Quote of the Day: Chocolate

 

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
― Charles M. Schulz

“Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces.”
― Judith Viorst, Love & Guilt & The Meaning Of Life, Etc

Surely you knew that October 28 is National Chocolate Day. No. Well, it is, and of all foods, surely chocolate is most deserving of its own special day! I got a running start on the day with a rich chocolate brownie, with sea salt, and a small cup of good black coffee, while listening to live jazz on Sunday evening.

The quotes by Schulz and Voirst are two boundaries to the truth of chocolate. A little chocolate now and then is a very good thing…andstopping at “a little” is an enormous test of human nature.

I grew up on milk chocolate, Mom’s preference, and an occasional variant: triple-layer German chocolate cake. That was, for decades, Dad’s preference for birthday cake, which became most of our preference for birthday cake. I do not know that it was so much the flavor as the effort of putting it together and the ties of tradition, the sign that this birthday was a Brown family event.

In the years since, I went from tea to black coffee and from milk chocolate to very dark chocolate, more bitter than sweet. With these very strong flavors, the volume I want to consume has dropped, along with the caloric overhead. So, the change in taste helped steer a more moderate course between “a little chocolate” and a whole Hershey bar.

What is your favorite form of chocolate?

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  1. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Clifford A. Brown:

    What is your favorite form of chocolate?

    M&Ms with popcorn while watching something on Netflix with my hot wife.

    • #1
  2. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown:

    What is your favorite form of chocolate?

    M&Ms with popcorn while watching something on Netflix with my hot wife.

    I didn’t even touch on chocolate and romance, so thanks for opening that line of conversation.

    • #2
  3. James Hageman Coolidge
    James Hageman
    @JamesHageman

    Here’s the deal: peanut M&Ms with spice drops.

    • #3
  4. Vectorman Inactive
    Vectorman
    @Vectorman

    Clifford A. Brown: In the years since, I went from tea to black coffee and from milk chocolate to very dark chocolate, more bitter than sweet. With these very strong flavors, the volume I want to consume has dropped, along with the caloric overhead. So, the change in taste helped steer a more moderate course between “a little chocolate” and a whole Hershey bar.

    Ditto.

    And a very small scoop of Death by Chocolate ice cream.


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    • #4
  5. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Clifford A. Brown: triple layer German chocolate cake. That was, for decades, Dad’s preference for birthday cake

    That was also my father’s birthday cake  preference.

    • #5
  6. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I’ll take dark chocolate in almost any form. Although I am partial to dark chocolate turtles.

    • #6
  7. Richard Finlay Inactive
    Richard Finlay
    @RichardFinlay

    I remember that I used to like chocolate a lot, now I have trouble with half a Hershey’s. My taste has apparently become more … what’s the word? … selective? discriminating? certainly not classy, because I have shifted in the direction of peanut butter, a substance I intensely disliked for most of my adolescent and young-adult years.  Of course, I used to like peanut butter as a kid, so there may be hope for chocolate to make a comeback, I suppose.

    To answer the question directly, though: Hot cocoa.  Even that needs to be diluted enhanced with vanilla.

    • #7
  8. DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown:

    What is your favorite form of chocolate?

    M&Ms with popcorn while watching something on Netflix with my hot wife.

    Same.

    Image result for Wink Gif"

    • #8
  9. Al French, sad sack Moderator
    Al French, sad sack
    @AlFrench

    Yesterday my daughter made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. So today that is my favorite.

    • #9
  10. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Al French, sad sack (View Comment):

    Yesterday my daughter made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. So today that is my favorite.

    They lasted that long? So: milk, tea, or coffee to wash them down?

    • #10
  11. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Clifford A. Brown: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
    ― Charles M. Schulz

    Also a theme in Harry Potter.

    • #11
  12. Richard Finlay Inactive
    Richard Finlay
    @RichardFinlay

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    Al French, sad sack (View Comment):

    Yesterday my daughter made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. So today that is my favorite.

    They lasted that long? So: milk, tea, or coffee to wash them down?

    If obligated to consume such, I would opt for tea.  I never learned to tolerate coffee (despite many years in the army, which is said to run on it) and milk has become distasteful somehow.

    The same parameters apply to oatmeal-raisin and molasses cookies, of course.

    • #12
  13. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Richard Finlay (View Comment):
    I never learned to tolerate coffee (despite many years in the army, which is said to run on it) and milk has become distasteful somehow.

    Right, right on.

    • #13
  14. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    Well lets see; todays production was two trays of dark chocolate dipped orange peal, cooked a batch of caramel for apples and almond turtles, dipped the almond turtles in dark chocolate, dipped a tray of dark caramels  and just finished a tray of sugar free dark chocolate almond bark. 

    Me, I prefer dark chocolate. I have on hand four levels of dark chocolate, from semi sweet to very bitter. I like what’s called 58% the best.  For what we eat depends on what seconds we have.

    • #14
  15. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Bob W (View Comment):

    Well lets see; todays production was two trays of dark chocolate dipped orange peal, cooked a batch of caramel for apples and almond turtles, dipped the almond turtles in dark chocolate, dipped a tray of dark caramels and just finished a tray of sugar free dark chocolate almond bark.

