Mint flavor is extracted from mint leaves that have a rather powerful scent, and available all through the year. Its leaves are typically green, but there are some that are purple, blue, and yellow in color. The plant can grow to approximately 120cm tall.

Mint leaves can be used to repel mosquitoes and as a medicine to soothe the stomach.  While sometimes used even in beauty products, mint is mostly utilized in the culinary department. It is often used in beverages, syrups, ice cream, and chocolate candies.

Chocolate mint is produced when mint flavoring, such as peppermint, spearmint, or crème de menthe, is combined with chocolate. Just so you know, every 19th of February is the Chocolate Mint Day as declared by the National Confectioners Association.

Here’s a simple yet luscious chocolate mint drink recipe for you!

Enjoy!

It may sound bizarre to others who don’t experiment with food much, but beer and chocolate go together splendidly, especially the dark variants. The pairing sounds pretty strange but boy does it work!

People who aren’t crazy about beer often have a fancy for chocolate, so it’s safe to say it’s a win-win recipe. Huge beer fanatics can find flavors in beer that can also be found in chocolate.

With some experimentation, foodies now have come up with something that would make beer fans and chocolate lovers meet halfway. Those who have a sweet tooth are the ones who will enjoy it better, though!

Enjoy!

Last week’s Craft:Beer+Food event was a huge hit, the pairings were sublime. If you weren’t able to attend, fret not, as a sequel to this delightful affair is anticipated. After Craft:Beer+Food comes the next big thing, BitterSweet:Beer+Chocolate. It is a non-profit happening that enables local breweries to showcase their beers along with the remarkable chocolates of Seattle’s own Theo Chocolate.

BitterSweet:Beer+Chocolate presents the connection between craft beer and artisan chocolate. This event showcases beer paired with chocolate and even beer made with chocolate. Sound interesting, eh? Eight of the Seattle area’s most renowned brewers are taking part in BitterSweet. As expected, they will be providing beer from their regular listings coupled with products from Theo Chocolate, which will be collaborating with them. In addition, they will also be producing new beers just for this event.

Chocolate makers and confectioners from Theo are the ones held responsible for the pairings. For those who haven’t tried this before, head to Theo Chocolate in Fremont and taste the marvelous list of products that they are offering. Their mouthwatering goods are worth your time and effort!

There was a different vibe when the team of brewers was introduced to their counterparts at Theo Chocolate, a good vibe, specifically. Amazingly, they speak the same language and share the same passion for their craft. With the use of chocolate from Theo and byproducts from the chocolate-making process, the brewers plan on making innovative, fresh, and original world-class beers.

Save the date as doing anything else will only make you, as the cliché goes, miss half of your life. Get to experience it and walk away amazed.

BitterSweet: Beer+Chocolate
Seattle, WA
Thursday, November 10, 2011

First and foremost, you need to make an appropriate choice of chocolate. Grabbing any chocolate bar available won’t be enough as they don’t hold distinctive flavors. Gourmet chocolates are your best bet, be it dark, white, or milk chocolate.

With regard to the wine you’ll be pairing the chocolate with, you need to find one that is at least as sweet as the chocolate, maybe even slightly sweeter. One of the main rules in pairing them is that the distance between wine and chocolate sweetness should always be short because if the wine isn’t sweet enough, the sour notes of wine will make it appear hollow, which makes it a horrible combination.

Red wines generally pair with chocolate easier than white wines. The acidity of Champagne and sparkling wines reacts with chocolate causing a bitter taste, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go along well together. Like I said, correct combination is key.

One main rule in this pairing is light chocolate tastes better with lighter-bodied wines. Simply put, the stronger the flavor of the chocolate, the more full-bodied wine you need for that perfect combination. Another thing to consider is the quality of wine as bad wine only gets worse when paired with chocolate.

Always taste the wine first! Only then should you start enjoying your chocolate. Drinking the wine before eating chocolate will allow you to assess the flavor and taste of the wine itself. Otherwise, your mouth and taste buds will be covered with a thin layer of cocoa butter, preventing you from tasting the wine.

It was once taboo, but pairing wine with chocolate is now becoming commonplace that some people have this particular pair as their comfort food!

If you would like to dig in deeper, consider enrolling as a student of Chocolate University Online.  There are several lessons included to help you master wine and chocolate pairings.

In addition to being rich in antioxidants, chocolate and cocoa powder add great flavor to both savory and sweet dishes.  It also adds a deep dark color to some foods and since we eat with our eyes, it makes food look delicious.

I know it can be difficult to envision chocolate as part of a savory meal and not only in a sweet dessert, but it really adds a new twist to ordinary meals.

Adding chocolate and chili powder to tomato sauce makes a great topping over chicken.

Check this out!