Chocolate!

A few months ago I read an article about a workplace accident where an employee fell into a vat of melted chocolate. He managed to “swim to shore” and was rescued unharmed. If I could choose an accident, this would be it!

My father once worked for a company called Smiles and Chuckles, the original makers of Turtles. His job was in the lab, testing and developing products. The entire neighbourhood was enveloped in a chocolate aroma and Dad’s clothing was also saturated in the smell.

The Smiles and Chuckles factory closed and the building was demolished. A couple of years ago we visited Hershey, Pennsylvania and toured the huge chocolate plant there. It brought back memories of Dad’s job. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a book/movie that appeals to chocoholics like me as is the movie Chocolat. (Johnny Depp :) and Johnny Depp :))

A columnist at our local newspaper had a chocolate tasting party recently and the results were published today. Unfortunately, even though I would have been a valuable member of the panel, I was not invited, so I did some of my own sampling today at home. (I went for a long walk early this morning in the bitter cold. Calories are a measure of heat, and I needed a lot of them to keep warm!)

I love good chocolate so it is never hard to buy me a gift. Some of my favourites are available only in United States and I have to put in my order when anyone plans to cross the border. I have been known to drive to Niagara Falls NY just to buy chocolate. My husband went to Michigan in October, and I am still nibbling away at the treats he bought for me there.

I prefer dark chocolate, pure and unadulterated. European chocolate from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and France, sets a high standard of quality.

Lindt Excellence offers bars of milk chocolate, 70% and 85% cocoa. The 70% bar is my pick.

Ritter Sport is made in Germany and many varieties of square 100g bars are available. The 50% and 71% cocoa bars are excellent.

Dove offers a wonderful dark chocolate that is not available in Canada. I like the little red foil squares that have a silly quote inside like “Laugh uncontrollably…it clears the mind.” I am down to three of these right now, a dangerously low inventory.

Hershey offers a huge variety of sweets, but the Special Dark chocolate kisses are not available in Canada either. They are not as creamy as Dove dark chocolate, and I still have an unopened package of them here. They are portion control at its best.

I was given a box of Laura Secord miniatures by a coworker for my birthday. They are featuring more dark chocolate including a delicious chocolate dipped ginger chunk. And I received a bar of imported French chocolate as well, 1848, that will have to be opened on another day.

Some chocolate, like the new Cadbury Dark Thins are not worth even a nibble. I tried one this week and it was like taking a bite of tasteless wax. It went into the trash!

Chocolate, especially the dark varieties, is supposed to have health benefits. I really don’t care, because I don’t need an excuse to indulge!