h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Chocolate is ALWAYS in order! :=)

Plain chocolate is evry bit like love, sensuous, pleasurable yet usually contains less bitterness than the outcome of passion!

But only chocolate which is fairly traded truly has a taste which is divine without leaving a nasty feeling in the pit of your stomach that some poor child has been abused in its production for your pleasure.

I know! Have you seen the price of Toberlerones recently? Can't say that's a fair trade.

If you have ever had to endure Russian chocolate whilst in the Soviet Republic, you wouldn't be complaining about the price of a Toblerone! Russian chocolate is cheap, but as to its merits, words fail me. Give me Lindt milk chocolate any day, or melt it in a pan for a chocolate drink. A cup of Love in liquid form, the nectar of Venus.

In my humble opinion, better should a child be abused by the production of pleasure
(gimme' that chocolate you sniveling little...) than pleasure be abused by the
production of a child (I dunno, the damned thing just broke...)

That's just typical isn't it? Just when you think that life is Cocoa and Lecithin, it surprises you without mercy!

Ok so I love chocolate as much as anyone, but nothing, I mean nothing, beats that first mouthful of really really good coffee.

So that means coffee flavoured chocolate is a bonus for you then.

Maybe trina could try Illy Coffee with some of those devine plain chocolate covered coffee beens. Mmmmmm ..........

Nah...somehow it just seems like you loosing out both in the chocolate and the coffee stakes. I think I'm a bit of a purist.

Those choccy covered coffee beans are peculiar indeed. Can't decide whether I like 'em or not.

There's noyhing wrong with that! As a Coffee purist myself (particularly for the Italian stove top Espresso pot), the lack of care in brewing Coffee these days is deplorable. What's wrong with people, especially in England where everyone uses tea bags and instant rubbish. And as for tea in France, well, where can one begin?

If you're ever in Australia, and in particular Canberra, try the tea and coffee at Cafe Essen. The best in the country in my experience and I've decided to make it my life's work to find the best coffee for the most reasonable price. And to find the person who makes the best coffee (my coffee is ok, as long as I stick to the Italian Espresso stove top thingy, but my plunger coffee is blah)...

Plunger Coffee can be a bit grainy I find. I've found that its better if you use fresh ground beans (coarse), and hard water which is also apparently the best for Coffee (no problem in London!)Leaving it for about five minutes helps too. Have you tried Greek Coffee made in an ubrik, now there's another subject....................................

Have never tried Greek coffee in an "ubrik". Sounds interesting indeed. At the moment I've basically given up plunger coffee, unless I'm at friend Vivienne's house. She makes excellent plunger coffee. Any brands you recommend?

Absolutely. Douwe Egberts Smooth Selection is particularly good, or if you prefer freshly ground beans you might like Colombian for a mellow, lighter taste or Mocha for darker flavour. There are some REALLY good French Coffees around for Cafetieres but alas, they are hard to come by. You could always try blending different beans yourself, and eventually, you should come up with something that satisfies your craving for perfect coffee!

I'm sure there is a deli in Canberra *somewhere* which will stock the brand you recommended. I fear, though, the perfect cup of coffee will as elusive as the meaning of life. Or the one a friend makes me. I'm a bit like that with cooking too. Though I do make a very nice roasted capsicum, tuna and coriander pasta sauce...

The sauce sounds lovely. Bit far to come over for dinner though, shame really. Nevertheless, on the Coffee front, have you tried Jamican Blue Mountain? It is regarded as the best coffee in the world but is ludivrously expensive, bot then again, at least it doesn't taste cheap! In the UK its around &20 a pound, which I guess is around $50!

The sauce sounds lovely. Bit far to come over for dinner though, shame really. Nevertheless, on the Coffee front, have you tried Jamican Blue Mountain? It is regarded as the best coffee in the world but is ludicrously expensive, but then again, at least it doesn't taste cheap! In the UK its around &20 a pound, which I guess is around $50!