A Lesson in Chocolate

Our second meeting of the Sisterhood took place last night.

Andra served another delicious harvest-time dish.... some sort of vegetable/rice curry!

Then she proceeded to give a a lesson on the production of fine chocolate. She just was in the Bay area, and visited the Scharffen Berger factory in Berkeley, CA. where she acquired this new knowledge!


Here you can see the cocoa seeds that come from the cocoa tree. Andra explained the entire process to make various kinds of chocolate, including chocolate with the nibs in it. I am not able to recount all she said, but it was very interesting!
The company also works with the chocolate to get it to snap just right, too! I must say, this chocolate did have a fine feel and sound to its snap!

The chocolate was incredibly rich and smooth! And what an awesome picture was stamped on each piece! We also learned how to eat chocolate the right way. First you enjoy the snapping off of the bite you will savor. Then smell the chocolate. Place it on your tongue and proceed to push the chocolate into the roof of your mouth, where it will melt into perfected creaminess! Savor the flavor and experience! Much like wine tasting!

And what chilly fall evening doesn't welcome a steamy mug of cocoa with smelted marshmallows?!?!

Forget love! I'd rather fall in chocolate!