gone rogue

last three photos courtesy of david lebovitz

first photo is mine, taken with my adorable new leica-lensed buddy, the lumix lx5

while i've been so busy with work and with travel planning, i've had time to get myself a valentine's day present. there's this guy who must be a genius (as in both nuts and indispensably wonderful), up in minneapolis making just three or four different bars. colin gasko at rogue chocolatier does it all from bean sourcing to bar making (this is a big deal), including his own letterpress labels, which are beeee-autiful. i have tried a LOT of chocolate and have been searching for a favorite dark for years, never finding what i was looking for. this is the jazz. complex and powerful with no chemical taste, no bitter finish, no whomp of caffeine (more like a body buzz of energy, forgive me for saying 'body buzz'). it's fine, sexy even, and frankly kind of spiritual (to those who know me, this'll make sense). i sent him a little note of thanks (who even does that?). i stopped short of offering to accompany him on his next trip to peru but the chocolate is that good. get your love some of this stuff and you will not emerge from your cocoa induced cocoon for days. get some!