lavender honey dark chocolate

I have to admit that when the going gets tough, I reach for chocolate.

To my disappointment, I was out of my usual chocolate bar and was unable to go to the store to get another one. Usually when I am towards the end of one chocolate bar, there's an extra one in my kitchen somewhere... or even in my purse. I think a square or two of chocolate a day is perfectly reasonable, and it's such a treat after lunch or dinner. But there was none to be had.

So I went into my kitchen to look for chocolate, and then I found chocolate tableas from the Philippines that my mother sent me last year (these things last a pretty long time, kept in a cool dark place).

These chocolate tableas are deep, rich, and best of all, heartwarming. It's the kind that takes me back home, to childhood memories of my mother making this hot chocolate for the holidays. She would make it in a HUGE pot, enough to feed our big family and more -- for the guests, both expected and unexpected, but welcomed all the same. The scents would fill the kitchen and waft into the living room as we waited in anticipation for the chocolate to be ready. Memories of my family gathering around a candlelit table, each with a cup of hot chocolate (and some sweet, buttery, brioche-style rolls we call ensaimada, for dunking).

So making this chocolate here, is like a taste of home in a cup. At 11 pm, I decided to make some. The enjoyment is in the process of making it, as much as it is in savoring it. I think part of it has to do with the "slow-food" feel of preparing it. No microwaving here.

Sometimes I make it in the more traditional way, the way my mom makes it. Just the chocolate, melting in a pot with some water, until it's simmering. Make sure you stir fairly constantly, so the chocolate melts evenly and no chocolate get scorched in the bottom of the pan, which would be a tragedy in my world. A little milk --  or a lot, depending on how dark or how milky you want it (I prefer the former). And turbinado sugar, depending on whether the tableas are sweetened or unsweetened.

Or sometimes I make it with a little twist - in the winter I might make it Mexican style with a little cinnamon and cayenne. But this spring, I wanted the flavors of lavender and honey.

I had this bottle of lavender honey which I bought in a cozy local store in Asheville last spring. I'm quite proud that I've been able to ration it. One year later, and I still haven't consumed the entire bottle. I have about a quarter of it left, and I wish I had gotten two bottles.

Lavender honey. There's just nothing like it. The subtle flowery lavender notes in sweet, fragrant honey. It's nature's magic.

So I melted 6 chocolate tableas (might as well make enough to last the week, right?) in a little water, in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan (or you could use a double boiler) over low heat. Once all the chocolate was melted and the mixture was simmering, I added some plain almond milk, about a cup or so. I let it cook until it was heated through, then added a few tablespoonfuls of this lavender honey.

I enjoyed it in a little cup, letting the heat of the cup warm my palms as I placed my hands around it. And believe me, this is rich, and a little teacup's worth of hot chocolate is probably enough. No supersized mugs here. It's something that's meant to be sipped and enjoyed slowly.

Hot chocolate from the Philippines, 
with lavender honey from North Carolina, 

served in a Turkish cup and saucer, 
enjoyed in Northern Ohio,
thinking of family and memories from half a world away. :)

favorite things

The different forms of therapy, at least in my world:

Yoga...
and taking a different perspective.

A long walk.

The sound of water.

(or better yet, being in the water... but I'll be content with just listening to the sound of it for now)

A quiet reading corner.




Music.

(A musician playing the hammered dulcimer at a street art festival in Asheville, NC)

Random affirmations.

And of course, chocolate... in various forms.

Truffles from my favorite chocolate place, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Asheville, NC.

(take note of the little card that reads: "a sacred space for chocophiles".)

Liquid truffle - an insanely good hot chocolate - from the same chocolate heaven, French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

(don't forget the shortbread for dipping)

Gelato cake from Dojo Gelato, Cincinnati

(Chocolate cake base from Take the Cake, chocolate gelato, and Kahlua-spiked cream.)

I feel better already.

