Forum Activity for @Ann Lee

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

I have been seeing a lot of chocolate bars with the Fair Trade certification lately. I might be a bit cynical, but it seems like certifications, like the Fair Trade certification, is more of a marketinggimmick. It would be great if the chocolate bar companies actually show the "fruits of their labor" by publicizing what are actually happening at their "fair trade" farms. I guess I'm just not supportive of organizations that act like they are doing good in the world, when only a small percentage of their bars are considered Fair Trade.

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Oh, yes, Green & Blacks' set-up looks fabulous, both from their book Unwrapped (got it for Christmas) and from the brochure of your dream-trip (wish I could go on a student's budget!). I'm glad you reminded me of this. I do like to keep a running mental list of success stories.I agree with your comments about quality. I wonder how well organic (which I understand Fair Trade incentivises) translates into quality.

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Lorna:Thanks for sharing your experience. While Fair Trade does require co-ops to be democratically organized, it does not oversee the election procedures nor certify that the co-op management is not corrupt. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common experience.Another thing to remember about Fair Trade is that it does not set any requirements for quality or improving quality. A focus on improving quality would actually be more valuable in the long run.There are places where Fair Trade does work. One of them is in Punta Gorda, Belize at the Toledo Cacao Growers Association. One reason why it works is that their biggest customer (Green and Blacks) has a representative in the area full-time keeping an eye on things.

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

We had a visitor from Fair Trade in my course on Environmental Problems and Solutions course at San Francisco State University. He indicated that Fair Trade requires suppliers' farms to be democratically organized. I like that. However, I have a big problem with the disenfranchisement that occurs when unfinished goods are shipped away from the source and pumped up in value that doesn't return to the origin. Fortunately, the Fair Trade rep had an example of one organization that had organized into a chocolate making group and were producing their own bars named Divine. The profit from the finished product actually went to the women farmers. Now that's a happy ending. This seemed like a unique story, though. I worry that the popularity and increased justice of Fair Trade will institutionalize the export of unfinished products and make it harder for products like Divine bars to arise. On the other hand, socially savvy chocolate connoisseurs can increase the demand for bars like these. I just hope there are enough of us who are willing to look beyond the Fair Trade logo. Thanks for bringing it up!Here's a link to Divine: http://www.divinechocolate.com/home/default.aspx

What are your impressions of certification programs like Fair Trade?

Posted in: Opinion

Certification programs like Fair Trade attract a lot of attention and there is a growing number of consumers interested in Fair Trade chocolate among other foods. But, what do you really think about them? Are they a good thing? Do they accomplish their mission? Are they effective? What, if anything needs/can be done to improve them?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/19/15 15:35:47

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I am not a fan of chocolate and red wine. It only reminds me of the bad red wine truffles I've sadly eaten. Not that I'm against the notion, I just have yet to come across anything that makes me think "yes, this is truly heavenly." Same goes for more dessert-type wines. Oloroso sherry, barely maybe. Mostly, I find they mute each other. I consider the two like two buxom, beautiful, flamboyant divas on one stage for one song. Sometimes it's just too much.Fine distilled liquor and beers I've had better results, but mostly in cooking pairings. For instance, I've made several versions of a sout/Guinness and chocolate cake using different grand cru and single origin couvertures and all are heavenly. The malted, tongue smothering notes of the dark beer play up the chocolate, no matter its flavor profile, well.Likewise, I agree with other posters on bourbon and cognac. It's my tipple of choice when putting together a good drinking chocolate. Bulleit has always been reliable and somewhat accessible. Whenever I open a new package of Domori, I get various reminders of highland scotches and fine distilled spirits. When I made a Mont Blanc, I diluted the chestnut cream (extreme sweetness cut the dark chocolate) with lots of cognac. It added another dimension of flavor, but it also amplified the chocolate itself.I'll have to explore more with straight pairings.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Definate fave of mine is a nicely aged muscat with a dark chocolate - the two together or with a Malbec is brilliant!

