Written by: Brandon Copeland, December 28th 2009

Organic Dark Chocolates

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:02:00 +0000

By Shaman Chocolates

If you have a vice, you might as well indulge it responsibly. Shaman Chocolates' profits propagate Huichol communities and culture. Descendents of the Aztec, the Huichol population is approximately 18,000. They reside in the sierra of Jalisco and Nayarit, and their traditions persist despite the encroachment that ensued with the arrival of the conquistadors. Huichol ceremonies use peyote, and the people are known for vivid depictions of themes from nature utilizing beads and yarn. Shaman Chocolates—founded in 2002—offers non-Huichols an opportunity to enjoy the people's sacred food, cocoa being frequently used as an offering to the Earth.

Shaman Chocolates is not the first initiative for the Huichol organized by Brant Secunda. This adopted shaman facilitated the return of the Huichol to the Sierra Madres in the early 1990s, allowing the maintenance of their culture and crafts. His 'Dance of the Deer' foundation acquired the trucks and boats for the move, and provided the bricks and mortars for a school.

The bricks of chocolate come wrapped in attractive packaging, featuring photographs of Huichol individuals in colorful traditional attire. My favorite was the dark chocolate with raspberries, but the more innovative combinations—for example, the milk chocolate with Hawaiian pink sea salt and macadamia nuts—are also enticing. I've yet to experience the green tea and ginger varieties. Seeing that Shaman Chocolates allow me to consume with a conscience, it's clearly time to stock up on these Huichol sweets.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, October 10th 2009

Bluestocking Bonbons

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:15:00 +0000

By Lagusta's Lucious

I'm already picky enough as a dedicated omnivore. Attempts at vegetarianism, let alone veganism, resulted in such extreme fatigue I had to give up after a month. However, for those dedicated enough to a peaceable kingdom to live without omelets, ice cream, and steak, and are capable of pursuing the benefits of avoiding animal proteins, I am delighted to report that there are delicious vegan chocolates available. No human being should have to persist sans chocolate.

The vegan chef of Lagusta's Lucious has been producing confections that are “heartbreakingly delicious and painstakingly made by hand with truly artisanal ingredients” since 2003. More fun yet, the innovative flavors are named for famous feminists, so the yummy treats arrive in one hundred percent post-consumer material packaging and inspire investigation of our history. The Bluestocking Bonbons come in the following varieties: vandana shivas, pauline benjamin's peanut butter cups, raspberries de pizan, chocolate coconut cream pyramids, and furious vulvas. What next? Hildegard von Bingen berries? Suddenly Luxembourgs? Kristeva cremes?

The vandana shivas are innovatively flavored, combining ancho chilies, Maui vanilla beans, and Mexican cinnamon in bittersweet chocolate. Utilizing stone-ground Mexican Taza chocolate, they may challenge textural expectations, but in a way that substantiates the producer's claim that their chocolate is not candy, but food. Furious vulvas come (no pun intended) in boxes of twelve and are bittersweet chocolate seasoned with pink peppercorns and Hawaiian pink sea salt in O'Keeffe-ish formation. Time to go for the ganache and try Lagusta's truffles.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, September 26th 2009

Rich Rainforest Dark Gourmet Fudge Bar

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:01:00 +0000

By Earth's Sweet Pleasures

There are many definitions of 'fudge.' The first recorded use of it as a name for a confection made of sugar, butter, milk, chocolate, and sometimes nuts is from 1895. Some speculate that cooking it was an illicit practice on college campuses, and this violation of the rules called its production to be called 'fudging,' although this is likely apocryphal. Other meanings of 'fudge' include: nonsense or humbug; to cheat or exaggerate; to avoid coming to grips with. I am not exaggerating, nor am I propagating foolishness or malarkey when I state that Earth's Sweet Pleasures manufactures fine fudge. Flavors include Dark Espresso with Hazelnuts, Cranberry Pecan, and Cocoa Mint.

I have tried the Gourmet Fudge Bar, so rich I managed to nibble at it over a six-hour period, filled with walnuts and very moist despite shipping. Boxes contain eight pieces, and I have to come to terms with the fact that there might not be any left for company by the time they visit later this week. Earth's Sweet says that they make their fudge with 'Love and Gratitude.' These items are listed last on their ingredients list, and I'm not certain that they've been tested by the FDA, but even in small quantities, they can't help but improve any foodstuff. Saying 'Grace' is one of the few religious rituals I will not question: you get to eat today. Many do not. Be grateful.

