Front Range Reviews: 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Chocolate and Wine Pairings

Chocolate with almonds and a fruity Pinot Noir.

Try some dark chocolate with a full bodied red like Cabernet Sauvignon

Serve milk chocolate with Moscatel du Setubul or a cream sherry.

Salted chocolate pairs well with a cream sherry.

Pair chocolate caramels with a 20 year tawny port.

White chocolate goes well with Muscat, Riesling or a rose.

It's no surprise that chocolate dipped strawberries pair nicely with champagne.

Assorted chocolates and peanut butter cups are good with a dry sherry.

Chocolate truffles and a nice port go well together.

When in doubt, port that isn't overly sweet usually pairs well with most chocolates. If the chocolate is flavored with spices or added ingredients, look for wines that bring out the accentuating flavor.

The Good & Evil Bar Revisited

I can't believe I ate half a large chocolate bar in one sitting. Actually, I can, because it was the Good & Evil Bar.

Not long ago, my brother and his girlfriend asked me what my favorite chocolate is. I hesitated, thinking about all the chocolates I have tired. The ones from LeNotre in France stood out, of course, but there have been so many great chocolates in my past. There's something about the Good Evil bar, though, that makes it stand out as the best of the best. It's the texture, the flavor, the balance and the story behind it.

I love synchronicity. The day I got my best ever present: a gift bag filled with the Good & Evil Bar and a box of Eclat truffles, Sue Ann Gleason at Chocolate for Breakfast posted something on her facebook page about how she had just spent $20 on the very same Good & Evil Bar. I reassured her that she's not the only one who would spend that amount on chocolate and gave her the link to my review in which I admit that I would quite willingly purchase this bar again (and again) if I had the extra cash. In fact, I'd probably pinch and scrape in order to make the purchase.

Even opening the bar is a treat. It's packaged so nicely with bright red foil inside an elegant black box. There's a blurb and photo of each of the three creators of this bar: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Curtin and Eric Ripert.

The aroma of the chocolate is enticing. My mouth was watering when I ripped open the foil package.

Oops, I couldn't resist a bite before sitting down. Mmmmmmm

Normally when I'm sampling chocolate, especially for the first time, I don't dunk it in a hot beverage. This is a habit I picked up from my mom, though, so I'm not opposed to dunking my chocolate into hot liquid now and then. I like it both ways, either served at the appropriate temperate or very briefly dipped into something hot. Do you dunk your chocolate? A friend of mine was nearly irate when I told her about this tradition. She insists that I'm crazy and that no chocolate should ever be dunked.

A BIG, big thank you to my friend L for getting me this most generous gift, and another thank you to her mother for her help with it. I can't even explain how much I have enjoyed these chocolates. I am so very touched by this gift.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Lindt Lindor Chocolate Truffle Review

I have read many reviews on this truffle, and I know a few people who consider this confection among the best. I was surprised to see so many top ratings for Lindt truffles. I mean, there's a flood of great reviews, but I wonder if it has something to do with the availability of the product. These little goodies are sold in most major supermarkets and are available from many online retailers. In my browsing, I only came across a few reviews that were in line with what I think. Most reviews rated the truffles a 10 out of 10, which, quite frankly, is shocking. My score would be much lower, more like a three.

Eclat truffle

For me, sampling the outrageously good Eclat truffles may have ruined all other truffles I eat from here on out. While I felt the texture of the Lindt truffles was somewhat OK, I found them to be far too sweet, even the 60 percent dark chocolate ones, which were as least as sweet as many milk chocolates I have eaten. The immediate sugar rush on the first bite is a real zinger and hits you right in the teeth. Though the label claims it's bittersweet chocolate, I don't detect the usual qualities of good dark chocolate.

What's strange is that the chocolate melts quickly, especially the interior, but it doesn't create a good mouth feel. It's slippery, not rich and creamy. There's no real chocolate coating of the palate the way excellent chocolate does with this truffle. Plus, there's an odd aftertaste, which made sense only after I read the ingredients. When you have been sampling very pure chocolate made with few ingredients, eating ones with added artificial flavors and unnecessary oils takes some getting used to.

The filling was the worst part about the truffle. The chocolate that makes up the outer shell of the dark chocolate variety is smooth, not chalky, but it doesn't have a true dark chocolate or even a bittersweet chocolate flavor. It's not offensive; it's even tolerable, but it's far from exceptional. To me, it seems like the extremely soft interior that approaches a liquid state in warmer temperatures is much too soft. I prefer a filling that has some substance and body to it.

Overall, I wasn't happy with the truffles. It's always disappointing when you are expecting something outstanding, and it ends up being merely mediocre.

Chocolate Pairings

In a later post, I will go into specific wine and beer pairings with chocolate. For now, here's a fun picture list of beverages that go well with chocolate: