I was flattered to receive an email from a dear friend from college today that said every time he encounters anything having to do with chocolate he thinks of me.  After being friends for over 25 years, that’s pretty impressive!  There have been three different varieties of Theobroma cacao reported in the past.  As it turns out, there are more and more varieties being found all the time.  The following article talks about one of them.  It is called Pure Nacional and Moonstruck Chocolate decided to make a chocolate bar and some other goodies with them!  Personally, for something so rare, I would rather have a simple chocolate bar to enjoy the complexities of the chocolate, but that’s me. The article comes from Urban Daddy.

Photo Courtesy of Moonstruck Chocolate

The bold. The brave. The pioneers. These are your people.

Particularly when they’re devoting their talents to some of the most important issues of our time.

Like discovering a whole new kind of chocolate…

Introducing Fortunato No. 4, the first chocolate bar made from a newly rediscovered Peruvian cacao bean, available now.

Let’s be clear. This thing looks, smells and even tastes suspiciously like a regular chocolate bar. But don’t worry about that. Here’s what matters: this is a species of chocolate you’ve never laid taste buds on before. The bean is called Pure Nacional, and it was considered unharvestable for the past century. That is, until some California chocolatiers came across a brand-new crop of the beans growing wild in the mountains of northern Peru. (You know, that old story.)

Once you’re hooked, you can move on to the raw, unadulterated version: a chocolate-coated Pure Nacional bean. The nugget inside is straight from the plant (give or take a little roasting), so you’ll taste every last iota of chocolate.

Incidentally, this is also how they discovered Skittles.

You may read more about the discovery of these rare Theobroma cacao beans from a recent New York Times article entitled Rare Cocoa Beans Discovered in Peru.

Photo Courtesy of Ruth Fremson of The New York Times

Always something new to learn in the world of chocolate!  Keep enjoying some dark chocolate or hot chocolate on a daily basis!  It’s good for you!

Annmarie Kostyk

Join food blogger Hillary Davis on a fantastic trip to the largest chocolate show in the world – Salon du Chocolate which is held in Paris every year.  Hillary sure look like she enjoyed the Salon du Chocolat!  Follow Hillary’s blog Marche Dimanche!  You may also  follow Hillary on Facebook and Twitter.

Professor Chocolate and son (he is so cute!) walk one of the their guided tours from the lower Manhattan book. This tour takes place in the Flatiron section of New York City. The only location that is excluded is Chocolat Moderne…which can be visited on one of our New York City tours. It is one of the most secretive chocolate factories in the city! Read more about Professor Chocolate on his website at Professor Chocolate! On Twitter and on Facebook too!

Go pen Salon du Chocolat on your calender for next year or maybe you would prefer to attend one of the other events throughout the world.  For your New York City tour, the Chocolate Professor gives tours all year!

Annmarie Kostyk

This is a reprint from the Dining and Wine section of the New York Times from 10 December 2010.  Seriously, what is the world coming to when you cannot use the word library in the name of your store?  I think it is the most appropriate name for this chocolate shop since it does have selections from everywhere in the world.  Creative too! Too bad the name has already been taken by  The Chocolate Library in Edinburgh, Scotland.

I wish them luck!  Here’s to it bringing your chocolate shop a lot of publicity and many, many customers!

No Chocolate in the Library

Byron Bennett’s East Village storefront is full of chocolates, from Belgium and Ecuador to California and New York, organized by 36 brands and 10 countries in white cubicle shelves. Short of creating his own Dewey Decimal System, Mr. Bennett, 38, said he plans to install a kiosk to help customers navigate his shop: The Chocolate Library.

Although Mr. Bennett’s business opened the week of Thanksgiving, the biggest hurdle so far hasn’t been procuring delicate truffles but registering its name.

“We thought library was the perfect word,” he said.

But it turns out library was one word too much. The State Education Department’s division of library development rejected Mr. Bennett’s application to incorporate his business, claiming it was misleading.

Since 2006, state Business Corporation Law, Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, Partnership Law  and Limited Liability Company Law require the education commissioner’s consent for the words library, school, academy, institute and kindergarten, among others to be used in a certificate of incorporation or company name.

“This is ridiculous,” said  Mr. Bennett, who was also an owner of  Discovery Wines in the East Village. “No one is coming in here confusing us as a library.”

