I still blame Hannah III- The Mona Vale Haul

It's only been a few short months since the lovely Hannah upset my tepid suburban world. It seems particulary unfair that one so young should have such a developed palate, and a wealth of experience. Trying to replicate it from the rural heartland of NSW is pretty tricky. Every trip to the supermarket is now a disappointment. But I've given it a crack. I'm sure Paris will change this. Till I get to Paris, I shall have to make do with Mona Vale and Canberra. Pretty exotic.

Travelling to Mona Vale on a day trip for work I of course, made use of the time and checked out the providores shop that I remembered at the top of the shopping centre. And it paid dividends. Variable dividends, but there was still the thrill of the chase. And I managed to bag three chocolates from three different countries- France, Belgium and the USA.

Firstly to France. And actually to the Perigord. We went there on our travels in 1998 and it was an amazing area. The home of truffles, foie gras and magnificent scenery. And also home to Bovetti. There were a few of the companies products to choose from (I can't remember what now, my blogging is so slow that this trip was actually a few months ago, and disappearing into the mists of time). I chose the Premium Milk Chocolate with Caramel and Fleur de Sel. I do love Caramel, and may well have picked this one without Hannah's undue, subversive influence. We had Salted butter caramels in France, and they live on in my memory as an extraordinary experience. But all that talk of salt and chocolate was too much to bear. It had to be done.



Sadly it didn't quite live up to my expectations.




It wasn't bad by any stretch- that is still to come, but the caramel flavour lingered longer than that of the chocolate and sadly the salt made a barely perceptible contribution. Perhaps that is the point and I just don't know enough to appreciate it. Perhaps my palate isn't educated enough to appreciate it. With correctly seasoned food you don't taste the salt, you just taste more of the food. Is this supposed to be the same? Hopefully France will hold all the answers next month.

The second bar I tried was a Ghirardelli 60% Intense Dark Evening Dream. A famous American chocolate company based in San Francisco I believe. At least I think I remember it from there, many many years ago.



And this was nice. It had a mild snap, and was too soft, but was glossy and smooth, with a hint of madagascan vanilla. The taste lingered reasonably well in the mouth. Mr Wicker and I both enjoyed this but thought that $8.95 was a bit much for what was an essentially nice, but not particularly memorable chocolate. Not worth the food miles on the whole.

Lastly, but by no means least was the experience of Dolfin. A Belgian Milk chocolate flavoured with Green Tea from Japan. I wondered about this pairing. Is it a mistake? Surely it must be really nice if they're going to put two rather obviously odd flavours together like this? I know Green Tea is Big Right Now, does that excuse everything? Is my non-tea-drinker status clouding my vision? Is it ridiculous to pay $4.50 for 30 grams of chocolate?



YES as it turns out. I Really Didn't Like this chocolate. Not quite as much as the 100% debacle from Canberra. I didn't have to spit it out. But awful nonetheless. It sits half eaten in our cupboard to this day. I find it rather ironic that a company that subtitles its product with The Art of Blending should have created this. There is no blending of the tea. I guess I was expecting that it would be green tea powder mixed in with the bar to create a smooth product. Instead this had grassy, dry bits of tea, indeed more reminiscent of chaff that brought memories of my teenage girl horsey stage flooding back. It makes a rather unpalatable mouth feel. The green tea was overpowering, not a subtle flavour note at all. Mr Wicker couldn't eat his piece. I soldiered on through my one piece in the name of scientific research and endeavour. The dogs liked it without reservation.



I am now uncertain as to how much green tea stuff I should try in France. I'd been presuming that I would try a green tea macaron. David Leibovitz somewhat sensibly advises to avoid the new and trendy flavours, he feels that they are hit and miss, and prefers to chose the classic flavours. It certainly is true that classics are often classics for a reason isn't it? We shall see.

