Fun Things to Do with Your Family this Weekend #3 July 17, 2008

Have you made any plans for the weekend? I have a few ideas for you and your kids!

Create a Family Phrase Book.

Rather than downloading and printing pics for the photo album, why not start a compendium of all the cute, zany, hilariously unintelligible and downright heart-melting things your kids say? (This idea comes from my inability to assemble a scrapbook, overridden by my desire to remember all the precious moments. My husband keeps our photos organized on the computer, not to worry!) Here are a few gems from my three-year-old, Joseph:

• “Hey, do you want to go to Christmas? Get your raincoat!”  Now that Joseph is three, his imagination has run wild. His “raincoat” was a scarf he’d pulled from the front hall closet. Hey, I’d love to go to Christmas.
• “I can feel my poops in my nose.”  Joseph rather poetically said this when he caught the aroma of, well, his toots. It took us a moment to decipher it, and then we all cracked up.
• “I can’t want it!”  This was his rendition of “no thank you” for a while. Can a person not be able to want something? We finally convinced him to decline in a more dignified manner, but to this day, my husband and I replace “no” with this puzzling phrase.
• “I make you beautiful, mommy.”  This was Joseph’s reassurance to me one day when I was disappointed about something. I don’t remember what the let-down was, but I am certain that whatever beauty I have, my family is responsible for it.

I present you with the best chicken recipe your family has ever had! 

Crusty Herbed Chicken
While this gluten-free recipe calls for baking skinless chicken thighs, the result is similar to a breaded and spiced, fried chicken dish–without the fat and flour! The idea for this flavorful recipe came when I was first exploring food-pairing and the low-glycemic diet. This easy, summer dish makes an impressive large-batch dish for family reunions and picnics.

Future Environmentalists Club

Helen Coronato, author of Eco-Friendly Families, reports, “by raising our children with a strong sense of respect and reverence for Earth, we help ensure that there will be adults to step into ecological leadership positions.” The following are excerpts from her wonderful new book:
Opt for natural sunscreens that contain ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, zincs and green tea. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that increasing your vitamin A an additional 25 mg and vitamin E an additional 335 mg can help diminish your body’s sensitivity to UV light.

Have your kids outgrown their shoes? Before you shop for back-to-school, think globally: recycle your children’s shoes through these great resources:

• www.Soles4Souls.com accepts gently worn shoes and delivers them to people in need, like Hurricane Katrina victims.
• Ashes to ashes and Crocs to dust. When your kid’s Crocs get too tight, mail them to 1510 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO 80501, and they’ll be shredded to make children’s playground. Clearly mark the outside of your package, “Recycle.”
• Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program accepts all brands of athletic shoes and grinds them up for new sports surfaces, like basketball courts. Check out www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe for a drop-off location near you.

Submit your family’s fun weekend activities—The best ones will be featured here!
Looking for more weekend ideas? Fun Things To Do archived entries:
Fun Things to Do With Your Family This Weekend #2
Fun Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend #1

A Few of My Best Recipes June 10, 2008

My other blog, Unassuming Foodie, is really coming together! My husband has been kind enough to photograph some of the dishes I’ve been coming up with, and I hope the photos help encourage people to give these recipes a try. Honestly, I am only posting the most wonderful dishes I come across or create from scratch–but if I were to whittle it down to just a few spectacular ones, it might be these:

Three Pepper Salad: This fresh, inspiring salad is an unusual fusion of flavors. Rice vinegar and sesame oil is unexpectedly paired with Mediterranean staples of fresh basil and goat cheese. I found a beautiful organic goat cheese with roasted portobello mushrooms at my local Mother’s Market, but I’ve located a few nice ones for you, which are available through my Amazon store.

Crusty Herbed Chicken: While this gluten-free recipe calls for baking skinless chicken thighs, the result is similar to a breaded and spiced, fried chicken dish—without the fat and flour! The idea for this flavorful recipe came when I was first exploring food-pairing and the low-glycemic diet. Newly married, my husband was so enraptured by this dish, he pronounced it our “House Special” and I felt very encouraged in our burgeoning roles as food-experimenter and appreciative-tester.

Roast Chicken with Smoked Paprika and Fresh Thyme: This recipe is fast becoming a favorite at our house. It is the one dish that my one-year-old Noah and preschooler Joseph actually eat in silence, their pleasure whisking words of whining far, far away. But make no mistake–this is no kiddie recipe. I’ve served this deceptively easy and elegant dish at dinner parties with great success. The flavor is exceptional.