After being called by a reporter about Mr. Bennett’s case on  Friday morning, however, Tom Dunn, a spokesman for the education department, said it would reconsider the ruling in the coming weeks. He said the purpose of the law was to avoid confusing the public about the nature of these businesses.

Mr. Bennet learned of the problem in October, when the state sent a letter to his lawyer.

Mr. Bennett is now incorporated as Chocolate 101. Before Mr. Dunn said the state would reconsider, Mr. Bennett said he might distribute a petition to allow him to use his chosen name for the shop.

“It’s an arcane law that doesn’t really affect anybody,” said Mr. Bennett. “I don’t know how they would be hurt by us continuing to use it.”

But at least one businessman more influential than Mr. Bennett has faced his problem. Earlier this year, the state told Donald Trump that he could not call his online school Trump University. The new title? The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative.

At least a handful of businesses in New York include “library” in their names, but they seemed to have avoided the legal runaround. The Hudson Library Bar and the Library Hotel both existed before the law went into effect.

Even before the law was passed, Flavien Desoblin hesitated before using the name  Brandy Library for his upscale bar in TriBeCa. His lawyers told him not to worry, and he opened in October 2004.

“It’s very obvious in the title,’’ said Mr. Desoblin. “It basically says alcohol library. No one is wondering if it would bring kids to a bar.”

Patrons of the Brandy Library sit in plush leather seats sipping cocktails and spirits in a dimly lighted room lined with wood paneling and soft jazz notes playing in the background.

Mr. Desoblin said he can relate to Mr. Bennett’s headaches. He recalled chatting to a lawyer about opening a more casual bar called McBourbon, which he figured would be a good bridge between bourbon and Scotch. His lawyer told him to forget about it; the McDonald’s Corporation would fight him for the name.

Mr. Desoblin sighed ruefully and said, “Names do give you issues.”

The Chocolate Library (Photo by Yana Paskova for The New York Times)

What say you over this waste of time and money?  I say let The Chocolate Library be…

Annmarie Kostyk

‘Tis the season for gift giving, treating yourself and warming up by drinking lots of hot chocolate.  Need some help finding the best dark chocolate bars and drinking chocolate available in the United States?  Go no further!  Here’s a list of Annmarie Kostyk’s Favorite Chocolate Things.  Oprah has nothing on me!  Just note these are idea for you to get your chocolate pantry stocked, I am not giving reviews or descriptions.

Some of these dark chocolate bars and hot chocolates may be found in your local grocer or specialty food stores, others you will have to order online.  If I love them and there are hard to find…that’s for another day!

Favorite Dark Chocolate Bars

(must possess 70% or higher cocoa content and in no particular order)

Theo Jane Goddall 70% Organic, Fair-Trade Dark Chocolate Bar

1.Theo Chocolate:  Jane Goddall 70% Dark Chocolate and Dominican Republic 84% Dark Chocolate

2. Divine Chocolate: 70% Dark Chocolate and 85% Dark Chocolate

3. Chocolove: Extra Strong Dark Chocolate 77%

4. Pacari: Raw 100% Dark Chocolate and Los Rios 72% Dark Chocolate

5. Vintage Plantations: 75% Dark Chocolate and 1000% Dark Chocolate

Askinosie 77% Davao Dark Chocolate Bar

6. Scharffen Berger:  Extra Dark 82% Chocolate

7. Askinosie: 72% Tanzania Dark Chocolate, 77% Davao Dark Chocolate and 70% San Jose Del Tambo Chocolate

8. Patric: Signature 70% Blend Dark Chocolate and 70% Rio Caribe Superior Chocolate

9. Valrhona: Grand Cru Guanaja 70% and Grand Cru Abinao 85%

10. Guittard: Nocturne 91% Extra Dark Chocolate

Guittard Nocturne 91% Extra Dark Chocolate Bar

11. Green and Black’s: Dark 85% Chocolate

12. Kallari: (available at Whole Foods) 75% Cacao and 85% Cacao

13. Republica del Cacao: Vinces 75% Single Origin Chocolate and Manabi 75% Single-Origin Chocolate

14. Claudio Corallo: 100% Claudio Chocolate and 75% Pure Pleasure Chocolate Bar

15. Taza: 70% Stone Ground Chocolate and 80% Stoned Ground Chocolate

Madecasse 75% Cocoa Chocolate Bar

16. Madecasse: 70% Cocoa Chocolate, 75% Cocoa Chocolate and 80% Cocoa Chocolate

17. Dagoba: 87% Eclipse Chocolate and 74% New Moon Chocolate

18. Amano: Chuao Reserve Dark Chocolate, Montanya Limited Edition Dark Chocolate, Ocumare 70% Chocolate, Madagascar 70% Chocolate, Dos Rios 70% Chocolate and Cuyagua 70% Chocolate

