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You can certainly haver some fun with them. If you have access to an old hot air popcorn popper such as the original West Bend Poppery and you can do it outside or near a window it's easy to roast the beans. Folks who roast green coffee beans at home this way go both by bean color and by the sound of cracking during a certain transformation process so they know when to stop the roast (called "first crack" and "second crack" stages).

I'm not sure what the target temps or metrics are for knowing when cocoa beans are roasted to the right level. If you don't have a hot air popper you can instead rely on conductive heat (rather than convective) and roast them on a cookie sheet in the oven with frequent agitation or even in a cast iron skillet on stove top. And some folks swear by "dog bowl heat gun" roasting (done outdoors using a large stainless steel pet food bowl, a pair of gloves and a heat gun).

You could then crunch the roasted beans with a mortar and pestle to get cocoa nibs of a sort. I went to the chocolate show in NYC late last year and some vendors had incorporated cocoa nibs into various chocolate confections - gave them a nice crunch and flavor burst.

Hey Lambowner - the "jump" is when you read an article that starts on the main page of the blog and is continued with full details on another page that's reached by clicking on a hyperlink in the first page. When you click on that link to read the full details you "jump to the other page.

I lack the experience to say where the best Mexican food is but it's sure as heck not in NY city or NY state. And I think that although having a large Mexican population does raise the chances of having good Mexican food available... adjacency to the border is an even stronger factor.

Some may blast me for making this suggestion but if you want an upscale romantic dinner it's worth considering the Latitudes beach cafe on Sunset Key. I know there's better food in KW and it is pricey but with the water taxi ride over and back and making sure you reserve an outside table... it is romantic. I've been there three times and on this last visit (January 2008) I think the food was a bit better - perhaps because it's now owned by Westin instead of Hilton.

I had "beef two ways" - a hunk of truly excellent short rib alongside a small filet (a cut I never order on its own) . The green beans were perfect and the trio of creme brulee of desert was much better than average (I am very particular about creme brulee - my favorite dessert IF it's done right).

If you haven't already done breakfast at Blue Heaven then it's a must. Yeah... I know... everyone says that. But the made from scratch pancakes are a revelation (as pancakes go) and the Gulf shrimp with grits and Vermont white cheddar is sublime - trust me on that. Skip the cafe con leche and any other espresso type drink at Blue Heaven - those are mediocre and overpriced.

If you have not already visited the Waterfront market over at the Bight - by all means do so. Surprisingly good selection of upscale food items and plenty of prepared foods that can make a really good packed lunch.

By the way - there's a little side street from Blue heaven - I think it's called Johnson's. Nothing to write home about.

We had a surprisingly good Italian meal at a place that's up in a big courtyard off Duval with outdoor tables and twinkly little white lights in the trees. It's a classic North jersey / NY suburbs kid of Italian joint. I had a decent pasta entree but the pizza I saw being served looked like good classic Staten island style (Neopolitan type - not too thick and not to thin). I think it's called NY pasta Company or something of that sort and it's further down towards the Southernmost point end of Duval vs. the Mallory Square end. Portions were large and price moderate for key West.

Conch fritters: rumor has it that the ones served at the outdoor stand by the entrance to the aquarium are the best in town. I have few reference points but I liked them very much. he closes at about 5 PM so stop by during the day.

I'm Phaelon56 aka Owen O'Neill of Syracuse NY. Some of you may recall that user name from my activity as a volunteer moderator in the eGullet Forums in past years but my online food/dining activities are now focused most just browsing on SE. I am an active participant in a coffee/espresso business discussion forum as well.

Most of my adult life has been spent here in central NY state but I spent four years in Ithaca and another four in the New York City area back in the 1990's and early 2000's. For many years I've been working as a Sales Engineer in a nice technology area related to computer networking but my avocation has been the coffee business. I've done espresso machine repairs and some barista work as a side job since 2003 and started working part time as a coffee roaster in 2004 for a local multi-location cafe operator.

At present I'm close to finishing the build-out of my own roasting operation and am totally stoked. It's been a long time coming and there's plenty of work ahead but I hope to migrate into coffee as a full time business over the next two years. There are no plans for a retail coffee shop per se but I will be selling roasted beans on the Web both wholesale and retail.

I love to cook and have a moderate skill level but living alone and working the hours that I do has me subsisting at present mostly on grocery store rotisserie chicken, bagged salad and fresh pasta with sauce from the local Italian imports store....

Just curious - was the hot chocolate the thick European style sipping chocolate?

@Boscompb: how do i "press" it?

@phaelon56: thanx a lot for that cocoa nib in chocolate idea!

You can certainly haver some fun with them. If you have access to an old hot air popcorn popper such as the original West Bend Poppery and you can do it outside or near a window it's easy to roast the beans. Folks who roast green coffee beans at home this way go both by bean color and by the sound of cracking during a certain transformation process so they know when to stop the roast (called "first crack" and "second crack" stages).

I'm not sure what the target temps or metrics are for knowing when cocoa beans are roasted to the right level. If you don't have a hot air popper you can instead rely on conductive heat (rather than convective) and roast them on a cookie sheet in the oven with frequent agitation or even in a cast iron skillet on stove top. And some folks swear by "dog bowl heat gun" roasting (done outdoors using a large stainless steel pet food bowl, a pair of gloves and a heat gun).

You could then crunch the roasted beans with a mortar and pestle to get cocoa nibs of a sort. I went to the chocolate show in NYC late last year and some vendors had incorporated cocoa nibs into various chocolate confections - gave them a nice crunch and flavor burst.

@phaelon56 :after i roast them, can i just crush them and use it as cocoa powder?

Watsonville, CA!

This is a poorly worded question. There is quite a bit of difference between Mexican and Tex-Mex.

LA and Houston have the two largest Mexican populations and will have the best and most representative regional Mexican food. Houston does have an edge here because:

1) Mexican food is not segregated to one part of the city, as it is in LA. Houston is a working city without zoning, where people live and eat right next to one another. Try to find passable Mexican food in Beverly Hills, on the other hand.

2) Houston has Hugo Ortega (who bests even Rick Bayless if you ask me) and Hugo's, one of the best upscale Mexican restaurants in the country. LA doesn't even come close in this category.

Now, if you are looking for Tex-Mex, it's a completely different story. Houston and San Antonio have both originated very distinctive brands of Tex-Mex food, and I have trouble choosing one over the other.

Skirt steak has been cooked around Texas since 1930's, but fajitas in their current incarnation took off in Houston. Today you find them all over the world, but Houston is without a doubt a fajita city.

Similarly, San Antonio have signature dishes that you rarely find faithfully replicated anywhere else. Puffy tacos, cheese enchiladas, thick and doughy flour tortillas. All unique to San Antonio and in a different world when it comes to Tex-Mex.

So to sum up, Houston is the best city for Mexican food, with a tie between Houston and San Antonio for Tex-Mex.