Just for Fun....Infused Chocolate Tasting

 

I love samples at the grocery store.  One of my favorite things about heading to purchase my groceries is wondering what will be on display for a little taste.  These tiny chocolate bars caught my eye as I wandered the aisles of Whole Foods before my family dinner tonight.  So for dessert tonight, I decided I would bring the concept of sampling to the dinner table.  Each bar had distinct flavorings: an Asian flair from wasabi, ginger and black sesame seeds; an Indian style with curry and coconut flakes; Mexican ancho chiles, chipotle and cinnamon in the third; and well, bacon with salt (does that qualify as American?).  In our tasting we discovered delicious chocolate at the forefront with the infusions coming through in the aftertaste, lingering in our mouths. On a hunch we saved the bacon bar for last and we were justly rewarded.  It was salty, smoky, and oh so savory.  A perfect ending to our meal.

Do it again?  Oh yes, it was tons of fun to be surprised by these creative flavor pairings.  I'm going to search for more infused chocolate bars for next time I'm out....

Improvements? Perhaps having an after dinner wine to compliment the chocolates. 

Just for Fun....Pinot Noir Tasting

 

My girlfriend needed to sample wines for her upcoming wedding to be sure the wine that was poured was absolutely perfect.  She didn't want to be swayed by the name of the bottle or the design of the label.  Here's what we did: while we were out shopping, her fiance opened all three pinot noirs she had selected as contestants.  He hid the corks and wrapped each bottle so we were blind to which wine was which.  When we arrived home we numbered the bottles and the tasting began.  It was so much fun!  We were excited with each new pour mostly because we had no idea what to expect.  What was even more fun was comparing each wine to the next.  After two tastings and discussion on each bottle, we unveiled the wines to see what we liked.  Oddly enough, it was the most unassuming pinot that was our favorite based on taste.  Nothing was special about the name, the label was simple.  And to top that, the salesperson in the store had raved on and on about the wine we liked least.  Not to say that we didn't end our night by finishing the bottles.....

Do it again? Yes, as soon as possible :)  I love drinking wine, but as I get older I am interested in finding wines that I truly enjoy drinking.  I no longer want to select wines based on price and graphic label design. 

Improvements?  Hmmm....more wines per tasting?

 

This was the winner.  Dee-licious.