The Joys of Chocolate Mousse

Yesterday was Father's Day, and as such, we vistited one of my favorite restaurants, La Marmite. There, other than being one of the fines restaurants in New York, they have the best Chocolate Mousse I have ever had. It is a consistently wonderful concoction made the way I feel Mousse should be made.

Now, in many versions of Chocolate Mousse that you find, the consistency is more pudding-like than mousse-like. What is the difference, you may ask? Good question. Pay attention and you will also discover the difference between a good Chocolate Mousse cake and just a pedestrian version.

Good Chocolate Mousse is light and airy. Rather than being cream-like, it is highly whipped and full of air. As such, it should NOT be heavy. It's not quite merringue-like. It is in the middle. I have to admit to being tired of finding a thousand and one Chocolate Mousse cakes that are really just full of Chocolate filling or pudding.

Also, I am not terribly fond of Chocolate Mousse with marshmellows in it. While I am not REALLY fond of marshmellows to begin with, I can appreciate them in their proper places. Chocolate Mousse is not one of them.

But as for La Marmite's Chocolate Mousse, it is a rich and creamy delight that settles nicely after dinner and can satisfy even the most ardent of chocoholics. Kudos abound!

Tropical Sprite Remix

Have you ever had gummi bears? Shame on you if you said no. If not, just imagine your run-of-the-mill collection of Starbursts or Skittles. No imagine that you stuck them in a pot and melted them down. Mix in a bit of Sprite and you've got this new concoction from the people at Coca-Cola.

It is amazing that any liquid so clear can be so strong. The Sprite people have opted not to use their usual green bottle, and go totally clear so you can see the equally clear drink inside. One twist of the cap and it's like you've stuck your head in a bag of Life Savers.

The smell of the sugar eats through your teeth before you even open your mouth. Then comes the magical sip. Less than a mouthful is all you need and you feel like you've downed a thousand and one Jolly Ranchers. A kid's drink if ever I had one, this won't cure a thirst, but it will kill a candy craving in two seconds flat.

The most interesting part of all this, though, is that unlike most other crossover drinks, this one still has a hint of a taste of the original in it. The taste of the Lemon/Lime Sprite underneath is unmistakable and the only thing keeping this drink experience from being a total washout.

Chocolate Creme Filled Oreos

Look, I am an Oreo fan from waaaaaaaaaay back. Add to that that I am a chocoholic and this would seem to be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Chocolate Creme Filled Oreos (CCFO) leave a little to be desired. The little to be desired is a BIG HONKIN' GLASS of milk. Now, while some feel that it is a crime to eat Oreos without milk in the first place, I think you can play this rule fast and loose. Unfortunately the CCFOs don't give you that choice. They tout that they are made with real cocoa (it says it on the package,) and I can believe it. Have you ever had a little bit of cocoa? I don't mean hot chocolate, I mean the cocoa powder. Let me tell you, it's bitter as can be and can suck every ounce of saliva from your mouth.

With that in mind, to me it tastes like the good people at Nabisco simply took your standard, assembly-line Oreo and mixed cocoa powder into the creme. Without adding a little extra sweetner, the creme becomes bland and, mixed in with the inherent dryness of the cookie, almost creates a concrete paste in your mouth. Not too good.

Like all things, however, size matters and the mini versions are MUCH better. With a smaller amount of cocoa to go with the smaller amount of creme, these CCFOs are manageable.

Overall, let me say that they are good, but MUST be eaten with milk. Without this magical substance all is lost, and you'd be better off sticking to your garden variety Oreos.

Post-Easter

With Easter now a few weeks behind us I am now finally getting to the bottom of my Easter candy. YES, it has taken me this long to get there, and to be honest, I've had a little bit of help.

I'd like to take a moment to talk about the best of these candies. While there are your more pedestrian candies like Hershey's Milk Chocolate Eggs, which lack any sort of inspiration, there are also some great, top-of-the-line, Grade A Easter candies.

For example, Reese's has taken the lead and had the most consistently delicious Easter treats ever. First, and at the top of my list for many seasons, is the Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. This year, I have found this in two forms. First is a larger, oval chunk of candy. Inside is the signature Reese's peanut butter. Outside, the simple, soft chocloate shell that makes Reese's so good. The proportion of peanut butter to Chocolate is what makes these treats so delicious. There is much more peanut butter in this than almost any other Reese's treat, allowing it to take center stage.

Fans of Reese's beware, this could become you're new snack of choice, because the peanut butter taste reminds you why Reese's is much better than Russell Stovers. Russell Stovers peanut butter cups use plain, untainted peanut butter, which is bland, and thin. Reese's on the other hand, adds sugar to the peanut butter, making it thick and solid. It's almost like artificial peanut butter. All the taste of peanut butter, without the dry mouth, or it sticking to your teeth.

The second form for these eggs, is a much smaller, bite-sized egg. These are dangerous because you get to pop 'em like candy (well, isn't that the point though?) I like to keep a large collection of candy with me, but when I had these bad boys, I always sought them out. They were just heavenly.

Next on the Reese's bandwagon were the Reese's Pieces Pastel Eggs. These were pretty much like the bite-sized eggs from before, but these had a hard-candy shell. Absolutely delicious.

Now, after reading all that, let me point out that Reese's is owned by Hershey's. So, ultimately while I am criticizing Hershey's for their bland offerings, I am also complimenting their Reese's division for such craftsmanship in the candy department.

Next year, if you encounter these tasty treats, I suggest going for as much as you can. You won't regret it.

POST NUMBER ONE

Greetings and salutations to all of you out there in cyberland. First, a word on my credentials:

I EAT. I eat a lot, I enjoy what I eat and I eat what I enjoy. Eating is one of the most underrated experiences in human existence. As such, I relish it. Over the course of many a conversation about food it has been suggested to me that I put my opinions in writing, and so here we are. This blog will cover my opinions about foods that I encounter or have encountered in the past which may no longer be with us. They may be personal concoctions or one bought in a store. I just think food is THAT important and that I want to share it with you all.

Jason