Rivera – Pretty as a Picture February 8, 2010

For our friend Craig’s belated birthday, we told him to pick a place to celebrate.  He picked Rivera restaurant in Los Angeles, where they serve modern Latin cuisine.  The food is moderately pricey and very pretty.  Their designer drinks will do a number on you and your wallet.  Of course, I was most excited about dessert because that’s when the chocolate comes to the table!


We picked three desserts:

1)  bizcocho de avellana, which they described as hazelnut-chocolate sponge with orange-cava sorbet.  It looked like a fancy Oreo cookie with two chocolate cakes surrounding the sorbet.  It was topped with citrus foam and a tuft of spun sugar.  Very pretty.  The sponge was pretty thick, more like dense cake and the sorbet slid, which made it hard to share.  We had to get out a knife to cut it apart.  All in all, this was a very yummy dessert.


2)  crema catalana was our second dessert choice.  This is the Catalan version of crème brulée.  Good thing we had our friend Amy with us.  She is a self-proclaimed afficianado of crème brulée and we gave her first crack at it.  Since she didn’t wince or make a face we all dove in and enjoyed the wonderful dish.  Not too sweet and they did a great job carmelizing the sugar on top -> very crispy.  Again, a wonderful dessert.


3)  torta xocolata was the one I really wanted to get from the minute we sat down at the table.  It is their chocolate torte with drunken pineapple.  When it comes to the table it is beautifully plated.  I didn’t even take a second for a photo so the one you see here is the carnage afterward.  The torte is rich, thick and has a wonderful chocolate flavor.  The pineapple lends a soft sweetness and rounds out the dish wonderfully.  Delish!


So if you are near the Staples Center in LA and are looking for some good eats, Rivera won’t disappoint.  I would come back just for the desserts


In the meantime, buy the world’s finest chocolate from Drexelius Chocolates.  You can enjoy them anywhere!

Bubble Chocolate – Review February 5, 2010

I love getting surprises.  Especially if it’s chocolate.  Some people think that since I read, review and taste a lot of chocolate that it must be hard to surprise me or give me chocolate as a gift.  How wrong they are!


There are types of chocolate that might only available overseas because of limited distribution.  Or maybe I haven’t gotten my hands on it (yet).  Thankfully, my boyfriend knows that he can always give me chocolate.  He’s done a fantastic job of surprising me with chocolate gifts.


In fact, he was the one who brought me the Kit Kat Dark.  (Read the review here).  He also found the Reese’s Dark when I was having trouble getting my hands on it (reviewed here).  A few nights ago he surprised me again with a bar of 60% dark Bubble Chocolate.  Thanks, babe!


It looks like a large bar, but is very light since it is full of bubbles as you can see here.  Some have said the Bubble Bar is “very creamy and sweet” and that it has a “fudgy consistency.”  I would have to differ.  The bar’s aroma brings powdered cocoa to mind -> yes, there is the smell of chocolate, but it is sweet and flat.  The bar also doesn’t have the rich taste or mouthfeel of chocolate.  It breaks apart and disintegrates as the air bubbles collapse leaving a chocolate residue for you to enjoy.  Sound yummy?  Not for me.  Different – yes.  Tasty – no.  Besides, do I really want to eat flavored air?  No.  Let’s have the real thing!


Ingredients:  Cocoa mass, sugar powder, cocoa butter, lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla.


Instead of taking time to pump air into the bar, the maker should worry more about flavor like the chocolate makers at Drexelius Chocolates -> where you can enjoy some truly delicious chocolate and aren’t paying for air!

Japanese Valentine’s Day February 3, 2010

Not all countries celebrate Valentine’s Day the same.


Did you know that on February 14th in Japan the men get the chocolate?


Women will give men one of two types of chocolate gifts – Giri Choco or Honmei Choco. Which gift you get is determined by your association to the woman.


Giri Choco does not cost much and translates as “obligation chocolate.”  Japanese women give out about 20-30 of giri choco to casual acquaintances, co-workers, bosses, etc.  On the other hand, honmei choco (shown in the image) means “sweetheart chocolate” and is meant to be given to the men who are special in a woman’s life, such as boyfriends, lovers or husbands.


