The big payoff...

If you read this blog regularly, you might get the idea that we eat nothing but leafy greens, exotic fruit and vegetables, and press our own garden-grown olives into world-class olive oil. This is not really the case. A salad can be the first course that represents the beginning of a great meal.  It can also be the light fare that serves as the precursor to a great dessert. At times, the salad is a means to an end; it's a fantastic journey that leads to a much-deserved reward. For us, it is often the prelude to chocolate.

A few years ago, we discovered Paul Newman's Sweet Dark chocolate. We were never huge fans of dark chocolate, but Newman's chocolate, like his acting, was smooth, wonderful, and never bitter or over-the-top. At first, Newman's sweet dark chocolate was the perfect compliment to a glass of red wine after dinner, but eventually, we found ourselves finishing every meal (except the occasional early breakfast) with a square or two of chocolate. Newman opened the door to other dark chocolates for us, although we are still a little hesitant about saying "yes" to the bitter, heavy cocoa-laden blends.  

There is such a wide range of chocolate out there that we suggest you make a project out of it, just like the pursuit of building the perfect salad. Next time you're at the grocery or your favorite chocolatier, buy several types of chocolate and have a tasting, as if you're enjoying a flight of expensive Bordeaux wines. Yes, you should savor and enjoy your salads, but it's great to finish it with something that you absolutely love to eat, that satisfies your craving for the sweet and the rich. If you haven't tried Newman's sweet dark chocolate after a good salad, we highly recommend it...