CC&P 17: Mint + Chocolate = Mint To Be?

[Intro music playing.]

SAREENA:
Hellooo, my favourite fried potatoes, welcome, welcome to Curried Chips & Poutine! We hope you’ve been having fun over the Lunar New Year as well as Valentine’s Day. My favourite thing about Valentine’s Day is the day after, when all the chocolate is easy on the eye and on my bank account, and today is actually Mint Chocolate Day! Yes, I know it sounds like it's made up but it’s true - and what’s a better way to celebrate than by spending time with a good friend chatting about chocolate? So, good friend Melissa, what are your thoughts on mint chocolate?

MELISSA:
I like mint chocolate! It's definitely in my top chocolate flavours.

SAREENA:
Excellent, there we go. Nice and snappy, everyone, that's it. Cut!

[Both cracking up already.]

MELISSA:
Off to a good start, I'm thinking, because if I'd said 'no' otherwise, I feel like Sareena would be like 'peace out!'

SAREENA:
It would also be a 'Cut!' And we'd have a serious talk behind the scenes, like... 'why are we friends?'

[More laughter.]

SAREENA:
Yeah, mint chocolate is definitely my favourite chocolate flavour combination, but in terms of dark, white, milk, do you also have a favourite there as well?

MELISSA:
Oh man, I am a huge dark chocolate fan. Gotta love that dark chocolate! 'Cause I just feel that milk chocolate and white chocolate can be sometimes really, really sweet for me - and speaking as someone who gets sugar aches, that can be a real problem.

SAREENA:
As someone who does not get sugar aches, milk chocolate is fantastic. But you know, I can eat milk and dark fine, and I never tend to willingly go for white chocolate, but I can eat it and it's fine.

MELISSA:
Yeah.

SAREENA:
But actually, mint chocolate is rich in vitamins A - [ding sound effect] - and C - [ding sound effect] - and as mint comes from a plant, you're actually really just eating a salad. [ding sound effect] So-

MELISSA:
[cracking up] Oh my god.

SAREENA:
If you needed any more encouragement to eat chocolate, this is it, it's actually part of your 5 a day. [laughs]

MELISSA:
Disclaimer - we are not suggesting that you treat a chocolate bar as a salad or as a vegetable, so please don't do that!

SAREENA:
No, no, of course not! Just the mint chocolate bars!

MELISSA:
You know, it's wild though, they do actually have salads that have, like- you can put cocoa nibs in the dressing and stuff-

SAREENA:
Yeah!

MELISSA:
-so it's kind of chocolatey, but, y'know, it's not sweet.

SAREENA:
No, of course. Chocolate is very versatile, it can be used in many different ways, as we'll discuss, Melissa.

MELISSA:
[laughs] Speaking of - [question time twinkle] - chocolate having many uses, Sareena? My love - and your love for chocolate -

SAREENA:
Yes?

MELISSA:
Would you rather live in a house that's made of chocolate, or would you rather live in a house that has chocolate furniture?

SAREENA:
Okay so, the first part, is that just the structure integrity of the house is chocolate, but the furniture inside and things would not?

MELISSA:
Yes. So everything is normal, but the walls, the ceiling, the foundation, the basement, all of that - chocolate. Whereas the other one, all the furniture is chocolate; so all your fixings, your tables and bookshelves and- not appliances- well, no, your appliances too, everything is chocolate.

SAREENA:
[cracking up] Appliances... my microwave, wouldn't that just melt itself?

MELISSA:
[sparkling sound effect] [stage whisper] Magic!

SAREENA:
Magic, okay. But my bed would also be chocolate?

MELISSA:
Yes. If it's furniture, if it has a place in your house, yes!

SAREENA:
But if it's the integrity, the structure of my house, is it actually good against weather?

MELISSA:
I mean, you'd have to say yes to this option to know that, wouldn't you?

SAREENA:
[laughing] Or if there was any structural damage, can it be magically repaired?

MELISSA:
No, you'd repair it with chocolate!

[Laughter from both sides.]

SAREENA:
I just imagined going to the shop, like 'give me all your chocolate, I need to fix my house!'

MELISSA:
[laughing] Oh, that'd be really funny, actually.

SAREENA:
It would, yeah. 'Just gotta melt this down and mold it - [splat sound effect] - stick it back up there.'

MELISSA:
And now you have a new door.

SAREENA:
I think the only sensible option here is to go with chocolate being the house structure, because if it's your furniture... that's like your TV, the things you're sitting on, your bed-

MELISSA:
Yeah.

SAREENA:
I- yeah no, I love chocolate, but as long as it's on my walls I could lick the walls, you know? I would have a favourite place, like 'yeah, this is where I'll have my midnight snack from', and then at least-

MELISSA:
Oh my god.