I know…it seems backward, but in a way it also feels right.  Women are sharing the thing they love most with the men in their lives.  Makes sense to me!  This year, share your love of chocolate with the men in your life and help them understand your passion if they don’t already

Nibs, Nibs, Everywhere Nibs! February 1, 2010

What are nibs?  How do I use them?  Very good questions.


You might have seen recipes or chocolate bars listing nibs as an ingredient.  Nibs are roasted cocoa beans that have been separated from their paper-thin outer husks and broken into bits.  These little bits of cacao are full of minerals and packed with antioxidants, ready for you to include in your healthy diet.


In no time at all, you can add a bit of crunchiness and a subtle chocolate flavor to many dishes and recipes.  Add this mineral rich superfood and help boost your diet to the next level:

• Mix nibs with cereal, granola
• Add nibs to brownies, cookies
• Sprinkle nibs on oatmeal, ice cream
• Blend nibs into smoothies, yogurt
• Stir nibs with a little honey, freeze and eat them cold
• Enjoy them straight out of the bag!

Remember, just like any food, over processing kills the nutritional value.  So you don’t want to get just any run-of-the-mill nibs.  Make sure to select quality nibs to get the most nutritional value and best taste from them.


Drexelius Chocolates carries top-of-the-line Claudio Corallo nibs, which are direct from his bio-dynamic plantation in Sao Tome et Principe.  Buy some today and start reaping the benefits right away!

Amano Dos Rios and Amano Guayas January 29, 2010

Wow.  Amano’s Dos Rios and Guayas bars remind you how different bars can be.  Two bars.  Two countries.  Taste the difference.


Dos Rios hails from the Dominican Republic.  Art preserved the natural flavors of these special Dominican beans by skillfully working with the chocolate and developing new techniques to highlight their incredible flavor.  When I tasted this bar the first time I was amazed at it’s boldness and was determined to bring it on board.


Dos Rios tasting notes:  The image on the box tells a lot about is inside.  This bar is not holding anything back.  It is bold and sets your taste buds alive with flavor.  I was hit with an initial spiciness, which mellowed out to a delicious dance of orange and spice.  The flavors light up the chocolate without overpowering it.  Good finish.


Guayas comes from a coastal region of Ecuador.  I had to take this bar for a second spin before I really appreciated it.   Art (the man behind the delicious bars at Amano Chocolate) says the beans in the Guayas bar come from pure Nacional beans, which are hard to come by and are a part of Ecuador’s cocoa heritage.  When you enjoy this bar, you are tasting a part of Ecuador’s history.


Guayas tasting notes:  This bar is not trying to force itself on you and knows you are there to take pleasure in the experience.  So it sits back and gives a little, then entices you with more.  The texture flows with a smooth silkiness and the flavors delicately play on your tongue.  Behind the chocolate flavor there are complex notes…the only one I could pinpoint with any certainty was berries, dark berries.  Others have noted floral notes, spice and smoke, but I mainly tasted berry.  Guess I’ll have to taste it again!


So how do you like your chocolate?  Try these and many more wonderful chocolate bars now at Drexelius Chocolates.  They’re ready for your taste approval.

Amano Chocolate + Starbucks! January 27, 2010

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I had the pleasure of stopping at the Amano Chocolate booth.   Art Pollard was there and we talked the chocolate company’s new arrangement with Starbucks.  I asked how that would work for such a small chocolate maker?   He said he would have to see.   There are only so many beans to make so many bars.   Even though Starbucks is a big nationwide distributor, he knows there are only so many chocolate bars to go around.


Which is why Amano is not offering all their bars in the Starbucks stores.   That would be a big undertaking for a small, hands-on artisan chocolate maker.   The only bars being sold at Starbucks locations are the Madagascar dark and Ocumare milk bars.  All Amano bars will still be available through specialty retailers, like Drexelius Chocolates.

Drexelius Chocolates has been proud a supporter of Amano Chocolate since we started offering a selection of the finest chocolate in the world back in 2007 (which happens to be right after Amano became available to the public in 2006).   Click on the image below to read more about this wonderful company and enjoy their award-winning chocolate today:

Vegan Chocolate January 25, 2010

I get asked this question quite a bit.  Does Drexelius Chocolates have vegan chocolate?


Yes!  Does it say it on the packaging?  Not always.  How do I know it is vegan if there is no vegan label?


