chocolate tasting for superwow

we recently did a chocolate tasting in ft walton beach for a conference called superwow. there were about 80 adults there. they tasted chocolate and then donated money for a mission effort in haiti. we raised $1300 to help feed kids at an orphanage called hands and feet project.

soon we will have the site up and going. keep an eye open for www.thechocolateproject.net

chocolate soap

when we were in south america we found chocolate soap. we brought some home with us to try because we love chocolate. the curiosity got the best of me though. why chocolate soap? why not?
it works like regular soap and doesnt not smell or taste like chocolate. i am satisfied with the soap but the name of the brand is "seduction". i guess they will do anything to sell soap

quest for the best

i have been traveling alot lately. everywhere i go i look for chocolate. you will not find me eating the candy bar from a gas station. you will, however, find me tasting the best of the best. i am trying everything. i will report back to you each time i find exceptional chocolates.

as for me i am on a quest to find the best

the cocoa tree

i fell in love with chocolate a few years ago when i visited a small artisan chocolate cafe in franklin tn. its called the cocoa tree. to this day i have not had chocolate as good as the treats that come from the cocoa tree. bethany thouin is the genius behind the magic made at the cocoa tree. i am blown away by the flavors she has put in my mouth. she is famous for the sweet potatoe truffle that won the gold medal at a big chocolate competition. it went up against chocolatiers from around the world and showed them that a self taught southern girl knows a thing or two about chocolate. there is some changes happening to the cocoa tree right now but for the latest greatest news and changes go see the website www.thecocoatree.com. if you are in downtown franklin ask around for the best place to find some great chocolate, youll be glad you did

otto's granary

i just had a great experience tonight. i like to find a chocolate shop and meet the chocolatier as i travel. today i found a great little chocolate shop in an unsuspecting place. i am doing a show in lubbock tx and right next door to the hotel is a place called Otto's Granary. the owner scott is a very friendly and generous man that met me at the door and offered me a cup of coffee and a tea. we sampled some great chocolate from around he world. i am still trying to taste all of the chocolate that i bought but so far i am very pleased. i had a mexican chocolate made by joseph schmidt that rocked me. it was filled with cinnamon with a gentle touch of habanero pepper. i highly recommend it. i also tried the roxanna also known as anna clare. it was a wonderful mix of dark chocolate and pecan with a sweet center.

if you are ever near lubbock texas be sure to stop by Otto's Granary for some great hospitality, a cup of coffee, and some great chocolate

ecuador trip-written by auny today

The cocoa bean is grown all over the world along the Equator, but Bethany's (the Cocoa Tree's chocolatier) favorite place to get them from is Ecuador. We tried and tried to go on a tour of a cocoa plantation, but all of the ones we checked into were either ridiculously expensive or not giving tours at the time. We found out that there was a plant in Guayaquil where they convert the cocoa bean into blocks of chocolate, so we took a cab there. However, an armed guard met us at the gate and asked for our passports. After looking at our passports for about ten minutes (I don't know if they did an investigation or what), they declined our request to tour the plant.

So, all day, everywhere Brock went, he would ask, "Donde esta el chocolate?" or simply state, "Yo quiero chocolate!" or "Me gustan chocolate!" This means "Where is the chocolate? I want chocolate. I like chocolate." After he said these statements over and over again to one cab driver, the cabbie said, "Quiero el chocolate el hombre!" which means, "The man wants some chocolate!" In the end, we had to settle for some truffles and fondue at a mall close by. We also were able to bring back some tasty Ecuadorian chocolate bars.

The closest we got to seeing a cocoa plantation was the mural on the wall of our hotel. Here is some pictures of it...









The chocolate shop in the mall


Kay, Trent, and Brock eating the fondue in the mall

im learning chocolate

i am learning about chocolate. i am a big fan of chocolate but as with anything i love i want to learn more about it to experience it to its fullest. this blog will be about the things i am learning when it comes to tasting chocolate.

first of all the temperature of chocolate is important. why, because you want it to melt the moment you put it into your mouth. you should store chocolate at room temperature. and uh, your room temperature should be somewhere in the 70s. chocolate melts at 97 degrees. you want it to melt in your mouth not in the pantry. some people feel the need to put chocolate in the fridge. the problem with this is that it becomes too hard. for the best tasting, just leave it at room temperature and everyone will be happy. fine chocolate deserves some attention. by learning some basics you will learn to take your chocolate to the next level