For the eighth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Locavore, the newest restaurant at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2014."
I’m always a big advocate for supporting great causes. But, I’ll admit it’s all the more gratifying when you can eat chocolate while doing it.
This month, KOHLER Original Recipe Chocolate -- best known for its deliciously nutty caramel terrapins -- has expanded its celebrated line of jewel-like Rare Facet chocolates to include a limited edition offering in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The new Strawberry Balsamic Rare Facet is an exquisite dark chocolate shell filled with a dark chocolate ganache of strawberry puree and aged balsamic vinegar. Each piece is then airbrushed with a soft shade of pink in support of The American Cancer Society.
And the flavor?
I had the opportunity to taste them this weekend. And they’re just as delicious as they sound. In fact, as the weather grows cooler, and strawberry season has long since departed, I was pleasantly surprised to experience the fresh strawberry flavor that’s captured inside each ganache-filled piece.
So, it didn’t surprise me to hear that the idea for the chocolates has been percolating for years.
"I created a version of these Rare Facets when I was working on my tasting for the Head Chocolatier position," says Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates Head Chocolatier Anette Righi DeFendi, who says she has always loved strawberries.
"I used to go strawberry picking every 4th of July with my mom and sister," she notes. "I also really like the flavor of balsamic vinegar. I wanted to create something that highlighted both flavors, but was well balanced so one wasn’t more powerful than the other.
"When the idea of creating a chocolate to acknowledge Breast Cancer Awareness, I immediately thought about the Strawberry Balsamic. The jewel-like rare facet mold was a great way to showcase this delicious and gorgeous chocolate."
The Strawberry Balsamic Rare Facet pairs perfectly with a Champagne or a sparkling white wine.
Support The American Cancer Society and your sweet tooth at the same time by visiting KohlerChocolates.com before Oct.. 31. The chocolates are sold in 4-piece boxes for $9.99. A portion of proceeds of each box of Strawberry Balsamic Rare Facets sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
KOHLER Original Recipe Chocolate signature lines are available year-round at the Craverie Chocolatier Café and online at KohlerChocolates.com.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