 

Product Review - Theo Chocolate 75% Blend May 30, 2008

I’ve been curious about Seattle-based Theo Chocolate. I’ll admit that attractive packaging can pique my curiosity, and Theo’s enthusiastic commitment to green initiatives, organic farming and fair trade make a product purchase an act of moral justice. (One can never be too dramatic when justifying a chocolate obsession.) The company is the first North American roaster of organic fair-trade cacao. Founder Joseph Whinney pioneered the manufacture and supply of organic chocolate products, importing organic cocoa beans into the US in 1994. Notably, every product is made with “Fair Trade certified cocoa beans,” according to the company’s website.

The packaging is indeed alluring. In April 2008, Theo’s array of gorgeous packaging made Time magazine’s Design 100.

I selected the Ghana-Panama-Ecuador 75% Cacao bar (3oz), a combination of Ghanese cacao, Panamanian cacao from the remote rainforest of Bocas del Toro, and Ecuadorian Arriba cacao. Theo’s Ivory Coast bar sat next to it on the shelf, and when I compared the two, the Ivory smelled infinitely more intriguing; I chose the blend because there were very few left and I felt it was time to break my single-origin habit.

I shouldn’t have. The blended bar seemed fresh, it had no signs of bloom and had a good snap, but the scent and flavor fell flat. Subtle to the point of uninspiring, the bar lacked personality and the finish was uneventful. A beautiful chocolate keeps me ooh-ing and ah-ing long after I’ve finished a single bite. There was nothing to savor with this bar, although searching and hoping I tasted and tested longer than necessary.

I ought to have known better. One of my benchmarks for chocolate tasting is how long it lasts in the pantry. If it goes fast, I note its “Mediocrity Paradox”. Seem contradictory? Therein lies the paradox: more bites than necessary are taken while chasing an expectation of flavor, of satisfaction, a gustatory reward, but the product’s poor quality fails to deliver. Anyone who has eaten a large portion of “fat-free” anything, only to be left stuffed and unsatisfied, understands. I’m willing to argue that all foodies agree that a few bites of something sublime always surpasses a larger portion of any mediocre dish.

That said, the very scent of the Ivory Coast bar, (even through the packaging!) was memorable enough for me to give Theo another shot. And, the next time I’m in Seattle, I will certainly stop by for a factory visit.

If love good food as much as I do, check out my other blog, the Unnassuming Foodie!

Baby’s Nutrition Needs, Part II May 19, 2008

As I mentioned in Balancing Baby’s Nutrition, Part I, I’ve come to a crossroads with Noah’s nutrition needs. At age one, he’s an unpredictable, finicky eater who will only regularly accept edamame and whole-milk yogurt. I became especially concerned when Noah’s blood test results came back indicating anemia. This was a big surprise to me; not only is he breastfed, but I consume enough vegetables every day to feed a small village, in addition to lean, organic proteins.

Yogurt in and of itself makes a wonderful baby-food. Whole milk yogurt contains necessary  calories, brain-building fat, and nutrients. But most importantly, it contains conjugated linoleic acid, which has antioxidant and antitumor properties (the lowfat variety does not). According to blogger Spinach and Honey “while lowfat yogurt has less calories, whole milk yogurt contains fatty acids that help trim fat—specifically in the abdominal area! Most new mommies, who are carrying around a few extra pounds, love this.” 

Considering the limitations little Noah has when it comes to food selection, I supplement his yogurt occasionally, just to be sure he’s getting enough greens in his diet. My answer? Spirulina. An interesting study published in 1995 (Author: Sevulla) showed an 81% improvement in the academic scores of children who took one gram of spirulina daily for six months.

According to Mike Adams, author of Superfoods For Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina, “Certainly the GLA content of spirulina is another important factor. Nerve tissues in the brain need “healthy” fats in order to function properly, and GLA is one of the healthiest fats you can consume. That’s why human breast milk contains high quantities of GLA. In fact, breast milk is the number one source of GLA on the planet, and spirulina is number two.”