Asheville Highlights, Day 3

April 19th: Day 3 of my Asheville weekend.

So I woke up to my last day of my short-but-sweet Asheville visit. Day 3 started with breakfast again at the inn. I was fortunate to have perfect weather on Days 1 and 2, but Day 3, Sunday, was cloudy and rainy. I thought, maybe the rain will lead me to some nice surprises.

I decided to visit the Grove Arcade, a beautiful, historic building that opened in 1929, that is now home to local boutiques and restaurants. With the weather being the way it was, some indoor sightseeing was perfect. Besides, I did much of my outdoor sightseeing the past couple of days, and had a wonderful nature fix and a self-guided downtown walking tour.

So after a very short drive from the inn to downtown Asheville, I parked by the Arcade and walked in. Interestingly, it was deserted. Pretty, but deserted. Well, it was about 11-ish in the morning (I checked out of the inn at 11 am). And it was a Sunday.

This sign explained it all:

But that's all part of Asheville's charm, I think.

There was a cheese store... which was closed. 

And a bakery...

And a bath products store...

Love the light and open feel of the building. I can imagine how the lighting inside would change dramatically depending on the time of day.

I headed outside and found some locals selling their wares on the sidewalk. I love sidewalk shopping!

There was a "cowboy" selling paintings...

  And a woman selling handmade jewelry.

These beads remind me of home!

Interestingly, they were laid out on rice grains.

A pretty display of colorful earrings.

Handwritten signs add a personal touch.

 

The one and only photo of me :)

It was a solo trip, after all...

 

I also ended up stopping at the Grove Corner Market, a little deli/grocery store that sold some of your pantry staples, some fresh takeout items, and some specialty items. When I am in a new place, I always want to try something different and unique to the place. I saw these cookies:

 

Lavender Lemon and Saffron Cardamom tea biscuits... YUM!

I don't say no to lavender... and I was curious about the combination of saffron and cardamom in a tea cookie. I imagined it to be a hint savory, and a hint sweet.

 

 

The cookies were amazing.

AND I think this might have been the best find:

Lavender honey... from the mountains of North Carolina! 

So my next kitchen project would be to re-create the lavender honey dark chocolate truffle that I had on Day 2. :)

The rain started pouring at at around noon... so I decided to head back and start the 6 hour drive home. 

So that concludes my short-but-sweet Asheville trip... 

Asheville is such a charming place. Nature. Art. Food. A progressive vibe. Without the big-city stress, but with all the Southern hospitality.

I can't wait for my next visit.

Asheville Highlights, Day 2/Part 2

April 18th: Day 2/Part 2. After a peaceful morning at the North Carolina Arboretum, the foodie and art lover in me was ready for the downtown Asheville food trip and art gallery hop.

But first, I decided to head back to the inn, have last night's leftovers (from Zambra) for lunch. Since the paella was good for two, I saved half of it to go and was able to store it in the inn's refrigerator.

So I decided that lunch was Zambra "take two", on the inn's patio. I enjoyed the vegetarian paella again, this time al fresco.

Then I had to figure out my plan for the rest of the day...

I drove downtown, parked my car, and started to walk towards this "must" destination on Lexington Avenue....

the gates of heaven, in my opinion :)

On the menu were chocolates in all forms. Cakes, solid truffles, and liquid truffles in various flavors. I opted for the lavender honey liquid truffle (because I love lavender in dessert). Thick, bittersweet hot chocolate with the subtle but distinct flavors of lavender-infused honey.

Some minutes later...

 This needs no explanation.

I could really use a spatula right now (to scrape all that chocolate goodness from the cup). Believe me, I would have.

Blissed-out from chocolate, I then decided to continue my walk. I stopped at this art gallery/shop:

Kress Emporium has almost any art form you can think of - from photography to paintings, jewelry, fabric, woodwork, glasswork... I loved it!

Then I continued on and saw this bookshop. I love small, cozy, local bookstores!

