We have become chocolate snobs.
For Christmas, I gave Daniel a certificate to a night of fine chocolate tasting at Tony Caputo's Deli in downtown Salt Lake. We absolutely loved it and will never taste chocolate the same again ("70% cocoa, please!").
This is us with Art, the owner and founder of Amano Chocolate. Art is a physicist turned chocolate connoisseur and creator. Growing up in Los Alamos, he said, I learned that you could do anything you wanted... so he did. After studying methods in Europe, buying beans from Madagascar and equipment from around the world, he invented his own chocolate. The work paid off, and last year one of his chocolate bars, made here in Utah, won the highest awards in the international chocolate competition in Europe, the loudest accolades that any American chocolate has EVER received. Did I mention Art went to BYU?
Since the class, we have literally thrown away all of our Christmas chocolate because, frankly, after tasting the real deal at down at Caputo's, Hersheys tastes like cardboard (with just a hint of butyric acid). We're looking forward anxiously to taking the intermediate chocolate tasting class. Until then, we are only happy eating our $15 French and Italian made chocolate…at which price we can afford approximately one bar a month…if Dan skips a meal or three.
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Last Saturday I accepted Dan's invitation to join him on an Elder's Quorum activity, a hike in the pristine January air above Salt Lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
We were really looking to have an adventure, so... we asked his brother David to come along. (P.S. David is single and looking to mingle).
Ever since Dan bought Abby a “Piggyback” from REI six weeks before her birth, he has been bursting to use it. Finally, he got his chance to show her why the Rocky Mountains are where it’s at. Abby loved it (even though she was zonked out for all but ten minutes of the adventure).
Despite the cold, Abby survived, thanks to a legion of layers. After such a wonderful time, Dan and I are determined to outfit our family with our own snowshoes.
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6 comments:
jealous, we totally miss the mountains (and you guys too, of course). The highest point here isn't even worth to call a hill.
So, I bet that chocolate is super good...but just pretend you have to make the trek to Germany (bring your snow shoes if you please) to get chocolate that tastes good. We can go to Bavaria and ski--snow shoe--or whatever.
you guys are awesome...taking Abby out hiking. Love the backpack. Do they have one big enough for me? That looks cozy.
T and I came across this store while on vacation...changed my choc-tude. forever.
http://www.cacaodrinkchocolate.com/
I'm starting some of my grandkids out on snowshoes. Seems perfect for people who live in a canyon where there's been 40" already this year. I hope it will make feeding the horses easier. I studied alot before buying them and had to go all over SLC to get the right size for Isaac. Glad to see the Dan Burtons getting into it too.
mmm...chocolate and britt...that's my dream date right there!
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