A few words about my never-ending inner conflict about chocolate

2013-01-31T00:00:00Z 2013-01-31T16:06:12Z A few words about my never-ending inner conflict about chocolate
January 31, 2013 12:00 am

I can't stand being constantly reminded about chocolate, my eyes glaze over. Is it love or hate, sometimes that is impossible to know. Chocolate can induce a passionate sweat.

I get a lot of email about chocolate lately, probably at least 20 messages a day mention chocolate and granted, there are some unusual things that are worth knowing about --- like Arby's just introduced molten chocolate cake that costs $1.99 and was seven years in development, this is was on the heels of Chili's success with the same menu item --- but I am not going to eat that molten chocolate cake.

There is never a good enough excuse for me to eat chocolate anything. Perhaps I could reward myself with a small perfect piece of dark chocolate if I had the discipline to work out five days a week like my friend Millicent. Even if I only did it for one week. But it would never stop there. And then there are the lapses that are a certainty in my life: Chocolate martinis at Bev's Second Season; Vosges Black Pearl (ginger, wasabi, sesame) or Budapest (dark with paprika); Nutella straight; Thomas Keller's brownies made from the recipe in Ad Hoc; Kilwin's fudge (and I have deliberately crossed the street to avoid it) and I imagine someday having hot chocolate there; chocolate-chip cookies at Grand Luxe Cafe and the most recent addition any chocolate pie from Bang Bang Pie Shop in Chicago. (Bang, Bang is featuring a pie with dark chocolate ganache, malted marshmallow, a hard chcolate shell and a pretzel crust. And these Bang, Bang people are thin, just like Mindy Segal of Mindy's Hot Chocolate.) Also, one of the most memorable ever was chocolate ganache with fresh lavender which Margaux Drake sort of taught me how to make at a dinner George Aquino hosted at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids a few years ago.

So, in conclusion. I'm just saying, if you are going to have chocolate make sure it's the best you can possibly get and please, please don't tell invite me or even tell me about it, especially if it's great. My list is long enough already.


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