Chocolate

[figner]

they also have a restaurant attached to the factory - it is pretty good. They try to be too high end in my opinion and should just go straight for the comfort - yummy factor - but it is good and of course you can get choco baked goods too!

I also liked the restaurant. If going again, I'd definitely take the tour first before eating - we tried the restaurant just before the tour, and were lamenting that we were too full to take advantage of all the samples!

 

[WanderALot]

As others have suggested, I think Trader Joe's has a good variety. I like their TJ's labeled Belgian chocolate. I also like Valrona. DW loves a belgian chocolatier called Leonidas. There's a store in Pasadena, CA where they claim they fly in the chocolate directly from Belgium.

While I hate the mass-market American chocolate, I think the stuff made in the UK like Cadbury's and Kit Kat (UK) is quite good, but you can only get the stuff at British speciality stores.

 

[janeeyre]

I love Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate (Imported from Belguim). Prevention Mag has an article on Chocolate this month --- some recommendations are: Dagoba Single Origin Los Rios (68%cacao);Chocolatour Tanzania Vintae 2005 (76% cocoa); Valrhona 2006 Chocolate Noir de Domaine Plantation Palmira (64% cocoa).

 

[lazyday]

Callebaut. Or, cheap 70% Lindt at Walmart.

Hershey and some others have milkfat added. I avoid, since there's good chocolates without milkfat.

 

[Deetso]

This doesnt quite fit in with the readily available- and if you really like it you might have to go back to w*rk for a while to afford a full fledged addiction- add a couple thousand to your nest egg.

A professor in law school introduced me to this. I say you try it at least once- well worth the adventure to me.

http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/

 

[lazyday]

lamaisonduchocolat

They make perhaps the best chocolate candies I've ever had. (Truffles, caramels, creams, etc)

Not sure if still the same, but I used to stop at the counter at Bergdorf Goodman by Central Park, and get a few dollars worth. Which, at over $50 a pound, means a few very small candies.

 

[P.S.]

http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/

i luv their chocolate maccarons!

for cooking callebaut, valrhona.

since the holidays, i've ben making choclate truffle waffles on the weekend to use up the hefty Costco truffle box.

also Cadbury and Perugina, although i think the imported stuff is from a different recipie than what you get overseas.

 

[figner]

On a related note... the FDA is considering redefining "chocolate."
The change would allow manufacturers to substitute vegetable fats and oils for cocoa butter, yet still call the product "chocolate":

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-may19apr19,0,4511657.story?coll=la-opinion-center

I'll be checking the ingredient labels on my chocolate more closely if this goes through! There's still time to submit comments to the FDA until April 25th.

 

[perinova]

Is it the FDA that once defined Ketchup as a vegetable? That was so good for Heinz!

 

[bright eyed]

Is it the FDA that once defined Ketchup as a vegetable? That was so good for Heinz!

someone in the reagan administration to "allow" ketchup to count as part of nutrition programs going to kids...ketchup is mostly sugar - not even real sugar, high fructose corn syrup!

 

[chinaco]

I just googled this review of Hershey's Cacao Reserve:

taste test

Hmm, I might try the bar with nibs.

The hershey reserve is pretty good.

 

[bright eyed]

On a related note... the FDA is considering redefining "chocolate."
The change would allow manufacturers to substitute vegetable fats and oils for cocoa butter, yet still call the product "chocolate":

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-may19apr19,0,4511657.story?coll=la-opinion-center

I'll be checking the ingredient labels on my chocolate more closely if this goes through! There's still time to submit comments to the FDA until April 25th.

over fifty percent of foods marketed for kids that have a fruit in the name have no fruit in them at all so it's not surprising!

 

[Celany]

for ordering chocolate:

http://www.chocosphere.com/

my faves on that site are:

michel cluizel
dagoba
dolfin

my absolute favorite chocolate right now is l'artigiano extra fondente al sale dolce (italian dark chocolate with 'sweet' sea salt)

http://www.iluvchocolate.com/store/category/aya4/LARTIGIANO_Italian_Chocolate.html

capable of improving even the foulest moods.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i have a new half-baked idea for destroying your diet plan...half baked chocolate chip cookies.

this is much better than raw cookie dough. half-baked raw cookie dough.

here's what ya do: just half-bake them. 8 or 9 minutes max. then you put them right away into the fridge. chill for about a 1/2 hour and you have cooked raw chocolate chip cookie dough. mmmmmmmm. pure gluttony.

 

[OKLibrarian]

here's what ya do: just half-bake them. 8 or 9 minutes max. then you put them right away into the fridge. chill for about a 1/2 hour and you have cooked raw chocolate chip cookie dough. mmmmmmmm. pure gluttony.

you are an evil, evil man...

 

[twaddle]

The local stores stopped carrying Droste, which was my old standard. So, I went hunting for a new standard. Found it!

Vivani 85%. Try it if you get a chance. Smoothest 85% I've tasted yet, and very low carb for a chocolate bar.

 

[Webzter]

I'm a huge fan of El Rey for baking (I make a decent frosting with it to cover the whole wheat chocolate cake).

I buy the wife a Godiva milk chocolate bar every day on the way out of work

and I'm a fan of Green and Black

Dagoba too

and a few other names that escape me.

Personally, I like the ones that push just a little bit. Not too wild, but enough to get me interested in new flavors, like the one I had the other day that had curry in it.

 

[twaddle]

Important news for chocolate fans.

The good dark chocolate bars are usually about $1/ounce. And there aren't many good online sources for them.

Amazon is now offering Cote D'or 86% bars for about $0.57/ounce:

Amazon.com: Cote D'or Dark 86% Brut Chocolate Cocoa, 3.5-Ounce Bars (Pack of 10): Gourmet Food

And they currently have a special $25 off $59 deal that brings that down to $0.33/ounce if you don't mind buying in bulk.

This is pretty good Belgian chocolate. Definitely try some at your local store before buying 30 bars in bulk, though.

 

[Zoocat]

When in NYC or by mail Jacques Torres Chocolate -- Divine chocolate! Pricey, but great for a gift or special occasion, or any occasion.