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chocolate update

Post 21

U695218

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?

smiley - teasmiley - smiley


chocolate update

Post 22

j_z_d

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 smiley - choc 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

Post 23

U695218

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?smiley - tea


chocolate update

Post 24

j_z_d

If...smiley - huh...probably plain dark 70% or higher. I could always supplement with bits of coconut, etc. Desert Island or dessert island? smiley - choc mousse in that case. smiley - rofl


chocolate update

Post 25

j_z_d

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?smiley - winkeye).


chocolate update

Post 26

U695218

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

Post 27

j_z_d

Hmmm*taps temple contemplatively*mmm, I may find myself searching for your island at some point.smiley - laugh 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

Post 28

j_z_d

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.smiley - erm 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

Post 29

U695218

Good luck with your hunt.


chocolate update

Post 30

j_z_d

Thanks! For the time being though I have the Meltaways to hold any craving at bay.


chocolate update

Post 31

j_z_d

smiley - dohI neglected to mention the smiley - tea I had Saturday. A smiley - chocsmiley - tea, quite good actually...much more smiley - tea than smiley - choc yet with a distinct hint of smiley - choc. Made by http://www.kusmitea.com/en it's a Chinese black tea flavoured with smiley - choc & spices.


chocolate update

Post 32

U695218

Good morning to you Jazz smiley - chocofile 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.smiley - chocsmiley - ale


chocolate update

Post 33

j_z_d

smiley - biggrinHello! 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 smiley - choc 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 somethingsmiley - laugh. Coincidental that the smiley - choc and smiley - ale smileys end your post, as I enjoyed a smiley - stout brewed with smiley - choc 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). smiley - cheers


chocolate update

Post 34

j_z_d

smiley - dohI 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

Post 35

U695218

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.
Lapissmiley - cheers


chocolate update

Post 36

U695218

Thanks for the links too. Not at all surprised by the range of comments. Sign of a functioning democracy if you ask me.
Lapissmiley - biggrin


chocolate update

Post 37

j_z_d

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

Post 38

U695218

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).
smiley - cheers Tuborg


chocolate update

Post 39

j_z_d

smiley - erm No not vacationing in a warmer, sunnier clime(unless of course imagining myself sipping Barbados rum on a Caribbean beach qualifysmiley - laugh) 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. smiley - cheersFuller's ESB


chocolate update

Post 40

U695218

Good day to you J.

Fuller's ESB (great when it's great!smiley - ale) 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?
smiley - okLapis


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