Flaubert's Parrot

I came to this book at the perfect time. I had just recently read and enjoyed Madame Bovary. Emma Bovary gave me my first introduction to 19th century French literature, and wow, Flaubert certainly wasn't anything like Jane Austen or The Brontes! I am now rather intrigued by Flaubert, son of a doctor, who clearly learnt a lot of contemporary medicine growing up at the Hotel- Dieu.

In Madame Bovary there's an amazing chapter describing the tenotomy that Charles Bovary performs on Hippolyte, the village stable hand who has been getting around perfectly well with his club foot. Sadly, Charles isn't much of a surgeon and the operation does not go well. The account of his further surgery is harrowing. In that chapter Flaubert makes mention of Ambroise Pare and Guillaume Dupuytren.

Flaubert's fascinating tale of Madame Bovary combined with the tantalising glimpses into the history of medicine made it almost compulsory for me to fall into the thrall of Flaubert. I'd heard of Flaubert's Parrot but never been particularly interested because I've read one Julian Barnes book before, the incredibly awful England, England which was somehow shortlisted for the Booker in 1998. So it was with some considerable trepidation that I borrowed this book from the library. Only to learn that it was based around the parrot that featured in A Simple Heart (Un Coeur Simple). So, I read that too before embarking on Flaubert's Parrot. Turns out I didn't really need to. Barnes' gives a two paragraph summary early on to explain why Flaubert needed to borrow a parrot from the Museum of Rouen to help in his writing of Un Coeur Simple.

Flaubert's Parrot has perhaps the most bizzare structure that I've ever come across in a novel. Indeed, it makes one wonder if this really is a novel. Barnes himself said that he wanted to mix of fact and fiction, elastic and capacious, and expected a small audience.

A great article from the Guardian.

Flaubert's Parrot makes us ponder why we should chase the writer? Because it's so damn interesting is my basic response I suppose. And Flaubert is a perfect case in point. I so wish that our upcoming trip to France could include Rouen. I would take Flaubert's Parrot with me to reread, and to walk the locations of the book, to gaze at the Hotel Dieu, to find the pictures of Flaubert. Last months Good Reading had a great article on the Flaubert trail in Rouen.

Writers are interesting in a way that actors for example can never be, IMHO. I can't understand why week after week newspapers are filled with articles about actors. When almost any other profession is more interesting in and of itself. And most of the magazines that fill the supermarkets one week and then landfills the next are choc full of articles about actors.

I think it was in this book that Braithwaite said that he was going to "save Virginia Woolf til he was dead". Sage advice, think I'll take that on board too. I fact I already have. Perhaps it should be one of my daily affirmations just in case I feel my resolve slipping.

I Blame Hannah II- The Canberra Haul

The seeds planted by Hannah recently bore fruit. We did a recent short trip to Canberra to see the Masterpieces from Paris exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia. A seondary aim was to load up on heretofore unknown goodies. And so it was that we made a pilgrimage to As Nature Intended at Belconnen Markets as our first stop on the way into Canberra.

Compared to the amazing items that Hannah finds I was somewhat disappointed with the more humble treasures that I found. Still there was the Thrill of the Unknown. (I can't manage to upload a rotated image, grrrr) This is what I found at As Nature Intended.




I kept trawling through Canberra looking for rare gems, but they avoided my grasp on the whole. We also went to Urban Food but came away empty handed. The best haul of the trip was actually made in the most surprising location. Perhaps chocolate is somewhat like love- you find it when you're not looking for it. So imagine my surprise whilst browsing the gift shop at the National Museum of Australia to find a range of chocolates from The Curious Chocolatier, a local company in Canberra, that I now discover is run by an ex-nurse. Sensible move that. And what a glorious looking packaging she has made. Very distinctive and eye catching. Thankfully I was intrigued and bought a few bars.





But I didn't try these ones first. I decided to try the Belconnen haul first. First up, the Cocoa Camino White with Nibs (Blanc aux Eclats), a confusing chocolate which appears to be from a Canadian company and a Swiss manufacturer. I'd been reading Hannah's posts about nibs, and she's certainly a fan, and so of course I was intrigued. I'd never heard of nibs til recently so I jumped at the chance to buy some.