SAREENA:
-I can replace it quite easily, I can just stick more chocolate on there. But if it's my furniture, there's so much of it that is being used, I feel there would be more repair jobs, so...

[Laughter from both.]

SAREENA:
Give me the chocolate house, Melissa!

MELISSA:
Really?

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
That's so funny, I was so surprised, I thought you were gonna go for the chocolate furniture!

SAREENA:
What, so I'm just gnawing on all my furniture instead?

MELISSA:
Well, instead of gnawing on your furniture you'd be nibbling on your walls and foundation beams, so it's not that much different!

SAREENA:
It makes me sound like a mouse, doesn't it? Just nibbling like 'nyamnyamnyam'. [laughs]

MELISSA:
Take a chomp out of your bedframe, be like 'all right, that's cool'.

SAREENA:
Yeah. What would you do, for your furniture or your structural integrity of your living space?

MELISSA:
I just feel that having a chocolate house, especially in Canada, would just be asking for so much trouble, you know? Winter and colder weather it wouldn't be that bad, but summer would, of course, be a nightmare.

SAREENA:
But we've discussed, you get snow in May, like... whatever, it'd be fine!

[Both cracking up.]

MELISSA:
As we've also discussed, it was a freak occurrence, okay! It won't happen again! ...Hopefully... please, weather, I'm beggin' ya... [laughs] I don't know, I feel like chocolate furniture would just be really funny for the first, you know, half hour that I was living there.

SAREENA:
Yeah, imagine trying to clean that, you'd have dust and stuff and your hair, everything would be stick- yeah, I wouldn't feel comfortable licking the furniture if it's all got those- all those extra flavourings on top of it.

MELISSA:
Ew! I mean... I'll be honest, Sareena, you shouldn't be licking furniture regardless of whether it's chocolate or not.

SAREENA:
But how do I know if it's good or not, Melissa? God!

MELISSA:
You can just tell by the quality of it! Oh, I didn't even think about cleaning though, you're right. Hueerrgggh. I'll have to go with the chocolate house too, I think, oh my goodness.

SAREENA:
Join me! With our chocolate houses.

MELISSA:
I shed too much for chocolate furniture to even cons- for it to even be an option, I'm just grossing myself out just thinking about it, so yeah, let's go with the house!

SAREENA:
Yeah, yeah, it's the only sensible option here.

[Both laughing.]

MELISSA:
We say 'sensible' as if it means something during this podcast.

SAREENA:
I know, right? [more laughter] There is no wrong answer, but there is also a right answer.

MELISSA:
No, I'm pretty sure we've had some wrong answers on here!

SAREENA:
Did you know that mint chocolate chip, as a flavouring, was created in 1973 by Marilyn Rickets, who was a culinary student from South Devon College, who participated in an ice cream competition to provide a dessert for the wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. And as someone who doesn't particularly care for the Royal Family, like I know they're royal in some way but in what way I do not know, good job, Marilyn, thank you for the chocolate! [applause sound effect]

MELISSA:
Thank you for your services. I mean, I also do not care about the Royal Family, but-

SAREENA:
[SHOCK sound effect] How dare you!! I can say that because that's from MY country!

MELISSA:
Oh come on, my country was a colony of yours! It's not like, you know, most of the world, but whatever, it's fine! We spell things right, that's what matters.

SAREENA:
Sometimes.

MELISSA:
Hey, hey, get off my back! But that's pretty cool.

SAREENA:
It is! Inspiration comes in all forms, doesn't it?

MELISSA:
It's so funny, because some people just despise mint chocolate, like it's the grossest combination in the world, they hate it. And I can see why they wouldn't like it-

SAREENA:
I don't!

MELISSA:
-but also I'm like 'but it's so good!'

SAREENA:
It's amazing, like... no. Uncultured!

[Laughter from both sides.]

MELISSA:
Now, now! This is a friendly podcast and I know you've got very strong friendly feelings about chocolate...

SAREENA:
So friendly!

MELISSA:
It makes you into a better person, it's fine.

SAREENA:
It does, it really does. [question time twinkle] So if we're just talking about the foundations of chocolate, so you know, white and dark? Would you rather, anytime you crave chocolate, have a decent sized bar but it's your opposite chocolate preference, appear? Or only be able to have a tiny bit of your intended chocolate choice?

MELISSA:
Oh. I mean, I'm going to make a dirty confession here, chocolate bars are not my favourite, preferred method of consuming chocolate, so actually a whole bar is too much for me, usually. So the second option would probably be my preference here, if I can just get a little bit, you know. A teaser, if you will.

SAREENA:
[annoyed sigh] Why, Melissa?

[Both cracking up.]

MELISSA:
Why did you sound so disappointed?!

