See's 10; Godiva 0

What can I say about chocolate that thousands of people haven’t said before; and better. It’s God’s gift to mankind? Well, if there is a God that about sums it up for me too. I’ve traveled far afield in my lifetime, tasting various incarnations of this heavenly sweetness. In the beginning it was the wholesome wonder of See’s Candies, first sampled in San Francisco in about 1906 (or so it seems because it sure set off an earthquake in my taste buds). And now, I realize, I should never have left home because See’s is, to this day, a favorite…my more-than-brief sojourn into Godiva territory be damned. Over the years See’s has branched out into various other offerings (which I do appreciate--have a sucker) but their basic two selections are the ones I dream about. The truffles and the nuts&chews. Hit me with a box of either one of those and I’m a friend for life. I realized this just last weekend during a rendezvous in Quincy, Mass. with my sister, who lives in San Francisco. She kindly picked up a half pound of See’s at the Oakland airport and added it to her carry-on luggage and presented it to me, with a minor flourish, in room 323 at an obscure little Best Western motel overlooking an ice-fringed lagoon. I have subsequently rationed them out to myself over the next four days; just finishing the last two pieces this morning. I will always love my sister for various reasons but See’s could be the foundation on which our friendship is based. Being a chocolate maven herself I know how difficult it is for her to part with it, even in half-pound sizes, so it is always much appreciated. Perhaps you are aware that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.