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I've done many pairing to date and I have a few favorites...Gnosis Superchoc or Simplicitywith 2008 Weingut Michlits Pinot Noir Ros Frizzant from Austria and Madecasse 75% Intense dark with aWhite PortBoth compliment and balance out the the richness of the chocolate and cuts the sweetness of the wines.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I like to enjoy my 70% or 75% Guatemalan bars with Zacapa Centenario 23-y/o rum. It has been selected as the world's best rum more times than I can remember.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Chocovore,I'm with you on this one. I have tried relentlessly to pair chocolate with wine. I make a fair bit of money on our chocolate courses and also on wine and cheese courses. It would be to my advantage to make this work. One of my best friends is a master sommelier and we have spent hundreds of hours pairing these two terrior driven (at least somewhat) things together with little to no success.We found uniformly that the tannic structure in many red and white wines boost the flavinols in the chocolate, ruining any subtleties the wine or the chocolate had to offer. Even when the wines are lacking in grape or wood tannins they tend to do very little for the chocolate, especially at cellar temperature, which cools the mouth and disrupts the texture of the chocolate on the palate.Some useful rules of thumb we came up with are:1. With dark chocolate, the wine should be sweeter than the chocolate.2. With dark chocolate, avoid dry and astringent libations as their moisture sapping effects seem to be increased exponentially.3. With milk or white chocolate more acidity and tannins can be in the wine as the chocolate has a richer mouth feel and more fat to be cut through.It boggles my mind that people are pairing dark chocolate and cabernet. The combined effect of the tannins and the flavinol create a chemical reaction on the palate that to my chocolate circle and wine circle is like giving yourself a shot of novicaine in the tounge. Instant palate shock. I think it is hilarious when people convince themselves that this deadening sensation is actually tertiary flavors. I literally fell out of my chair laughing at a wine tasting seminar at Merryvale in Napa when they paired a $160 bottle of Cabernet with Dove chocolate.Anyway, just my opinion, but backed up by dozens of others with better taste buds than me.
updated by @Matt Caputo: 06/16/15 19:20:37

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Is Dominican Matusalem one of the distillers that fled Cuba post-revolution? I greatly enjoyed an aejo Matusalem made in Santiago de Cuba when visiting there; I was under the impression it's a Cuban brand.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hey Wendy, this sound heavenly!If I find some time left ( I have to do some training for a special bikerace in Switserland ), I try do make some beer-chocolate pralines...Its a good idea to sell them at the brewhouse.GreetingsGeert

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

We make an Oatmeal Stout Truffle with 72% dark chocolate and a locally brewed Oatmeal Stout Beer. We top it with crushed rolled oats. It has been extremely popular! We started making another beer truffle due to the popularity of the Oatmeal Stout Truffle. The same brewhouse makes a Belgian White Beer... it is a lighter wheat beer with citrus notes. We make the truffle with Belgian white chocolate and add the beer and our spices... coriander and anise, even some cracked grains of paradise to spice it up a bit. Then dip it into 55% dark chocolate and top it with more freshly ground coriander and a sliver of candied orange peel. It is a little more complicated to make, but WONDERFUL! They are flying out the door! We may end up pairing a truffle with other beers the brewhouse makes. They serve them in a box of two as a dessert on their menu. It has been a great thing!

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Hello pairing with beverages friends,Next week we will (the beerclub) pair some special beers and chocolate, If someone should be interested I share with pleasure the results...)Geert Vercruysse

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Nope, they deleted it. I will look for it, though and post it.Found it and it's now posted here.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Do you have this article? It's no longer linked

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Short answer: bourbon and single malt scotch, in that order- Kentucky bourbon chocolates (great base for a winter hot milk/chocolate beverage), from Louisville, KY- Devil in an Apron's Chocolate pecan pie with bourbon, from CA- BonBonBar's single malt scotch candy bar is not bad either, from Los Angeles, CAI can't eat wheat/gluten/malt - so beer and ale & chocolate is out, except for the rare gluten-free versions of beer I can find. However, I am planning to make some wheat-free brownies with gluten-free beer this weekend (in a solar cooker no less). We'll see how they turn out.Cheers,Corinne

