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

Ah good day to you as well!

Yes that kind of devotion and I suppose consideration for your regular patrons/customers(feeling that they ought to be served the best product possible)is rare. So it certainly deserves to be praised! Winter has indeed arrived, although we have significantly warmer weather today. Temperatures had been reaching 25 below zero and today we're currently one degree above zero(at noon). Nonetheless I was out briefly Wed. to purchase some pralines I had overlooked-and consequently failed to mention. I don't regularly buy them, and they're certainly not local. However my most frequently visited shop(Kerstin's) imports them from Germany. The company is Coppeneur http://www.coppeneur.de (language button in the upper right-hand corner), and they produce a variety of flavours to choose from. Wed. afternoon I unfortunately passed up the panna cotta and red berries, I regret that now. I did purchase both the 70% with saffron and orange flavouring & the 70% with 5% Schwarzer or black beer. I also bought a few of the tasty confections by another local purveyor of . Located just west of the city Jacqueline Jacek creates both visually appealing and very nicely flavoured http://www.jacekchocolate.com . I just moments ago sampled the Cinnamon Kissed Granny Smith-wonderful green apple with cinnamon & a touch of clove. I also had a Queen Caramel-caramel infused with a breakfast ...nice additon to the caramel!

So things are going quite nicely thus far and hopefully the remainder of the day will follow suit.*fingers crossed* Hope this finds you well. (Newcastle Brown)

Good morning to you! 10:30am here and I'm back at work after a nice break. It's COLD here too (20C or thereabouts)which I know is much warmer than where you are but it's all relative.
I can't believe it's December on Wednesday this week. Time definitely seems to accelarate as you get older.
The chocolate (apple) sounds nice. Do you get any really nice chocolate from the USA? I only ask as I've never come across anthing which I thougt was abve average from there.
Well my break's coming to an end so I'll get back to work.

Ah good day, 1:17 am here(or it was when I began typing) - I knew that Italian Centre espresso after 8 was for a reason!

Actually Wed. I also purchased a bar from a newer American company, in Ral eigh North Carolina http://www.escazuchocolates.com . In fact, the third variety of I've sampled from them(though in reality, I still haven't opened the most recent purchase).. The first I purchased was 74% Venezuelan in origin, with very skillfully blended chipotle-or roasted-chili pepper and vanilla. Based on previous experience with and chili, I bought 2 bars. The chili was very very faint in the first bar, almost completely overwhelmed by the vanilla. The roasting imparts a pleasant smokey quality, which was vaguely discernable in the aftertaste. As was a very faint bit of chili pepper zing. However I left the other bar and the chili was much more pronounced after approx. 3 weeks, still nicely masked by the vanilla. Two of the five partners in the company have s' training, which is evident I think in the blending of flavours. The second bar I sampled was 60% with just a subtle touch of goats milk. Very impressively smooth and creamy for a darker chocolate, with just the slightest rustic, farmyard sort of taste in the background(if that sounds plausible). That newest purchase, which I haven't yet opened is also 74%, with roasted seeds and guajillo chili...probably the must subtle chili pepper I've encountered. So I am quite curious as to whether the chili will be at all discerable.

Oh and one I should open-also from an American company-is an 80% bar, that is actually produced in Madagascar where the cacao is grown. It seems the founders of the company http://www.madecasse.com had previously spent time in the country, and decided to contribute to the local economy. So in addition to being grown and harvested there, the beans are also processed there. Then shipped to the states for distribution.

And an American company has partnered with Jane Goodall for two of their bars - http://www.theochocolate.com & click on 'Shop Theo', then 'Theo & Jane Goodall'. (no gorilla smiley). I certainly would like to try a greater variety of their products, having examined the site. Though it was some time ago, I was impressed with their 74% bar from Madagascar beans-I look forward to sampling both the 91% made from beans grown in Costa Rica and the 84% produced from beans grown in the Dominican Republic(in the 'Single Origin' category)! I have tried four different 'Fantasy Flavors' bars, my favourite I think being the Coconut Curry bar. It blends a 40% with toasted coconut and curry spices(coriander, turmeric, mustard, cumin, fenugreek, paprika, red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon & cloves). I suspect that the vanilla helps the coconut blend so harmoniously-imho-with the milk .