LOCAL : CHOCO SOL
This post is especially for Ellie – Happy Belated Birthday! I hope we’ll share some drinking chocolate very soon.
A few weeks ago I finally made it to the Sorauren Farmer’s Market on Monday. There are so many markets throughout the city, but Monday is my day off and luckily Sorauren is close to home. The one stall that I was immediately drawn to was Choco Sol’s. They sell eating chocolates and drinking chocolates that are horizontally-traded, bicycle-powered and stone ground. I bought a biodegradable container of their Xocolatl, which comes with three discs of drinking chocolate (the ingredients are roasted cacao & raw organic cane sugar) and a molinillo. The molinillo is a beautifully carved wooden whisk that is used to whip the drinking chocolate into a froth. When you hold it between your palms, you just rub the handle back and forth, causing the molinillo to spin and aerate the chocolate drink. I don’t drink coffee, so this has become my new morning ritual. The xocolatl has a rich roasted flavour that I would associate with coffee, I always add a bit more raw sugar to mine because I prefer to have it sweet rather than slightly bitter. I feel absolutely no guilt drinking this pure chocolate-goodness, but here is some scientific research. If you need that sort of thing.
You can also catch Choco Sol at the Dufferin Grove Market on Thursdays and the Brick Works on Saturdays.
My Favourite Drinking Chocolate (hot or cold) places in NYC
Chocolate Bar
Jacques Torres
I also picked up some goat’s milk cheese from Montforte Dairy Company Ltd. at the Farmer’s Market. I can’t resist cheese, especially goat cheese.
Did you know that you can bake bread in a rice cooker? I feel like i should have known that. Check out this photo tutorial by elissabetha. Very cool!
3 comments
mmm. chocolate and cheese. 2 of my favorite things. though not together…yet.
i bought a molinillo in oaxaca 2 years ago. you’ve inspired me to get it out and get using it.
fav. drinking choco = soma @ the distillery
Perola Supermarket in Kensington sells Montezuma chocolates especially for making hot chocolate (Mexican style) but is delicious to snack on as is because it’s just a touch sweeter than regular dark chocolate, and a tad chocolatey-er too.
Also, “The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook” is a book I’ve been dying to get after checking it out at length from the library. If you’ve got a sophisticated rice cooker, you’ll experience a lot of trial and error. But a simple machine should yield good results. I was totally keen on all the puddings and custard possible.
mb – hi! welcome. hooray for the milinillo. i love using mine. thanks for the tip on Soma. i definitely want to find some places in toronto to get my choco fill.
nat – i’ll check out Perola on my next run to Global Cheese in Kensington for sure. my rice cooker is totally basic and under used. i can’t wait to see what else it can be used for.