Spirulina is richly supplied with the blue pigment phycocyanin, which is a major biliprotein of the blue-green algae and has been shown to inhibit cancer-colony formation. Predominant blue pigmentation in food is rare. In Healing With Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford reports how  phycocyanin helps draw together amino acids for neurotransmitter formation, which increases mental capacity.

When Noah refused his prescribed iron supplement, I was relieved to discover a study published in Nutrition Research (Vol 6, 85-94, 1986), where P. Johnson and E. Shubert reported, “Spirulina contains a highly available form of of iron. It is unusual to find plant-derived iron that is highly available,” and continues to give evidence that when test subjects received a supplement of ferrous sulfate, it was only half as effective as spirulina.

I’ve also learned that in Seattle there is a history walk along Alki Beach with brass markers which tell the story of early settlers in the area. One particular story tells of how some settlers couldn’t breastfeed their children because of breast infections, and were worried their children would get sick or worse. The natives took clams and seaweed, ground them up to a pulp and made a warm drink for the babies. Not only did they not reject it, but they thrived and were able to nurse this until the mothers got well.  

This website has a long list of excellent home-made infant formula recipes. Every last one contains some kind of green, be it spirulina or otherwise. Most of the recipes call for maple syrup as a sweetener; It is important to remember that honey and Karo syrup are big no-no’s for babies under age one.

Balancing Baby’s Nutrition Needs, Part 1 May 19, 2008

I’ve come to a crossroads with Noah’s nutrition needs. Now that he is one year old and sitting in a high-chair eating finger-foods and able to drink from a small cup, I am faced with a dilemma I really hadn’t expected. Noah is an unpredictable, finicky eater.

None of us saw this coming. Born 8 lbs., 12 oz., my little boy took immediately (and hungrily) to breastfeeding, and his voracious appetite lead my pediatrician’s staff to suspect I may be raising the next Jolly Green Giant. He was just HUGE.

Then, when the time came for solids, my giant baby surprised me. He didn’t like infant staples like bananas or apple sauce. To this day, he refuses fruit. The only thing that he’ll eat that is sweet is whole-milk yogurt. Sometimes he will devour garbanzo, kidney or pinto beans, and other days he will flit them, one by one, over the side of the high-chair. Same goes for cheese, tiny pieces of diced chicken, or pasta. At a year, he is a healthy 25 lbs., but 3 times each day I’m at a loss for what to place in front of him and I do a lot of after-meal floor clean-up. A lot.

I’ve narrowed it down to those items he’ll eat most regularly: soybeans (edamame) and yogurt. Soybeans seem my best bet since they contain all three of the macro-nutrients required for good nutrition: complete protein, carbohydrate and fat, as well as vitamins and minerals, including calcium, folic acid and iron. The amino acid profile of soy protein is nearly equivalent in quality to meat, milk and egg protein. Most bang for my buck, it would seem, but I felt I’d better double-check because I am popping them out of their pods at increasingly more and more mealtimes.

Soy formula, tofu and edamame (fresh soybean pods) contain genistein, a plant estrogen found in soy products. A few years ago, questions arose about the effect of the plant estrogens on human development (particularly sexual development) since genistein, which can mimic the effect of estrogen in humans. Soy has been used in formula more than 35 years, so when Penn researchers decided to research the long-term safety of soy use in babies they looked up participants in a landmark study at the University of Iowa, which first started looking at the effects of soy formula on infants beginning in 1965 and lasting until 1978.

“We have found that, in terms of sexual development, there is very little difference between children who, as infants, were fed cow milk formula and those fed soy formula,” said Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, director of the Penn Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Their results, published in the August 2001 Journal of the American Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been presented in the popular media.

Read Part II of this story here. I discuss whole milk yogurt supplemented with spirulina!

The Unassuming Foodie May 14, 2008

Foodie (fū‘dē): A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a gourmet: “in the culinary fast lane, where surprises are expected and foodies beg to be thrilled” (Boston Globe).

At the risk of getting ahead of myself, I’m very excited to share my new blog with you. It is called The Unassuming Foodie.  You may have noticed that I love to talk about food–eating it, sharing it, and ensuring my family enjoys nutritious, creative and wholesome meals every day. I’ve certainly noticed that my recipes are the pages my readers flock to first. So, it’s a win-win. I call it “unassuming” because the blog is devoid of snobbery or pretension, maintaining only a passion for real, good food.

