• CHOCO-QUOTE OF THE MONTH
• DOWNTOWN PORTLAND WALK
• CHOCO-SONG OF THE MONTH
• SWEETEST GIFT AROUND
• NEXT MEETUP & ON TO FACEBOOK

CHOCO-QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done! ~Author Unknown

DOWNTOWN PORTLAND WALK

Downtown Portland, Lake Oswego, Downtown Vancouver, and the Pearl/West End Walking Food Tours with Chocolate Tasting & More are a great way for residents and visitors alike to explore the most delicious nooks and crannies of these Metro neighborhoods. Our season runs from mid-March through early December. The last chance to go “chocolating” with us for the 2011 season will be this Sunday, December 4th in Downtown Portland. There is only one spot left! So click here for more details and to register today. Planning for next year? Contact us to set up a fun and memorable private adventure for your company employees, clients, or your closest chocolate-loving friends.

CHOCO-SONG OF THE MONTH

SWEETEST GIFT AROUND

Chocolate Tasting & More Gift Certificates are good for any publicly scheduled Chocolate and Sweet & Savory Walks and are valid 16 months from the date of purchase. Give a unique gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other special occasion for the adult chocolate lovers in your life. If you need additional gift ideas to go along with our gift certificates, here are some suggestions from some of our favorite chocolate shops:

• Bernard Callebaut in Lake Oswego has three different sizes of milk and dark seasonal Yule Logs you can fill with 16, 24 or 36 of their delicious chocolates.
• Moonstruck Chocolate has a beautiful Advent Calendar filled with 24 gorgeous truffles. Don’t forget the penguins and other members of their holiday collection.
• Verdun Chocolate & Fine Gifts, located in the Pearl, offers chocolates manufactured in Lebanon that not only look like jewels but taste delicious, too.
• Teuscher’s Chocolates of Switzerland can package their famous Champagne Truffles in unique animal and whimsical character shaped boxes. Be sure to check their website to view these intricate Swiss hand-made creations.
• Cacao Drink Chocolate, in the West End and at the Heathman Hotel, is a stocking-stuffers’ paradise! Be sure to get enough items for the names on your list…and yourself!

Still stumped? Peruse through our list of Downtown Portland, Downtown Vancouver, Pearl/West End, and Lake Oswego businesses. All of our partners in chocolate are known to serve up wonderful sweet and/or savory treats. The possible gift-combos are endless.

Thank you in advance for remembering to shop local and to support small businesses this holiday season.

NEXT MEETUP & ON TO FACEBOOK

Our next outing, Downtown Hot Chocolate & Holiday Stroll, is on Sunday, December 4th at 5:30 pm. Join us at Cacao’s Heathman location for some delicious drinking chocolate followed by a stroll through Pioneer Courthouse Square and the Benson Hotel to take in all the holiday lights and festivities. Reservations required. Please Note: On December 31st, our Portland Chocolate Lovers’ Meetup Group will be morphing into Chocolate Tasting & More’s Facebook Page. Continue to keep up with the latest chocolate/food info, events, and special outings with fellow chocolate lovers by searching for Chocolate Tasting & More on Facebook. Thanks for the “Like” and helping us make a velvety smoooooth transition.

CHOCOLATE & TOFU

John Scharffenberger is set to do for tofu what he did for eating chocolate in the early ’90s: help people appreciate the nuances in flavor. Last fall the winemaker/chocolatier became involved with HoDo Soy Beanery in Oakland, CA. I guess you can say he’s gone from cacao bean to bar, to soy bean to tofu block. Discover more about his turn to the “soy-side” in this article. In the hope that we didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth, here’s a Moo-Less Chocolate Pie Recipe from Alton Brown testifying that the humble legume and chocolate do go together!

MONEY OF COLOR

A three year legal dispute involving chocolate rivals Cadbury and Nestles is hopefully nearing an end. The problem: the color purple. Why: both companies want to use it. It all has to do with the specific color purple Cadbury has used for its Dairy Milk wrapper since the chocolate bar was introduced in 1914. To Nestle’s dismay, Cadbury recently was awarded a UK trademark for their specific shade of purple. So next time you go down the grocery aisle and see a Diary Milk bar, you can have the satisfaction in knowing that the color is officially named Pantone 2685C! You can get more info on this ongoing dispute here.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED THANKS

Thank you to all our Chocolate Tasting & More program participants, newsletter subscribers, website visitors, and friends and family who take the time to read through The Cacao Nibbler. We wouldn’t be here without you.


Make It a Great December
& Happy Holidays to All!