I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Captain's Log, Stardate 11.18.2009
Yes, I have more chocolate! (In case you missed the last box, click here.) This one is their Collezione Italiana.
Yes, I ~ahem~ ate one before remembering to take the picture.
Rooster: Taleggio cheese + organic walnuts + Tahitian vanilla bean + bittersweet dark chocolate
Very unique flavors in this one that I really liked. I expected to taste the cheese more, but maybe my palate just isn’t that sensitive. It’s sweeter than I expected it to be, also, considering it uses bittersweet chocolate. Very yummy!
Sale del Mare: Sicilian sea salt caramel + milk chocolate + pine nut
Probably one of the best caramels I’ve ever eaten! The salt balances really nicely with the sweet of the caramel. I don’t eat as much caramel as I do chocolate, but this is a really good one that I’d eat more often than other caramels. It also makes me want to try the caramel collection she has on the website.
Polline di Finocchio: Wild Tuscan fennel pollen + dark chocolate
Very unusual flavor—I typically don’t care for fennel, but I’ll enjoy almost anything coated in good chocolate, especially something this well crafted. It has a slight curry aroma.
Olio d'Oliva: First press extra virgin olive oil + white chocolate + dried kalamata olives
The rich olive oil flavor is wonderfully subtle in this sweet truffle, and the kalamata olives add just the right contrast of salt to the white chocolate. Unusual—probably not to everyone’s taste, but a different flavor in the mouth that I’m glad I got a chance to try it.
Balsamico: 12-year aged balsamic vinegar + dark chocolate + Sicilian hazelnuts
The balsamic vinegar is subtle, giving a slightly tart taste to the chocolate, but it is still wonderfully sweet. It reminded me of the artisan blackberry balsamic vinegar I bought at Rodney Strong winery in Sonoma, and which I use with olive oil in salads. I didn’t really taste the hazelnuts too much aside from noticing the texture.
Yes, I have more chocolate! (In case you missed the last box, click here.) This one is their Collezione Italiana.
Yes, I ~ahem~ ate one before remembering to take the picture.
Rooster: Taleggio cheese + organic walnuts + Tahitian vanilla bean + bittersweet dark chocolate
Very unique flavors in this one that I really liked. I expected to taste the cheese more, but maybe my palate just isn’t that sensitive. It’s sweeter than I expected it to be, also, considering it uses bittersweet chocolate. Very yummy!
Sale del Mare: Sicilian sea salt caramel + milk chocolate + pine nut
Probably one of the best caramels I’ve ever eaten! The salt balances really nicely with the sweet of the caramel. I don’t eat as much caramel as I do chocolate, but this is a really good one that I’d eat more often than other caramels. It also makes me want to try the caramel collection she has on the website.
Polline di Finocchio: Wild Tuscan fennel pollen + dark chocolate
Very unusual flavor—I typically don’t care for fennel, but I’ll enjoy almost anything coated in good chocolate, especially something this well crafted. It has a slight curry aroma.
Olio d'Oliva: First press extra virgin olive oil + white chocolate + dried kalamata olives
The rich olive oil flavor is wonderfully subtle in this sweet truffle, and the kalamata olives add just the right contrast of salt to the white chocolate. Unusual—probably not to everyone’s taste, but a different flavor in the mouth that I’m glad I got a chance to try it.
Balsamico: 12-year aged balsamic vinegar + dark chocolate + Sicilian hazelnuts
The balsamic vinegar is subtle, giving a slightly tart taste to the chocolate, but it is still wonderfully sweet. It reminded me of the artisan blackberry balsamic vinegar I bought at Rodney Strong winery in Sonoma, and which I use with olive oil in salads. I didn’t really taste the hazelnuts too much aside from noticing the texture.
Comments
~Sasafras
Camy