    Me, I prefer dark chocolate. I have on hand four levels of dark chocolate, from semi sweet to very bitter. I like what’s called 58% the best. For what we eat depends on what seconds we have.

    Oh. My. Gosh. Where do you live? ?

    • #15
  16. Bob W Member
    Bob W
    @BobW

    My shop is in Carmel, CA.

    • #16
  17. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Bob W (View Comment):

    My shop is in Carmel, CA.

    https://www.pohchocolate.com I believe.

    • #17
  18. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Bob W (View Comment):

    My shop is in Carmel, CA.

    Darn. We’ve decided to take CA off our travel list. But if you ever open a shop in FL, call me!

    Edit: Your place is adorable. And those photos make my mouth water. Sigh.

    • #18
  19. USAhafan Inactive
    USAhafan
    @ShaunaHunt

    Bob W (View Comment):

    Well lets see; todays production was two trays of dark chocolate dipped orange peal, cooked a batch of caramel for apples and almond turtles, dipped the almond turtles in dark chocolate, dipped a tray of dark caramels and just finished a tray of sugar free dark chocolate almond bark.

    Me, I prefer dark chocolate. I have on hand four levels of dark chocolate, from semi sweet to very bitter. I like what’s called 58% the best. For what we eat depends on what seconds we have.

    Yum! I’m a chocoholic! I prefer milk to dark. We have a chocolate store here (Utah) that makes ice cream in addition to the chocolates. It’s dangerous!

    I love your website! Look for an order from me soon.

    • #19
  20. Caryn Thatcher
    Caryn
    @Caryn

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Bob W (View Comment):

    My shop is in Carmel, CA.

    Darn. We’ve decided to take CA off our travel list. But if you ever open a shop in FL, call me!

    Edit: Your place is adorable. And those photos make my mouth water. Sigh.

    Looks like he does mail order…

    And I’ll add a ditto to Susan’s comment.  Yum! 

    Definitely dark, particularly with chewy caramel and nuts.  But dark and smooth and rich–and in small quantities.  Yum.  With a shot (or two) of espresso. 

    • #20
  21. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Caryn (View Comment):
    Looks like he does mail order…

    Not doing that! Yet . . .

    • #21
  22. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    In the Wizarding World, chocolate is the ultimate remedy for whatever ails you.  When Harry was overcome by a Dementor, the first thing Professor Lupin gave him when he came to was a big hunk of Honeyduke’s chocolate.  Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, said of the Professor “He really knows his remedies”.

    As for myself, I prefer milk chocolate these days, and I am very partial to See’s Peppermints.  Whenever we go to Victoria BC, we come home with a load of Rogers chocolates, especially the huge Victoria Creams, in flavors like raspberry, strawberry, peppermint, and orange cream.

    When we have our party, I will sometimes make a big batch of chocolate-dipped cashews.  I use big, unsalted cashews, dipped in dark baking chocolate.  Very easy to make, but they disappear fast.

    • #22
  23. Stina Member
    Stina
    @CM

    Clifford A. Brown: What is your favorite form of chocolate?

    My favorite chocolate is Lindt molded chocolate – truffles, Santas, duckies, bunnies – my favorite chocolate ever.

    I used to love dark chocolate, but I craved it during my 2nd pregnancy and now I can’t eat it at all.

    • #23
  24. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    Dark.  Not milk.  And I like my dark chocolate covered in chocolate.  With chocolate on the side.

    • #24
  25. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    Dark. Not milk. And I like my dark chocolate covered in chocolate. With chocolate on the side.

    And then maybe toss in a few chocolate sprinkles.

    • #25
  26. Juliana Member
    Juliana
    @Juliana

    I’ve really tried to like dark chocolate, but I just can’t do it unless it is paired with mint.  Lindt milk chocolate truffles are my favorite, but I will eat Dove milk chocolate because it is somewhat cheaper than the Lindt. After eating Lindt, Hersheys tastes like wax. Sam’s Club has some generic sea salt chocolate covered caramels that are surprisingly good. I do have to make sure I limit my chocolate eating to one or two pieces a day, or I will not stop.

    Then there are chocolate covered donuts. German chocolate cake is a family favorite, and there is cocoa in red velvet cake as well, so that’s a good one.

    • #26
  27. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    We love the little Dove chocolates – all of them. The peanut butter is really good, but we like the dark chocolate with almond a lot.   It’s funny how they made the 28th National Chocolate Day a few days before Halloween when the bags of candy are already purchased…..I could eat chocolate in any form!

    • #27
  28. Full Size Tabby Member
    Full Size Tabby
    @FullSizeTabby

    I’m here eating vanilla ice cream to which I’ve added a copious amount of semisweet chocolate chips. Because the manufacturers of chocolate chip ice cream do enough (or large enough) chocolate chips.

    • #28
  29. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Front Seat Cat (View Comment):
    It’s funny how they made the 28th National Chocolate Day a few days before Halloween when the bags of candy are already purchased…

    Hmm. A chocolate candy corporate conspiracy? The challenge of buying chocolate days or weeks before an event is that there is chocolate in the house for all those days. Surely one piece won’t be missed. Or maybe two….

    • #29
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