TheChocolateLifeLIVE - Non-Traditional Pairings: Chocolate with Whaaaat?

Clay Gordon -

When I was writing Discover Chocolate back in the latter half of 2006, just as the editorial deadline was approaching, the editor and the publisher asked me to add a short section about pairing chocolate with beer.

With the benefit of hindsight – gained between the day I submitted the completed manuscript and the day the final films were sent to the printer – I had completely changed my mind on the subject.

If there is one section of the book I would go back and completely rewrite if I could, it is that section.

When most people think about chocolate pairings the first pairing that comes to mind is dark chocolate and red wine. The next foray might be to dark chocolate with sweet wines like Ports. These are not bad ideas, in my mind, they are just conventional ideas that don’t excite me very much. What about beers? What about other kinds of wine – other kinds of chocolate? What about cheese and chocolate? And cheese and chocolate and wine (and/or beer)? And ... what else?

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Like the conventional wisdom that red wines go with red meats, white wines with fish, rosé wines with fowl, you are unlikely to make truly awful pairings. 
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But in order to create transcendent pairings you must forget convention.

That is the ground we are going to be exploring in this episode of TheChocolateLifeLIVE. And today’s episode includes a twist that even M, Night Shyamalan would approve of – a twist from a very unexpected source.

TCL Resources

TheChocolateLife::LIVE – Breaking Pairing Boundaries
Episode 57 streams live beginning at noon NYC time on Tuesday, September 6th. This stream builds on the Learning to Taste live stream – so you may want to watch that one first if you have not already.
The Chocolate LifeTheChocolateWire
There are many tips and links to other TCL resources in this post.

Other Sources for Inspiration

Hershey Develops Guide To Pair Candy With Holiday Traditions
Hershey, PA — The Hershey Co. has created a candy pairing guide designed to match its holiday offerings with the most popular traditions unveiled in a recent survey conducted for the company by OnePoll. “Hershey knows that magical feeling of...
NCA
From the Hershey guide above.
The Official Food of Every State
Each state in America has foods associated with it, whether it’s a dish invented there or a crop grown in abundance. Many have proudly chosen to designate these as the state food, officially claiming a piece of what makes the United States great!
Taste of HomeGrace Mannon
What is your state song? All 50 states (except for one) have had an official song. Here’s the list.
All 50 states (except for one) have had an official state song, and some have more than one. Here’s the full list of state songs for every state.
USA TODAYClare Mulroy

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Have thoughts to share or questions to ask?

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