 In case the photo is too small, the sign reads:
"Coffee, Books, Cards, and nice folks inside!"

I went in...

and came out with a couple of books. 

One of which is this delightful kid's book that I gave to my niece. 

I love how local/independently-owned bookstores have this sign.

And the kids' version:

There's something about being inside a children's bookstore that makes me want to be a carefree child again, who believed in her heart that she could one day become a mermaid or a dolphin. :)

I stopped at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor in time to see someone making sugar cones.

 

And there you have it...

But I didn't buy anything, as I was still slightly full from the liquid truffle I had earlier, AND I had the Laughing Seed Cafe next on my meal itinerary. I had really been looking forward to trying this place, for all its vegetarian options. (I admit to perusing their online menu a few times before my trip - there were so many choices!)

It was a nice evening, so I asked to sit outside and dine al fresco. 

I wanted something clean-tasting and somewhat light, because I had dessert in mind. So I opted for all-vegetable sushi....

It had marinated tofu, butternut squash (a bit surprising because this is not the season for squash) and broccolini. To be honest, it was... ok. Not life-changing. (In  my opinion, this place in Cincinnati serves the best sushi, hands-down... and they have at least 3 really good vegetarian sushi rolls.)

Then....

What Asheville calls "The World's Best Carrot Cake", which I remember seeing online and was happy to find at this local, eco-vibe coffee shop during my walk.

It was REALLY good. Moist and flavorful, with an excellent texture from the carrots and nuts. And, the cream cheese frosting was not at all overwhelming and overly sweet like some frostings. I think this cake was deserving of its name. I think I ate 1/4 of it and saved the rest for tomorrow.
(Even the to-go container was made of recycled materials.... which I found to be quite common in the restaurants I visited in Asheville.)

So on that note, I end my nature-tripping, food-tripping, and art gallery-hopping Saturday. 

Photos and highlights from Day 3 coming soon...

Asheville Highlights, Day 2/Part 1

April 18th. Day 2 of my Asheville weekend started with an early morning walk around the inn's grounds and in the idyllic, tree-lined neighborhood surrounding the inn.

Flowers in early morning light...  

a magic of its own

 I found it interesting how these flowers grew so close to the ground, they would have been easy to miss if I weren't paying attention. I'm glad I did a leisurely, meditative walk in addition to a power walk. 

After a freshly made breakfast (meat-free, upon prior arrangement with the inn when I booked my reservation) and tea, I headed to the North Carolina Arboretum.

I was excited to see their bonsai collection and ikebana exhibit. My late grandfather, who made our garden in the Philippines so lush and beautiful, also used to make bonsai years ago. Bonsai and ikebana are both such fascinating art forms.

 "Open your mind to the possibility that the greatest mysteries of life 

can be found in a single, tiny leaf."

I love that! 

"A living art" indeed.

My time in the North Carolina Arboretum was so slow and peaceful. It was a perfect spring day - blue skies, warm sun, a cool breeze.

I kept thinking of my grandparents and how they would have LOVED this place.

Next: the indoor ikebana exhibit. I'll let the images speak for themselves...

 My favorite one!

The North Carolina Arboretum is a place where I can be all day. Time stands still here.

But... I had more on my itinerary. Specifically, meal #3: Lunch. I had the Grove Park Inn on my list for lunch with a view of the mountains.

I got there after a short, pleasant drive. It was a long wait for a table, and when I checked the menu, the vegetarian dishes were... ok. But as I was in a different city, I was in the mood for something different, something inventive. I decided to hold off on lunch for the time being (Me? Hold off on lunch? Are you shocked?) to just tour the grounds and take photos.

This would have been my view if I had lunch there:

Instead I toured the grounds...

Now that's a lunch spot with a view.

The best find, I thought, was this tree that seemed to glow in the sunshine.

Up next: Asheville Highlights, Day 2/Part 2:  Downtown Asheville - my food trip and art gallery hop!