Mostly Goodness Celebrating the things that are (mostly) good in life

"Tcho is a new kind of chocolate company for a new generation of chocolate enthusiasts," or so its website claims. Located in the heart of San Francisco, at Pier 17 between Fisherman's Wharf and the Ferry Building, Tcho is obsessed with amazingly high-quality, organic dark chocolate, with a social mission that it claims is the "next step beyond Fair Trade." The company works to help farmers by transferring knowledge of how to grow and ferment better beans so they can escape commodity production to become premium producers.

What I love about Tcho's chocolate, besides the clever packaging and perfectly square, bite-size bars, are the way they're categorized. Instead of categorizing the dark chocolate only by "X % cacao" as most chocolate manufacturers do nowadays, they also assign their chocolate a flavor based on this handy chocolate flavor wheel.


The flavors are not over-the-top, but are really subtle. I really liked "Fruity" and "Nutty." What's cool is that there's not actually any fruit or nuts in the chocolate, but the cacao beans have been grown in such a way that these natural flavors have been "coaxed out" of the beans, in a similar way that coffee beans can taste floral or earthy or nutty.


Tcho chocolates can be purchased on their website, but I first discovered them at the Starbucks in Strawberry Village, where they were on sale in a convenient plastic jar like the one shown above. It's a sampler that includes "Fruity," "Nutty," "Chocolatey," and "Citrus."


The label tells me to "take as needed for inspiration, happy heart, coping, focus, optimism, and even euphoria." Being the rule-follower that I am, I strictly follow the recommended dosage prescribed on the jar and eat at least one piece per day, for good health. Or if it's been a hard day, I might eat more than one! Each little square contains only 44 calories, so no guilt, either.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm seriously considering ordering this "Mango Drenched in Dark Chocolate." What can I say, I'm a sucker for fruit and chocolate. Does that not sound ridiculously delicious?!

Garlic is one of those flavors that I can't live without. I put garlic in everything. But sometimes fresh garlic can be a bit too strong, so I've begun roasting my own garlic for dishes that need a more mellow flavor. It's super easy and delicious, and it makes your entire house smell amazing!

Here's how to do it.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of the cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.



4. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small knife to cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

The roasted garlic can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. It's particularly great spread over warm French bread, mixed into homemade mashed potatoes, or added to pasta dishes along with parmesan cheese.

It's confession time. I heart Luna Bars. They're my favorite snack after a hard workout at the gym or a long run. Lemon Zest is my favorite flavor. It's chewy and covered with a lemon glaze that has just enough "zest" but not too much.