The pun is the lowest form, but through linguistic coincidence, I would like to endorse Rachel Fudge's overview of feminism. The article describes feminism as one of life's most basic urges—surpassing, perhaps, the desire for sweets. In a recent exchange with a male, he asked me to define feminism, and I sighed and said: “Women are human.” When this is no longer a point of contention, we will all have cause to celebrate. Perhaps I will do so by having some fudge.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, June 13th 2009

Chocolate Body Treats

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:56:00 +0000

By Coco-Zen

Buddhism instructs us that suffering is caused by desire. Alright, I have established that I desire chocolate. I can consume it copiously and repeatedly. With utter abandon, and complete abandonment of moderation and concern for my health. I can consume chocolate indoors, outdoors, in the kitchen, from the nightstand, at the theater; while trudging down the sidewalk, operating a motor vehicle, or taking the train. In the park, at work, at play, in celebration and commiseration. While I prefer fine dark chocolates, I will occasionally compromise my standards to include “Whatever is in front of me.”

Coco-Zen, a woman-owned company, invites us to "Experience oneness with chocolate," and while I would be delighted to apply this injunction via their truffles, they also offer a variety of chocolate personal care products: a chocolate lip gloss, edible lip scrub, a salt everything-else scrub, lotion, and soap. The soap is well-scented, but does not lather, and the aroma does not linger—a positive, given the temptation to nibble your cuticles afterwards. The gloss applies well and does not have a greasy or tacky film. The scrub? My biceps now smell like bon bons. Did the Buddha eat chocolate? I must meditate upon this as I smack my newly exfoliated lips in contemplation of all the temptations that there are to transcend. Pain ends when craving ends, when you escape want. I wish that I could recall precisely how the Enlightened One proposed this achievement, but for now, I wouldn't mind a piece of chocolate.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, May 19th 2009

Jane Goodall Bars

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:58:00 +0000

By Theo Chocolates

Monkeys have been in the news lately. Here's my favorite monkey story: once a researcher was going to test the intelligence of a chimpanzee by putting the subject in an empty room with assorted boxes in a pile and a banana hanging from the ceiling by a string. The scientist was about to retreat to an observation space and watch through the mirror in order to determine how long it took his subject to stack the boxes and take the food. With what (I imagine) as patient exasperation, the monkey took the researcher in hand—the one that wasn't holding the clipboard—led him so that he was standing immediately beneath the banana, and scaled the six feet of lab coat-covered hominid to perch on the primatologist's shoulders, snatch the banana, leap down, and lope off to a corner to enjoy the fruit. Problem solved.

Given their obvious intelligence, it is no surprise that keeping apes as pets poses problems. Smart does not necessarily mean nice. The recent attack by a chimpanzee in Connecticut has resulted in a $50 million liability lawsuit, and the New York Post cartoon referring to the incident should not be dignified with acknowledgment. Indian cities struggle with macaque attacks (note: yes, I am aware that "monkey" and "ape" are not to be used interchangeably—humor my colloquialism). Tragic assaults have occurred throughout the United States, and legislation has been proposed to outlaw keeping monkeys as pets. Given this, the maintenance of refuges and reintroduction programs—such as the one among the initiatives funded by the Jane Goodall Institute—is an endeavor both noble and wise. Thank goodness that I can support it by eating chocolate.

Theo Chocolates offers a Jane Goodall bar, plain milk or dark, in honor of the groundbreaking primatologist, in addition to their more exquisite and elaborate items. The Seattle-based organization produces classic combinations such as hazelnut crunch milk chocolate, dark chocolate with orange or mint flavoring, and cherries and almonds. More unusual candies include a dark chocolate with bread crumbs and salt, fig fennel and almond, and milk chocolate with chai or coconut curry. They use fairly traded organic cacoa, and wrap the goods in environmentally astute post-consumer recycled paper products. Their confections are truly superlative, small squares of endorphin explosion that could positively reinforce virtually any behavior in this primate, whether the setting was natural or a controlled laboratory environment. Truffles include an ultra-dark and smooth "Ivory Coast," peanut butter, fig fennel, burnt sugar, lemon, and mint. Green tea and ginger? Pumpkin chai? Sunflower and banana butter? I must order some of the vegan options. The entire Theo line merits an ecstatic "e-hoot" in the Gombe or anywhere else.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, April 7th 2009

