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chocolate update
U695218 Posted Sep 27, 2010
Howdy doody dandy Jaz,
good to hear from you again.
Still chocaholic eye!
About 3 months ago I tried a bar of Lindt dark chocolate with chilli.
It just didn't leave any positive impression with me at all! I thought the aftertaste of chilli was completely incongrouous.
Is your summer waning or is autumn well and truly arrived?
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Sep 27, 2010
As for that last question*sigh*, yes summer is waning but actually in a very pleasant way. One local TV meteorologist coined the term 'flummer', describing our fall being a wonderfully satisfactory extension of summer. The temperature recent afternoons has been rivalling temp.s reached in July & August. And as our June was below par(in fact disappointing), exceeding the average high temperatures for most of June.
But yes the with chili is I think primarily a marketing fad or ploy. Once it became known that the Aztecs used chilis to spice their cacao/cocoa beverages(along with ground nuts & various rain forest-type plants), that gave it a historically accurate cachet. And certainly the strength or proportion of chili is a bone of contention. I had a very nice Dagoba bar(their 74% Xocolatl-the ancient meso-american spelling/pronunciation). It had just a very subtle ripple of chili in the aftertaste as well as*looks at list of ingredients*hmm, citrus & nutmeg oils in addition to the rather obligatory vanilla extract. Oh & finely ground nibs or fragments of the bean.
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Oct 7, 2010
Desert Island question,
if you knew you were going to be marooned on a desrt island for an unspecified time (to be eventually rescued of course) and you could take only one type of chocolate, what would it be?
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 7, 2010
If......probably plain dark 70% or higher. I could always supplement with bits of coconut, etc. Desert Island or dessert island?
mousse in that case.
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 7, 2010
I think I have just the bar. An 85% Blackout bar from http://www.altereco-usa.com or http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=688899&prrfnbr=1203229 Although I would like to try their 'Twist' bar with crystallized orange peel,as well as their Quinoa bar...so, I ammend that to a cargo container of assorted Alter Eco bars(or is that cheating?).
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Oct 9, 2010
An 85% Blackout bar sounds seriously dangerous and Alter Eco is a good sounding joke of a name. If I had to choose one type for a sojourn on a desert island, I think I'd plump for a good quality praline concoction.
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 9, 2010
Hmmm*taps temple contemplatively*mmm, I may find myself searching for your island at some point. Good pralines are somewhat of a rarity here, although I'm sure if I were to put on a concentrated search they Are there. Possibly Dennis at http://www.chocolateexquisite.com/home.asp makes them, or Carol at http://www.carolsqualitysweets.com . I did though just return from Kerstin's http://www.kerstinschocolates.com , where they had an imprimptu tasting. Among my other purchases I bought a few of their small praline-flavoured Meltaways-a soft fudge-type consistency, made with coconut butter. They do indeed melt away in the mouth!
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 9, 2010
Hmm, Brett at http://www.sweetlollapalooza.com might, although he's much more contemporary(as opposed to a traditional item like pralines(I could be wrong though). Bernard Callebaut had announced some months ago that they were in reeivership and were restructuring. But I see that the site http://www.bernardcallebaut.com/users/folder.asp is still up...well, a Creme Praline on the 'chocolate map'. Click on 'The Chocolate Shop' and then 'Explore The Map' ...now finding a location here might be easier said than done. A trip to Calgary-a few hours south-may be necessary. However maybe not, they do list three Edmonton locations...I'll need to phone I suppose.
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 10, 2010
Thanks! For the time being though I have the Meltaways to hold any craving at bay.
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Oct 11, 2010
I neglected to mention the
I had Saturday. A
, quite good actually...much more
than
yet with a distinct hint of
. Made by http://www.kusmitea.com/en it's a Chinese black tea flavoured with
& spices.
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Nov 13, 2010
Good morning to you Jazz ofile supremo of the universe. Here in Bahrain it's beautiful: A/C off,all windows open enabling a balmy breeze to gently course through the flat.
With Christmas looming, are there any seasonal choc offerings available? I only ask because yesterday while shopping in a supermarket here I saw a Cadbury's chocolate
assortment box displaying 'Eid Mubarak' (A muslim festival here) which made me laugh as I remember as a kid visiting the Cadbury's factory in Bournville, Birmingham where I was born and never realising that all these years later I'd see chocolate with (a very welcome inclusive reference to Muslims) originating from cold wet England.
