Stories & Articles Archives – Page 5 of 5

Jan11 0

There are a startling amount of chocolate brands that are either:

Hard or impossible to find outside of their country of origin
or
Not available in many flavors worldwide.

There is, of course, a solution (of sorts). If the chocolate can’t come to you, why not come to it?

If you happen to be planning a trip to Venezuela, you may want to do some research regarding which chocolates to sample during your visit. (You’ve probably heard; Venezuelan chocolate is rather famous. Case in point: Two of the top eight chocolate bars mentioned in recent New York Time article were from….you guessed it!) I’ll cheat and help you with your homework. One of the many brands you should be on the lookout for is Mantuano Chocolate.

Those of us who have had the pleasure of sampling Mantuano (in my case, more times that I care to count) could technically keep our lips sealed. However, that would be a “the less you buy, the more there is for me” mentality, and that is not my modus operandi. I believe good things ought to be shared.

Mantuano Chocolate Review Photo 2

Jan06 0

Hot off the press, via Bustle: 12 Foods That Taste Better Dipped in Chocolate

Some combinations look positively scrumptious, while other pairings aren’t exactly my cup of tea.

Mandarin Oranges Dipped in Chocolate
(This pairing is one of the scrumptious ones.)
mandarin_orange_dipped_in_chocolate

Photo Credit: Bustle

Since I’m at it, here’s my take on all 12 foods (covered or dipped in chocolate):

Jan04 0

A frozen Snickers bar is pretty much a jawbreaker, but my dad likes his Snickers frozen. At least, he did many years ago, because one of the chocolate memories that stands out in my mind, back when my sister and I were pre-teens, involves Dad and frozen Snickers bars.

Dad went to the store by himself one weekend and – to our delight – came home with a whole box of Snickers bars. I’ve forgotten exactly how many bars the box contained. It looked like a lot to us, so it must have been 24 or 48 standard size bars. Mom happened to be out of the kitchen when the purchases were being unpacked, so the Snickers bars were smuggled into the freezer and painstakingly hidden behind Mom-approved items (thinking back, that likely would have been salmon steaks, vegetables, and veggie burgers).

Snickers Bar READ MORE→

Jan01 0

Hello! Welcome to the Chocolate Website.

I’m relatively positive this is your first visit, seeing as how this site is making its debut today: January 1st 2016.

gallery_cherry_chocolate

(I believe this photo does a good job of portraying one or two things (out of many!) we hope for in 2016: A bright, cheery year… filled with fun chocolates!)

As to what you can expect to find:

Dec28 0

Very recently, there was a milestone birthday at my house (I turned the big nottelling-0 earlier this month), during which I celebrated by….not having any chocolate.

That is correct. This chocolate lover did not have any chocolate whatsoever on her birthday. This was for two reasons.

I’d had more than my fair share of chocolate over the past month or two. (The chocolate you see on this site? I had a part in eating a lot of it. And you haven’t seen all the outtakes, or the photos that haven’t been published yet!)
A little bird told me that some of my gifts would be either partially or entirely composed of chocolate.

The little bird was correct. My parents decided to deviate from conventional brands and flavors; one of their gifts was a stone-ground, hand-crafted, raw, vegan chocolate giftset by Rawmio, with intriguing flavors such as sprouted almonds and hemp!

rawmio_giftset

rawmio_six_chocolate_flavors_boxes

rawmio_chocolate_bars

Dec23 0

Allow me to set the stage for the time my photographer went on strike…

Location: Non air-conditioned house
Season: August
Props: Two flexible lamps with their necks craned, Pixar-style, so they’re cheerfully peering inside the lightbox. Additionally, there is a halogen lamp off to the side, emitting enough heat to rival an oven.
Operation Code Name: Kill Spot (As in: Turn the lights off when they’re not needed so we don’t die of heat exhaustion. Not as in: Do away with Fido.)

Dec18 0

Dear Ritter Sport,

I will get straight to the point.

I’ve fallen in love with your chocolate.

Perhaps I shouldn’t be. (How many Cocoa Mousses is it safe for a girl to eat in a week, anyway?!)
Perhaps the feeling isn’t mutual. (What else would explain Coconut and Peppermint and Espresso – three flavors I long to try – not being available where I live?)

Photo Credit: Ritter Sport

Dec16 0

I have a chocolate drawer. There. I said it. My deep, dark, sometimes milk secret is out in the open now. (Although technically it hasn’t been a well-kept secret. All of my neighbors know about it and I’m not shy about singing its praises.)

For the uninitiated: It’s not a drawer made out of chocolate. It is a whole drawer in the refrigerator containing nothing but chocolate.* Everyone should have one. It is the secret to staying sane AND keeping a woman happy.

hershey_nuggests

(This used to be in my chocolate drawer. It’s not there now. It’s looooong gone.)

Dec08 0

Some like it hot. Some like it cold. Some like chocolate an awful lot, if I may be so bold.

There are more than a few ways to eat chocolate. To keep it simple, let’s narrow it down to three basic methods:

#1. Straight from the refrigerator (when it’s nice and cold and HARD)
#2. Straight from the wrapper or box (room temperature)
#3. With a spoon or a knife because it is purposely melted past being able to be picked up

This is Method #3:

Method #1 is not my style (although I’m related to people who wouldn’t have it any other way)
Method #2 is fine for certain purposes (specialty chocolates, chocolate bars with caramel, etc.)
Method #3 is my favorite, as it allows me to fully enjoy the richness and flavor of the chocolate

Dec07 0

The Many Diverse & Delicious Chocolates of Venezuela

El Rey. Nestle Savoy. Kakao. Mantuano. Paria. Sinfonia.

Chocolate with red pepper. Chocolate with Earl Gray tea. Chocolate with sea salt, coffee beans, ginger, granola, and rattlesnake*.

Venezuela, home to the prized criollo bean and exporter of over 8000 tons of cacao per year, manufactures chocolates that are just as diverse as its wide range of landscapes. This is no small feat, considering Venezuela boasts beautiful tropical beaches, lush jungles, the world’s tallest waterfall (Angel Falls), and a desert that could easily pass as the Sahara. (I kid you not.)

Category: Stories & Articles

Mantuano Chocolate: Variety, Venezuela Style

12 Foods That Taste Better Dipped in Chocolate

Since I’m at it, here’s my take on all 12 foods (covered or dipped in chocolate):

Frozen Snickers Bars

Happy New Year and Welcome

(I believe this photo does a good job of portraying one or two things (out of many!) we hope for in 2016: A bright, cheery year… filled with fun chocolates!)

Rawmio Review: Vegan Organic Chocolate

My Photographer Went On Strike

An Open Letter to Ritter Sport

My Deep, Dark, Sometimes Milk Secret

How To Melt Chocolate in the 21st Century

The Many Diverse & Delicious Chocolates of Venezuela

The Many Diverse & Delicious Chocolates of Venezuela