Friday, May 7, 2010

Hello, My Name is Mary...

...and I'm a Chocoholic.
I'm officially in detox.

Not only am I coming down from jet-lag due to an overseas trip to Seattle, but a massive sugar high brought on by this Chocolate Indulgence Tour.

If you're heading there any time soon, I highly recommend this spirited tour of downtown's Pike Street Market area. For two hours, my fellow enablers and I learned about new confection trends and sampled to our heart's delight. As you've no doubt noticed from the pictures, we enjoyed so many incarnations.

One of our stops let us contemplate chocolate in three distinct ways:

Similar flavors/Similar textures: Fudgey brownie enrobed in chocolate glaze
Similar flavors/Different textures: Chocolate cupcake with bittersweet frosting and ganache in the center
Opposite flavors: Chocolate gelato and lemon sorbet

Which do you think you'd prefer?

In my case, similar flavors/textures was much too rich for my palate. Also try as I did, I couldn't quite marry chocolate and lemon together in my mind. But as for that chocolate cupcake, it was heavenly.

These are links to the major stops on the tour, if you'd like to seek them on your own. Some of the items we sampled are not pictured here, as I couldn't get them in my mouth or have the camera ready fast enough...

1. Chocolate martini at Mayflower Park Hotel
2. Coconut cream pie at Dahlia Bakery
3. Chocolate ganache cupcake at The Chocolate Box
4. Chocolate and lemon gelato at The Chocolate Box
5. Animal truffles at The Chocolate Box
6. White Chocolate and raspberry cheesecake at The Confectional
7. Cinnamon and cloves drinking chocolate at The Confectional
8. Gray salted chocolate caramel at Fran's Chocolates

Are you wondering what my absolute favorite was?

Everything was good, but I have to say the salted chocolate caramel from Fran's Chocolates was pretty special.

How do you take your chocolate?

13 comments:

K and S said...

I am a chocoholic also, though I like dark only :) what a great tour!

Carrie Stuart said...

OK, Mary...I'm having palpitations reading this! I love (dark) chocolate so much! Your fave reminds me of a Starbucks creation I used to get in the States (that I guess never caught on here). A salted caramel hot chocolate. To DIE for! Glad you had such a fun experience!

Mary and Sean said...

K and S,
I love dark chocolate too, and as I get older, the darker and more bitter, the better. Are you the same?

Mary and Sean said...

Carrie,
Wow, I would love to try a salted caramel hot chocolate. I never even knew that existed at Starbucks. Do you think they still sell them?

I'm curious now how to make my own. I know salted caramel ice cream/gelato is all the rage right now.

K and S said...

70% is about as bitter as I like it, though I have tried up to 99% (not recommended) :)

Becca said...

Mary I love Fran's! So awesome that you posted this. I never knew there was such a thing as a chocolate tour :) The things you learn when you move away, right? I made salted caramels on my own a while back, which were delicious. Adding the chocolate would have been a great idea...might have to do this revised recipe again very soon.

Mary and Sean said...

Becca,
Fran's was such a great place! Luckily they ship chocolate too, though I wonder if they'd send it to Okinawa?

Wow! Homemade salted caramels! I feel like I'm late to the salted caramel party. Everyone seems to have been enjoying them for years...

mina said...

wow. this would be an amazing way to spend an afternoon... although, i might feel a bit sick afterward.

re: namibia - we were planning on heading there after s.a but got tickets to see conan o'brien at radio city music hall so we made our way to nyc and are staying here for a month +

we'll be going back to africa to see the rest though & will be sure to harass you for tips!

Dina said...

What a tour! For chocolate you can get from regular supermarkets, my choice is Lindts chocolates. For chocolate bars, I love caramilk by Cadburry. For fancy chocolate, from comparing several world famous chocolate houses in Brussels, my choice fall to Pierre Marcolini - heavenly!

Mary and Sean said...

Dina,
I've never had Pierre Marcolini chocolates, so I will remember that name and try them. Thanks for the tip

Claire said...

Oh. My. Gosh. This all looks very divine and delicious. I am also a fellow choc-a-holic, and no lie, I have to have chocolate after most meals...much like a smoker needs a cigarette after eating!

Mary and Sean said...

Travelin Fool,
I'm the same way! I always need that little taste even if I'm completely stuffed.

D. said...

if you can ever get your hands on some 'shoka bons' - they will take you to the next level....

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