Sunday, March 23, 2008

Chocolate Treasure


My first clue should have been when I saw her eating powdered chocolate off a teaspoon. The wife likes to start her day with a hot chocolate, her morning routine also includes a taste or more, while she waits for the kettle to boil. Myself, my world doesn’t start to turn until I have my cup of tea and I would never suck on the teabag whilst I was waiting!

Strange trends people have in order to get their day going.

Thinking of chocolate, isn’t it funny how peoples tastes change over the years. I can distinctly remember loving milk chocolate most of my life. The one exception of course being my love of “Black Magic” chocolates. Then as I got older my tastes leaned even more to darker chocolate, eventually I made the switch complete, now milk chocolate was too sweet and sickly for my taste buds. Even later I started to get selective as to what kind of dark chocolate I preferred. The best in my mind is “Belgian dark chocolate” beyond any doubt. There is something about the taste of Belgian chocolate, that really makes one slow right down and savior every small morsel. I used to buy bars of imported Belgian a dozen at a time, whenever the store had them in. One day for some inexplicable reason the store stopped selling them. To say I was upset about that is putting it mildly. Shortly afterwards, Black Magic disappeared from the store shelves, my misery was complete!

In my younger days after finishing school, I applied for a job as a candy maker. During the interview, the boss asked me the strangest thing I thought. He said ”Let me see your hands,” that’s when he told me I had candy makers hands. I was young and impressionable, so was pleased with what he said even if I didn’t understand the reasoning. I stayed a candy maker for five years. In that time I got to learn from some of the best in the business. John Grensevic (sp) was my first tutor. He used to formulate the varying flavors of candies, recognizing that there was a difference in tastes from European and those of North America, which still exists today.

**
Elizabeth sat down, I could see she was munching something.
“I hope you don’t mind, I had a piece of chocolate.”
“From the fridge?” I asked, for I kept more than one brand in there.
“Yes” said she, a smile lighting her face, a mischievous look in her eye.
“Not the Belgian chocolate I hope,”
“Uh oh” she uttered.
I went to the fridge to check the damage. I tried to explain that I wasn’t a chocolate hog, except I could no longer get any more of that Belgian kind anymore.
Nowadays I eat Aero bars, dark chocolate of course and the wife is a confirmed chocoholic, so much for my stash!


There is just one piece of “Holy Grail” left to me that she is not keen on, and that doesn’t last an hour when I have one.
My all time favorite is imported from England. Fry’s Cream is dark chocolate with a mint fondant filling, simply scrumptious.

So I know it is Easter, and the hunt is on! But never mind giving me an egg, I will enjoy my Fry’s Cream and Aero bars!

Elizabeth just came home from the grocery store. Her purchases included six containers of Nestle triple chocolate Sundae!

I rest my case…. Happy Easter everyone!

Footnote: All chocolate tastes better after being in the fridge a short time ~ trust me.

C’ya

18 comments:

DarkWing said...

mmmmmm chocolate. I like anykind of chocolate but you're right that no milk chocolate can beat some really good dark chocolate :D

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Newnorth, Happy Easter, hope the bunny was good to you... :)

Janice Thomson said...

I love chocolate and have to stay away from it otherwise I eat it till it's all gone - every darn morsel of it. Of course it has to be Belgian DARK chocolate! :)
Happy Easter my friend.

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Janice, I doubt that many can truly control their chocolate habit. I used to, but now I need a small taste each day.. :)

Have a happy Easter Monday my friend. :)

Stacey said...

Good afternoon Eric,
Oh chocolate...........
What can I say.........Heaven....

My new post, you will see my views on chocolate (and possibly your wife's views and many other women's also!!!) haha ;-)

Eric Valentine said...

Still morning here Stacey, thanks for popping in.
I will check out your story about chocolate shortly. :)

zirelda said...

mmm, I love chocolate but it doesn't love me anymore. :( Happy Easter Eric and no worries on the memoir.

Augs Casa said...

Hello mate,

from you're post I would have though for sure you were working for Willy Wonka? I learn something new everyday. Today I learned my mate hordes dark Chocolate. I'm a milk chocolate myself, but for me..Give me Vanilla anytime of the year.

virtual nexus said...

http://
achocolateadventure.wordpress.com/

Eric, check this one out if you haven't already seen it on mine. This young chap, a Canadian if I remember right, is training to be a choclatier, and has just been round Europe sampling chocolates.

Very enjoyable post :)

Eric Valentine said...

Thanks Julie, I believe though that his is restaurant confectionary work? :)

Eric Valentine said...

That's a shame Zirelda, chocolate plays such a part in everyday life.. :)

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Augs buddy! wotcha mean! I am Willie Wonka in disguise.. LOL

Good to see you back. :)

Judith Shapiro said...

it's chocolate every day for me! belgian dark, for sure, but in a pinch i'll do milk. tea for breakfast, too, eric but once a couple of hours have gone by . . .

BBC said...

I like to put three big spoonfuls of chocolate in one of my morning cups of coffee. And sometimes a nice dash of kahlua.

Leon said...

I tried to stay away! As soon as I saw that you were writing about chocolate, I tried to exit. . .but I came back again and again. What can I say Eric? You now know that I am a hopeless chocaholic. HELP!!! ;~O

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Leon! Now you know you belong with the club, how could you even think you would go undetected! LOL

The's a lot of goodness in a piece of chocolate so enjoy my friend. :)

Eric Valentine said...

Chocolate is hard to resist isn't it Judith. :)

Tea first thing for me tho', it starts my clock ticking. Have a good day & thanks for visiting. :)

Eric Valentine said...

The last time I saw that mix bb was when I was making soft centres for chocolates, many moons ago.