yes, and the smoked alder salt that is out now is delicious with chocolate.....ground sage added to it with peanuts and chili is to die for.
I am still trying to work out chocolate chili bars. Does anyone have any pointers on how to perfect it...When I add just cayenne powder to my bars, they are hot without any chili flavor...should I be satisfied with this? HELP!
I'm not big on flavored chocolate, but I tasted some white and black truffle oil ganaches in dark chocolate, also olive oil ganaches in Montreal by Genevieve Grandbois. Until reading your column here, I thought that was pretty far out. Some of the combinations described in the comments...I dunno.
OK, the breast milk thing takes the cake. There was a chef in Brooklyn, I think, that was written about maybe last year or so, who used the extra breast milk his wife produced to make cheese, ice cream, etc. and served it in his cafe/restaurant until he was stopped. I thought donating it would have made more sense. Combining it with pralines and chocolate? No -- although I think there's at least enough material to do some stand-up comedy with the idea.
I didrecently have a taste of a John Kelly habanero & jalapeno truffle fudge bar. Much more heat than the usual ancho/chipotle mix that is used by some chocolatiers. It doesn't hit immediately, but when it does, it's definitely not for the faint of heart.
During my time with Puccini Bomboni in Amsterdam we pushed the boundaries until the boundaries collapsed around us and then basically took a step back and just observed the mayhem going on in chocolateland. We would venture out and take a look... scuttle back to the safety of our cave and sample, discuss and critique what we had found. The worst was Lapsang Souchon tea ganache in 56% ...... tasted like smoked fish had been added. we had a go at japanese horseradish too . I have tasted Gjetost and Dolfin pink pepper at a cocktail party and that was a winner. But I believe the fruitbasket has to go to Vosges and Michelle's Bacon Bar... freakin awesome.The ultimate No-No....... Pralines made with Breast Milk, I kid you not. cool question Clay, I'm lovin' it!
Salt And Chocolate. At first I thought this was two taste bud extremes that could not possibly work. But one bite and I was hooked. The salt added an extra zing to the taste buds making them jump with excitement.
I made a bar yesterday - white chocolate swirled with cardamon and dotted with pink peppercorns and lemongrass
Also made another white chocolate bar with fennugreek, lemon peel and pistachios
Always looking for new combinations
I recently tried dark (about 60% I think) with rose water essence. I liked it but my other half didn't. He doesn't like rose essence anyway -- says it tastes like soap. While I did like it, it's not one I'd want every day, the way I like good plain, dark every day.
Our most popular truffle is a dark chocolate grapefruit balsamic.
My newest experiment is tarragon and 55%. YUM.
Say about few years back I tried Lamb Curry which tasted divine.
Coming from Indian back ground, Curries are staple yet haven't tried anything like this.
Wondered what made it finger licking delicious and its Dark Chocolate...
From then on, when I have gathering, i add dark chocolate to my Lamb Curry and always famous. Worth trying.
The importer for Artisan du Chocolat is in Salt Lake City, A Priori. They are affiliated with Caputo's Market. I was the person who put the two together, so I can let them both know that there is interest in the buffalo milk the next time an order gets placed.
As for tasting/pairing cheese/chocolate. There is no correct order. Try it both ways and see if there are differences. Also important is to keep the relative amounts the same as large differences/changes in amount will change the balance of the flavors.
I got it in London, but you might be able to get it by mail order. The Meadow might have it, but I don't know if they carry the buffalo-milk bar.
We had everyone taste the chocolate and cheese together. I think the cheese was called Roomana, but I didn't see the label. I just know that it was a 3-year-old gouda, so it was crystalline, nutty and almost butterscotchy.
2 questions:
1) Where can you find the Artisan's buffalo milk chocolate and
2) When pairing cheese and chocolate (OK, maybe a stupid question, but I really don't know this) do you taste them together or separate, and if the latter, which goes first?
I once tried a Passion fruit puree truffle by Paul A Young for which he won a taste award. It was absolutely amazing. The flavour was precise and exciting.
I have also come across Zotter who makes the most unheard of flavours although I have personally not tasted his collection. In one of his chocolates he has incorporated beetroot as a flavour. I read somewhere that he once wanted to make blood flavoured chocolates, but didn't end up going through with it.
John -
I was lucky enough to sit in on a lecture/discussion/demonstration on the technology behind foodpairings.com in 2010. It's been VERY useful to me. I recommend it to everyone who's interested in the subject.
:: Clay
John:
Thanks for sharing. Done with restraint, I think that this would make a lovely combination. I can see how a real fruity olive oil would add complexity to this.
:: Clay
Clay
I have used goat's cheese and black truffle in a chocolate truffle that's made using extra virgil oilive oil. real smooth nice taste...
In Italy I had some truffles that I won't forget. It has been a while ... I think it was in 2008 and Somewhere around Tuscany we had gotten a chocolate called Tobacco ... upon cutting it, there was actual smoke coming out of it. We honestly couldn't believe it and were just looking at each other thinking "Did I just see that or was it an illusion!" ...
Another confection from the same place was the Tequila ... and it contained an actual worm inside. It was hard to miss, as it was hard to cut through ... we both couldn't make ourselves eat it 
Edit: I will have to find the picture of that one ... I just saw it on my screensaver the other day. It is too bad we couldn't capture the smoke from the other confection though.
Yikes, sorry but I am a purest, I dont like the strange savory or sour ingredients being put in chocolate. I had a chef present to me some sort of Lettuce wrapped truffle at the world pastry championship one time, and I could not believe how bad it was, and this was a top chef. Experementing is fine, but nothing better that fresh and traditional chocolate flavors, no cheese please for me.
Bacon and chocolate....its that chocolate line visingo..??
It in grocery stores...it was quite good....
From Sweden , with alo(v)e
"Aloe Vera and Chocolate tasting
Welcome to savor the world's most wholesome fruit, in combination with the world's most wholesome vegetable!
Both aloe vera and chocolate are known for their fantastic health benefits. During this tasting you will experience just what a combination of these can create, both for taste, and for your wellbeing. The tasting guide lectures on the pairing of aloe and chocolate for health, along with how YOU can become a connoisseur of chocolate. You will learn the difference between good and bad production of both chocolate and aloe. All the while we'll be testing both chocolate samples and aloe vera pralines of high quality. In between bites of chocolate, we'll enjoy fruity aloe vera drinks."
Hello everyone, new to TheChocolateLife.com, but seemed like a pretty interesting site so decided to join 
- We have gotten a few requests for chocolate covered bacon. We thought that was pretty strange, but we looked it up and there are places that do make it. I also noted that it was something featured on "Jersey Shore" so I am sure that is also why we gotten recent requests for it. Especially being in NJ.