SAREENA:
Fine, fine, I was like, had it in my head, that 'oh, this is a question that'll make you think', you know. Is it just that you want to eat more, or is it the quality of the chocolate that's in play here? No, everyone- everyone's just, small bit of chocolate what you wanted. Fine! Be sensible!

MELISSA:
Okay, so I'll ask those questions anyway, 'cause I was curious - so if this is a larger bar, it could be the flavour I don't like, but is it good quality or is it just garbage quality anyways?

SAREENA:
So when I mean a decent-sized bar, you know, just a normal chocolate bar, and it could either be in the shape of Snickers or whatever, or it could be just like how you get a Galaxy, and you get six kind of rectangles you can break off - it's like one of those, it's not a giant bar or anything-

MELISSA:
Right.

SAREENA:
-so it's still reasonable, but it's just- so if I was really craving something - it'd probably be milk chocolate, so a white chocolate would probably appear - [pop sound effect] -  instead, I'd be like 'okay...'

MELISSA:
Oh god.

SAREENA:
But it'd be a good amount, but it's still chocolate that I don't hate, but it's not what I'm looking for, or I could just have like a teeny weeny bit of chocolate, but it IS what I want.

MELISSA:
Okay, a couple things: one, we don't have Galaxy bars here.

SAREENA:
[disbelief] Wha?

MELISSA:
Yeah no, we... I think you've seen Canadian chocolate and know enough about it that we don't have a good selection, save for a few.

SAREENA:
I suppose I don't know like, what bars of chocolate you have, but I know Purdy's is where it's at, your Purdy's hedgehogs? Oh my gosh, if you don't know what they are, order some. Live your best life, be happy!

MELISSA:
See, I have lots of Canadian pride about that one, because it is very Canadian, and you know, it's all the things - ethically sourced, slavery free, all that good stuff. Excellent quality chocolate, also.

SAREENA:
Yes.

MELISSA:
I'm sure you know this, being a chocolate fan, but white chocolate, technically speaking, is not really really chocolate, in that it doesn't have any cocoa beans in there.

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
It is made with the cocoa butter and the cocoa solids, but it doesn't have any of the cacao bean in it. So... that justifies why I don't like it.

SAREENA:
[laughs] But it's also the sweetest , because it has more butter content, that's why.

MELISSA:
It is definitely too sweet, like it has its time - time and a place, for white chocolate, I find. Like, white chocolate macademia cookies are delicious-

SAREENA:
Oh yeah, yes.

MELISSA:
But... my mom likes white chocolate, I'm kind of like 'who hurt you?'.

[Laughter from both sides.]

SAREENA:
'Let me heal you!'

MELISSA:
For me, chocolate is definitely quality over quantity - I would rather have just a little smidgen, just a taste of what I would really want, instead of kinda going through the motions of eating something that could be as great as possible, but if it's mediocre in my eyes, it won't do me much, you know?

SAREENA:
Yeah, fair enough. What is the highest concentration of dark chocolate you've had, what is the highest percentage?

MELISSA:
Oooh, I usually cap about 70-75%-

SAREENA:
[NOISES OF DISGUST] Oh no!

MELISSA:
-other than that, it gets too bitter after that, yeah.

[Both cracking up.]

SAREENA:
That's already WAY too high!

[More laughter.]

MELISSA:
I've had 99% dark, and oh my god, it is- uergh, it is too much, that is FAR too much. But they've had some really good chocolate- oh, you don't like chocolate with fruit though? It's like dark chocolate orange.

SAREENA:
Well, I'm allergic to citrus so that's why I don't. That's why mint chocolate doesn't hurt me, and that's why I love it forever.

MELISSA:
This is also true. But no, they have a really good one, it was a quite high concentration of dark, it was like a 65-70%? But they also had burnt caramel in there. Oh man, it is good stuff.

SAREENA:
yeah, I think 65 is probably my max for dark chocolate, anything higher than that I'm like, 'no, why would you do this to yourself? Why would you give me the illusion that this is something delicious, but it is not'.

MELISSA:
[wheezing laughter]

SAREENA:
Like I get really angry at really strong apple-scented shampoo, I'm really mad because it smells delicious but I can't eat it, and I feel like it's on the same wavelength as really bitter chocolate, like why would you do this to me?

MELISSA:
In my case, really bitter chocolate I think is like how coffee- everyone's like 'oh, coffee is great!' I'm like, 'not unless it's been doctored with a healthy dose of sugar and milk' 'cause you're deluding yourselves, all that talk about like 'oh yeah, it's got fruity notes of whatever', I'm like 'that's a LIE and you KNOW IT!'

SAREENA:
I also take my coffee with milk and sugar as well, just like most things, I take it with milk and sugar. [laughs]

MELISSA:
Yes, if I have to drink coffee that's how I'll do it, it's a candy bar in a cup, it's fine. There's some coffee in there... like, a drop.

