Theonistas Unite!

Serious Eats article on chocolate storage

Click here for an informative article about storing chocolate (or just eating it, as is the common practice here at the chocolate factory.) I just love this glamour shot of coconut curry the headed the article with. THANKS GUYS! ! ! :)

Theo Wine Pairing Kit Debuts This Weekend!

Our Fabulous New Wine Pairing Kit is now available on theochocolate.com - Order Here.

Included in this kit:
• Theo 65% Madagascar Dark Chocolate  Bar
• Theo 75% Ecuador/Panama/Ghana Blend Dark Chocolate Bar
• Theo 84% Ghana Dark Chocolate Bar
• 3400 Phinney Bread & Chocolate Dark Chocolate Bar
• 3400 Phinney Fig, Fennel & Almond Dark Chocolate Bar
• Instructions for orchestrating your tasting
• Tasting Notes placemat (make copies for your guests!)
• Enough chocolate for a tasting party of 6-10 people

We chose five of our bars for their flavor balance and compatibility with wine. Theo bars are named for the country of origin of their cocoa beans. Each bar highlights flavor characteristics unique to their geography, or “terroir.” Chocolate and wine both share this “sense of place.“ 3400 Phinney bars are named for our factory address, and feature innovative flavor inclusions. Our selections prepare you for a wonderful wine and chocolate pairing party!

Wine not included! This kit is focused on pairing red wines with chocolate. Red grape varietals that we enjoy include Zinfandel, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and Grenache based wines like Cotes du Rhone.

Go Goat!

This is an awesome compendium of the hows-wheres-whys of using and finding goat dairy products, and includes a recipe for Goat's Milk Fudge. A lovely pastry chef I know makes a to-die-for Goat's Milk Caramel and I have to say the added subtle tang in a rich, true caramel could send a foodie just over the brink of bliss (well, me at least!) Here is a goaty little slideshow from Redwood Hill Farms, also courtesy of Ethicurean. In my previous life as a Whole Foodie, I had the privilege of touring the Port Madison goat dairy on Bainbridge Island and it was truly an enlightening and delicious experience.  Enjoy!

postscript: redonkulous baby goat movie clip from cuteoverload. Goats are in the cosmic consciousness today apparently.

Chocolate Can Save the Planet!

This is a very cool article about sustainable cocoa growing in Brazil. Maintaining the natural ecosystem means not only better chocolate yields, it generates greater carbon offset, and a healthier planet. In fact, poor, over farmed soil can be returned to healthy biomass in only a few years of conscientious planting and care. And it's nice to see the big companies recognizing the value of sustainability.

Epicurean.com Cooking Calculator

Priceless! How else can you be sure that 2 TBSP = 1 Pony? Or that an English peck is just infinitesimally larger than an American peck (okay, about 1 US cup. I couldn't resist finding out!)

Natalie Maclean's Wine Terminology

This is a handy dandy glossary of wine terminology courtesy of Natalie Maclean four time James Beard award winning food and wine writer. There is a strong emphasis on tasting language, which is great if you are looking for help on deciphering wine reviews, labels, or signage at your local wineshop. Many people are interested in unique pairings this season, and a solid grasp of this primer would be a great advantage in setting up your next chic spread. Here is a lovely article about food and wine matching to get you in the mood!

Salut!

Chocolate: The Exhibition - on Tour

Chocolate:The Exhibition is on tour from the Chicago Field Museum. It will be here Seattle in '09 - I can't believe they are making us wait so long! In the meantime, check out their extremely fun and informative website. It is chock full of information, and has some wonderful educational interactive tools. Here is the upcoming schedule, perhaps it is visiting your town soon?

2008	February 9 - May 4, 2008	Great Lakes Science Center Cleveland, OH
	May 31 - September 7, 2008	Henry Ford Museum Dearborn, MI
	October 4, 2008 - January 5, 2009	Indiana State Museum Indianapolis, IN
2009	January 31 - April 26, 2009	Pacific Science Center Seattle, WA
	May 23 - September 6, 2009	North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh, NC
	October 3, 2009 - January 3, 2010	Union Station Kansas City Kansas City, MO
2010	January 30 - April 25, 2010	Memphis Museums Memphis, TN
	May 22 - September 5, 2010	Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History Norman, OK

David Lebovitz Chocolate FAQ and Tempering Guide

Thanks to David for some great chocolate tips! Here you can find some interesting chocolate baking questions and answers. This is a guide to the hows and whys of tempering chocolate.