Posts Tagged chocolate truffles

Sanity of September (& monthly flavs)

With the beginning of Fall we always feel like those first drafts of cooling air bring with them a return to sanity. Behind us for a while are the maddening tropical temperatures of summer. You know it’s true, nothing like a hot summer’s night to bring out the wildness in all of us….. And, hey, that was fun and all. But thank goodness it’s only temporary insanity!

Reassuring as the passing of the seasons, you can always count on Intrigue Chocolates to give you quality, chocolate-y goodness.

Saint Basil Truffle

Saint Basil Truffle -Healing and delicious, fresh organic basil is an herb of the ages.

Peaches & Cream Truffle

Peaches & Cream Truffle – Fresh peaches (and as always the high-grade dairy cream used in most all of our truffles). The epitome of summer-ending-flavors; juice-drippin’-down-your-chin ripeness enhanced by thick creaminess, and a sprinkle of sugar on top.

Utah Basin Salt Truffle

Utah Basin Salt Truffle -Ancient salt deposits harvested from this area have over 30 trace minerals present to give a complex flavor. You know it well, it is salt. Yet this salt, usually pink in color, is utterly unique in the taste it imparts to this truffle.

Tequila-Lime Truffle

Tequila-Lime Truffle -Cazadores Anejo, fresh organic lime zest…Did you know that fine tequila is most properly sipped from a snifter, not “shot”? Made from the agave plant and tempered with a squeeze of lime, tequila in chocolate is a purely original experience.

California Bay Truffle

California Bay Truffle -Pungent, eucalyptus-like aroma and flavor of the this truffle are unmistakable. The California Bay Leaf is not your mother’s bay leaf!

Chipotle Truffle

Chipotle Truffle - Roasted jalapenos make you take notice of this spicy truffle. Smoke-dried chilis are an inspiration of our friends South of the Border. And we thank them!

Embrace the cool weather and celebrate with Intrigue’s September flavors!

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Seattle Chocolate Salon 2010 Awards Announced

Intrigue truffle samples

The 3rd annual Seattle Chocolate Salon Awards have been announced. With some great new chocolate companies, as well as some experienced chocolatiers, the competition was steep, as usual!

So much chocolate innovation going on in one space, and so many people (competitors and attendees alike) involved in the process of enjoying chocolate. The sight of it, the presentation and, of course, the taste of it! It is a pretty cool event and for the third year in a row, we have loved being a part of it.

We stepped outside our comfort zone this year with an unexpected presentation that went over really well. Sharing knowledge about putting our fine chocolate together with wines is always really popular! What’s not to like?

We came away this year with two awards! The tasting panelists gave Intrigue Chocolates a Bronze Medal in Best Truffle! They even went so far as to award us another Bronze Medal for “Most Delicious Ingredient Combinations”. Our opinion is that Intrigue is Gold Medal all the way, Baby! But we are grateful to have been appreciated amongst so many great chocolates.

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July Flavors and Fireworks

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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Meridian Market Chocolate and Wine Tasting

Merdian Market

On a Wednesday evening last month (June 23rd, 2010) we hung out with some real nice people at Meridian Market. Five bucks was a great deal that bought tastings of Intrigue truffles, appetizers and five different specialty wines.

The Meridian Market is the best example of good things coming in small packages. “Just” a little corner grocery store, but oh-so-much-more. The level of quality and gourmet foods that they are able to fit into their tiny square foot-age is hard to believe.

We are happy to support this family-operated enterprise with Intrigue’s truffle-sampling for the Meridian Market patrons. The people are friendly, super helpful (which is nice to be around!) and the place manages to pull off small-town and cosmopoliton all at once. A big selection of organic (or what we heard someone else call “normal” food-we like that!) and environmentally friendly products.

We felt like we fit right in!

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Our 1st “Third Thursday Wine Walk”

Chocolate, Cheese and Wine

This was the first time we joined Woodinville Warehouse Wineries for their monthly event. Self-guided tours of 15 wineries, live music, artists and craftsmen came together to make this particular Thursday (June 17th, 2010) very special. We were the guests of Davenport Cellars in their lovely tasting room. (Thank You, Davenport! You are great hosts).

The theme was set for pairing wines with chocolate, and cheese (that is, wine with chocolate, and wine with cheese. We may have to think about that chocolate-cheese idea…uh, maybe not.)

With a flat entry fee at the gate, visitors were free to roam and taste at their will. And will they did! We were surprised (and delighted) to greet twice the expected number of people in the crowd (around 250) and were happy to have Davenport Cellars as our “neighbors”. The pairings we came up with together seemed to make everybody happy:

*Coriander Truffle + Snowflake Wine
*Smokin’ Scotch Truffle + Semillon Wine
*Basil Truffle + Syrah Wine
*Orange-Rosemary Truffle + Continuity Wine
*Hibiscus Truffle + Rose of Cabernet Franc Wine
*Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle + R.H.D. Wine

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