SAREENA:
Yeah. [laughs] Where are we going next in our chocolate choo-choo train of deliciousness? [steam train sound effect]

[Both cracking up.]

SAREENA:
I'm really good at these transitions between questions!

MELISSA:
These train-sitions! [bad joke sound effect] Okay, no, this actually works well, so it's not overlapping with your question but it works with it. [question time twinkle] Would you rather never know what flavour of chocolate it's gonna be, or it's only mint chocolate?

SAREENA:
[immediately] Oh, only mint chocolate, 100%.

MELISSA:
Yeah?

SAREENA:
100%, forever.

MELISSA:
Forever? So the only chocolate would just be mint chocolate?

SAREENA:
Yes, yes. Give it to me all day, every day, mm mm!

MELISSA:
[laughing]

SAREENA:
And like my love for mint chocolate doesn't just stop with chocolate, ice cream, that is also my favourite ice cream flavour as well.

MELISSA:
Right.

SAREENA:
'Cause if I don't know the chocolate flavour, then it could be chocolate orange - or it could have citrus in it, and citrus hurts me and then I'm like 'no!!'

MELISSA:
In this situation I would say it wouldn't be anything that you can't eat, so you wouldn't have- it wouldn't be citrus, it wouldn't be like chocolate bacon, it wouldn't be like that.

SAREENA:
Chocolate bacon....

[Laughter from both sides.]

MELISSA:
Or it wouldn't have wine or anything, it wouldn't have those things that you can't eat, you just wouldn't know. It could be like a white chocolate raspberry, you don't know! Or it could be chocolate peanut butter, you don't know!

SAREENA:
Hmmm. That's true, I do like chocolate peanut butter, that's also very nice, but I just think my love for mint chocolate transcends - [ascending whooshing sound effect] - anything else.

[More laughing.]

SAREENA:
So I will follow my dreams!

MELISSA:
'Cause you eat chocolate so much more than I do, wouldn't you get- you wouldn't get sick of that at all?

SAREENA:
No. My love is forever.

MELISSA:
That's fair. So, just like in your previous question, welp! That's it everybody! Goodbyeee!

SAREENA:
Yep, thanks for joining us, see you later! No, I think my love for mint chocolate kind of really started when- it was one of my first trips I had taken abroad, it was Italy; and I had an After Eight's ice cream - do you have After Eight?

MELISSA:
We do, yes. I love After Eights.

SAREENA:
Yeah, so it's like- again, it is dark chocolate so it's nice, kind of bitter chocolate with the freshness of mint, and I think that really cemented it in my mind that this has to be a part of my life, consistently, in some form or another. I am very much happy with mint chocolate every day, all day.

MELISSA:
That's fair. 'Cause I think what it is too, with mint, how people- 'cause I like mint chocolate, but it's gotta be peppermint chocolate, right? 'Cause there's a difference between peppermint and spearmint - spearmint is gross. Spearmint is like... that's the toothpaste flavour, the mouthwash flavour-

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
That with chocolate would be disgusting. But peppermint is absolutely yes. And also 'cause I think other chocolate combos, like - don't get me wrong, I like peanut butter and chocolate, but sometimes it's really heavy, it's really sweet, and I can't handle that.

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
So mint chocolate's a nice compromise.

SAREENA:
It is a nice balance, I do obviously like other flavour combinations.

MELISSA:
Mmhmm.

SAREENA:
...Aaaaand she says - [cartoon running sound effect] - and they're all running away from my mind.

MELISSA:
[laughing]

SAREENA:
Like salted caramel! I like salted caramel and chocolate, it's really lovely. Obviously I love chocolate with nuts as well, like that's a really good combination. But, i just, hands down, I get excited when I see mint chocolate.

[Laughter from both.]

MELISSA:
Aw, see, I really like chocolate and peanut butter, but my favourite combination of all time is probably dark chocolate and raspberry... love that. I mean, you're missing out, I like fruit with chocolate, so... but there's some things also that I don't touch, so.... hey.

SAREENA:
Yeah. That's fine, you can have your raspberry chocolate, I'll have my mint chocolate, totally fine. So would you go for your mystery chocolate?

MELISSA:
You know, I think I would! Because I mean, I don't eat chocolate- like I said, I don't eat chocolate nearly as much as you do, but.... if it's always gonna be mint chocolate I'll kinda be like '....eeeeehhh'. I like mixing it up, so I'd probably go with other ones 'cause there's not a lot of combos that I don't like.

SAREENA:
Yeah, that's fair and I get that. But it's wrong. But anyway!

[Both cracking up.]

MELISSA:
Again with this! I'm telling ya, you're missing out! Oh, okay, hang on - have you seen the Terry's Chocolate Oranges? I know you don't- you wouldn't eat them, but have you ever seen them? Or know what they're about?

