Chocolate II

Based on comments to my earlier post "Chocolate," most of which have been oral, I need to update it.

Walking by the Jacques Torres store on Amsterdam between 73rd and 74th, I felt compelled to go in and give it a try. I bought two bars, "Dangerously Dark," a plain 72% chocolate and "The Wicked Bar," dark chocolate with notes of ancho and chipotle chilies. The Dangerously Dark is very good indeed, the other less successful once the novelty wears off. A friend who is a good cook and serious about chocolate says that Jacques Torres' cooking chocolate is "hands down" the best available. I will certainly try this soon.

At the recommendation of two chocolate aficionados, I tried a bar of Pierre Marcolini's 72% Pure Origin Venezuela chocolate, and I must admit it is great. However, it is stupefyingly expensive: an 80g bar costs $11.00 plus tax! More than three times the cost of a 100g bar of Lindt. At these prices, it is easy to limit yourself to one ($1.30) square after dinner, so perhaps that's a good thing.

Bobby Jay