Sometime yesterday evening, I might have already been asleep, I decided with a start to take the plunge. Post every day? I've done it before, kids, I can do it again. Sure, I almost lost my mind at the end of that month, but so what? Everyone could use a little kick in the pants now and then, or at least this person could. (Besides, it will take my mind off the looming tower of planning a wedding - I could use the distraction.) So! Brace yourselves for 30 days of frantic posting. Let's hope it's not entirely torturous for you or for me.
To ease our way into it, don't you think some chocolate might help?
To be more specific, dried mangoes covered in dark chocolate and dusted with sweet curry powder? Oh, you have no idea. It sounds odd, right? One of those ideas that might have sounded neat in a lab, but in real life ends up tasting mostly like old socks and stale cocoa from a tin? Well, let me tell you right now that I may have just single-handedly solved the age-old Christmas dilemma: buy a box of these treats for every single person on your gift list and you can rest easy until next year. That's how good these are.
The mangoes are tart and chewy, the chocolate is deep and dark and melts unctuously in your mouth, and the curry - the curry! - well, it elevates the pedestrian concept of covering something, anything, in dark chocolate to an addictive, exotic, must-have snack. I don't know who thinks of flavor pairings like this, but that person deserves every penny of her salary (or his!), even in an economic implosion. It sounds weird, but trust me, it's delicious. I'd even venture that it's better than salted caramel. What?! I know. Crazy.
Vosges sent over a lovely collection of chocolates the other day, including smoked almonds covered in milk chocolate and gray salt, a bar of dark chocolate with Reishi mushrooms and walnuts (not at all as weird as it sounds, though the texture wasn't entirely to my liking), and a milk chocolate bar that has complexity and character and is deeply delicious. And even still, the chocolate-and-curry mangoes are the only thing I'm hoarding. Well, maybe I'll let Ben have a piece. But that's it! The rest is all mine.
If you want to try these Mango Naga Bombalina (errr, yes) yourselves, or any of Vosges' other chocolates, the kind people at Vosges have told me that if you make a purchase on their website between November 1 and November 30 using the code 2810WB1, 10% will be taken off your purchase. Mango Naga for everyone!
Oooh...these might be a perfect treat to send to my chocolate-fanatic sister in law. Things are a little crazy in their house (one month before the baby is due is clearly not the optimal time for all of your house's pipes to burst) and a little of this just might help.
Good luck with the posting! And the wedding planning. It will calm down once you have the basics arranged...we had one crazy month and then it has been calm since then.
Posted by: maggie | November 1, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I'm intrigued. Wish I could sample them.
And how could ANYTHING be better than salted caramel!?!?!?!
Posted by: Fabulously Broke | November 1, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Trader Joes makes those curiously delicious and addicative chili-dried mangoes, I might try it with these since I am not the biggest curry fan. Great idea!
Posted by: Blushing Hostess | November 1, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Trader Joe's actually has this very thing, chocolate-covered chili-dusted mangoes. I tried them and didn't love them -- a little too much lime on the mangoes, I think -- but I'm sure the idea was stolen from Vosges and they're a fraction of the price.
Posted by: CM | November 1, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Those sound wonderful! And I am not in the least jealous that Vosges said they'd send me stuff and all I got in the mail was a coupon. Nope, not jealous at all. :)
Glad we can try to trudge through November again together. It was a big help two years ago!
Posted by: deb | November 1, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Deb - oh nooo! A coupon is simply not the same. And I'm so glad you're on board, too. Into the insanity together! :)
Posted by: Luisa | November 1, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Chocolate is the perfect way to start any month!
Posted by: Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) | November 1, 2008 at 01:02 PM
or get one's own dried mango from Sahadi's and dip? Nah. But those Vosges people are certainly willing to streetttch the chocolate envelope.
Posted by: haruspex | November 1, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Joining the madness of NaBloPoMo, too - without chocolate-covered mangoes though, so I have no idea how I'll fare! :)
Posted by: Zarah Maria | November 2, 2008 at 07:04 AM
Excited you're doing nablopomo!
Posted by: Julie | November 2, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Yey to the daily posts! I need something to offset the end of daylight savings and the end of the cycling season.
Posted by: Nev | November 2, 2008 at 02:26 PM
I love odd sounding combinations like that. Today I bought some lime & ginger granola crunch for that same reason.
Definitely need to try some of the dried mangoes.
Posted by: Consummate Chef | November 2, 2008 at 09:32 PM
Chocolate is the answer to all life's problems!
Posted by: Fuji Mama | November 2, 2008 at 11:01 PM
These look like just the thing to get me through NaBloPoMo. I went to a Chicago branch of Vosges last year and have some great marshmallow and chocolate treats, it was great. I wasn't so sure about the bacon flavoured chocolate though. Good luck with November.
Posted by: Gemma | November 3, 2008 at 05:48 AM
All I want to know is--did you try their Mo's Bacon Bar???
Posted by: Paige | November 3, 2008 at 10:10 PM
I had them in my cart but had to abandon ship because the shipping was $28.50!! Something about my location (southern california) and requiring 2 day shipping so it won't melt. Such a bummer!! Guess I'm off to Trader Joe's
Posted by: Lady | November 4, 2008 at 06:11 PM
oh! what beautiful, abstract little morsels on that pristine counter! ahhh fun food photo love!
Posted by: J R | November 5, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Hurrah - another food blogger doing NaBloPoMo 2008! I promised myself last year "never again!". And yet.. here I am again. Good luck - I'll pop back and see how you're doing :)
"Better than salted butter caramel"?? Surely not! Now I'm intrigued...
Posted by: Jeanne | November 6, 2008 at 10:17 AM
These bombalinas (especially the nut ones) looked familiar and I realized they're an exact copy of Zotter Chocolate's "Balleros"
http://www.zotter.at/135.html
Come to think of it,the vosges bacon bar and new mushroom bar seems like the inspiration came from zotters as well since Zotters has been making crazy combos since the 90s and has had these bars for quite some time. I have no issues with being "inspired" by other products but blatant copying and then pretending like you are a creative chocolate visionary is just ridiculous. See for yourself. http://www.zotter.at
Posted by: M.L. | November 11, 2008 at 03:19 PM