Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Chocolate Honesty

I might as well be honest – very honest. I have a thing about chocolate. Thankfully, this isn’t one of those strange traits that make people look askance. I have plenty of those, of course. In fact, my sister also shares a love of the delight. Perhaps you do too? I was trying to remember my first taste of chocolate, but it was so long ago it escapes me. And then again, perhaps it wasn’t so memorable either. Then I wondered, “Where did my affection for chocolate come from?” It could be this time of year that is responsible. When I was young, I remember Valentine’s as a special day. We would get ready for school and go into the kitchen for breakfast. There on each of our plates our dad had placed heart-shaped sampler boxes. There were small ones for us girls and then my mother would get one of two things; either a big, fancy, flower adorned box of chocolates or a Whitman’s Sampler. I knew it was only fair, but I thought to myself, “one of these days, I am going to get a big pretty box like my mother’s”. And in the days that followed Valentine’s, I realize now how generous my mother was. She would leave her box on the counter and we girls would come in and poke a finger into a chocolate hoping it didn’t ooze some foreign substance too awful to eat. I wonder if my mother ever opened her box when there wasn’t a trace of a little person’s fingerprint on her chocolates.

Now with that kind of freedom in a box of chocolates as a child, perhaps you can see why I have a fine appreciation for the delectable now. When we travel, we often come across a chocolate shop where the chocolates are made on the premises and the person who serves you is also the person who made what they’re serving. When we were in Portland, Oregon we went into Moonstruck Chocolates several times. Then in Seattle, there was a mocha café. It was almost worth the price of airfare. One time one of my sisters returned from a trip to New York City with a beautiful chocolate assortment from MarieBelle. When we went to Asheville, we stumbled across two artisan chocolate shops without even trying. It’s not like we seek them out. They just happened to be located where we are going. But it does seem like a good little hobby – to seek out the quaint chocolate shops on our journeys.

And then, in today’s newspaper, before my very eyes, were several articles about local chocolate makers and local chocolate shops. It’s quite amusing to think that these makers thought they could go along and I’d never discover them but someone slipped up somewhere and now I know. I know they are there. I have their addresses. I have their store hours. I know where to find them. The dark chocolates, the ganache filled, the caramel filled, the truffles . . . they are there and soon I will be too.

5 comments:

  1. Oh WOW are you sure we are not related? I also love the wonderful taste of chocolate and seek out the great shops when we are away from home. I guess that's why when I had my own retail gift shop I just had to have a candy counter. There is just something to that saying. ("like a kid in a candy store")

    Hugs
    Bonnie

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  2. Maybe that has something to do with why you love boxes so much? Because all things wonderful, including chocolates, come in boxes. Hugs, Vicki

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  3. Bonnie - I knew there were others out there like me! See you over by the chocolates!

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  4. Vicki - I think you might be on to something there. Lots of good things come in boxes.

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  5. Have a piece for me! I am allergic. *Sobs*

    Hugs, Kelly

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