Chocolates in An Art Form – by Gary S. Smolker

Delectable Handcrafted Belgium Chocolates

Yesterday (March 2, 2017), I had a true European experience.

I had the most fascinating afternoon with the most intriguing woman.

We sipped French roast coffee, ate gourmet chocolates handcrafted and imported fresh from Belgium and read poetry to each other at “Lady Chocolatt” in West Los Angeles.

Lady Chocolatt is located at 12008 Wilshire Blvd., in Los Angeles, California.

Chocolates, Chocolates, and More Chocolates; Chocolates Everywhere

I ate five chocolates.

The five chocolates (a Champagne truffle with dark chocolate; a Raspberry mousse; a creamy Hazelnut with orange; a White Chocolate with roasted almond and creamy hazelnuts inside, and one more) that I ate were served on a white porcelain tray.

See photograph below.

I read her poems written by French poet Arthur Rimbaud: “A Season in Hell” and “The Drunken Boat.”

She read me poetry from Rimbaud’s “Illuminations.”

A Season in Hell is a poetic record of a man’s examination of his own depths.

The Drunken Boat is an anthology of separate lines of astonishing evocative magic which linger in the mind like isolated jewels.

Illuminations is a collection of poems that lift the spirit and dazzle the mind, besides quickening all the senses.

Rimbaud’s poems that we read to one another made us smell and hear and see perfumes, sounds, and unknown colors of his invention, while we were sitting adjacent to display cases of gourmet handcrafted Belgium chocolates handcrafted in Belgium then immediately flown to Los Angeles.

See photographs of display cases below.

A Balanced Diet of Chocolate, Poetry and Coffee

My idea of a balanced diet is expressed in the photographs below.

I had a latte with my gourmet handcrafted Belgium chocolate.  See photograph above of my latte, my tray of five chocolates and one of the books of poetry containing poems that my darling and I read to each others.

I could have had indulged myself with any one of my Belgium Hot Chocolate drinks.  See photograph below of a chalk board sign specifying my choices.

Liege Waffles

I could have had Liege Waffles imported fresh from Belgium —- buttery sweet dough enriched with crunchy sugar pearls — with one or more toppings of chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped cream, Canadian Maple Syrup, Butter and Jam or Ice Cream (vanilla bean, triple chocolate with chocolate fudge, cappuccino crunch, cookies and cream, hazelnut or strawberry).

Blended Drinks

I could have chosen a wide variety of blended coffee drinks to sip while reading poetry to my darling

• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Espresso
• Hazelnut Ice Cream with Espresso
• Mocha: Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Ice Cream with Espresso
• Irish Cream and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Espresso
• Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Espresso

I love milkshakes.

I while reading poetry to my darling I could have cooled my throat with a milkshake, for example with:

• a Vanilla Bean Milkshake
• a Triple Chocolate with Homemade Chocolate Sauce Milkshake
• a Cappuccino Crunch Milkshake
• a Cookies and Cream Milkshake
• a Hazelnut Milkshake, or
• a Strawberry Milkshake

Youthful Memories of Shock, Confusion and Delight

Yesterday, when I bit into my white chocolate with roasted almonds and creamy hazelnut inside piece of handcrafted freshly imported gourmet Belgium Chocolate I was so profoundly and pleasantly shocked and delightfully confused by an overwhelming sense of wonder and awe that I had a flashback to a sentiment I had once experienced when I was about 17 years years old — the experience: when I was done having carnal knowledge with a girl friend I was shocked surprised and confused to see that the condom I had been wearing had disappeared.

Such things happen when you come to the realization that you need to get good energy to contribute to the goodness of the world.

Yesterday, I was the beneficiary of my darling’s intense desire to have the feeling she has created a beautiful moment for someone else she cares about deeply.

Copyright © Gary S. Smolker