SAREENA:
Of course, of course, of course! They originate from my land! Like-

MELISSA:
Oh really?

SAREENA:
Yeah! Terry's Chocolate Orange is one of our quintessential chocolate items here, and you know, you get the ball and you break it, you get your segments and everything. It's a really big thing here, and I've not always been allergic to citrus, so I have had it before, and it's lovely. If I didn't have my allergy that I've developed then I would totally be all about that as well, but yeah, it's  a very, very big thing here.

MELISSA:
Oh okay, yeah! I remember as a kid, it was like the Ultimate gift you could have ever gotten, you know?

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
'Cause the absolute novelty of buying one of those, and just whacking it against the wall or on the desk or something, and then it splits into- it never split super cleanly because of how much we smashed it, usually - but you know, being able to smack it up and then share it with all your friends, like 'oh here! It's like a real orange, without having to peel off all the pith for eight years'.

SAREENA:
Yeah. [laughs] Yeah no, it's totally a favourite here as well. But, I'll move us on to my next question - [question time twinkle] - So obviously, if you can just eat chocolate it's totally fine, but we've also said it's quite bitter and it can actually be used in dishes; and in Mexican cuisine it's actually used a lot-

MELISSA:
Yeah!

SAREENA:
-you know, mole?

MELISSA:
Yes, I love mole.

SAREENA:
You know, it has kind of the bitter tang taste through it, so would you rather always have chocolate cooked through anything you eat? Or have a chocolate sauce to accompany each dish?

MELISSA:
Ohhh! Interesting!

SAREENA:
And the chocolate will match the dish, it's like if you have a steak it's not going to be a sweet chocolate sauce, you would have a bitter chocolate sauce. But you have to have the sauce, or you have a chocolate crust around your steak or something instead.

MELISSA:
Oooh! You know, I actually have seen that, it's a- there's a brand of salt out there, so it's big chunks of sea salt, kind of like salt crystals almost - they also have cacao- chocolate chunks in there with it; cocoa salt, they call it. I've seen people make cocoa salt-crusted steaks and things, so that sounds really good, actually.

SAREENA:
It's interesting having chocolate through savoury dishes, because I guess it messes with the mind, because you immediately associate chocolate as sweet, and then it's not and it's actually quite a different flavouring altogether, depending on how you cook it. So when I did go to Mexico and I did have mole, it wasn't my favourite way of having chocolate, but...

MELISSA:
That's fair.

SAREENA:
It could just be because of how we've grown up with chocolate.

MELISSA:
Mmhmm. Okay, so I'm curious - is chocolate the dominant flavour in this food? If it was cooked in there with it, right, like mole for example - is it the dominant flavour? Or is it like a complementary type of thing?

SAREENA:
Yeah, it's not dominant but you definitely know it's there. It has- it'll have an aftertaste, and you're like 'okay, there's chocolate'.

MELISSA:
I kind of like that idea, 'cause I am not a huge sauce person, to be honest. Certain things, yes, sauce is mandatory, but I can eat things without sauce and that's fine, so.

SAREENA:
[gasp of disbelief]

MELISSA:
I think I'll have to go with that first option, with chocolate cooked into it, because you know, it's one of those things where you add stuff to enhance the flavours of other things; when you're baking or cooking with chocolate you add some coffee in there - it doesn't make your food taste like coffee, it just brings out the chocolate flavour really strongly.

SAREENA:
Yeah, and salt would kind of do the same thing as well, with-

MELISSA:
For sweet, yeah.

SAREENA:
I am a big sauce fan, so I would take the chocolate cooked through and just have all my sauces on top. [laughs]

MELISSA:
Yeah, you would have the best of both worlds.

SAREENA:
Yeah.

[Laughter from both.]

MELISSA:
Yeah, chocolate is definitely - I think it's only been a more recent thing with chocolate, where people are seeing it has more savoury applications, which I think is very cool.

SAREENA:
Yeah, it's just coming over now with western culture, whereas South America, Mexico, it's always been there, they've always known this stuff and they're just like 'oh cool, you're just catching up now'.

MELISSA:
Yeah, we are very late to the party and we're sorry.

[More laughter.]

MELISSA:
Aw that's pretty cool, I wanna think about that too, because if you look at baking chocolate, 'cause that- baking chocolate's been around forever, and that's never been sweet, so - considering chocolate as more of a main course type of thing.

SAREENA:
Yeah, you can look up and all the chef-y chefs out there have main meals that have duck and something with chocolate, or mushrooms and chocolate, and immediately you would go 'eeugh!' but that's because the association with chocolate is that it's sweet. But if it wasn't that and actually had a nice complementary taste to the mushrooms, or whatever meat you're having then, you know, I'd be down.

MELISSA:
Yeah, for sure. 'Cause you know, even cocoa powder adds a nice bitterness to stuff, you can douse stuff with that and voila! [sparkly 'wow!' sound effect] Savoury cooking!