Endangered Species Chocolate

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:31:00 +0000

By Endangered Species Chocolate

“Why do you have such a big stomach?” a charming child asked, poking me in the gut. It was inauguration day, so I took a deep breath and thought, “What would Obama do?” (Her mother and I had just concurred that the day was like waking up from an eight-year nightmare, and I'll still endorse the Mom's establishment, the Ukrainian Village's Café Ballou here in Chicago. The coffee shop offers splendid sandwiches and is named for the ship that brought her parents over, a timely reminder that we are a nation of immigrants.) Our president would doubtless handle it with humor and grace, and turn it into a teaching opportunity, so instead of telling the candid little lass about my assorted health afflictions and stress factors, or calling her an argument for birth control, I leaned over and said, “It's because I eat too much and don't exercise enough, so when you grow up, remember to exercise.” It's also because I am dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect chocolate, and it appears that the quest has ended.

Endangered Species Chocolate offers a range of reasonably priced indulgences that you can feel good about as you gorge. I will not divulge how long the samples lasted—or did not last. There's a pile of glossy paper and tinfoil to the right of my keyboard. It might be a bit sad, if I wasn't saving the planet from species die-off, a threat that some say is as significant as global warming. In addition to being ethically traded—the one political flare-up over the holidays was inspired by someone giving some Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate to my father—they give back to the planet, and include fun facts about gray wolves, sea otters, chimpanzees, and darling little spider monkeys on the interior of the wrappers. Apparently goji berries enhance 'chi,' maca is rich in phosphorous, and pecans are just packed full o' protein. Their seventy to seventy-two percent cocoa items are finally dark enough for me, not unto cooking chocolate bitterness, but with an edge, and lack any of the greasy mouthfeel you can find in truly industrial confections. I usually experience milk chocolate as too wussy for the effort, but theirs holds it own, and is indeed as smooth as the otters' luxuriant fur.

“Compassionate Action” specific to the species is also suggested. I would not object to some compassionate action myself, but recent volunteers are painfully far from aesthetic viablility, not cute like otters. One missed companion was built like the rare mountain gorilla, only 720 left in the wild. Recent suitors resemble orangutans, and an elusive long-eared jerboa. Depressing. Considering this, I want some chocolate. Does Endangered Species Chocolate offer a bar to save the manatee? There's a square of the mint left. It's a vicious cycle. This one's the last...

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, March 10th 2009

Divine Chocolate

admin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:19:00 +0000

By Divine Chocolate

Are ethics a luxury? It seems fairly obvious that if you can spend five dollars on a fair trade chocolate bar (as opposed to one dollar), you are comfortable indulging, or at the very least are attempting to indulge, with a sense of global awareness. You may even be rationalizing your questionable vices with the thought, “Hey, I'm not losing weight, but Nyamba Momofumba's daughter gets to go to school now...” It's easier to do good if you're doing well.

Divine Chocolate’s literature introduces individual producers: Ama Kade, Rita Nimako, Elvis Okufu Boansi. The company started as a vote among the farmers of the Kuapa Kokoo Farmers' Cooperative in Ghana in 1997—by 1998 it had received backing from the The Body Shop, Comic Relief and Christian Aid in the UK, and has persisted for the last decade—the first fair trade chocolate company to be significantly owned by cocoa farmers. The cooperative has reinvested its profits in wells, schools, and clinics, and women hold a majority of the leadership positions. If you're going for consumption with a conscience, they appear to be a sure thing.

The chocolate is delicious. It is remarkably better than the industrially produced mass-market chocolate that has a waxy patina and chemical aftertaste. My personal preferences run to darks, particularly the fruit and nut, but their white chocolate with strawberries is buttery while not 'wussy' (to use a technical culinary term). But in the current economic climate, a good chocolate bar may not make it into as many budgets, no matter how well-intentioned the consumer. Human self-interest usually prevails. A favorite recent demonstration is the report from Harper's Index that the insecticide-doused mosquito nets shipped to Africa are being misappropriated as fishing nets, increasing individual income at the expense of community health.

