A few months ago, I began asking for the dessert menu along with the food menu when I dine at restaurants. It all began after several instances where, when the meal finally turned to my favorite course, I simply couldn't take another bite. Or, when the dessert of my choice simply clashed with or was too similar to the other food I'd eaten. Making selections based on an understanding of the meal as a whole makes more sense with my approach to eating.

Or maybe I just have a serious sweet tooth.

I recently learned that Americans consume approximately 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate each year and that 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased in the week of Valentine's Day. That's incredible, even by my standards.

Mousse is one of those perfect desserts for anytime - decadent, but airy. When Kristen Murray of Måurice, the sweetest luncheonette in downtown Portland, proposed to make chocolate mousse for a project celebrating Tony's Chocolonely and slave-free chocolate, I couldn't wait to see what she came up with. Mixing dark and milk chocolate, Kristen created a mousse with a rich, creamy texture, topped with beet-poached lady apples, tempered chocolate with wild rose petals, and a generous dollop of whipped cream. Simply divine.

When I realized just how much chocolate is being consumed each year, I understood more clearly that the source of chocolate is just as important as how delicious it is. Because when someone puts as much effort into planning their eating choices and dessert selection as much as I do, there isn't much reason not to include ethical sourcing in the list of priorities.

For the month of February, I've partnered with Tony's and two of Portland's fantastic pastry chefs to bring you not only recipes, but the opportunity to taste desserts made with 100% slave-free chocolate at two restaurants in town. Don't miss the recipe with Nora's semolina chocolate chunk fritters. If you're in Portland, you can taste Kristen's chocolate mousse all month long at Måurice and at home with the recipe below. Find the full list of Not Just Dessert recipes here.

Chocolate Mousse
Recipe by Kristen Murray
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 litre heavy cream
35 g cocoa nib
375 g milk chocolate bar, chopped finely
375 g dark chocolate bar, chopped finely
9 egg yolks
250 g fine sugar, separate out 75 g and 175 g of sugar into two bowls
fine sea salt

whipped cream
toppings, such as extra toasted cocoa nibs, wild rose petals, candied kumquats, seasonal berries, or poached apple or pear

Directions:
Heat oven to 325 F. Spread cocoa nib on a baking sheet in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly, then crush in a mortar and pestle.

Slowly warm cream in pot on stove. Add toasted cocoa nibs to cream and let infuse for 20 minutes. Refrigerate cream and cocoa nibs for at least 24 hours.
Next day, whip cream to medium firm. (Do you remove and discard the cocoa nibs?)

Combine dark and milk chocolate in a double boiler. Place the bowl over a small pot filled halfway with water over medium heat, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. When the chocolate begin to melt, stir until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on the low setting while slowly adding in 75g of sugar.

In a small pot, add the remaining 175g sugar and 25-35 g water. Measuring with a candy thermometer, heat sugar and water to 250 Fahrenheit. Then slowly add to the egg yolk and sugar mixture in the electric mixer. Whip till viscous with a pale yellow appearance and cool to the touch.

Fold egg and sugar mixture into the chocolate mixture in three small batches. Add a pinch of sea salt. Gently fold in whipped cocoa nib cream in three small batches.

Place in small serving cups layered with whipped cream and toppings of your choice. Grab a spoon. Enjoy!

This post was written in partnership with the wonderful team at Tony's Chocolonely, an amazing crew of people who make me seriously miss Dutch-style lunches, karnemelk and all. Thoughts and opinions are, as ever, my own.

A few weeks ago, as I was preparing for the post-inauguration Women's March in Portland, I was uncertain which words to paint on the sign I would carry. There were so many things to say, so many issues I wanted to address, and not enough posterboard for them all. And now, in the following weeks, there is a similar sense of being intimidated by the numerous actions to take and causes to support. And this is on top of all the other issues around the globe that deserve attention.

While there is only a finite amount of time and money that I can give towards the causes that I care most about, I also have to remind myself that there are so many small actions I can take every day. And one of those actions is eating chocolate for a good cause. Easy, right? Even easier when it's chunks of Tony's Chocolonely that have been incorporated into semolina fritters created by the incredible Nora Antene, Pastry Chef at Tusk. And for the month of February, they are on the Tusk brunch menu for you to enjoy. Or to make at home with the recipe below. Find the full list of Not Just Dessert recipes here.

Tony's Chocolonely. The name brings back memories of Amsterdam. Of rusty bicycles and endless canals, of shopping at the ubiquitous grocery store Albert Heijn, and of Sinterklaas, the holiday on December 5th on which chocolate letters are gifted to children and friends. And Tony's was the chocolate of choice.

It was from Tony's Chocolonely that I first learned about a little known issue: that the cocoa industry is heavily reliant on slaves. And that many of the slaves are children. Sixty percent of all cocoa comes from Ivory Coast and Ghana where 2,300,000 children work on cocoa plantations. Dangerous working conditions and illegal trafficking of both adults and children compounds the problem. Tony's is working to change that and its 100% slave-free chocolate is not just an ethical choice, it's a delicious one as well. The chocolate is really good. And inventive too. I had the opportunity to visit the Tony's world headquarters and test kitchen on my summer trip to Amsterdam and was so impressed. Most memorable was a milk chocolate 'popcorn discodip' flavor. Like a popcorn party in your mouth.

Tony's Chocolonely opened their second office in Portland in autumn 2015 to share their delicious slave-free chocolate with the Pacific Northwest and the US at large. For the month of February, I've partnered with Tony's and two of Portland's fantastic pastry chefs to bring you not only recipes, but the opportunity to taste the creations at two restaurants in town. If you're in Portland, you can taste Nora's semolina chocolate chunk fritters all month long during Tusk's weekend brunch. Stay tuned next week for the second recipe!

Tony’s Chocolonely Semolina Chocolate Chunk Fritters
Recipe by Nora Antene
Makes about 24 bite-sized fritters

Ingredients:
3 eggs
6 g vanilla extract
75 g ricotta
150 g yogurt, whole milk
35 g honey

45 g semolina flour
150 g all-purpose flour
35 g granulated sugar
15 g baking powder
3 g salt
1 g ground cinnamon (tiny pinch)
170 g Tony’s Chocoloney 70% dark chocolate, cut into small chunks

Directions:
Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, ricotta, yogurt, and honey. Set aside. Whisk together the semolina flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using a spatula, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until the dry ingredients are about halfway incorporated into the wet ingredients. Add the chocolate and stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Let the batter sit for about 1 hour covered and at room temperature without stirring.**

In a small pot, heat a few inches of vegetable oil to 350 F. Carefully scoop golf ball size fritters a few at a time into the fry pot. Fry for about 2 minutes flipping the fritters halfway through. Drain on paper towels and, when cooled slightly, dust with powdered sugar. These are great on their own or served with orange curd, caramel, or chocolate sauce.

Batter can be made ahead of time. Refrigerate after leaving at room temp for an hour. Bring back to room temp before frying.

** As the batter sits, the baking powder is activated and the mixture becomes airy. Avoid stirring so that the mixture keeps its lofty structure.