Gourmet Foodstore

Let me wax poetic for a moment about a website that I have been perusing. www.gourmetfoodstore.com I have had to repeatedly wipe drool off of my chin whilst looking over their many offerings. Hell, just the imported cheese section alone would have many swooning. They even have the types of cheeses broken down into origin and type. This is the type of website that makes me wish I had an unlimited amount of money to spend on food. I could do some serious damage here, people. Of particular interest is their section on GHERKINS also known as "cornichons", which are petite pickles made of a particular sort of cucumber and are traditionally sour pickles served with meats as an accompaniment. (*cough* Chris *cough*)

They have caviar, truffles, foie gras, oils and vinegars, butters and creams. Seriously, go check it out. If I ever get some money to burn, THIS is where it will be spent.

Chocolate

I adore chocolate. In most forms. The more gourmet, the better. The weirder, the better. I happily fork over 7-9$ for a unique chocolate bar. One bar. I have been known to spend 35$ on chocolate at any one given time. I love it so. I typically tend to hate most American chocolates. You know, the ones you can get at any convenience store. Snickers, Hershey's, and the like. I consider them chocolate imposters. They taste like dirt and they nevver truly satisfy a chocolate craving. The most you get from them is a sugar buzz and a toothache. There are some artisan chocolate companies in America that I search out. One is Vosges Chocolatiers. They are based in Chicago and eating one of their exotic chocolate bars is wonderful experience that engages all of your five senses. They have ingredients in them that range from quirky to just plain weird. For example, they have several bars that have different varieties of sea salt. If you haven't tried chocolate with salt, you are missing out. They use unheard of ingredients like goji berries, wasabi, macha green tea, black sesame seeds, kalamata olives and pasilla chiles. They even have a bar that has applewood bacon and hickory smoked sea salt in it called Mo's Bacon bar. Yes, I said bacon. Before you turn your nose up at it, remember that salty-sweet taste that I touted earlier? Yes, it falls into that category, but with a richness that the other ones just don't have. You must try it at least once in your life. You will be happy that you did.

I also have a love affair going with British chocolates, but that will be it's own seperate post. Yes, it deserves one all its own.