Studies of Fair Trade organizations indicate that while superior to standard exploitative trade, they do not provide a panacea. Perhaps it is a matter of small, incremental changes. Then again, we could have large, abrupt changes forced upon us. Peak oil speculators would posit that without petroleum, only locally-produced hothouse cocoa would be available. Or, Matt Miller, in The Tyranny of Bad Ideas, suggests that free trade is among the tired old paradigms that must be jettisoned. My response to global financial conflagration is similar to some of my negative social ventures: I want to eat chocolate. It's nice to have the option of reaching for a narrow brick of Divine's dark… or perhaps I can track down the orange and milk chocolate, gold tinfoil hearts and spirals scattered on the wrapper design.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, March 8th 2009

Tom and Sally’s Body Paint

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0000

By Babeland

When it comes to sex, everyone wants a little something to spice up the night and make the bed sizzle. Whether its garter belts, handcuffs, or studded leather whips, there’s no such thing as a fantasy that can’t be fulfilled with some helpful accessories. The old saying, “a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” may have been proven centuries ago by a naughty mistress who realized that if a lover can be satisfied with a hearty meal, imagine all the possibilities food can awaken on a quivering body. Today, there are countless ways to apply yummy desserts – such as oozing chocolate syrup, fluffy whip cream, or melting caramel – in the bedroom that are guaranteed to awaken taste buds and make anything taste more delicious.

Tom and Sally, who left their corporate jobs in Manhattan over eighteen years ago to make chocolates in Vermont, know the art of indulging appetites. The couple has been producing chocolate pasties, thongs, even French cocoa that can be lightly dusted on whatever tickles your fancy with a feather. Although their most famous product is chocolate body paint that’s heated and then applied with a thick brush, Tom and Sally also chose to go on a sweeter route with fruit flavored body paints that are mouthwatering and a surefire way to make any occasion satisfying.

Although the fruity body paints have minor flaws, they can easily be forgotten with all the delicious wonders they provide. The pack comes with strawberry, blueberry, lemon, and watermelon paints that all taste like freshly made, sugary, tropical snow cones on a hot summer day. Unlike the chocolate body paint, which may damage skin if heated too much, the fruit body paints only need some water to loosen its texture, as it is made with ingredients like high fructose syrup, real fruit juice, and milk powder. At first, it may seem as if you’re applying a messy watercolor that churns stomachs and stains sheets, but the luscious, candied flavor makes you lick with full force and cause your lover to pant from pleasure. Like a ripe fruit ready to be plucked, your partner will beg you to kiss, stroke, and suck all over, starting up your appetite and compelling you to eat.

While some may be turned off by the too-bright neon colors and watery mess, there’s no denying that Tom and Sally have another winner for hungry, sexy couples everywhere. Whether you’re ready to ignite some passion or want to channel your inner artist, Tom and Sally’s fruit body paints will transform consumers into erotic Picassos with an imagination that runs wild and can last for hours.

Written by: Stephanie Nolasco, October 23rd 2008

Chocolate

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:10:00 +0000

By Paule Cuvetier

Flammarion

Chocolate by Paule Cuvetier is a two-volume set that comes in the matching case. The set includes The History of Chocolate and The Taste of Chocolate. I highly recommend reading about the history of chocolate first because once you see the recipes and the tantalizing pictures, the history just fades into the past.

The History of Chocolate takes you back in time to 1519, when the French used cocoa as a form of money and in beauty products. What could be better - spending it and slathering it all over your body? On a step-by-step journey, you are taken through chocolate processing, from the cocoa bean to the tasty temptress that it becomes.

As you open The Taste of Chocolate, the photographs taunt your taste buds, and the recipes will make your mouth water. You are guided on a country-by-country tour around the world as the book explains the types of cocoa bean that is grown there, the qualities of it, and the best culinary uses for it.

After the chocolate-filled tour of the world, recipes are abundant. From the Chocolate Rum Sponge Cake to the Ganache filled Truffles, these recipes will send you into the kitchen for a cooking frenzy of chocolate delight.

This is would make the perfect gift for any chocolate lover - a truly elegant set that is worth every penny with recipes that would put any cookbook to shame. However, there is one downside to the set. The measurements are in both Metric and U.S. customary measurements, but they do not match up just right. I would highly recommend using just the metric version of the recipes.

