http://www.thetastyshow.com/ The Tasty Show is the chocolate blog of chocolate enthusiast and tasting instructor Dana Zemack. Notes on chocolate tasting, pairings, and daily experiences in the world of fine chocolate. en Copyright 2008 Tue, 13 May 2008 16:13:03 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss previous post for more details). One of them was a blended bar, made of a mix of forastero cacao from Ghana and criollo cacao from Madagascar, and the other was a single origin, made of only forastero cacao from Ghana. (Forastero and criollo refer to the variety of cacao tree, kind of like cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon - both red grapes, but different varieties with different flavor profiles.) The bar with the criollo beans starts out with notes of mild coffee and nuts and moves to pleasantly fruity/berry flavors right in the middle. Many other Madagascar origin bars that I've tasted have also exhibited dark berry fruitiness. The Ghana forastero was more on the earthy side and also a little less exciting than the blended bar. My office pals detected some fruit aromas, but not anywhere as strong as the blended criollo/forastero bar. Forastero beans are known for being hardy, plentiful, but a little flat on the flavor side. The vast majority of the chocolate in the world is made with forasteros, which are the most common, and therefore the least expensive. Ghana produces the second biggest cacao crop in the world, and it's pretty much all forastero. (Ivory Coast is #1.) Criollos, on the other hand, are more prone to disease and more difficult to cultivate, and are therefore much more rare and expensive. However, they are also known for their big flavor and complex aromas, which makes them worth paying for - for some chocolate-makers. Less than 10% of the chocolate in the world is made with criollo beans. Based on this tasting and several others I've done, I'm a pretty big fan of cacao from Madagascar. If I were going to do a single origin Madagascar tasting, this would be my line-up: Valrhona Manjari 64% Michel Cluizel Mangaro 65% Amano Madagascar 70% Domori Sambirano 70% ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/the_chocolate_i_tried_again_to.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/the_chocolate_i_tried_again_to.html Chocolate I Ate Tue, 13 May 2008 16:13:03 -0500 My friend Karen emailed me this research brief from the Center for Media Research that states that while passionate female bloggers would give up quite a lot to continue their bloggy lifestyles, precious few would give up chocolate. According to this survey, for 80% of the female blogging population, chocolate is more important than blogging. So, really, the only way out of this chocolate vs. blog power struggle is to write about chocolate on your blog. OR eat chocolate while writing your blog. Pure genius. To celebrate, I enjoyed the following chocolate while I wrote this: Soma Chocolatemaker Africa 70% - Ghana Forastero: Soma is a chocolate maker based in Toronto that makes a line of really interesting micro-batch chocolates. Here's a past post about them. The problem is that I was so focused on writing this blog post, that I forgot to pay attention to what I was tasting, and therefore cannot write an accurate description. So lesson learned, blogging and chocolate are best enjoyed separately, contrary to what I just said two paragraphs ago. To remedy this situation, I will try the chocolate again tomorrow and then write about it (but only afterward), breaking all convention by posting here two days in a row! The picture above is of me peeking into a really big closet while apartment hunting at some point last fall. It relates to this post because it reminds me of how happy I will be tomorrow when I re-taste Soma's 70% Ghana bar. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/my_friend_karen_emailed_me.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/my_friend_karen_emailed_me.html Chocolate I Ate Mon, 12 May 2008 22:26:35 -0500 Chocolate is better than flowers because your mom can eat it. A chocolate tasting kit for two is better than just plain chocolate because you AND your mom can taste, enjoy, and experience it together. So those of you who are looking for a sweet, delicious, really unique, and curiously interactive Mother's Day gift, I'm taking this opportunity to shamelessly plug the beautiful and brand new Tasty Show Chocolate Tasting Kit for Two. It's kind of like a board game, except that everyone wins nonstop while eating chocolate the whole time. (And this is some of the best chocolate in the world.) Each kit comes with 24 pure gourmet mini bars of chocolate from all over the world (12 different kinds, 2 of each) that you don't just eat, you taste. It also comes with a full set up so you can have a real live chocolate tasting at home, including a tasting board, rating cards + pencils for tasting notes, a flavor chart, a guide with the flavor profile of each chocolate, chocolate glossary, and a set up guide that includes all the hows of chocolate tasting. If you give her a chocolate tasting for Mother's Day, your mom will love you even more than before, guaranteed. WHERE can you purchase this fabulous gift, you ask? Well, if you need one in time for Mother's Day (and don't we all), visit GRAND, in Union Square, Somerville. This guarantee of your mom's unconditional love for one more year runs about $45. Andn note, soon this delicious chocolate phenomenon will also be available online, right here at The Tasty Show! ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/a_board_game_where_everyone_wi.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/a_board_game_where_everyone_wi.html Picks Thu, 08 May 2008 17:09:17 -0500 birthday bash a couple weeks ago. A special thanks to my friend Eric Scott for offering up his photography skills while we were all eating cupcakes that night! Click anywhere below to see full versions on Flickr. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/almost_as_sweet_as_being_there.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/05/almost_as_sweet_as_being_there.html Events Mon, 05 May 2008 17:49:19 -0500 In preparation for The Tasty Show Birthday Party, a small crew of us got together for two pairing sessions - one to figure out which beers should be paired with which cupcake flavors, and one to match particular beers with 4 different artisanal cheeses. A lot of people I talked to over the past few weeks found the concept of pairing beer with cupcakes & cheeses hard to imagine - until they tested out our pairing menu with their very own tastebuds. That said, below you'll find the entire pairing menu from the Tasty Show Bday last week along with notes about how we came up with each one. Or if you'd like to see the actual menu that our guests were given when they arrived to the party, you can see it here. Beer + Cupcakes: Stone Cat Blueberry Ale + Kickass Blueberry Crumbly Cupcake: This medium bodied fruit beer has a slight blueberry essence and pairs perfectly with a light, fruity dessert. The blueberry crumbly cupcake, which was a topped with a bit of mascarpone, was a nice and simple pairing with the mascarpone adding a little twist. Flavored beers can be really simple to pair with awesome results. Stone Cat Blonde Ale + Kickass Vanilla Cupcake with Herbed Topping: The blonde ale is light and crisp with inherent herbal notes. For the pairing, Kickass Cupcakes came up with the brilliant idea to top a light vanilla cupcake with a vanilla buttercream frosting and a piece of caramelized sugar with a tiny sprig of thyme in it. I think this one won as the favorite pairing of the evening. And the favorite cupcake too. The vanilla cake was pristine. Ipswich IPA + Kickass Cinnamon Caramel Cupcake: The IPA has a strong, dry bitterness balanced with a slight malty sweetness. The malty notes made a smooth pairing with the caramel flavors in the cupcake, and the spice warmed things up a bit. Ipswich Oatmeal Stout + Kickass Maple Chocolate Cupcake: The oatmeal stout is a great dessert on its own; this rich, smooth stout works best with chocolate and was paired with the most curious cupcake on the menu - a maple-based chocolate cupcake sprinkled with smoked salt. The maple balanced the rich sweetness of the beer, and both elements were then heightened by the smoked salt. Beer + Cheese Ipswich Summer Ale + Hannahbells Classic: This light-bodied, crisp unfiltered blonde ale matches the creaminess of the Hannahbells classic cow's milk cheese without overpowering the flavor. A nice, even pairing. Stone Cat Hefeweizen + Hannahbells Lavender: The floral notes that this unfiltered German-style wheat beer possesses are a wonderful match for the lavender flavor of the cheese. This was one of the evening's favorite cheese pairings. Ipswich Original Ale + Hannahbells Rosemary: We tasted the rosemary over and over again until we finally went for the Original Ale. The smooth, malty flavor of the unfiltered English-style pale ale compliments the rosemary accent in the cheese. Stone Cat ESB + Hannahbells Chipotle: The spicy chipotle was definitely the favorite cheese flavor of the night. Our biggest challenge with this one was to pair a beer that enhances and not flattens its spicy, smoky elements. The ESB, which stands for "extra special bitter" has a smooth malty sweetness and is not bitter at all. It was an excellent complement to the spiciness of the chipotle flavor. Photos by Eric Scott Photography. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/beer_cupcakes_beer_cheese_tast.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/beer_cupcakes_beer_cheese_tast.html Events Not Chocolate Pairings Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:35:16 -0500 The Tasty Show Bday Party was quite the evening of tasty delights. In the next couple days, I will post the entire pairing menu of both beers + cupcakes and beers + cheeses along with some of our reasoning behind the pairings. In the meantime, here are a couple posts about the event: All Eyes on Jenny BostonKnows And of course, I want to say thank you to the evening's wonderful sponsors: Then there's Eric Scott Photography, whose pics I'll be posting sometime in the next few days, and Fleming Printing who provided all of the printed materials for the event (and which was also the excellent local printer who did all of the lovely tasty kit printed pieces). And our gift bag sponsors, Whittard of Chelsea, My Lip Stuff, and La Tene Chocolatier. And finally, thanks also to Joe from Somerville Local First for bringing along Heather, Jessica, Jonathan, and Kerri, our high energy volunteers (who looked pretty awesome in those Tasty Boy and Tasty Girl tees!), to my awesome friend Jeff of Nerve Action for handcrafting delicious-looking tables to display the new tasty kits, and to my close friend Jon who helped out with everything the whole entire day! ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/a_big_thank_you.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/a_big_thank_you.html Events Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:40:15 -0500 The Tasty Show's big night is tomorrow! We've had a tremendous response to the event and are fully expecting tomorrow evening to be nothing short of absolutely fabulous. Several people asked me about the new Chocolate Tasting Kit that will be available tomorrow eve. Kits will be $45 (the regular price after tomorrow night wlll be $48) and $5 of every kit purchased tomorrow night will go to Somerville Local First. Tasty girl and tasty boy tees will be available as well, and of course, the lovely Grand boutlque will be open and willing to satisfy all of your wildest shopping desires. Several people also asked about tickets/cost for this event - this event is free. In order to attend and enjoy the evening's deicious beer, cheese, and cupcake delights, you just need to be on our guestlist. Important Note: If you have already RSVP'd and are a confirmed guest for this event and need a refresher on event details, it's all here. For those of you who have not yet RSVP'd, unfortunately this event is at capacity, and we cannot accept any more guests. If you're not sure if you or one of your guests is on our guestlist, please contact me to confirm by noon tomorrow. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/getting_ready_for_the_tasty_sh.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/getting_ready_for_the_tasty_sh.html Events Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:36:23 -0500 RSVPs for The Tasty Show Birthday Party are now closed. If any spots open up over the next week and a half, we will post updates here! http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/rsvps_for_the_tasty_show_birth.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/rsvps_for_the_tasty_show_birth.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:35:02 -0500 In Part II of the pre-Tasty Show B-Day party beer pairing sessions (here's Part I) that have been taking place these past few weeks, five of us congregated at Kickass Cupcakes to determine which brews and which cheeses we're going to pair up at the April 16 event. I can wholeheartedly say that I have never seen anything quite like the tiny, thimble-shaped artisanal cheeses that we've lined up to be part of the pairing. These little cheeses, which are called Hannahbells and are made by Shy Brothers Farm in Westport, MA, are made according to a traditional recipe that the Shy Brothers (two sets of very shy twins) discovered in the Burgundy region of France. Once again, I'm not going to be all giving away all our party secrets (at least not until after the Tasty Show beercupcakechocolatecheese evening of tasty deliciousness next week), but I will say that after an exhausting evening of rigorous tasting, we came up with some wonderful pairings! Here is a bit of pairing wisdom that I was lucky enough to pick up last week: Barbara from Shy Brother Farms has a fabulous way of articulating what makes a good food pairing (of any kind) that she shared with me ~ it's when 1 + 1 = 3. Or, translated into the context of beer & cheese, it's when Beer + Cheese = Delicious Enhancement of Both Beer and Cheese That Becomes a Wholly New BeerCheese Entity. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/beer_cheese_delicious.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/04/beer_cheese_delicious.html Events Not Chocolate Pairings Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:29:32 -0500 dana@thetastyshow.com. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/the_tasty_show_birthday_party.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/the_tasty_show_birthday_party.html Events Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:37:00 -0500 Last week I enjoyed a delightful evening with a couple friends during which we 'tested out' various pairing beer & cupcakes pairings. We sipped several brews ranging from the lightest blonde ale to a deep, dark oatmeal stout, and experimented with various cupcakes and pairing ideas. Rough times here at the Tasty Show, I know. That said, I don't have a grand lesson or extravagant pairing idea to share in this post - mostly because our tests results are secret. The evening, which was hosted by the illustrious and creative Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville and featured artisan brews from Stone Cat and Ipswich Ale made by Mercury Brewing Co. in Ipswich, MA, was held in preparation for a very special Tasty Show event that is happening on April 16. I'm thrilled to report that with Sara from Kickass Cupcakes and Caitlin from Mercury Brewing Co. as our guides, we came up with some fabulous ideas! And Kickass Cupcakes will be developing cupcake recipes especially for the beer pairing. Details on the event will be posted here shortly. The only conclusion that I am willing to share is: The right beer & the right cupcake can make an incredible pairing, and while I'm not going to tell you what our star pairings were, there is absolutely no harm in running some tests on your own. If you're not sure where to start, go for tastes that usually match (a citrusy or fruity brew with a citrusy or fruity cupcake, a honey brew with a spiced cupcake, and so on). ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/beer_cupcakes_delicious.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/beer_cupcakes_delicious.html Events Not Chocolate Pairings Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:05:04 -0500 This week I discovered Domori's 70% Madagascar, a very curious chocolate bar. Domori is an Italian brand of chocolate that offers several excellent lines of single cru bars as well as blended origin bars. I happed upon their 70% Madagascar bar, which is a blend of trinitario and criollo cacao, in doing some taste tests for an event I'm doing next week. Here are some tasting notes: Domori 70% Madagascar: The color of this dark chocolate Madagascar origin bar is a characteristically light, bright brown color, just as is often seen from Madagascar cacao. In general, dark chocolate of Madagascar origin is light colored enough to be mistaken as milk chocolate. But that's not what was so curious about it. What amazed me about this bar is the fact that it tastes just like strawberry bubblegum. That said, it is, indeed, pure chocolate, with no added flavorings. While the smell is most reminiscent of cinnamon and spice, the taste starts right out with a powerful candy berry zing that continues through as it melts, with a tiny bit of anise that comes through around 4 or 5 seconds into the melting process. The bar is delightfully smooth with an even, creamy mouthfeel that is just right to coat your entire palette with its powerful berry aromas. All in all, this bar was incredibly fun to taste. Domori is a brand that I have not explored very much up until now. Based on how unique the Madagascar bar is, I've picked out several bars to be next on my list, including Domori's 100% Single Cru Line, and the 70% Ecuador. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/the_chocolate_i_ate_today_domo.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/03/the_chocolate_i_ate_today_domo.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:18:35 -0500 This past weekend, Dan, Eric, Angie and I trekked (in the car, that is) two and a half hours to the Berkshires of Massachusetts to make a day out of two stops (three if you count McDonalds on the way - which is a road trip staple, in my opinion): The first was the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. The second was Chocolate Springs in Lenox. Chocolate Springs is an artisan chocolatier that I discovered a few years ago (in Boston you can get their chocolates at Formaggio Kitchen). This past Saturday was the first time I visited their chocolate cafe. The beautiful cafe (which is also where they make their chocolate confections) offers countless varieties of handmade truffles that range from classic to quite curious, pure chocolate bars and chocolate dipped goodies , lovely cakes and confections, truffle and nougat bars, mini chocolate sculptures, the ideal hot chocolate, and other chocolate treats too numerous to name. And it's a cafe, so that means that there are tables where you can sit with your friends. And we did, for around 2 hours. Chocolate tasting with good people is, without a doubt, the very delicious reason that I got so into chocolate in the first place. Here's a great idea for a fun afternoon for four friends:

• Go to the nearest chocolate boutique that offers table seating
• Select 10 chocolates (to start) and grab a bottle of water for each of you
• Cut each truffle or chocolate into 4 pieces
• Taste each chocolate as a group and have a fabulous, magical afternoon
• And then get a light dinner somewhere after (Optional, but highly recommended)

With the guidance of Chocolate Springs' passionate chocolatier, Joshua Needleman and a few tips from his staff, we picked out around 12 different chocolates to taste. What is truly remarkable about Chocolate Springs is the utter purity of flavor in each one. I haven't had their truffles in a little while, but I do remember the pure, crisp flavors, and I'm thrilled that the quality of their flavors is still just as distinct. There were a couple items we tried that, quite literally, blew us all away. Here's an abbreviated list of our favorites: Creme Brulee: A white chocolate ganache sprinkled with flakes of burnt sugar and dipped in dark chocolate. Wonderful texture, at once smooth and creamy and a tiny bit crunchy sweet. Rose Tea: A black tea truffle. The tannins from the tea leaves come through in a very interesting way in this tea truffle (as well as other tea truffles that we tried), leaving that sensation on your palette that you have when you've just had a cup of tea. Venus: This milk chocolate ganache with a touch of rum was an all around favorite. On a side note, we all noticed that this truffle looks somewhat... female. And then Joshua told me that truffle is, indeed, a nipple-inspired design, hence the name Venus (originally "Venus' Nipple"). Mint: Oh fresh mint leaves. Why are you not utilized in more desserts? (Garnish doesn't count.) This truffle was so fresh and delicious. Another instant favorite. Jas-tea-sia: This was the one that blew us all away. They didn't have any Jas-tea-sia truffles left, so we would not have had the chance to experience this chocolate miracle if Joshua had not popped by our table offering a tiny vessel of freshly made Jasmine tea ganache and 4 spoons. Utterly fascinating. The tannins came through alongside all of the subtleties of gentle, complex Jasmine green tea. A few more pics from our daytrip on are on flickr. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/chocolate_for_four_at_chocolat.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/chocolate_for_four_at_chocolat.html Chocolate I Ate Chocolate Shops People Tasting Notes Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:00:32 -0500 ChocoLee opened last Friday in Boston's South End Ok, I haven't been to this new chocoboutique yet, but I'm dying to go. Why? Because the "Lee" of ChocoLee is the very same Lee Napoli of the South End Buttery who created those delicious Earl Grey Green tea truffles that I blogged about a couple month ago. Interestingly, the ChocoLee boutique is at 83 Pembroke Street, which is the very same location as Choco Choco House, maker of the lovely and fashionably signature chocolate purses. What's going on? Where is Choco Choco? And then I visited the Choco Choco House site only to find that it is under construction! To be continued... Chocotaste Testing at Boston Magazine Boston Magazine had the lofty task of taste-testing 6 New England area chocolatiers, including 3 of my faves: Chocolate Springs, La Tene, and Knipschildt. Chocolate Awards for 2008 were announced today And Amedei won again (it's 3 years now). The Italian Amedei's Toscano 63% received the 'Golden Bean' award for best bean to chocolate bar. French Valrhona's 70% Guanaja and 64% Manjara took gold. The awards were given out by the UK's Academy of Chocolate. NYTasting The New York Times ran a great article today about the emergence of ultra high quality 'dark' milk chocolates to contend with the common foodie opinion that dark chocolate is where it's at and milk chocolate, well, isn't. They also did a tasting of no less that 30 (!) milk chocolates and posted a short article about their favorites here. Chocolate Biodiesel? My dear friend Jeff emailed me this link to an article about a chocolate-fueled biotruck that made it from the UK to Timbuktu. Deluxe Washington Hot Chocolate And to retouch upon my recent hot chocolate kick, the Washington Post posted this recipe for deluxe hot chocolate that requires no less than 11 ingredients. And finally, in honor of Valentine's Day, my new Valentine's-Day-heart-red couch is arriving tomorrow (which is Valentine's Day). Happy Valentine's Day! (See pic above). ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/super_exciting_chocolate_news.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/super_exciting_chocolate_news.html News Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:36:55 -0500 So I realize that I'm falling a little behind on my posts for Hot Chocolate Fortnight at The Tasty Show. That said, I've decided to extend my deadline. This 'fortnight' will now last through the end of the month and is thus renamed Hot Chocolate Month at The Tasty Show. Hot Cocoa at Athan's Moving right along, my friend Jon and I went to Athan's European Bakery in Brookline to check out their hot chocolate. First let me say that Athan's is hands down one of my favorite pastry shops in the city. Their goods are European-style and the owners are Greek, so we've got fruit tarts, classic orange pound cakes, French-style mousse tortes, individual tiramisus, napoleons, and panna cottas alongside a wide array of baklavas, shortbread biscuits, and chocolates. That said, I had high expectations for the hot chocolate. Probably too high. Athan's offers a hot cocoa (rather than hot chocolate) that is quite sweet, with more of an overall sugary sensation that real cocoa flavor. Jon said that it reminded him of Swiss Miss, and I have to agree that it was kind of instant-y. The hot cocoa at Athan's is made of dutch processed cocoa, dried skim milk, cornstarch, confectioners sugar, and Callebaut milk chocolate. I'm surprised by the use of milk chocolate - I wonder if it would be more up my alley if it was dark? Either way, I'm probably going to stick with the solid sweets at Athans, rather than the liquid ones. We did, however, ask a lovely Athan's barista for suggestions on what treats to enjoy alongside our cuppa cocoa. She directed us to a bunch of little cubbies that held all different kinds of shortbread-type cookies, which she called biscuits. We tried all sorts of delicious ones and they do, indeed, pair extremely well. Similarly to the brioche that we had with the hot chocolate at Flour, these biscuits were simple and not extremely sweet. And they are dry and crumbly and a little crunchy in a really awesome, satisfying way, particularly when enjoyed with hot chocolate. We tried an almond flavor, a coconut cherry pistachio, and a mustokouloura, which is made with grape molasses and sesame. Conclusion [regarding hot chocolate + dessert pairing] Shortbread! Rich, buttery, but not overly sweet shortbread. Delicious with hot chocolate! Not everyone can pop over and pick up some of Athan's delicious shortbread-like biscuits, but shortbread is available everywhere in one form or another and pairs beautifully. ]]> http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/hot_chocolate_fortnight_become.html http://www.thetastyshow.com/2008/02/hot_chocolate_fortnight_become.html Chocolate I Ate Chocolate Shops Tasting Notes Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:41:02 -0500