19. Chuao: 77% Cacao de Cacao Chocolate

20. Mast Brothers: Grand Cru 85% Chocolate, Madagascar 72% and brooklyn Blend 74% Chocolate

Drinking Chocolate

TCHO Hot and Cold Drinking Chocolate

1. TCHO: Hot and Cold Drinking Chocolate

2. Askinosie: Tanzania 72% Single-Origin Sipping Chocolate

3. Lake Champlain: Organic Fair Trade Unsweetened Hot Chocolate

MarieBelle Aztec Hot Chocolate

4. Dagoba UnsweetenedDrinking Chocolate

5. Theo: Chipotle Spice Sipping Chocolate

6. Jacques Torres: Classic Hot Chocolate

7. MarieBelle: Aztec Hot Chocolate

8. Vosges: La Parisienne Couture Cocoa

9. L.A. Burdick: Dark Hot Chocolate

10. Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate

Need a gift idea that everyone will appreciate?  Nine out of ten people love chocolate.  The tenth person lies!  You cannot go wrong with a box of these exquisite chocolates from any of these chocolate makers in the United States. You have your family and friends to buy gifts for, but don’t forget teachers, trainers, mailpeople, doormen, hair dressers, assistants, and the rest of the people in the world that make your life easier.  This is a long post, but most definitely worth reading!  Thank you for your time!

I will be covering the best chocolate bars, truffles and drinking chocolates in the United States tomorrow.  It’s not too late to go online and buy.  These chocolate makers are also both artists and small business owners who would appreciate your business.  The links will take you directly to their page offering boxed chocolates, but by all means, there is no reason to stop there!

Theo Chef Session Chocolate Box

Theo Chocolate: Theo Chocolate is organic, fair-trade and they are also chocolate makers which means they make their own chocolate.  My picks for the holidays are the Holiday Confection Collection (I am eating it right now.) and The Chef Session which are limited editions for the holidays.  Theo had seven different area chefs come in to design recipes for these chocolates.  The Apple Caramels are superb.  I have to admit that I was VERY leery of the Peppermint Caramels.  The peppermint is very subtle though.  I am quite glad I tried them.  Over the two types of caramels,  I do prefer the Apple Cider ones.  Love the sugar and mulling spices on the tops.

Jacques's Choice

Jacques Torres: aka Mr. Chocolate… The boxes of chocolates I would suggest would be the Jacques’ Choice Box because you know you are getting the best he has to offer (Like a chef friend of mine once said, always order the special, you know the chef is making it and it’s fresh.)  A lovely whimsical option is the Champagne truffle box made in the shape of a champagne cork with milk chocolate and filled with Taittinger champagne.  Seriously, how could you go wrong with that combo?

Christopher Elbow Chocolate Collection

Christopher Elbow: Honestly, could you get a more magnificent box of chocolates?  I think not.  An array of color and texture for the eyes.  A feast for the senses. This box will get you all of the favorite flavors of the season in addition to tried and true selections.  People gasp when they open this box.  The colors are most unexpected. Some of my favorite chocolates from Christopher Elbow Artisan Chocolates include his Cinnamon, Venezuelan Spice, Balsamic Caramel and Fresh Mango chocolates.

Knipschildt's Giant Chocolate Box

Knipschildt Chocolatier: Is Fritz Knipschildt married?  If he’s not, someone has got to introduce me tot his man.  He has designed and developed everything a chocolate lover could ask for in the world.  He even has a cafe where you can eat first and then indulge in decadent chocolates drinks, desserts and chocolates.  Crepes, quiche, sandwiches, salad, breakfast all day…a man after my own heart.  I digress as usual.  My picks for chocolate? La Madeline au Truffe for the hard to buy on your list…$250 for one truffle.  My realistic pick is the Giant Chocolate Box.  Keep in mind there are only nine chocolates in the box.  The truffles themselves are what’s giant.  The assortment varies from season to season.