A vegan does not eat anything of animal origin (i.e. butter, milk, gelatin, etc).  Some vegans carry this over into their lifestyle and do not use or purchase anything that is made of animal products (i.e. leather, lanolin, beeswax).


Chocolate is made from the cacao bean, which is a plant.  The basic ingredients that make up quality chocolate are simple:  cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, lecithin.  No animal products here!


It should be easy to find a dairy-free vegan chocolate, but some chocolate bars include artificial fillers and milk products that would throw vegans for a loop:  butterfat, lactose, etc.


Another thing to consider is if the chocolate maker uses the same facility and equipment to process milk chocolate bars.  Some vegans would find this to be too close for comfort.  One company in the UK is working to remedy this situation.  Plamil is using a modernized vegan logo, which is displayed here.  The logo, along with a statement that says, “may contain milk/eggs/fish” is being used to help assure its customers that their products are made to the highest vegan standards.


So, like we’ve discussed before, make sure to read the ingredients on your chocolate bar to make sure you are getting good stuff.  Or simply buy your chocolate from Drexelius Chocolates.  We carry the best chocolate on the planet and filter out the junk for you

Nunu Cashew Caramels January 22, 2010

I love Nunu Chocolates.  This Brooklyn chocolatier creates yummy stuff, which I am elated to share with you.  This time around I decided to add the Salt Roasted Cashew Caramels.  Even though I had never tried them, the description was too tempting so I ordered a few boxes and am I glad I did.


Justine Pringle combines her exquisite caramel with bits of salt roasted cashews.  She then dips each caramel by hand in her signature single origin Colombian chocolate to create these mouth-watering delicacies.  Divine!


The salted caramels are already sold out (again).  Hopefully it’s not too late to get some of these decadent Salt Roasted Cashew Caramels.  Order them now from Drexelius Chocolates!

Winter Fancy Food Show 2010 January 20, 2010

This past weekend we were off to San Francisco for fun and frolic at the NASFT Winter Fancy Food show where I discovered some new tastes while eating myself silly!  I love San Francisco and to have the show in this wonderful city is just icing on the cake.  Are you are interested in exploring new food or finding out what new things are being tried with food?  Then this show is for you.  If you do go, some first-time tips are to wear good shoes and be ready for crowds.


It would be hard for me to share everything I saw, ate and did over the weekend because there is so much at the show, but here are a few highlights from the weekend:


Beer! They finally had beer at the show.  It was only a small section and a handful of breweries, but it’s a start.  I kind of got the feeling that some people were just hanging around the beer area instead of cruising the show floor


One of the breweries, Dogfish Head, makes a beer from Askinosie cocoa powder and nibs.  They didn’t have the brew at the show so we’ll just have to enjoy the Askinosie Davao bar we carry with some beer!

Bacon! Yes, bacon is still big this year.  Bacon salt, bacon popcorn, bacon cooked in the microwave, bacon pretzels and bacon brittle to name a few of the offerings.  I guess people are still craving their salt.  Why not get your salt with some yummy chocolate like in BruCo’s Salt bar or Nirvana’s Sea Salt and Caramel?  Get the best of both worlds in these customer favorites.


Chocolate! What would a Fancy Food Show be without chocolate?  I sampled a good amount of truffles, fudge, brownies, gelato, flavored bars and chocolate at the show.  I tasted some great stuff and also wanted to spit some out.  Are my standards too high?  No.  I just expect my chocolate to taste great, which is why people buy from Drexelius Chocolates.  You’ll get the best chocolate in the world when you buy from us!


Make sure to check the Drexelius Chocolates site over the next few weeks.  We’re already ordering some of these wonderful, delicious chocolates to add to our already incredible line-up.  Don’t miss out!

Celebrate Dr. King January 18, 2010

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prominent leader in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.  He earned his doctorate in Theology from Boston University, which is why we call him Dr. King.  The writings of Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi inspired him to carry on a tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience.  In 1963, he led the March on Washington where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.


In 1964, at age 35, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination.  He gave his prize money to further the civil rights movement.


That same year, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law -> “No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination.”


Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.  He is noted as one of the greatest orators of US history and is a true American hero.


One of my favorite quotes, which I live by:

“I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Drexelius Chocolates appreciates the contributions of this great man.  How to honor him?  Share love with those we meet.  Wrap your arms around understanding and patience.  And enjoy good chocolate while you’re at it