Sadly, it wasn't the revelation that I was hoping for. The white chocolate was a bit soft and soapy. I found the nibs to be a bit tasteless, though I freely admit that I don't know how nibs should taste, and I still think that that is true for me even after eating this bar. To me they contributed more texture than taste to the experience. I nibbled a solitary nib by itself and there was no real taste, and certainly not a chocolate taste, it could have been a piece of pine cone.

Onto the next experience, which was one that I wasn't really expecting. But one that I should have if only I had read the wrapper properly before I bought it, not after I took the first bite. Dagoba Organic Chocolate Prima Materia 100%. 100%! That's the bit I didn't notice in my buying frenzy in the shop. I usually don't like chocolate much more than 70%, and here I was unwittingly buying 100% (and the unsweetened bit was in even smaller print. Oh man).



I'm not quite sure who the target audience for this chocolate is, but it certainly isn't me. I was unable to even complete the first bite. I had to spit it out into the garbage! I still have a near full bar for anyone looking to replicate my experience and tell me how bad my palate actually is. Do it. Take on the challenge.....



I found a chocolate review site where some people with a clearly more educated palate than mine recorded vastly different experiences with this particular piece of "chocolate". "Mind blowing intensity", maybe that's what made my tongue shrivel and curl when the first microns landed on it? It does look glossy I will give them that.

Oh, but this bit, puts my urgh, spit slightly more eloquently:
Texture is likewise completely off the mark for a 100%: instead of the smooth and silken mouthfeel one expects there is instead a dry and gritty pastiness that further exacerbates already astringent qualities.

Sounds delicious doesn't it?? I guess one must suffer on the road to enlightenment, but I didn't think it would be this severe, and this soon into the journey.

The last of the Belconnen Trio was actually the last chocolate that I tried. I ate all the Curious Chocolatier one first because I was scared of opening this one. Scared. Rice milk. Just seems wrong. Mind you I guess if I was vegan I'd be happy with "chocolate" made with rice milk. But curiosity didn't kill the cat for nothing.



Still can't upload rotated photo from iphoto. Grrrr.

So Rice Milk Chocolate. It was actually better than I expected. It had a pleasing snap. And quite a snap. I'm sure the chocolate purists would Not Be Pleased. A pleasing snap is a reassuring sign that one has stumbled onto a superior chocolate, and here we have rice milk chocolate making a definite audible snap. So far so good, but how is it to eat? The taste was unusual, and there was something in the back palate or the texture that I really couldn't pin down. It was odd, and somewhat unsettling but not entirely unpleasant.

In the interests of me ever getting this post finished I'm going to upload it now. You will have to wait however long it takes me to get to reporting on my stash from The Curious Chocolatier.....(sadly though they are all gone, if you come round, you only get the 100%)

You Eat it Why?

Browsing through the Sunday Telegraph (I do all my big reading on the weekends) I came across an "article" extolling the virtues of nutricosmetics. Taking "you are what you eat" to the ridiculous extreme it seems. I can't find a link to the actual article and it's too long to type out in full.

Apparently the rest of the world is way ahead of us in this regard. The Japanese are eating collagen filled marshmallows, and slurping down Shiseido's pure White skin-whitening drink, or snacking on collagen coated dried fruit. The Europeans have anti-ageing jam to spread on their baguettes. The article states that American women in their 20s and 30s (ie the young ones who really don't need this stuff) are more likely to be accepting of nutricosmetics, whilst older American women are (sensibly) more sceptical.

Five products are listed in a companion box (who said advertorial! Hush).

1. Borba Skin Balance Gummi Bear Bosters

Snack your way to better looking skin! These delectable gummi bear dietary supplements are the first mobile, surprisingly delicious skin care nutraceuticals designed to harness the positive effects of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients offered in BORBA formulations.