Yes, there are plenty of recipe-centric blogs out there, and God bless them, every one. The Unassuming Foodie is a place to satisfy those of us who are truly interested in food–not just the tasting and consuming, but delighting in how different kinds of food and spices can heal, provide specific nutrients, and how they grow or earned a peculiar name. Each recipe finishes with an intriguing Food Fact, or check out Food Fact Round-up, an alphabetized collection of every Food Fact written.

I’m hand-selecting gorgeous recipes that are quirky and unexpected, yet elegant and tasteful and suitable for a variety of diets. The blog is configured with links to recipes for Soups, Salads, Main Courses and Desserts, of course, but those recipes are also cross-referenced by special diet, including Raw, Vegan, Low-Glycemic, Gluten-Free and Kid-Friendly. For readers in limited markets, I’m compiling an Amazon store of hard-to-find nutritious food items, for your convenience.

You will also find a handy How-to Guide with links to great resources online for tricky kitchen maneuvers, such as butterflying a chicken.

If you have a special recipe, I would love to prepare it in my kitchen and write about it for the blog, along with your supplied photo of your family, or of the dish (for those who are shy). It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a tried-and-true dish that your family loves to eat. Your contributions are most appreciated, and so are your suggestions! Please have a look and share your thoughts. Bon appetit!

I’m Not Afraid of Fearless Chocolate May 14, 2008

Want to put a smile on my face? Hand me a dark-chocolate bar I’ve never tried before. Better yet, a quirky raw, organic bar like this 72% Midnight from Fearless Chocolate. That’s just what my husband did when he returned from a business trip to Vegas, where he enjoyed lunch at GoRaw Cafe, purveyor of Fearless Chocolate.

Company owner Jordan Schuster founded Fearless Chocolate only a few years ago, in San Francisco–a neighbor to our beloved Scharffen Berger and the popular Ghirardelli. What makes Fearless Chocolate different is that it is made with raw cacao—aka unroasted. The package states that the cacao is prepared at a low heat (under 118 degrees), “preserving the natural nutrients, enzymes, amino acids and antioxidents.” It is also sweetened with rapadura, essentially pure dried sugarcane juice, a traditional sweetener common in Latin American countries such as Brazil and Venezuela (where it is known as papelón) and the Caribbean.

What’s odder (and irresistibly charming) is that the packaging (and website) appear as nothing fancier than chalkboard drawings, underscoring the bar’s back-to-basics organic nature.

When I opened it, I noticed the bar is die-cut to suggest a bite has taken from it. The idea behind this is explained as follows: ”this bite is given to folks who need to eat chocolate as much as you.” When I checked the website, it would seem that no giving has been done to date, although the company requests recipient nominations. Hmm, maybe locate pre-menstrual tension sufferers who would/could never pay $5.98 for a single chocolate bar? (Yes, you read that correctly. SIX bucks!) Or maybe package up those little bites for wee trick-or-treaters on a raw diet, who are never able to enjoy even a fraction of their loot?

But what does it taste like? It tastes like raw cacao, folks, and that’s a big compliment. My bar had no signs of bloom. It did not snap as sharply as a fine, roasted counterpart might, however. Its scent is earthy and nutty, and I could detect its included cinnamon, sea salt and vanilla. The texture is very grainy, from start to finish; This is to be expected, considering its production process.

Only a few squares in, and I am delighted by its wholesomeness and balanced composition. I am a person who keeps a bag of raw, organic cacao powder in the fridge, stirring it into plain yogurt with agave nectar at alarmingly frequent rates, so perhaps I am biased.  My overall impression is that is a wonderfully delicious and nutritious treat. Surprisingly low in calories and sugar content, I daresay it’s pretty low-glycemic, although bars sweetened with agave are available by special order. Fearless Chocolate also offers the following varieties: Nice Rice Milk, Mynt, and Baanaanaa Waalnut, but for some mysterious reason, you can’t order from the Fearless website! And, it’s worthwhile to note that the company blog is powered by WordPress.

If love good food as much as I do, check out my other blog, the Unnassuming Foodie!

Product Review - Single Origin Chocolate May 9, 2008

Mother’s Day “week”, the last few days before mommy’s most hallowed day, are typically a time of fret and worry for me.

