Intrigue Blog & Chocolate Shop!

Intrigue Chocolates Co. Blog – coverage of news, events and chocolate histories.

Summer Heat and Chocolate; Not such a hot combo…

Jul 25

Posted by Kate in News | No Comments

Aaron at the Aquarium; Debuts and Discoveries

Here’s Aaron giving his winning smile to visitors at the Intrigue booth during the Debuts and Discoveries event. Flanked on his right by Sheila (of Sheila and Jeff, co-owners of Davenport Cellars), and on his left by Walter, a friend of Intrigue’s who was helping out for the day. Thanks to Nityia Przewlocki (www.nityiadesign.com) for sharing this great picture with us! As previously blogged, this event benefits the Seattle Aquarium and marine conservation efforts, and we had a nice time hanging out with all the aquatic wildlife (not to mention our human visitors, they were nice, too).

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have made it out to our summer events and visited our table. Being a small company gives us the chance to spend time with all of you, talking chocolate with our friends is really one of our greatest pleasures! There is still more summertime fun ahead, and we encourage you to keep track of where we will be via our website events page, facebook events page or our newsletter (if you’re not receiving our monthly newsletter and would like to, click here to get set up!) During the warm months you would be wise to bring along a cooler (also good for transporting any wine you might purchase, we do a lot of chocolate-wine pairing events).

Premium chocolate like Intrigue’s truffles do not have much tolerance for heat, but you can be sure of an incredible chocolate experience. And we will ensure that by only shipping chocolate orders in a speedy fashion, and with generous insulation and ice packs. If our chocolate can’t be shipped in its best condition, then we just won’t ship it. This means that delivery costs can be significant, but we feel that it’s worth it. An alternative for Seattle locals is to arrange for picking up your order directly from us.

Stay cool, and keep your chocolate cool!

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Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon, 2010

Jul 17

Posted by Kate in , Events | No Comments

This was our third time (3rd annual, too) at the Seattle Chocolate Salon and we enjoy it more every year! In some ways we were better prepared, therefore better able to lead participants through an enjoyable experience of the chocolate-hazed day. (See Karl’s awesome “how-to” survival tips for the event). Then again, the salon threw us for a new loop, and that was a fun challenge, too.

At the last minute we were approached with the opportunity to make a presentation (the sudden opening was NOT due to “death by chocolate”, that is a different event!). We accepted the challenge and teamed up with Quady Wineries to make an Intrigue truffle – wine pairings presentation that went wonderfully.
(Thanks to Brian from Quady and Diane, our guest presenter. She did a great job introducing the winery and describing the wines for our audience.)

Aaron walked everyone through what he thought were the best matches for the day. (How do you decide what pairings to make?, he was asked the other day. “The hard part is, ya’ gotta’ drink the wine.”, was his sage reply….) Here’s what he came up with;
Mojito and White Electra (slightly effervescent, made from an orange muscat grape)
Balsamic Strawberry-Red Electra (black muscat grape, a red wine)
Lavender Lemonade-White Essensia (White Electra that is fortified and non-fizzy)
St. Basil-Elysium (Red Electra that is fortified and non-fizzy)
Jamaican HOT Chocolate-Starboard (can’t call it Port, ‘cuz it’s not from Portugal! Does that qualify as a punny?)

Much more about the event soon…and keep fingers crossed for the awards announcement!

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July Flavors and Fireworks

Jul 12

Posted by Kate in seasonal flavors | No Comments

July Fireworks!

That’s what this month’s flavors remind us of; an explosion of colors and big tastes! Ever notice how just about any summer event seems like a good excuse for fireworks? The same goes for a box of Intrigue truffles; great for any event.

July flavor

Balsamic-Strawberry Truffle

New! Balsamic-Strawberry Truffle – Shocked at this combo? Well, it’s actually an old standard; dipping fresh strawberries into a good balsamic vinegar is a mouth-freshening treat! Once again, we have translated a something gourmet into chocolate-language. In a confounding way this vinegar made from un-fermented grapes (it’s not a wine vinegar!), brings out the sweetness of the fresh fruit perfectly. Only fresh, organic strawberries are used along with quality balsamic vinegar.