Norman Love Holiday Chocolate Gift Box

Norman Love Confections:  With Norman Love Confections, you have to go all out holiday!  Green, red and white ribbon over a green box with a bright collection of chocolates that look like Christmas lights gleaming from the box!  My favorites?  The Hot Toddy, Eggnog and White Christmas chocolates.  You will see some major artistic confection making here.  Just look at those little chocolate masterpieces! Most definitely not your average chocolate box!

Byrne & Carlson:  When I first ordered these chocolates I quite literally felt like a kid in a candy store.  There is no semblance of order to the way they put their chocolates in the box.  It’s a beautiful, organized mess full of color, texture and glorious aromas.  We eat with our eyes first and boy were my eyes happy!  There are even some dried flower petals in there!  The photo below is the top and bottom layer of the two pound assortment.  Most definitely for someone special on you list.  Perhaps yourself?

Byrne and Carlson Two Pound Chocolate Box, Top & Bottom Layer

Recchiuti's Whiskey Pairing Chocolate Box

Michael Recchiuti:  Michael Recchiuti is always on the cutting edge of the chocolate world.  He was recently experimenting with chocolate and soy.  Lots of choices here.  It’s really hard to decide what to get when you order from Recchiuti because he thinks out of the box and creates the trends.  My picks are The Whiskey Pairing Box (give a good bottle of whiskey with this), the Beer Pairing Box (give a nice limited edition brew), the Varietal Box and the Rust Box (which has just enough to whet someone’s appetite).

Gail Ambrosius Chocolate Box

Gail Ambrosius:  Hands down, you have to order the chocolatier’s choice.  When you receive this box, you get a selection of all of Gail’s most famous chocolates from her tea-inspired collection, the classic collection, and the adventurous collection.  A variety of different flavors, textures, sweet and bitter to satisfy all of the senses.  If you are feeling really generous, you can give some Gail’s Twelve on the Twelfth.  The lucky recipient will get a dozen chocolates on the twelfth of every month.  How sweet is that?

L.A. Burdick Wooden Box Chocolate Assortment

L.A. Burdick:  Penguin or mice?  That’s the question here, not the chicken or the egg.  Which is your favorite?  I like the penguins.  Pick the wooden box assortments.  The wooden, hinged box with the ribbon and wax seal makes these chocolates look like a regal gift selected and boxed just for you.  You will find at least one mouse in the box.  May I suggest a box of penguins too?  There’s something about a tuxedo that goes hand in hand with the holidays that I can’t resist.

L.A. Burdick Penguins

B.T. McElrath Epicurean Chocolate Box

B.T. McElrath: The holiday chocolates from McElrath are most definitely cute, but I have not had the opportunity to try them.  I have to recommend his award winning Epicurean Truffle Assortment.  My favorites in the box are the Orange Caramel Butterfly (says a lot, not a big fan of orange with chocolate), the Chile-Limon and the Signature Dark Chocolate (no surprise there).

Fran's Chocolate's Grey and Smoked Sea Salt Caramels

Fran’s Chocolates:  I used to hate caramels.  I hardly even use the word hate, but in this case it applies.  Fran’s Chocolates were a turning point in my attitude toward caramels.  In my opinion, caramels were either too liquid or so hard they would crack your teeth.  I first tasted Fran’s Chocolate Gray and  Smoked Salt Caramels at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas.  The price astounded me.  Very expensive.  I ate them all  on the way home and went back the next day for more.  Trust me.  These caramels are the best and worth every penny.

Laurent Vals' Chocolate Box

Laurent Vals: On his website, it says that Laurent’s chocolates are “the ultimate sensual indulgence”.  I could not agreee more.  Since this website is PG, I cannot tell you the things going through my mind when I first tried these chocolates.  Use your imagination and I will let you be with that.  My favorites?  The Rochambeau, Passionata, Latte, Caromy, Brasil and Matt.  I could go on… see for yourself.  Laurent is a Frenchman afterall.

When placing your orders, remember something important.  Always buy the best quality chocolate even if it means getting a smaller box.  The receiver may not be impressed or understand such an understated gift until they actually experience the chocolates.  They will then understand and be extremely thankful.  Also, keep in mind that both women and men love chocolate equally, men just don’t like to talk about it.

Don’t forget to treat yourself during the holidays too!  A box for me and a box for you is the way I geenrally shop.  I love to feed people, what can I say?  Enjoy your chocolate box selections!

Annmarie Kostyk

Mr. Chocolate - Jacques Torres

In Paris lives a man who is considered a chocolate god.  The famous chocolatier Jacques Torres once visited him for one of his shows on the Food Network.  I remember the tiny elevator that transported them from the shop downstairs to the chocolate workshop.  I would love to see that show again!

