My Favorite Week of the Year

This week is my favorite week of the year. The weekend starts with the Bastille festival at Seattle Center.

The Bastille day festival (this Saturday) is a milestone in my food obsessed world. Two years ago I volunteered at this festival because I was looking to meet new people.
From then on, I kept volunteering at every event that I could find, meeting food people, networking and here I am 2 years later enjoying all the connections that I managed to make.

Saturday night is the Bal des Pompiers (Fireman's ball), an evening of music and dancing in the streets.
Sunday is The Bastille day festival, a festival with chef demos, food and music.
It's free and open to everyone so bring the kids to this family friendly event.

Sunday I will be judging The Chocolate Salon again. Last year was a great experience so I am really interested in seeing the creative choices this year.
I think I still have a blue cheese chocolate truffle with a bite in it from last year in my fridge.
Here is my post from last year.
Bastille Day ,July 14 Events:

Cafe Campagne Bastille Festival:
Live music, food and Burlesque performances


Le Pichet Bastille Celebration
From 6 pm and till late hours
French food and Live Jazz from Absinthe Minded Professors (7pm) and DJ Miss Broadway (11pm)

Maximillian Bastille Day Dinner
Enjoy a $35 3-course meal on the patio, overlooking the water. They have live music too.

I will try to make all 5 events. Will I be able to make it to all of them?

Seattle Chocolate Salon

In picture, Cosmic Chocolates


A few weeks ago I told you that I would be a judge at the Seattle Chocolate Salon and that is exactly what I did.

All my friends seem to have the same things to say about me judging the chocolate salon.
Here are some of the things people said................

1) You must be so sick of chocolate.
The truth is that I have been eating more chocolate since. I had Nutella for breakfast the next day.
2) You probably had just a bite from each one.
The companies were giving out some big pieces of chocolate. I could not imagine spitting out or throwing out the rest of the piece I got. Some of these were very expensive chocolates.
3)You probably love dark chocolate. You are a foodie
Truth is that dark is nice but that was not my choice that day. I was more into the unconventional fillings, like basil, beer and potato chips (which other judges thought was weird) and banana foster just to name a few.............
4) You must have been nauseous/ I wasn't nauseous. I was totally fine. What is wrong with me?


The chocolate salon sent out the list of winners and here is the list.

Best Dark Chocolate: Amano Artisan Chocolate
Best Milk Chocolate:Theo Chocolate
Best Truffle: Posh Chocolat / Cadeaux Chocolates
Most Gift Set: Petits Noirs
Most Artistic Designs: Cosmic Chocolate
Best Organic or Fair Trade Products:Theo Chocolate
Most Gifted Chocolatier:Fiori Chocolatiers / Cosmic Chocolate
New Product Award: Kekau Chocolatier / GrendelSweets Handcrafted Chocolates
Chocolate Pioneer Award :Dilettante Chocolates

Now here are my winners.........

My favorite was Cosmic chocolate.They have some really interesting flavors and incredible designs. This is one gift that I would love to give. The website is so fun!


Another favorite was Theo chocolates. I love their unique flavors...chocolate with chai, chocolate with curry and the dark chocolates are amazing.

I love Kekau Chocolatier. I didn't try the blue cheese flavor but everyone said it was interesting... I love the spiced berry (strawberries are infused with Chinese cinnamon, black cardamom, and Balsamic vinegar and paired with a 64% dark chocolate from Guayaquil and molded in a 35% Ivoire.) I also loved the kalamansi coconut (Kalamansi lime is blended with coconut milk to create a unique pate de fruit. It is then paired with a 64% Tainori from Valrhona that is infused with coconut milk and bitter peanut oil. )

Honorable mentions:


Amano chocolates, by far one of the best tasting dark chocolate bars.

Intrigue chocolates, with flavors like Jamaican Hot chocolate...mmmmmmmmmmmm

Emily's chocolates for a nice gift at an inexpensive price. For those days when you just don't feel like spending too much.

I really can't talk about every chocolate that I loved because there were so many.

Now I have to add to this chocolate post with some of my favorites that were not in the salon.....Hershey's kisses filled with cherry. I recently discovered them while buying my husband some kisses for his birthday... gag, I know it's cheesy. We have been eating them frozen ever since.

Another great chocolate (especially for vegans) is my healthy alternative to Nutella
100 percent organic vegan coconut chocolate spread sweetened with agave nectar
by Love Street Living Foods
I love that stuff!

Okay, that's enough.... I need my chocolate fix. Going to eat a frozen kiss!