I have always yearned to have children, but as life unfolded they didn’t arrive until my mid-thirties. (At just the right time, with the perfect partner for me, as it turns out.) And so their mere existence should be gift enough, right? But like the little girl who always dreamed of a Barbie-esque white fluffy wedding only to grow up to become Bridezilla, Mother’s Day brings out some emotionally-charged, well, expectations, that I try ever so hard to quash. My husband is a giver by nature, my kids are beyond fantastic, requisite brunch reservations are arranged, so I should need nothing more than a handmade card. Which, by the way, I know I’m getting because I already saw what little Joseph made in nursery school and it’s nothing short of perfection!

Nonetheless, my husband Joseph has made a kind offering to soothe and appease, in the form of two single-origin dark chocolate bars. One is Santander’s 70% cacao Colombian, and the other is Chuao’s 74%, made in Todasana, Venezuela. Interestingly, they both have natural vanilla added; I wonder if that has anything to do with being single-origin. Perhaps, without a blend of crops, a flavor boost was needed.

The Santander 70% Colombian smells mellow and rich, and has nice snap. It was fresh-looking in the package, without bloom. The company promises a “robust” flavor, even suggesting it will be “bitter” at first, and it’s true, my first impression was that it seemed nutty and even masculine, like tobacco or strong coffee, but without being overly bold. Overall, this is an energetic bar, and remains rich at the finish. The Santander company proudly states on its website that they pay fair prices and cash payments to growers, maintain good working conditions for personnel, promote sustainable and friendly agricultural practices, and sponsor Colombian educational programs.

The Chuao 74% smells sweet and fruity, and is configured in smaller squares, which I prefer. It has a good snap. My bar had only the slightest bloom, which of course does not affect flavor. If I am allowed to consider the Santander masculine, this most certainly is it’s female counterpart, evoking a lazy, breezy, tropical afternoon. Although this dark chocolate has 4% more cacao than the Santander and only 1% more sugar, the finish seemed much sweeter.
In many ways, the Chuao is “local” to me. The company was founded by two Venezuelan brothers who opened their first chocolate boutique in San Diego (where I lived for 8 years), naming it Chuao Chocolatier after the well-known cacao-producing region of Chuao located in central Venezuela. 

If love good food as much as I do, check out my other blog, the Unnassuming Foodie!

Can’t Get Enough Raw Chocolate Brownies May 2, 2008

For website dedicated to motherhood and health, she sure does talk a lot about eating chocolate… Huh, what? You would too, when you’ve reached the point when you can no longer count the number of days since your last real shower (the kind that allows you enough time to shave your legs and maybe even exfoliate, just a little?) Or when “going out dancing” means a Disney Sing-Along Songs CD piped into the backyard? Oh wait, maybe you know all too well and that’s why you’re here.

This raw brownie recipe is sticky and fudgey and oh-so-yummy—and kid-friendly, of course! To be honest, I haven’t shared even a square of my latest batch with my boys. They get to eat all sorts of things that mommy can’t have without losing her waistline in the process—namely gluten. This lovely little recipe is gloriously low-glycemic, made with only “good” fats, and is gluten-free, flourless and vegan. And so easy!

Get out your food processor, and toss in
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup almonds
1/3 cup cocoa powder
Special note: Good food requires good ingredients. I love this item, perfect for both the raw purist and chocolate connoisseur. Or, treat yourself to some Scharffen Berger cocoa powder. Green and Black’s makes a nice organic one. (The extra cost for your luxury cocoa splurge is justified by your savings in flour, eggs, butter and milk!)
1/2 avocado
1/3 cup agave nectar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt
cinnamon to taste

Grind all ingredients, then pat firmly into an 8×8 pan and place in the freezer to set (1 hour.) If you like a fruit and nut chocolate bar, this will certainly satisfy.

Food Fact! Almonds reduce your risk for heart attack and heart disease. A Loma Linda School of Public Health study showed those who consumed nuts five times a week had a 50% reduction in risk of heart attack. Further, some varieties contain rhizveritrol (the anti-inflammatory agent found in red wines and thought to be responsible decreasing instances of heart disease even among those with diets rich in animal fats—sometimes referred to as the French Paradox.) The fat in nuts is unsaturated, “good” fat and there is no cholesterol in these fats.

Food Fact! Diabetes and Hypertension suffers rejoice! Cocoa is rich in flavanols, which are one class of polyphenols; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that eating dark chocolate (with 70% or greater cocoa offers 500mg polyphenols) is associated with improved insulin resistance and sensitivity and decreased systolic blood pressure, whereas white chocolate (offering 0mg polyphenols) has no effect.

