Feel the power of the dark side this Bittersweet Chocolate Day

I’d be the first to say that the vast majority of concocted special days observed during the year – Read in the Bathtub Day? Unicorn day? Pu-leeze – are just so much silliness.

But some of those, I can get behind. Like Free Comic Book Day on the first Saturday of May. And Star Wars Day being May 4 – as in “May the Fourth be with you.”

Tuesday is one of those days: Bittersweet Chocolate Day. Not to be confused, of course, with National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day, which is Nov. 7.

According to the website of bon appetit, “Bittersweet chocolate hovers in the 70 percent cacao range, and can be used interchangeably with semisweet. Anywhere you'd use one, you can use the other (and, to be honest, most of us don't have refined-enough palates to taste the difference in a dessert).”

That’s me. All I know is I like dark way better than milk chocolate. I’m not highfalutin about it, either. I enjoy Trader Joe’s brand as much as Ghirardelli or Godiva. Heck, just give me a Milky Way Midnight bar and I’m happy.

Speaking of dark chocolate, the Modesto Area Partners in Science are offering a fun way to possibly win 10 pounds of it.

MAPS will host the free presentation “Chocolate: Food of the Gods ” on Jan. 27 on the Modesto Junior College West Campus.

The speakers are Howard and Sally Peters, chemists who are experts on the many attributes of chocolate. The Peterses, who live in Menlo Park and are known as “Mr. and Mrs. Chocolate” because of their use of the sweet, will discuss the chemistry, history, health effects and other wonders of chocolate.

They were the joint recipients of the 2016 American Chemical Society Helen M. Free Award for outstanding public outreach.

But here’s what you really want to know: Yes, some chocolate samples will be provided to the audience.

And for those who stay to the bitter end – MAPS’ pun, not mine – there will be a free drawing for a 10-pound bar of Guittard dark, bittersweet chocolate.

The presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Sierra Hall 132 on the west campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave. Parking also is free.

For more information about the MAPS program, visit the website http://maps.events.mjc.edu and the Facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Modesto-Area-Partners-in-Science/244618054801.

This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Feel the power of the dark side this Bittersweet Chocolate Day."