SAREENA:
It's not easy! [laughs] What do you got for me?

MELISSA:
[question time twinkle] Okay, I think we're gonna end this episode on a note of heartbreak, for you...

SAREENA:
Uh oh. Oh no...

MELISSA:
[laughing]

SAREENA:
I have a nice one to end the episode, so - just putting it out there!

MELISSA:
Oops. WELP! It's fine! Good thing that you're ending the episode then, isn't it?

SAREENA:
[laughter tinged with dread]

MELISSA:
Okay. Sareena... I know this will break your heart, but... would you rather never eat chocolate again? Or would you rather never eat ice cream again?

[Sad piano music playing througout.]

SAREENA:
[various noises of shock and disbelief and BETRAYAL]

MELISSA:
[laughter at Sareena's expense]

SAREENA:
You can't ask this! You CAN'T ask this!!

MELISSA:
I just did! What will you do?

SAREENA:
We need to have some words, we need to lay down some boundaries-

[Both laughing.]

MELISSA:
I'm sorry for overstepping!

SAREENA:
Are you? I don't think you are... So... never have chocolate, or never have ice cream... 'Cause like... I have chocolate in my ice cream...

MELISSA:
I know!

SAREENA:
But what would that leave me with...?

MELISSA:
There's other - I don't wanna say ice cream substitutes, well, which one are you leaning more towards? Would you rather never have chocolate anything, ever again? Or would you rather never have ice cream ever again? There's other frozen treats out there, Sareena! You need to move on!

SAREENA:
No! I refuse!

MELISSA:
[cracking up]

SAREENA:
Look, the delivery service is dependent on me and my ice cream orders!

MELISSA:
This is true!

SAREENA:
'Cause like... I order Ferrero Rocher ice cream, or Snickers ice cream - both of them have chocolate in it; or I'll have mint choc chip, or I'll have chocolate fudge brownie, everything has chocolate!!

MELISSA:
It does! But wouldn't you rather eat an actual Ferrero Rocher? What's wrong with that?

SAREENA:
There's nothing wrong with that, it's delicious! But - I know how it's enhanced in ice cream form!! Um, I need a minute-

MELISSA:
No, take your time, please!

[More laughter from both.]

SAREENA:
So, okay, right - if I don't have chocolate ice cream, in terms of flavours that leaves me with... it will be more fruity, or I get basic flavours like, what? Vanilla and raspberry ripple, or whatever-

MELISSA:
Peanut butter!

SAREENA:
Peanut butter...

MELISSA:
Caramel iced creams...

SAREENA:
Yeah, those don't do it for me, it is the chocolate aspect of the ice cream that really does it, and it's just, the ice cream, it's the new vehicle for it to, you know, enter.

[Both cracking up.]

MELISSA:
Oh my god.

SAREENA:
So I think there's more to lose if I never have chocolate again, you know?

MELISSA:
Mmhmm.

SAREENA:
So if I don't eat ice cream again, at least I could have chocolate-flavoured yogurt, or chocolate-flavoured frozen yogurt, I could get close as I could to ice cream without it being ice cream - but the flavour of chocolate still remains. So, I will never... oh my... 

MELISSA:
[laughing] Take your time!

SAREENA:
[haltingly, and with great pain] I will never.... eat... ice cream again. [sad noises]

MELISSA:
[MORE LAUGHTER] How much did that hurt you to say?! Oh Sareena, it's okay! It's a podcast where what we say doesn't carry on to the next week so you're fine, don't worry!

SAREENA:
[even more sad noises]

MELISSA:
And I just say quickly to the agent who's listening, "okay, she's said it, we've got it, we've got it! Move, move, move!"

SAREENA:
Go go go! Do you not remember when we were in Busan, where we tried liquid nitrogen ice cream for the first time-

MELISSA:
Yeah!

SAREENA:
-and how creamy and smooth that was, and it was just so amazing! I feel like I've had so many great ice creams in my life and it just- that completely pains me, but it always had chocolate something in it, so it makes sense. It makes sense! It's the sensible option. Okay.

MELISSA:
Yeah, 'cause I was actually honestly thinking, when have I ever seen you eat ice cream that did NOT have some form of chocolate in there? I'm pretty sure the answer is never.

SAREENA:
Yeah.

MELISSA:
So, I mean, you can have ice cream-adjacent things! You wouldn't be able to have soft serve, though, which is whatever, but.

SAREENA:
It doesn't sound like I am, but I'm lactose intolerant.

[Both cracking up.]

MELISSA:
Yeah, as if that stops you, come on!

SAREENA:
It doesn't, I make the sacrifice for pizza and ice cream, but soft serve completely destroys me, so I wouldn't touch soft serve anyway. But no, I will have my chocolate. What would you do, then?