Chocolate God - Robert Linxe

Who is this chocolate god?  Why it is Robert Linxe of La Maison du Chocolat!  If you cannot get to Paris (He does have shops all over the world now, but I think you need to go right to the source!), Mr. Linx has been kind enough to share his recipe for Plain Chocolate Truffles (although there is nothing plain about them) with the world and now I bring it too you.  It may be found in his book La Maison du Chocolat: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier.  He also notes that the recipe should never be doubled.  Make one batch at a time.  Have patience.  There’s an art to chocolate truffles.  I hum while I’m rolling them.  It helps me keep them all the same size.

La Maison du Chocolat: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier

Day five of The Twelve Days of Holiday Chocolate Candy!  Robert Linxe of La Maison du Chocolat’s Plain Chocolate Truffles! You may find more of his recipes in

Plain Chocolate Truffles

From Robert Linxe’s La Maision du Chocolat

Makes About 60 Truffles (Do NOT double recipe!)

Ingredients:
11 ounces Valrhona chocolate (56% cocoa content)
2/3 cup heavy cream
Valrhona cocoa powder for dusting

Directions:
Finely chop 8 ounces of the chocolate and put in a bowl.

Bring heavy cream to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Make sure your pan is small, so you’ll lose the least amount of cream to evaporation, and heavy, which will keep the cream from scorching. Linxe boils his cream three times—he believes that makes the ganache last longer. If you do this, compensate for the extra evaporation by starting with a little more cream.
Pour the cream over the chocolate, mashing any big pieces with a wooden spoon.

Then stir with a whisk in concentric circles (don’t beat or you’ll incorporate air), starting in the center and working your way to the edge, until the ganache is smooth.

Let stand at room temperature until thick enough to hold a shape, about 1 hour, then, using a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch opening or tip, pipe into mounds (about 3/4 inch high and 1 inch wide) on parchment-lined baking sheets. When piping, finish off each mound with a flick of the wrist to soften and angle the point tip. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 more ounces of the same Valrhona and smear some on a gloved hand. Gently rub each chilled truffle to coat lightly with chocolate. The secret to a delicate coating of chocolate is to roll each truffle in a smear of melted chocolate in your hand. Linxe always uses gloves.

Toss the truffles in unsweetened Valrhona cocoa powder so they look like their namesakes, freshly dug from the earth. A fork is the best tool for tossing truffles in cocoa. Shake truffles in a sieve to eliminate excess cocoa.

Store truffles in the fridge. (They must be refrigerated due to the cream.)

Plain Chocolate Truffles

The Chocolate Travel Guide

Something miraculous is happening and I have to thank all my readers for this miracle.  The readership on Annmarie Kostyk Chocolate is almost doubling daily.  I am humbled by your support and your interest.  Thank you so much!  It’s nice to know that other people share some of the same passions as I do.  Please continue to email me with questions, suggestions for articles or information you want to share.  I never stop learning and I’ll pass on everything to you.

Canady Le Chocolatier at Chicago's French Market

There’s a lot going on over the next 6 weeks since the holidays are almost upon us.  I have a lot to do and share with you including a visit (finally) to the Chicago French Market, a tour of Blommer’s Chocolate Factory, my trip to London (I plan on eating my way through every chocolate shop.  Better get off the carbs now!) and a great night at the Peninsula Hotel for their Chocolate Buffet with chocolate martinis and some jazz (finally a chance to get all dressed up and hit the town!)  If anyone knows of anywhere else I should be going in the Chicago area for the chocolate holidays…please let me know!

The Peninsula Hotel Chicago

Here’s some more goings on in Chicago that I’m going to try to get to…

Chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt

AIDS Foundation of Chicago… World of Chocolate, Dec 2 at the Hilton Chicago featuring over 30 of Chicago’s finest restaurants, caterers and chocolatiers.  One of my favorite chocolatiers will be present!  Fritz Knipschildt of Knipschildt Chocolatier and Chocopologie,  who is originally from Denmark, and in my opinion an absolute genius, is the honorary chair and celebrity judge.  The event includes chocolates, entertainment, a raffle, open bar and light food fare.  There’s also a Chocolate Bliss Recipe Challenge.  Give it a try and see what happens! Tickets are only $100 and they’re tax deductible! Howcould you not have fun?

