OT: The chocolate conoisseur

Valentine's Day is upon us and as per usual, I will have a *special* A/P viggie for your perusal!

The candy industry tradition dictates that one must give his sweetie chocolate on Valentine's Day, unless said sweetie is one of those anal retentive dieters who will go off on a tear about how those carbs are going to turn her into a size 8 pig. But research has shown that dark chocolate is an antioxidant, which means it stops free radicals that can mutate into cancer, keeps your heart healthy, and even helps you look younger.

I LOVE dark chocolate. The purer the cacao content, the better. I want it the way the Aztecs drank it. So, in the public interest for Valentine's Day, I have conducted years of research to determine the best in dark chocolate for all kinds of price levels. It's a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

Best cheapo chocolate:

Hershey's Special Dark--It has a little bit of sugar, so it's not as bitter and robust as some other types of dark chocolate. But if you're on a budget and you have a craving for the Dark Side, this does the trick.

Best upscale retail brand:

Dove Rich Dark Chocolate & Ghiradelli's 60% Dark Chocolate--You can get Dove in either small pieces or in a bar. It has a little bit of sweetness to it, but it is otherwise rich and flavorful. Ghiradelli's comes in small squares and while I also like the ones that have stuff in it (mint, raspberry), the pure chocolate is really good. Not too sweet and not too bitter.

Best Organic Brand:

Dagoba--Not just because it reminds me of SW, this is good stuff. They do make milk chocolate, but they also have several varieties of dark chocolate varying in cacao content and stuff mixed into it. I love the New Moon 74% and there's a new one that's like 90% cacao content. Whew! It's strong stuff. I also enjoy the one with blueberries and lavender.

Best Fancy Bar:

Lindt's--I like it even more than Toblerone. Lindt's has a yummy bar with pear and a great dark bar with 84% cacao content. Rich and delicious.

Best $$$ Chocolate:

Joseph Schmidt "Cherry Bombs" and Dark Chocolate Truffle--Yes, there are a bunch of atelier chocolates and upscale brands like Godiva or See's kicking around. While I'd never turn any of them down, one brand I was introduced to about a year ago rocks the most. Joseph Schmidt is a San Francisco confectioner whose boob-shaped truffles come in two sizes, small and jawbreaker-sized. The best are the big sized ones, especially the so-called "cherry bombs" that come with a cherry inside (its stem sticks out) and the dark chocolate truffle. Not bitter at all but not sugary, the flavor will knock your socks off. Guys, feed your girl a few of these and you will have 70% of your work done for you.

Have a happy Valentine's Day. If you are single like me, don't fret...all of that delicious candy goes on sale the 15th!

This week's poll!

Last week, by a huge margin you voted whoever came up with the idea of putting Jedi as a religion on government surveys as a great featured guest at Celebration IV.

[Poll #925353]