Chocolate Apprentice

Alma Chocolate

I had the wonderful opportunity, recently, to visit Portland for the premiere of my talented niece (a dancer/choreographer)’s program of new works.

It was one of those “slightly less than 24 hour” visits, but I was determined to get to a boutique chocolatier I had read about:  Sarah Hart’s Alma Chocolate, on NE 28th Avenue, in the Northeast Portland, Kerns district.

I love Portland because it is home to all kinds of wonderful, unique little spots.  A walking and biking city, Portland celebrates a diversity of interests – in fact one of its slogans is “Keep Portland Weird”, in other words, unique. [Read more…]

Moonstruck Chocolate

I first became aware of Portland’s Moonstruck Chocolate, and Master Chocolatier Julian Rose, a couple of months ago, when I was doing a post on Fortunato No. 4, a rare, and newly re-discovered chocolate from Peru.

I had been given a sample of it, and wanted to find out “who had it” and what they were doing with it.

What Julian Rose and Moonstruck are doing with it is, making the most fabulous tumbled dark chocolate beans, essentially the Pure Nacional cacao beans tumbled in a coating of their own chocolate and a shining “secret” golden glaze. [Read more…]