Each Gummi Bear Booster contains a revolutionary, cultivated bio-vitamin complex, shown to help skin regenerate its natural support system. Helps increase the potential to absorb skin caring ingredients into the epidermis. Combines simplicity and nutrition with the delight of confections to deliver the benefit of enhanced skin care.

Only 25 bucks US for 136 gummi bears!

2. Glowelle

2 basic products a 100 calorie drink or a 50 calorie powder in 2 flavours (Pomegranate Lychee or Raspberry Jasmine)

Hmmm, they have Clinical Proof. 56 women participated in a 5 month trial. They've made a "summary of the clinical trial key findings". Well they've written 3 points, but there are no actual results presented.

I'm not too sure about this finding either- Research shows that skin color unevenness alone can account for up to 20 years of apparent age. 20 years, just from looking a bit blotchy? I don't think so. Surely noone can buy that?

Someone must be buying Glowelle, for only $US112 for a 30 day supply. Bargain.

3. Tea Tonic Complexon Tea

Start your day with this famous blend of herbs which helps to foster an aluminous glow. It is caffeine free, organic and anti-oxidant rich.

I was almost beguiled by this product. The company is mainly just selling teas. Not bad in and of itself surely. There is only one with nutricosmetic claims. Why call it Complexon Tea, and not Complexion Tea? And it will give you an aluminous glow. Aluminous? Like aluminium? Or just a-luminous, which I think is the opposite really of what it's stated aims are.

4. Frutels

Perhaps my favourite of the five products featured.

Individually wrapped dark chocolate drops containing vitamins and minerals said to balance hormones and support skin to prevent pimples. Say what? Only US39.95 for a months supply.

5. DeLuscious Biscuits

Sinful sounding biscuits that support skin health. The biscuits contain acai and noni berries, plus vitamins B3, B6, B12 and flaxseed.

Six biscuits for only $US 24.95


Call me crazy but isn't this what fruit and vegetables and a balanced diet are for???



Mind you the erstwhile Sunday Telegraph does (if you make it as far as the last paragraph) remind us that good skin starts with a balanced diet and plenty of water. Protect skin cells and slow the ageing process with antioxidant rich foods such as blueberries, dark green leafy vegetables, tomato paste, avocados, parsley and kiwifruit. Ensure your diet includes essential fatty acids, vitamin A and C, plus selenium, which can be foudn in brazil nuts and wholegrain bread.

No mention of the big two nasties- smoking and sun exposure....

I Blame Hannah

It's a global world that we live in now, and yes, inspiration can come from anywhere. Recently I've become exposed to the evil postings of a delicious blog(ger). This wicked temptress is torturing me near daily with hithertofore unknown delights. Askinose. Vestri. Surely what they eat in heaven.

I aspire to try some of this stuff- I really do. But well, you know, I live in Orange. I have scoured the local resources, ok I went to Coles and Big W, to try and find some hither to unacknowledged locally available treasure trove. Sadly not to be. Will need excursions or international couriers (when it's not 35 degrees here) to bring some of these goodies to my door.

My local exploits into the unknown began thusly, at Big W:




All the signs that normally warn me away from such a product. Nasty packaging. Dairy Free. Gluten Free. Weakened by images of Vestri, and knowing that this product couldn't possibly live up to the imaginings of that one, I bought it.




And wasn't disappointed. It was rather unmemorable. I bought this a bit over a week ago, and while it has been a particularly busy week, I now find that I have almost no memory of what this chocolate was like. It wasn't bad and certainly not as bad as I was expecting (I think, although I did find that one later at Coles), but also not really memorable.

At Coles, I ventured even further into the unknown with a gimmicky chocolate. Oh yes I know. I know. Going to be dreadful. Always going to be dreadful. But where oh where is my supplier of Vestri? Florence. Hmmph. So I am left with this to try












Don't do it. Just don't do it. I've done it so that you don't have to.