July flavor

Lavender Lemonade Truffle

New! Lavender Lemonade Truffle – Summer and lemonade (evoked by fresh lemon zest); synonymous, or what? Memories of lemonade stands, whether on long, dusty country roads, or in the thick of suburbia, occupy a place in most of our childhoods. Lavender (Washington-grown!) goes the extra mile to soothe and refresh in the summer heat. Put the two together (and mix it into a truffle, of course) and you have the poster-truffle for a summer day.

July Flavor

Coconut-Cardamom Truffle

Coconut-Cardamom Truffle – You don’t have to be a vegan to appreciate this truffle (though some of our best friends are vegans, and they tell us this is great). Using coconut milk to create non-dairy creaminess makes for a delightful taste. Used around the world in cooking, baking and medicinally, you might recognize cardamom in Scandinavian breads or in curries.

July flavor

Mojito Truffle

Mojito Truffle – (That’s moe-hee-toe, gringos!). “Mi mojito en la Bodeguita” is written on the wall of the Cuban bar (the Bodeguita) in Hemingway’s handwriting. Quite an endorsement for this tropical-heat defying highball concocted of white rum, fresh lime zest and fresh organic mint. Check it out if you ever get there, the writing is still on the wall! (Intrigue’s favorite Hemingway pick; “The Old Man and the Sea”, of course! Also set in Cuba.)

July flavor

St. Basil Truffle

Saint Basil Truffle – Fresh herbs are one of the rewards for being alive on this planet, and Basil may be our top pick. Sweet and aromatic, Basil lets you know that it is good to be alive (and eating chocolate, too! Extra goodness).

July flavor

Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle

Jamaican HOT Chocolate Truffle – Sometimes it’s nice to know what to expect. And with this truffle, you can always expect the unexpected. It will be hot (not too hot) and spicy (not too spicy) and their will be rum involved (dark, but not too dark). We think that our Jamaican HOT is the perfect blend of familiarity and complexity that keeps you coming back for more.

Happy Birthday, Canada! (Canada Day, July 1st). And Happy Fourth of July, you ol’ USA! Party safe, Everyone. Keep your drinking off the road, keep your limbs attached and enjoy this month’s Intrigue Truffles responsibly.

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Intrigue Supports Art and Healing for TBI Survivors

Jul 10

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

 

Painting from 2nd annual TBI Art Show

Composition #3 by Hillary Bassett-Ross

 

There is only one more day left of an art show at the Burke Museum (July 7 through July 11th), and we hope you get a chance to get down and see it. Short notice, we know. But if this is the first you’ve heard of “Recreating Me: Exploring and Healing Through Creative Expression”, then prepare to follow up next year. 2010 marks this 2nd annual benefit for survivors of traumatic brain injury, and Intrigue wants to spread the word about its importance.

Brain injury can alter not only the basic functioning of a person’s life, but their relationships and the way they express themselves. Frustration and grieving can be massive obstacles to the rebuilding process, and art seems to facilitate moving beyond these barriers for many survivors.

This show is a multi-media event put on by the University of Washington’s TBI Model System’s and the Brain Injury Association of Washington; showcasing the stories, sculpture, poetry, photography, painting, music and drawings by brain injured artists. Admission to the show will go to improve the lives of those living with TBI, but it just may improve your experience of life through a deeper understanding of these amazing survivors.

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Night at the Aquarium

Jul 4

Posted by Kate in Events | No Comments

Sea Otter

Sea otters are some cool critters, and we got to hang out with them at the Seattle Aquarium’s “Debuts and Discoveries”, June 24th, 2010. Additionally cool was that money raised from the event will be used for marine conservation projects.

This was a special event for wineries that are “new and emerging” (that is; less than three years old). There have been so many new and wonderful creators of wine in the Seattle area, that this event was a chance to see many of the up and coming sommeliers together (so as to make proper comparisons).

We lucked out and were seated next to our friends from Davenport Cellars and got to get creative with our wine-chocolate pairings. Our experiments were met with enthusiasm by people who visited our tables. It’s so cool to see our “audience” get excited about the same stuff we do (that’s us taking a bow! thank you, dear fans! we’d be nothing without you….really, we mean that.)

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