Looking for more great recipes like this one? Check out my other blog, the Unassuming Foodie!

Appreciating Dark Chocolate April 23, 2008

Planning a Chocolate Tasting Party? Or maybe, like me, your passion for good chocolate borders on religious fervor. (TGiC? Or how about, WWCD?) This info is complete and perhaps overly-detailed; as a busy mom of two boys aged one and three, it is difficult to find a moment without background noise (particularly of the “crying baby” variety.) Does it stop me from enjoying my choccy? Hardly. I also like the notes about allowing the piece to slowly melt in your mouth. It’s so Paul McKenna, but also may be eye-opening. Just how fast do we eat our food, especially when it’s a treat? Or when chasing babies? Ok, Dig in!

1. Find a location free from background noise, such as television, music, a crying baby, road traffic noise or just talkative friends etc. Being able to concentrate as intently as possible will facilitate flavor detection.
2. Clear your palate. This means that your mouth should not contain residual flavors from a previous meal. Eat a wedge of apple if necessary. This is crucial in order to taste the subtleties of chocolate’s complex flavor.
3. Make sure that the piece of chocolate is large enough to accommodate full evolution of the flavor profile. A piece too small may not allow you to detect every subtle nuance as the chocolate slowly melts. The important thing to remember is that flavor notes gradually evolve and unfold on the tongue rather than open up in one large package. So remember, don’t think small here. 10g should be a minimum starting point.
4. Allow the chocolate to rest at room temperature before tasting. Cold temperatures will hinder your ability to detect the flavors. Some even advise that you rub the chocolate briefly between your fingers to coax the flavor. This procedure is optional.
5. Look at the chocolate. The surface should be free of blemishes such as white marks (called bloom). Observe the color and manufacturer’s job at molding and tempering. Does the chocolate appear to have been crafted carefully? The bar should have a radiant sheen. Chocolate comes in a multifarious brown rainbow with various tints, such as pinks, purples, reds, and oranges. What do you see?
6. Break the piece in half. It should resonate with a resounding “SNAP!” and exhibit a fine gradient along the broken edge. This is quality stuff!
7. Smell the chocolate, especially at the break point. The aroma is an important component of flavor. Inhaling will prime the tongue for the incoming chocolate. It also gives you a chance to pick up the various nuances of the aroma.
8. Place the chocolate on the tongue and allow it to arrive at body temperature. Let it melt. Chew it only to break it into small enough pieces that it begins to melt on its own. After all, we’re tasting and not eating! This step is crucial, for it allows the cocoa butter to distribute evenly in the mouth, which mutes any astringencies or bitterness in the chocolate.
9. Observe the taste and texture. As the chocolate melts, concentrate on the flavors that are enveloping your tongue. Melting will release more volatile compounds for you to smell. Close your eyes, take notes, enjoy this moment of bliss, and bask in contentment. Texture can be the most obvious clue about the quality of a chocolate. Low quality chocolates will have a grainy almost cement-like texture.
10. Now the chocolate is nearing its finish. How has the flavor evolved? Is the chocolate bitter? Heavy? Light? Was the texture smooth or grainy? Do any changes in texture and flavor occur? Take note of how the chocolate leaves the palate. Is there a strong reminder lingering in your mouth, or does it quickly vanish? Note any metallic or unpleasant flavors in the finish. This is a sign of stale or lower quality chocolate.
11. Repeat the process with a different chocolate. The comparison will highlight the subtle flavor notes in each chocolate. By sure to cleanse your palate thoroughly before tasting each different chocolate.

Notes on bloom:

• The formation of whitish spots, or bloom, on chocolate is due to a separation of some of the fat in the chocolate. While it affects the aesthetics of the chocolate somewhat, it isn’t harmful to eat or use chocolate that has bloomed. Bloom is related to heat and humidity, so store chocolate in a cool, dry place free of odors.

The above is adapted from WikiHow.com’s article, “How to Taste Dark Chocolate.”

Visit my page Chocolate Resources and Info! for a list of dark chocolate tasting recommendations. For more info and recipes on appreciating dark chocolate, please click on the Chocolate  or Food & Recipes category of this blog.