I’ve reached the point in my pregnancy where people have started to lie to me. Before, as I’ve chronicled, I was getting “are-you-sure-its-not-twins” chortle-chortle. In retrospect, I realize maybe that light joke was made possible because I looked (relatively) cute and perky. As of tonight, however, I realize that joke-time has ended. This evening people just smiled real big when they saw me. “You look GREAT,” they said.
I’m not blind. I’ve seen my double chin. Profile, and front on. I’ve seen my belly too. I’ve even measured it, and in circumference, I am 10-inches less around than I am tall—with shoes. That is not GREAT. That is not big-smile-BEAUTIFUL. But none of this stops me from baking. Or, to be even more destructive, making candy.
The Tuttifoodie lady is a member of my cooking contest website, which is pretty darn cool. She put out a post that the Chocolate Adventure Contest needed more entries, and I for one, was pleased as pop-rocks to oblige (although there are no pop-rocks in this recipe).
Schaffen Berger & Tuttifoodie Chocolate Adventure Contest
The Rules: Each recipe entered must call for Scharffen Berger® Chocolate—either dark chocolate (mentioning exact cacao content anywhere from 62 to 99 percent) or milk chocolate or cocoa—along with at least one “adventure ingredient” from the following list: Popping candy (unflavored or flavored), wattleseed, palm sugar, basil, mustard seeds, coriander, black sesame seeds, black or pink peppercorns, chili pepper (fresh or whole dried), coconut milk, kaffir lime leaf, matcha tea, mango, plantain, jicama, tapioca pearls (any size), tamarind (or tamarind paste), cacao nibs
Judging Criteria: Categories: Sweet, Savory, and Beverage. The first round will be based on originality, creativity and whether the recipe represents a spirit of adventure (40%), perceived taste of finished recipe (35%) and perceived ease of preparation (25%).
The Prize: $5000 in each category. Each Grand-Prize winner will also receive the Scharffen Berger® Chocolate Adventure Contest medal, a gold-colored likeness of a Scharffen Berger® 3-ounce bar. Each Grand-Prize winning recipe title, along with the creator’s name, will be announced in Saveur Magazine.
The Entry: A nut brittle with coconut, chili pepper (although not whole) and, of course, Scharffen Berger chocolate.
