A Taste for Chocolate: Chocolate TeamBuilding

Team BuildingUnlimited offers Chocolate Teambuilding, but we also offer Chocolate Appreciation events such as our Ultimate Chocolate Tasting. Participants have an opportunity to truly understand the word "Chocolate!"

Chocolate brings to mind a flavor sensation that the entire world savors and craves. Food and nutrition, romance and love, health, history, power and culture are found in the cacao pod.

TeamBuilding Unlimited's Chocolate Facilitator guides your group through a tasty sensation tour of the world of cacao from the bean to the bar. History, geography, culture and myths are explored.

Use all of your senses as you discover and discuss this magical botanical wonderland of flavors, tastes, smells, touch and sights. "Chocolate!" is a fun and entertaining experience.

Participants will taste a variety of high-quality chocolate products to reach all of your senses and make this interactive event entertaining and memorable. If you're a confirmed chocoholic or a serious bystander, learning about chocolate can best be done by tasting.

Participants rate and discuss the chocolates based on appearance, aroma, texture--and of course taste. The group may also sample chocolate lotions, and other chocolate related products.

The Chocolate Tasting is awesome--and delicious. It's like a wine seminar only better--but all about chocolate. Frank Price is the chocolate facilitator,  and he expounds on  the culture, history and lore of chocolate. Usually he starts with a tasting of 45% cacao  and goes through 6-8 other %s ending up with 85% cacao. That's a lot of chocolate.

Chocolate Challenge

Everyone loves Chocolate! What could be more tempting than building a structure completely from chocolate? In this case, chocolate and chocolate related foods. TeamBuilding has never been so sweet!

Maybe Julie Barker from Meetings Industry Megasite explains it best:

Meetings Industry Megasite

Entertain with Chocolate by Julie Barker

On the West Coast, Janet Rudolph runs a Berkeley, CA, company called TeamBuilding Unlimited that features a "chocolate challenge." She divides the group into teams of four or five people, furnishes chocolate-covered graham crackers, M&Ms, chocolate Gummy Bears, Hershey bars—"anything you can think of that is made of chocolate. We go for different shapes, sizes, and textures, not high-end chocolate."

Groups then compete to build a structure. One HMO firm had its teams build their ideal hospitals. Another group set its teams to designing resorts. The result "has to stand up on its own and, except for the white cardboard base, has to be completely edible," says Rudolph. Teams are given about an hour to design and build, and then they have to present the results. "Half the fun is explaining why they did what they did," she says.

For more info on this and on our High End Chocolate Tasting, contact Janet Rudolph or Frank Price at TeamBuilding Unlimited/Murder on the Menu.

More Holiday Party Ideas

With the economy being what it is many companies are paring back their holiday parties. Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited has lots of ideas that won't strain the budget.

A full scale Murder on the Menu production is awesome, but if you don' t have the budget, consider hiring our Arresting Detective. He breaks up your party and arrests 10-12 of your 'top' people for something great. Wanted posters, small gifts based on interests and foibles of the 'perps'. This is a good natured mini-roast. 30-45 minutes.

Want a new research lab but not sure where you'll find the funds? How about a Gingerbread Research Lab contest. We'll provide all the gingerbread, graham crackers, icing, decorations, prizes and more. Roll up your sleeves and get in the spirit. Donate the Gingerbread Labs or Houses to hospitals or children's centers after the event.

Want to give back to the community instead of the usual holiday party?
How about our Charity Challenge?

• Trikes for Tots is a great way to get into the holiday spirit as seen by children. After a series of competitive children's games, each team will build a tricycle and design a t-shirt that reflects your company and team. Trikes and t-shirts are then donated to local charities for kids in need.

• Bears That Care is another Charity Challenge designed by Murder on the Menu/Teambuilding Unlimited. After a series of children's trivia and games, each participant will assemble a bear or another fuzzy animal and design a t-shirt for the animal. Stuffed animals will be donated to a local charity, police or fire organization.

Want to have the ultimate reward for your team? Consider a Chocolate Tasting. This luscious chocolate seminar guides you through the history and culture of chocolate and tastings of chocolate from 40% to 85% cacao. Like a wine tasting, only better... it's all about chocolate!

I'll be posting other options for you to do on your own. Stay tuned.

Dying for Chocolate

Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited does an awesome chocolate tasting that I blogged about last week. We usually give our clients all the chocolate that's leftover after a tasting, and we bring bags to make it convenient. No sticky hands or gooey purses or pockets. Nevertheless, even though we do our best to give chocolate away, our office always seems to be filled with lots--from 40% to 90% cacao-- from many different chocolate companies and regions.

So yesterday I decided to make use of some of that left over dark chocolate. I found a very easy fantastic recipe for a flourless chocolate cake. Thought I'd share it. By the way, Murder on the Menu isn't a catering company or a restaurant. You have no idea how many people have asked that. Would you hire a caterer or go out to dinner at a place called Murder on the Menu. Who knows what you'd get. But that's another story.

Dying for Chocolate!

Ingredients
4 ounces (or more) fine-quality chocolate (not unsweetened, 70% cacoa or more)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Break chocolate into pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder or powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped real cream.

I used vanilla ice-cream and scattered fresh strawberries on the plate. Unbelievable and so easy.