Vosges Serenades With Red Fire Chocolate Caramel Toffee

I was delighted that on my most recent birthday I received a package of Vosges Red Fire Chocolate Caramel Toffee from my boss (thanks, Sam!). Even better, it was one of the items I had wanted to try for awhile now but just hadn't gotten around to. The toffee comes in a small bowl-shaped hard cardboard container which is decorated with a quartet of Mariachi guys in action. Inside this box is a generous amount of the Red Fire Toffee, large pieces which are comprised of sweet butter toffee, infused with ancho and chipotle chilies and Ceylon cinnamon, and dipped in dark chocolate. The entire piece is then topped with a generous portion of Red Fire Pecans. Now if you're thinking, "oh, Red Fire, too hot," it is not. Of course my idea of "hot" is probably not the same as yours because I'm used to really spicy food but these are hot in a sense that it complements the caramel toffee perfectly. Like all Vosges products, they are meant to be savored when you are eating them and the boxes always instruct you how to get the most out of the product. I'd rather not close my eyes as I eat my Vosges (which they suggest) and I'm not sure that I'm sophisticated enough to recognize all the ingredients as they pass over my tongue. However I will admit that I don't think there is another company that puts as much style, detail and quality into their products as Vosges does. Another winner for the Haut-Chocolat company.

Red Fire In The Freezer: Vosges Does It Again

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am a big fan of Vosges Haut Chocolat, the exotic chocolatier. I've even turned my dad into a Mo's Bacon Bar-eating fellow, quite a feat considering he usually doesn't eat anything "weird." On occasion I've noticed containers of Vosges ice creams in some gourmet shops in the area over the past month or so but I finally took the plunge today. Tempted by the thought of Mexican ancho and chipotle chillies in my ice cream, I picked up Vosges' Red Fire, which is one of four available flavors. Upon closer inspection Red Fire is also comprised of Ceylon cinnamon and dark chocolate ice cream, so to quote the Barefoot Contessa, "What's not to like?" The answer is, nothing. It's an amazingly layering taste with first the dark chocolate, then a little bit of cinnamon and finally the heat, hits you. For those who don't love spicy food, the heat is very subtle. It's definitely more of a dessert product rather than, say, Ben & Jerry's where you'd actually sit down and eat the pint at one sitting. And that's a good thing because, trust me, the Vosges ice cream would be gone before I sat down to write this post. I wasn't as curious before about the other flavors before I tried Red Fire, but now I think I'll give them a try sometime soon. The other interesting Vosges ice cream flavors include Naga, a sweet Indian curry with fresh coconut and custard ice cream; Pandan, an Asian-inspired ice cream made from the pandan leaf (notes of pine nut, vanilla wafer and tree nuts) with dark chocolate; and Wattleseed, which is edible seeds from the Australian acacia, plus roasted macadamia nuts and custard ice cream. Fancy! Vosges is one of the few companies that, when I'm looking at their ingredients I actually have to Google some of the contents because they're that exotic. Note that Vosges ice cream will cost you a couple of dollars more than your usual dessert but I think you'll agree it is money well spent. In the New York City area, I've seen this ice cream in Citarella (6th Avenue and 9th Street) and Dean & DeLuca in SoHo.

www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/exotic_ice_cream/exotic_ice_creams

Bacon+Salt+Chocolate=Vosges

I'm lucky enough to work near the Vosges SoHo shop on Spring Street and recently the company's window signage was heralding a new entry in its "Exotic Candy Bar" line: Mo's Bacon Bar. Initially I thought how strange an idea that was for a chocolate bar but when I really thought about it, how different is it from a meal you might have with pancakes, bacon and syrup--sweet with meat? So I headed to my little "Haut-Chocolat Boutique" to check out the goods (Vosges' newest enticing treats include a cheese and chocolate truffle combination which includes balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Sicilian sea salt and Tuscan fennel pollen!). Mo's Bacon Bar's ingredients are Applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate. Not much not to like there. Finally home, it was time to try the porky sweet. My first taste was of the bacon--they certainly didn't skimp on the meat. The chocolate blends very well with the bacon and then one gets the crunch of the smoked salt to top it all off. I found myself wanting more and in fact had to put it away before I pigged out and ate the entire bar. I have to admit that this is by far my most favorite of Vosges' exotic candy bar line of which I've had mixed results (Red Fire/good--Black Pearl/not good). At $7.00 a bar, it's not cheap but if you want something different--very different, Mo's should be your choice.


www.vosgeschocolate.com