Fritz Knipschildt Chocolatier's Giant Chocolate Box

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Chocolate Holiday Cocktail

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago offers a lot of lovely events over the holidays.  Enjoy nightly holiday cocktails by the fire from Nov 26-Dec 30.  Seriously, what more can you ask for?  A fire, a sugary holiday cocktail (select from Frosty the Snowtini, Ebenezer’s Egg Nog, and the Holiday Candy Bar or Executive Chef Kevin Hickey’s decadent Haute Chocolate), and freshly roasted chestnuts.  Add someone to snuggle up to and I’d call that a perfect evening!  The Haute Chocolate is a must.  Take your special someone or take the kids for all the fanfare of this chocolaty, rich treat.  Homemade chocolate marshmallows, a silver tray, traditional chocolate

Four Season Hotel Chicago Afternoon Tea

pot, melted chocolate and fresh cream prepared and served table side.  $18 and will easily serve two. Don’t forget that the Four Seasons also offers a delightful afternoon tea that’s also very kid friendly.  They make kids feel like royalty here.  Want to go one step further?  Try the champagne afternoon tea.  Feel adventurous and creative?  Go for the gingerbread house class.  Up to four people per house  create a masterpiece and then take it home to be devoured in a matter of hours.  All supplies and guided instruction are provided for a mere $45 .  Anyone want to go with me?

I’m a bit behind in updating you on all of the new chocolate items I’ve found over the past few weeks.  Here we go… get a pen and some paper!

Dagoba Organic Chocolate Chai

Dagoba Organic Chocolate released a new drinking chocolate called Chai.  I love Chai tea and I adore this!  I was a little skeptical about the spices mixing with the chocolate and one overpowering the other.  Not the case.  Subtle, rich and amazingly calming with hints of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. I believe I’ve found my hot chocolate beverage for this upcoming winter season!  Dagoba Organic Chocolate is not only organic, but fair trade too!  You can’t go wrong!

Amy E's Bakery Organic Almond Nut Toffee

I’ve never heard of Amy E’s Bakery before and I hope she sends me a few samples to try, because her Almond Nut Toffee and Brazil Nut Toffee look totally decadent.  In a good way, of course!  All of Amy’s candy and biscotti are completely organic.  There’s a nice looking layer of dark chocolate covering the toffee.  My mouth’s watering just looking at the photos! At only $7.50 a bag, I suggest you order a bunch to stock up for last minute Christmas gifts!  Anyone would be delighted to receive a bag of either of these.

Le Salamandra Milk Caramel with Dark Chocolate

La Salamandra from De Medici Imports makes a regular Dulce de Leche sauce.  Now they make a Dulce de Leche con Chocolate.  I don’t think I need to say anything more… Cute packaging, a great company and it has dark chocolate it in.  Spoon it on your ice cream, dip your fruit in it, or if you had a really bad day…just eat it from the spoon.  The milk comes from cows milked daily on the premises.

Sweet Marguerites Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel Caramel

Anyone who knows me knows that I was never a fan of caramels.  They were either too liquidy or they could take out your teeth.  No so with the new artisan caramels that we’re seeing everywhere.  Sweet Marguerites is now offering a 12 piece box of their Fleur de Sel Caramels.  All I can say is “bless you”!  A great gift for yourself or someone else.  Make sure you try the dark.  If you must, get a box of half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate. Sweet Marguerites gets their  salt comes from the Gulf of Maine.

Annmarie Kostyk

Chantal Coady

Chantal Coady, the founder of Rococo Chocolates, did not start out in the world of chocolate. Chantal graduated from Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts with a Textile Design degree in 1981. She always had a love for chocolate and, from what she says, she had recurring dreams about being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as an active participant. Her next stop? The job in the famous confectionery department of Harrod’s department store which fueled the fire for her dream for everyone to enjoy the finest chocolates in the world. She then went on to take a business class and her mother secured a loan for her with

Rococo Chocolates

her house to open Rococo Chocolates. Rococo Chocolates became a reality in 1983. Chantal did not know how to make chocolates. Her idea was to buy other people’s chocolate and sell them in her shop. She knew what good chocolate was and she only wanted to sell the best. None of the sugary violet and rose creams so popular in Britain would be sold in her shop. She sold chocolates from small chocolate makers and sugared almonds found at a trade show in Cologne. She opened just before the Easter holiday with the help of family, friends and generous suppliers. Chantal grew into her business and became part of the neighborhood. Within a decade, Rococo would be producing its own chocolates made in the kitchen at Chantal’s home with the help of another chocolate maker. Shortly after that, Rococo would seek certification for their organic, artisan chocolate bars.

