Let your foodie-adventurous side run wild as Scharffen Berger chocolate and TuttiFoodie.com present the third annual Chocolate Adventure Contest. As part of the contest, cooks — amateur or professional — are invited to develop original and creative recipes combining Scharffen Berger chocolate with one or more of 16  “adventure ingredients.”  Enter recipes for any course: appetizer, entrée, dessert or drink. The last day to submit entries is January 3, 2010. Click here for details about entering. CAC on BIte of the Best

Judges will include: Elizabeth Falkner (Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America participant and award-winning chef),  John Scharffenberger (Scharffen Berger chocolate co-founder), Alice Medrich (chocolate chef and author),  Matt Armendariz (food blogger at MattBites.com), and Lisa Schiffman (TuttiFoodie founder).

Recipes will be judged in two categories (savory and sweet) on creativity, spirit of adventure, perceived taste, ease of preparation, and – additionally, for the finalists – actual taste and appearance.

This year’s adventure ingredients are :
o Fresh mint (any variety)
o Fresh or crystallized ginger
o Pandan leaf
o Banana leaf
o Sumac
o Raw honey
o Cacao nibs
o Fresh or whole dried chili pepper
o Malbec
o Peanut butter
o Black-eyed peas
o Rice flour
o Papaya
o Cumin
o Paprika (any variety)
o Smoked sea salt

Two winners (one each for sweet and savory categories) will win a grand prize of $10,000 and a  selection of Scharffen Berger chocolate. Two runners up will receive Scharffen Berger chocolate and cookbooks signed by the judges (“The Essence of Chocolate,”  “Demolition Desserts,” and “Bittersweet”).  Winners will be announced March 12.

– guest contributor