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I've consumed thousands of different wines and hundreds of dark bars. Periodically combining the two has not yet provided me with a worthwhile experience. Subjectively, I've found that the wine does little to improve the solo chocolate experience and chocolate can sometimes completely diminish the perception of the wine's most desirable characterisitcs. I guess the same potential for dissonance exists with any wine/food pairing. I'll keep trying and may yet discover a good match. In the mean time, I have found 70% + chocolate and Cognac to be complementary. I attribute the perceived harmony to the warmth, softness and vanilla notes in the Cognac combining with the richness and mouth feel of the melting chocolate. Without the clutter of excess sweetness, acid or tannins, the taster can experience the various stages and long, ever changing finish one gets by tasting a fine dark bar - only more sensual.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I've been pairing Lemoncello liquer with Waialua Estate 70% . I make a liquer cup out of the chocolate pour in the liquer...drink the liquer and eat the cup. A little more sophisticated "shooter"!

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Emily:If you've read my book you'll know that I don't like making blanket recommendations for pairings. There are just too many flavors in "Argentine Malbec" and too many flavors in "dark chocolate" to make a statement that in effect says, "All Argentine Malbecs go with all dark chocolates."That is not the case.So, while I am sure there are combinations that do work, I don't have any specific recommendations I can make on this type of pairing.:: Clay

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Jack Daniels in hot cocoa is my favorite

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Matusalem is GREAT Dominican rum. Very good choice.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

One of my favorite adult mix-ins with hot chocolate is peppermint schnapps.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Clay, what do you think of pairing an Argentine Malbec with dark chocolate? I ask this in light of the recent press this type of wine has recently received. As always, I look forward to reading about your opinion.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Prosecco is really nice, I tried some Lambrusco too but it didn't work out. Some sherry-like dry white wines, for me went well with Madagascan chocolates. As to hot chocolate, which I usually prepare from Amedei Toscano Black 70 and whole milk (in the US, half-half is not bad neither) I add just a tiny drop of Matusalem 40 years old rum. It is a punch.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Im not a beer or wine drinker, but I do love a good deep rich hot chocolate with Bailey's or Ameratto Di Sorono added....

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

If you are interested in some interesting pairings, here's my recent article on the Top Chef/Bravo for Foodies blogs. I discuss my experiences at a recent chocolate, cheese, and beer tasting I participated in.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Glad to know someone else enjoys Prossecos paired with chocolate. At my last party, the theme was "chocolate". Every dish, savory and sweet had chocolate in it. I served bottles of Prosecco and tried to convince everyone to try it with my chocolate desserts especially the truffles. Somehow, I did not get any rousing approval from anyone. No matter, it is still my favorite combination. As you, I like, Mionetto and Malvolti

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

As I mention in my book, perhaps my overall favorite wine to pair with chocolate is Prosecco; it certainly is the most versatile.Prosecco is a sparkling wine from Italy. It comes from a small denominazione in the Dolomite mountains northeast of Venice. Just as Cava is Spain's version of Champagne, Prosecco fills the same role. The Bellini, which was invented at Harry's Bar in Venice, is a combination of white peach nectar and Prosecco. It is not made with Champagne because it's an Italian drink, not a French one.As a general rule, Proseccos are lighter, less acidic, and less alcoholic than many Champagnes. The bubble structure has a very creamy mouthfeel, which is one of the reasons I think it pairs so well with so many different types of chocolates.My favorite brands are Mionetto, Carpene Malvolti, and Bellenda. You want to choose dry/brut Proseccos. There are even some wonderful rose Proseccos.

What are your favorite adult beverages to pair with chocolates?

Posted in: Tasting Notes

In my book I devote a whole chapter to pairing wines and chocolates. Over the past few years I've tasted dozens of wines (some fabulous, some less so), and I will be sharing some of them here. I have also learned to appreciate chocolate paired with beers.I encourage members share some of their favorites.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/15/15 18:13:23