Tag Archives: boulder

Playing catch (up)

On Saturday night, I attended a Words & Wine event featuring Ruth Reichl. I wasn’t even 24 hours into the IFBC, but I was already feeling the effects of overeating and undersleeping. In a quiet moment, I commented to The Daily Spud that the hors d’oeuvres plate I was holding was just too damn heavy.

We both stopped as we realized how silly a statement that was. I mean, really? “Oh, my life is so hard. This plate of fabulous hors d’oeuvres – roasted vegetables, amazing cheese, with local wine - is just too heavy.”

Later that evening, as we waited in line to get our books signed: “Le sigh. I can’t believe this lineup to meet Ruth Reichl.”

And the next day, lining up for the conference lunch, featuring caviar, a crazy spread from Herbfarm, and handmade pasta from Spring Hill: “This lineup for amazingly fresh, local food is simply too long!”

Egad, life is hard sometimes.

I’m slowly working my way through an amazing backlog of chocolate. Between my visit to Soma last month and Chocolopolis this weekend, I have nearly 30 artisan bars to taste, and more than a few boxes of chocolate confections in the fridge.

See what I mean? I’ll stop complaining now.

Seth Ellis Chocolatier mint truffles

Chocolate and mint must be the most perfect combination in the world. I mean, besides chocolate and peanut butter. And peanut butter and banana. And peanut butter and jelly. And…okay. Chocolate and mint is one of the most perfect combinations in the world.

Even though I know better, I’m still a sucker for After Eight. Put a box in front of me, and I will eat the entire thing. No questions asked.

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Well, Seth Ellis Chocolatier’s mint truffles taste like the best of After Eights, but with more actual mint and less of that crunchy fondant filling. It’s a smooth, rich ganache that tastes of crisp, bright mint. It tastes like summer, but better.

Seth Ellis chocolates are available at select locations in the Denver/Boulder area, and that page will soon be updated to reflect the five NYC Whole Foods that now carries them. You can also buy them online through It’s Only Natural Gifts or through Foodzie.

Seth Ellis Chocolatier ginger truffles

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Seth Ellis Chocolatier makes these ginger truffles that like like Jackson Pollock gems. The coloured spatter is beautiful, but doesn’t seem to be anything new. I mean, lots of chocolatiers decorate their chocolates with colours. I’m pretty sure that the standard yellow colour is made of Yellow Dye No. 5 suspended in cocoa butter. Decidedly not organic.

Now, remember that Seth Ellis chocolates are certified organic. How’d they manage to do that and get a yellow spatter? They used turmeric. I think my eyebrows almost left my forehead when I found out. Yet another example of creative problem solving.

Enough about the spatter. The inside of these truffles is beautifully smooth, almost velvety ganache. There are two kinds of ginger inside, a Hawaiian ginger that provides a warm base, and a crystallized Australian ginger that dances on top of it. I could eat a whole box of these.

Seth Ellis chocolates are available at select locations in the Denver/Boulder area, and that page will soon be updated to reflect the five NYC Whole Foods that now carries them. You can also buy them online through It’s Only Natural Gifts or through Foodzie.

Seth Ellis Chocolatier blueberry truffles

Blueberry ganache. It seems so obvious, but I can’t think of a chocolatier who makes a blueberry ganache. (Anyone care to correct me?)

Apparently, Seth Ellis Chocolatier made these blueberry truffles because one of the founders’ kids wanted a blueberry truffle. I guess it pays to be a chocolatier’s kid.

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Photo credit: Rick Levine

I’ve never seen this shape before – it’s like a pyramid meets a rosette. It’s awfully pretty, with its little cap of blueberry-tinged white chocolate, a dark chocolate shell, and a white chocolate base. The blueberry ganache inside tastes different as it melds with the dark chocolate, and then the white.

The ganache is fairly subtle, possibly too subtle for my liking, but I’m still enamoured with the novelty of the blueberry-ness.

Seth Ellis chocolates are available at select locations in the Denver/Boulder area, and that page will soon be updated to reflect the five NYC Whole Foods that now carries them. You can also buy them online through It’s Only Natural Gifts or through Foodzie.

Seth Ellis Chocolatier raspberry truffles

I don’t understand people who buy seedless raspberry jam. The best part about raspberry jam is the seeds. Sure, they get stuck in your teeth, but there’s something delightfully satisfying about crunching your way through a spoonful of jam. Erm, I mean a layer of jam. On toast. Yup.

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Photo credit: Rick Levine

Well, Seth Ellis Chocolatier sure knows how to impress a girl. Some raspberry truffles are light and bright, like summer in your mouth. Those are lovely, but the raspberry truffles from Seth Ellis mean business. It’s a deep, dark raspberry ganache. You almost feel like you should have to show proof of age before you eat it, it’s so deliciously grown up.

But the best part? It’s the shocking inclusion of raspberry seeds.

I know, it seems so obvious. It’s not all that novel a concept, but I can’t think of the last time I had a raspberry ganache that included the seeds. It’s like tipping your hat to the fact that yes, Virginia, this is a raspberry ganache.

Seth Ellis chocolates are available at select locations in the Denver/Boulder area, and that page will soon be updated to reflect the five NYC Whole Foods that now carries them. You can also buy them online through It’s Only Natural Gifts or through Foodzie.