Written by: Ryanick Paige, July 2nd 2008

Premium Chocolate Chip Cookies & Brownie Babies

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 21:04:00 +0000

By Sun Flour Baking Co.

Like pizza or sex, chocolate chip cookies are good no matter how bad they are. Considering these cookies are devoid of most everything that makes cookies so delicious, they’re not too bad at all. These are wheat, gluten, cholesterol and dairy free, as well as twenty-one percent organic. All of this translates into a snack that is both healthy and vegan. This box contains ten soft little cookies. Each one is about 1.5 times as wide as a Famous Amos cookie and twice as thick. There is a definite chocolate chip taste, but they’re a little lacking on flavor when compared to the “real” thing.

Another shortcoming is the consistency. Though they’re soft and chewy, the cookies also taste a bit chalky. If you can’t eat wheat or gluten for dietary reasons or if you live a 100% cruelty free life, these could be a sweet blessing.

Sun Flour Baking Co. has also put together a clever recipe for soft, vegan brownies that are wheat, gluten, cholesterol and dairy-free. Unfortunately, they are also flavor-free. Like the chocolate chip cookies, these come ten to a box. They are soft and chewy and about the size of four or five poker chips stacked one on top of another. They might make a fine supplement if your diet or conscience keeps you from the “real” thing, but biting into one after eating a traditional brownie is like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. It’s not that they’re gross, but rather bland. They just don’t have that rich brownie flavor, and if you’re not allergic or vegan, I wouldn’t recommend these as a snack.

Though they’re soft baked, these cookies are a bit crumbly upon the first bite. They also left me and two friends quite parched afterward. I do think it’s worth mentioning though that this company is making a difference by using soy inks and packaging their products in boxes made of recycled material.

Written by: Patricia Valery, June 8th 2007

Cacao Nibs

admin — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:43:00 +0000

By sweetriot

When my Cacao Nibs arrived in the mail, I was entertaining some friends who were visiting. When they saw the arduous task ahead of me – reviewing chocolate – they kindly offered their assistance in testing the product. And they tested it very thoroughly – the four little tins were almost empty by the time they left.

Made by sweetriot, a company dedicated to social responsibility, these pure Cacao Nibs are dipped in varying flavors of chocolate. Flavor 50 is dunked in 50% chocolate, giving it a flavor reminiscent of milk chocolate (although these are all dairy-free). Flavor 65 is dipped in 65% chocolate, giving it an intense dark chocolate taste. Flavor 70 is mixed with espresso, combing two of my favorite tastes, and Flavor 70 cher is flavored with cherry. These delicious chocolates come in fun, colorful little tins, which fit perfectly in your purse for a chocolate fix on the go. They even come with little fortunes inside!

Written by: Beeb Ashcroft, May 15th 2007

Trinity of ChocoLove

admin — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:26:00 +0000

By Painter Girl Chocolates

It may shock you to hear that I'm not a fan of chocolate. (You may pick your jaw up from the ground now.) I've become familiar with the looks of disbelief after I make this radical confession. So why would a girl who doesn't like chocolate want to review the dreaded confection? Well, from time to time I get a hold of something that gives me hope, and I'm not afraid to be proven wrong.

Thanks should be given to Chloe Jo for making me privy to Painter Girl Chocolates, a company that makes me glad I'm not dogmatic in my sweets aversion. The Animal Print Chocolate bar was artful and delicious. I tried The Snow Leopard, a white chocolate bar with literal spots of dark chocolate. The sweetness is cut by a slight lemony flavor, which accents the white chocolate quite nicely.

Another cute and tasty goody is the aptly named Caramel Paint Tube. As you may have gained from the appellation, these have gooey caramel stuffed inside dark chocolate and comes in the shape of a squeeze tube of paint. The taste is creamy and (dare I say) divine, just the right mix of this classic combination.

The last treat I sampled was a cinnamon sprinkled Bon Bon that comes wrapped in colored foil. Uh... yum! This chocolate is rich and decadent, which means you only have to eat one to get your fix. (But for those on the opposite side of the chocolate adoration continuum, you might think differently.)

With Valentine's Day just days away, you can either wait until the last minute and give your loved one some quick and thoughtless gift, like flowers from the corner store or a cheap bottle of wine, or you can buy that special someone one of these fabulous chocolates and feel good knowing that the profits benefit the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Now that's what I call spreading the love.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, February 7th 2007