Vanilla, Chocolate, And MB's Exquisite Truffles

I have this friend, who, in my book, is a sheer genius. He is a bit younger than I, much better educated, more articulate, a musician, who plays professionally on more instruments than I can count, and is a chocolatier of the premier class. Period!

The funny thing is, I have never met him face to face. And wouldn't recognize him if he walked up to me and started talking unless he mentioned something that we had talked about. We have many things in common, and mutual friends that we both know from our different lines of work. I am not talking about internet friends, I am talking about personal friends. I was never introduced to this gentleman, I ran across his website way back when, and have been following his writings for over a year. Living in Tahiti, and married to a Polynesian, I love tropical/oriental foods of all kinds. And this guy cooks/bakes/candies things and puts recipies up on his site that are to die for. I started downloading all his recipies and sending them home to the wife and family to try, and they were blown away by not only the very accurate measurements, but the totally understandable directions that he writes in the production of whatever he is cooking.

Anyhooney, to make a long story short, last fall MB, was extolling on the virtues of Tahitian Vanilla, how much better it was in cooking that most of the vanilla that you can get in here unless you go to a health food or specialty store for it. As vanilla is grown by almost every Tahitian family in the outer islands (at least those who live outside the town) for their own personal use, we have kilograms of the beans bundled, drying or in hermetic storage year round. So, I made him an offer that he couldn't refuse and in turn, I got some truffles just in time for my wife's arrival and for our anniversary (same day), that were the best that I have ever had in my life. I hate to admit it, but I am a chocolate snob. I have had chocolate from around the world, all types, all kinds. No matter where I go, I look for chocolate as my pick me up food. I am very partial to dark chocolate, but since the candied ginger truffles in white chocolate arrived, I have this craving for white now also.
When MB was talking about his truffles, I envisioned a truffle about a half to three quarters of an inch in diameter, but these puppies are as big, or bigger than a golf ball. One will carry you for a whole day, and two will overdose you.... Now if I can persuade him to make some pakalolo ones (white or brown, who cares when you are dreamin') Those would be mine, and mine alone!!!! Perhaps I would share one with one or two of our esteemed legislators, I wouldn't care if they were in the House, or the Senate, I would very much love to give it to them just before a vote on Health care, Medical Marijuana legisalation, or some other bill that was to benefit the people and not the corporations... Oh well, just a pipe dream, and I ain't been smokin nothing stronger than that legal shit that kills you... That shit grown by the hicks in the south and sold to us that is more addictive than heroin, and kills you dead, fucks you up and thereby fucks over your family...

Nuff Said! This was to be a post on Chocolate and Truffles, also a photo of the same Truffles in their original box so everyone could get an idea of how very good MB is.
No, he didn't know that I was gonna write this missive, and I am getting nothing outta it other than the satisfaction that I could say Thank You to a fellow Sailor, a brother in arms who served in the Nam along with the other tens of thousands of us who served in that fucked up war.

The photo of the Vanilla is one my wife took of a plant next to the house growing on a small mango tree that she planted a few years back. The vanilla flower is about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter, petal tip to petal tip, through the center of the flower....

The photo of the truffles was taken by me tonite, and if I catch you reachin' for one, you'll draw back a stub...

No rant or rants tonight, strictly flowers and candy.... Now for a little of what is posted in the post below this one and I will call it a good night...

Haere Maru, Haere Papu