MELISSA:
Honestly? I'd be fine without chocolate. I think I like ice cream more, it's something I have more of a craving for. Whereas chocolate, sometimes I'll be like 'aw man, I could just crush an entire chocolate bar right now' and then do it, and then be like 'oh yeah, that was weird'. But ice cream, in the summer it is a near constant demand for ice cream, like 'aaaaaaw.... I want ice cream... I don't wanna walk to the store because it's like 45 degrees out...'

SAREENA:
[laughs] I mean, I've been ordering ice cream and it's minus temperatures.

[Both laughing.]

SAREENA:
It doesn't really stop me.

MELISSA:
That's true.

SAREENA:
That was a horrible question, and I'm gonna hold a grudge for approximately 5 seconds.

[More cracking up from both.]

MELISSA:
It's okay, Sareena! The podcast can't hurt you, don't let it!

SAREENA:
I thought this was supposed to be about good feelings.

MELISSA:
Like I've said before, I feel good.

SAREENA:
[question time twinkle] Right, well, here's my very lovely question for you to end the episode on. Would you rather receive one chocolate-themed cookie a day, or only have chocolate once a week, but it can be a bigger chocolate treat, but you can only have it on that one day.

MELISSA:
[gasp] Oooh! Ooh, I like that! So in this case it could be something like chocolate ice cream, or chocolate cake, or something else, right?

SAREENA:
Yeah, for your bigger treat, yes. But for your cookie a day, you could have triple chocolate one day, you could have your white chocolate macadamia the other day, and you could have a cookie a day, but that's the only chocolate treat you could have, is just a cookie.

MELISSA:
Hmm.

SAREENA:
Just one.

MELISSA:
Betcha can't eat just one! [laughs] I like the idea of a weekly chocolate treat actually, 'cause that just kinda cements it as like, extra special in my mind.

SAREENA:
Mmhmm.

MELISSA:
So I'll be like, 'oooh! I get to look forward to my... I dunno, three layer chocolate cake' or something.

SAREENA:
Yeah, but you can only have- like if you choose Saturday to be your day, then you only have Saturday to consume your chocolate. So this is just magic food, so it would appear, like 'I would like this today!', it would appear next to you - [pop! sound effect] - and then when you're finished eating it would disappear, so there's no food wastage going on, I want to make that clear.

MELISSA:
Okay good, I was gonna ask, 'cause food wastage just breaks my heart, so.

SAREENA:
Yeah, 100%.

MELISSA:
Okay, so if I wanted a chocolate pudding pie, I wouldn't get a whole pie, I would just get a piece?

SAREENA:
You would get the pie, and then you eat as much of it as you want, and then the rest would just, you know, magic away.

MELISSA:
Aah!

SAREENA:
[magic sound effect] Magic away!

MELISSA:
Magic away! It's the same force that gives me my cookies and takes away my food waste as well.

SAREENA:
Yeah.

[Laughter from both.]

MELISSA:
You know, I really like that, that weekly chocolate thing, because then I could - don't get me wrong, I love chocolate cookies, but I like to mix it up! I could have chocolate ice cream, it'd be a chocolate sundae with whipped cream and cherries and... bananas, or whatever.

SAREENA:
Yeah?

MELISSA:
If you haven't had a chocolate pudding pie, by the way, they're great! Or, you know, cookies 'n cream pie, or - I just really like pie, I think that's what that is.

[Laughter from both sides.]

SAREENA:
But as long as there's some chocolate on there, you could have your pie.

MELISSA:
Oh absolutely! Chocolate-crusted pie with a different kind of filling or something, or a cheesecake, you know? Things that you can't eat, I'm sorry. Or wait, no, do you like cheesecake?

SAREENA:
It depends, I mean if the cheesecake's concentration of chocolate is high enough, then yes!

MELISSA:
Of course. [laughs]

SAREENA:
If not, then no!

MELISSA:
Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna go with the weekly treat option. What about you?

SAREENA:
Yeah, I think I'd join you on the weekly treat, because you're absolutely right, it gives you something to look forward to, and it's nice and it's a big treat as well. It's just like, every day you're like 'ugh, today's not great but I'm one day closer to my chocolate treat', and you can spend time thinking about what it could be, what it is - is it a chocolate pie that you're looking forward to, or a chocolate tart, or is that an ice cream sundae? You know, it's just so many options.

MELISSA:
Question! Does this apply to chocolate drinks? Am I only allowed to have a hot chocolate once a week?

SAREENA:
Oooh! Yeah, so it's 'cause I would consider hot chocolate as a treat.

MELISSA:
Yeah, that's true.

SAREENA:
So, if you wanted a hot chocolate, it'd be like the best hot chocolate, but you could only - as we've said before - it would only appear on this auspicious day of... whatever, your one day that you've chosen.