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Nov 13, 2010
Hello! Much cooler here, as the sun has been down for a few hours*sigh*1 degree below zero. So of course windows quite securely closed. I'm assuming the seasonal
has been appearing on shelves for some time now. I would expect with a growing Muslim population here, I should notice Eid-oriented packaging in ten hours or so when I go out. Although...time will tell, I suppose. But yes, I had read about the early Cadbury and Rowntree empires. I imagine that would be quite something
. Coincidental that the
and
smileys end your post, as I enjoyed a
brewed with
and vanilla earlier http://micro.dieuduciel.com/en/beers.php?nom= (the curiously named 'Aphrodisiaque'- those Quebecois/French-Canadians produce well-made but sometimes strangely named beer).
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Nov 17, 2010
I neglected to mention a prominent member of the aforementioned 'growing Muslim population'. Last month Calgary (a couple hours drive to the south) elected Canada's first Muslim mayor. So although as such he's both a member of a visible minority and a religious minority, I think it is somewhat reflective of a changing population.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/10/19/calgary-election-mayor.html
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Nov 17, 2010
Yes, and change is something many folk find difficult to handle (Alvin Toffler: 'Future Shock'wrote about this many moons ago), but not being able to adapt to accelarating change and its consequences is clearly spelt out by Chares Darwin (unless you come from the frankly crazy 'creationist'school beloved by so many ((too many)) backward looking Americans).
Regards from Eid-Al-Adha muslim holiday Bahrain which is a 3 day event here something akin to Christmas. I'm not muslim but have no problems with folk who are.
Watched a travel program yesterday where the presenter was in Belgium and naturally one segment was in a Belgian drinkery offering myriad types of beer one of which was chocolate beer. Given the eminence which Belgium holds in the worlds of beer and chocolate, I was not, however, surprised by the reaction of the presenter after tasting a chocolate flavoured beer. It was not positive.
Lapis
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Nov 17, 2010
Thanks for the links too. Not at all surprised by the range of comments. Sign of a functioning democracy if you ask me.
Lapis
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Nov 17, 2010
Oh you're welcome, I realised that my not mentioning a prominent Muslim was an oversight. Especially since his election was so recent.
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Nov 19, 2010
Hi Jazz,
it's 10:17 here in Manama, windows open allowing a cool refreshing breeze to course through the flat. A leg of lamb awaits cooking for two Balochi guests to join myself and Mohammed to finish the the 3rd and final day of the holiday.
Winter must have set in where you are (unless you're vacationing in Sri Lanka, Florida or some other sunny clime). Tuborg
chocolate update
j_z_d Posted Nov 20, 2010
No not vacationing in a warmer, sunnier clime(unless of course imagining myself sipping Barbados rum on a Caribbean beach qualify
) Winter essentially arrived early this past Wed., although we had a very slight sprinkling or dusting of snow Tues. morning - a sign of things to come. But*sigh*it was certainly not unexpected, now we simply await the cavalcade of fluctuations that climate change seems to have transformed our winter into.
Fuller's ESB
chocolate update
U695218 Posted Nov 25, 2010
Good day to you J.
Fuller's ESB (great when it's great!) like all real beers (not past-your-eyes in a can, but out of a barrel suceptible to the weather): in England years ago I went to my favourite watering hole, The Newhampton in Wolverhampton where they had a fantastic Irish family, the O'Malleys, as landlords. One lunchtime after my morning lectures while studying for my degree, I sauntered in and greeted John O'Malley and requested a pint of Courage Directors bitter. He replied, "sorry Paul, it's thundery weather and it's turned the beer in the cellar barrels, have some bottled instead.)
That kind of devotion and love of your craft can not be praised highly enough.
So winter's arrived in your locality? Well here winter's also arrived which is wonderful as all A/Cs are turned off and windows are open so fresh air courses through the flat.
Christmas is coming and yes, I'm playing some carols sung by the choir of King's College Cambridge.
How are things with you today? Lapis
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chocolate update
- 21: U695218 (Sep 27, 2010)
- 22: j_z_d (Sep 27, 2010)
- 23: U695218 (Oct 7, 2010)
- 24: j_z_d (Oct 7, 2010)
- 25: j_z_d (Oct 7, 2010)
- 26: U695218 (Oct 9, 2010)
- 27: j_z_d (Oct 9, 2010)
- 28: j_z_d (Oct 9, 2010)
- 29: U695218 (Oct 10, 2010)
- 30: j_z_d (Oct 10, 2010)
- 31: j_z_d (Oct 11, 2010)
- 32: U695218 (Nov 13, 2010)
- 33: j_z_d (Nov 13, 2010)
- 34: j_z_d (Nov 17, 2010)
- 35: U695218 (Nov 17, 2010)
- 36: U695218 (Nov 17, 2010)
- 37: j_z_d (Nov 17, 2010)
- 38: U695218 (Nov 19, 2010)
- 39: j_z_d (Nov 20, 2010)
- 40: U695218 (Nov 25, 2010)
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