I don't fall easily. Some might say I'm picky, but really I just have high standards. When it comes to chocolate, I have a few requirements, and if they're not there, the relationship just isn't fullfilling. Why settle, right? So what do I look for in an ideal chocolate? First of all, make it dark. Milk chocolate is sweet and friendly, but there is something about dark chocolate that really makes my knees weak. Slightly bitter, definitely complicated, it leaves you wanting more. Secondly, it has to be fudgy. I like my chocolate rich and dense (hopefully Chocolate Mr. Right's human counterpart will have at most one of these traits). So, I can go for a congenial coffee with a polite piece of chocolate bundt cake, but leave me with a flourless chocolate cake, and I will devour it.
This morning, I took a walk down my Third Street. The Cook's Library, a cozy little cookbook shop a few blocks down, was having a sidewalk sale, and I was eager to check it out. First though, I needed coffee. I stopped in at Joan's on Third, because I love that place and because, by 10 am, it was already 300 degrees outside and Joan's makes an incredible iced cappuccino.Waiting in line, I gazed at the delicious baked goods on display behind glass. Through a sea of sugary cupcakes, something chocolatey caught my eye. A small cylinder, about the size of a mushroom. I had to have it. This little guy was called a chocolate bouchon (I later learned that bouchon is French for wine cork -- cute). I ordered, waited antsily, then grabbed my coffee and my bouchon, got myself out the door, and took the first bite. The chemistry was palpable. This chocolate was for mature audiences only. No saccharine sweetness here, just the depth of quality cocoa powder, the slightest tease of sweetness, and an incredible smooth rich texture. Two bites later, the whole thing was gone, but I firmly believe this is the start of a long devoted relationship. Je t'aime mon petit bouchon!
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