MELISSA:
Was gonna say, what if I was feeling cold and I wanted to summon a hot chocolate but it wasn't my approved day yet? So when that day comes, would I get like 6 of them?

SAREENA:
You would get enough to satisfy your craving.

MELISSA:
Okay, that's good, less wasteful.

SAREENA:
Mmhmm.

MELISSA:
But yeah, I really like that! Weekly chocolate treats, something to look forward to, makes it more special.

SAREENA:
Uh-huh, you value it more 'cause I think, it's nice also having a treat a day, because then it's like, 'yeah, you know, I've gotten through the day, here's something just to celebrate me, here I am, fantastic, cookie'. [chomp sound effect]

MELISSA:
Yeah.

SAREENA:
But having something to look forward to, I think, especially now that, you know, pandemic and all that kind of stuff, everything's changing all the time - having something to look forward to, even if it is just at the end of the week and even if it is something as simple as 'I'm gonna have some chocolate cake' or 'I'm really gonna get some mint chocolate ice cream', I think it makes such a difference. And it's actually kind of an easy thing that you can do for yourself; 'you know what? When the weekend gets here I'm gonna do this', or 'actually, I really don't like Mondays so I'm gonna make sure that on Mondays, I'm gonna have that really nice hot chocolate', you know?

MELISSA:
Yeah! I think it's also that whole instant vs delayed gratification, like sure, if you want something you could immediately get it and be like, 'all right, that was it, that's cool'; whereas, if you're like 'aw I'm really looking forward to this chocolate, it's gonna be amazing', and then you finally get it after waiting and craving it for so long you're like 'yeeesssss!'

SAREENA:
Yeah, definitely. You know, just like our podcast episodes! Every week on Fridays!

MELISSA:
Every Friday! We hope that we've made your Fridays sweeter!

SAREENA:
Yeah! If not, there's always mint chocolate, but you know.

[Both laughing.]

MELISSA:
Or whatever chocolate you like.

SAREENA:
[stage whisper] Mint chocolate, mint chocolate!

MELISSA:
[also stage whispering] Dark chocolate raspberry, dark chocolate raspberry! Hey!!

[Giggling from both.]

MELISSA:
Well, I hope you guys have a happy - what is it, national? Or International Mint Chocolate Day?

SAREENA:
Yeah, sure, global!

[Both cracking up again.]

MELISSA:
All right, so it's a global celebration of mint chocolate on this very fine day.

SAREENA:
Google it if you don't believe me, but yes, it is today.

MELISSA:
No, I believe you. That's why I did not question at all, like 'It's Mint Chocolate Day, let's make an episode!' I'm like, 'yes, let's do it'.

[Gentle chiming music throughout] And on that sweet note, let's move on to the Self-Care Sign-Off today. Speaking of chocolate and how it makes you feel good, you know what else is a really good mood lifter? Bangin' music! Make a whole playlist of bangers that boost you up - you know the ones! The ones where you strut, or the ones where you're imagining yourself walking away from an explosion! Or you're a top-of-the-charts popstar!

SAREENA:
Yeah, I just watched Over The Moon, it's on Netflix if you haven't heard of it, really good and a bangin' tune that they have - "Ultraluminary" - it really cements the idea that yes, I do want to be a popstar.

[Both laughing.]

MELISSA:
And I can confirm, I've seen this movie, I know the song. The music is [mwah kissing noise], oh, it is up there. For Hamilton fans, Phillipa Soo [she originated the role of Eliza Hamilton] voices the titular moon goddess in there, it is her shining vocals on "Ultraluminary". So even if you don't watch the movie, please check out that song, it is amazing and it will make you want to - Sareena has been singing it for- how long, now?

SAREENA:
I literally just watched it last night and I've been listening to this song on repeat - it just boosts me up so much, it is the- you know, it's the fierceness of it, it's like, 'yes, I can take on anything, I can do anything', it's fantastic.

MELISSA:
Yeah! And that's what we want, we want you to feel strong, and ridiculous, and deadly.

[Both cracking up again.]

MELISSA:
In my case, I would have to say a lot of my pump up music is probably either the Artpop album by Lady Gaga, or anything by Daft Punk. You want some good beats, that you walk along to and you feel like, 'yeah! Heyo! What up?' and you just keep going.

SAREENA:
Yep. Get your strut on!

MELISSA:
Oh, basically. You dance like you do indeed live for the applause, applause, applause! Because you deserve it!

Hey kiddos! If you want to support us, there's a whole myriad of ways to do that. all packed neatly into one little link that is in our episode description. We got merch, we got memes, we got updates, that old chestnut! And of course, our email - you can always reach us at curriedchipsandpoutine@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for listening, we appreciate every single one of you and we love you all very much.

BOTH:
Byeeeee!

[Outro music playing.]