I did have one limited success in my local campaign. I'd tried on Green and Black product before, quite some time ago, so can't remember which one, but had been a bit underwhelmed, and not continued any further in exploring their works. Recently I had a friend over to watch The History Boys (a bit disappointing actually after wanting to see it for so long), and we nibbled daintily on two different Green and Black bars after chowing down on Indian takeaway.

One was this one



The other some sort of butterscotch chip milk chocolate I think.





The white one isn't bad, you can taste the vanilla, but it's a bit soft, maybe not helped along by the hot summer weather I suppose. It will have to suffice til I can get my hands on some Askinosie- maybe next month in Canberra??

Going Rogue Rouge

Even we down in the Antipodes are starting to hear noise from the publicity machine that is grinding away in these glorious days pre-publication of Sarah Palin's memoir, Going Rogue, not released until November 17 2009 in the US. Interesting that the List Price is $28, while the Preorder Price is $9. It is currently ranked #2 at Amazon, and the Guardian claims that preorders for her book knocked Dan Brown's latest from the #1 spot at one stage.

Wow, just going to that page to get that Amazon link, I saw three shocking little words that never should have been grouped together Sarah Palin (Author). I personally would have been happier with Sarah Palin (Threat to World Stability). I think even I'll start taking to the streets again in protest if she ever gets elected to any American position with any scent of world power.

Of course as with anything involved Sarah Palin there will be two rather diametrically opposed camps. The spoofers are well-prepared and have several books ready to go. I do hope that even far flung places get a chance to buy Going Rouge, The Sarah Palin Colouring and Activity Book.




Man that's funny. Possibly the funniest American political satire since those good ol' boys at Jib Jab tickled my funny bone in 2004.

Subversive Penguins

I recently became aware that a childrens picture book had topped the American Library Associations most challenged book list for the third year running. Of course I immediately wanted to read it and requested it from my library.

and tango makes three is the true story of the behaviour of a pair of boy penguins called Roy and Silo at Central Park Zoo in New York in the late 90s. Roy and Silo, formed a bond, hung out together, and made a nest out of rocks just like the other penguins did. They even tried to incubate a rock. Cute. Their keeper had of course noticed this behaviour, and in 2000 when another penguin couple had two eggs they gave one of their eggs to Roy and Silo to incubate. This other pair had had two eggs before but never managed to raise both chicks. Roy and Silo did an admirable job, and 34 days later Tango (it takes two, oh dear) hatched.

This book has been very controversial since its publication in 1995. People like Steve Walden get themselves all in a lather about it. I'm not sure that poor Steve gets the point. The keeper didn't really "steal" an egg from other penguins. He gave Roy and Silo an egg that he knew would not hatch if left with it's own parents. And the book isn't about sex. It's about penguins.

Sadly all did not end up rosily for Roy and Silo. I do love the quote at the end of this article from the authors

"The book is" no more an argument in favor of human gay relationships than it is a call for children to swallow their fish whole or sleep on rocks.

Interesting evidence from that same article that will please the opponents of this dreadful book about penguins- Tango has paired up with a female penguin, Tazuni, for the past two seasons. Man, they're right, exposure to this story will do enduring harm to our children.

Being a reckless kind of parent I read this book with my 8 year old son tonight. He's a bit beyond the picture book stage now, although he knows I like them and that occasionally I'll pick one to read with him when he's running late for bedtime and we don't have time for a few chapters of whatever book we're actually reading together. Being the son of a reckless parent, he liked the book. He liked that chinstrap penguins weren't endangered (the author's note at the back states that there were 42 chinstrap penguins at Central Park Zoo, and over 10 million worldwide). I think he saw it as an environmental tale rather than any exposition of homosexual love. He has a keen interest in the natural world, and we've read many books where the young were raised by animals other than their own parents in efforts to conserve a species, including the wonderful Old Blue (one of his enduring favourites about how the Chatham Island Robins were saved from extinction).

Thankfully unlike Steve Walden I didn't have to spend an hour "undoing the damage" that this book had wreaked, nor did it wreck my entire evening. And my son, he just went to bed.