The Grenada Chocolate Company

The year 2002 brought the attention of the Grenada Chocolate Company to Rococo Chocolates. Chantal loved the Grenada Chocolate Company’s chocolate bars and visited the island of Grenada for the filming of a chocolate documentary by Eli Peleg. The little island of Grenada was hit with two hurricanes within a year. The Theobroma cacao was completely devastated. In honor of the island and The Grenada Chocolate Company, Rococo Chocolates created a bar made from both their own organic chocolate and The Grenada Chocolate Company’s chocolate forming a bar called the

Rococo Chocolate's Orange & Geranium Chocolate Bar

“Hurricane Emily” chocolate bar. Proceeds from the bar went to the relief fund to aid the island to rebuild. Years later, a small cocoa farm came up for sale and a partnership formed between The Grenada Chocolate Company and Rococo Chocolates. The year is 2007 and the agreement is to produce fairly trade, ethical chocolate. They named the cocoa farm GROCOCO and became part of The Grenada Organic Farmers’ Cooperative. This farm supplies 100% of its organic Trinitario beans to The Grenada Chocolate Company where they make their own chocolate bars. All of Rococo Chocolate’s Organic House Blend is made from a mixing of their beans with the Grococo beans. In 2008, Chantal Coady was awarded the special prize for “Changing the Way People Feel About Chocolate” by the Academy of Chocolate.

Rococo Chocolate's Nougat

Rococo Chocolate’s first shop opened in March of 1983 on King’s Road in Chelsea. It was an exciting new beginning for a true chocolate lover. Chantal’s goal was to make people excited about real chocolate and not the type of chocolate candy that everyone grew up eating. The shop looks like you stepped into a child’s picture book full of walls spread with pink icing and she had a sugar chandelier made especially for the store, mixed it with 18th century elegance and a sort of funkiness that could only come from Chantal’s artistic background. In 1986, she started the Campaign for Real Chocolate teaching people the difference between sugar laden chocolate candy and the real thing. As the campaign grew, The Chocolate Society was launched with both Chantal and Nicola Porter at the helm. The British press gave attention to their cause and the British became aware of what it meant to eat real chocolate.

Rococo Chocolate’s new flagship store open in December 2007 and it sitting on Motcomb Street in the Belgravia neighborhood. In the back of the shop, you will find yourself stepping back into another world. Awaiting you sits a colorful Moorish courtyard to sit and pass time with friends or just enjoy a good book with your own steaming mug of hot chocolate. If that was not enough, you can excite your inner child by viewing the luscious chocolate bars and truffles being created through the viewing window. Want Rococo to host a party for you? They have a special place that seems it was designed with you in mind.

Rococo Chocolate's MaRoCoCo Garden

The Marylebone is the newest of the three shops. The Rococo Chocolate shop seems to be quite satisfied sitting among an elegant mixture of restaurants and specialty food shops on High Street continuing to bring the highest quality of chocolate mixed with a lot of whimsy and humor to their customers.

Rococo Chocolates also offer chocolate making classes to entice your inner child, caters, and hosts parties for both children and adults. Chantal Coady is the author of five books on chocolate including Chocolate: The Food of the Gods, Real Chocolate, The Chocolate Companion, The Connoisseur’s Guide to Chocolate: Discover the World’s Finest Chocolates, and Rococo: Mastering the Art of Chocolate.

Okay my friends!  It’s the season for pumpkin and pumpkin pie!  I just had some decadent pumpkin ravioli with brown butter for dinner last night.  It made me think of this recipe and I dug it out.  It’s super easy.  The kids can even help!  Try this fabulous recipe before Thanksgiving and see what you think.  I bet it will grace you Thanksgiving table this year and everyone will be asking you for the recipe!

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
1 unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup dark chocolate (chopped), melted with 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add eggs. Stir in half and half and chocolate. Mix thoroughly and pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes longer, until custard tests done.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Enjoy!  Annmarie Kostyk

Valrhona Chocolates Dark Chocolate Mendiant

Valrhona Chocolates has some great Halloween treats for all of the adults with a lot of kid still in them (such as myself).  How about a nice box of Valrhona Orangettes? Orangettes are strips of candied orange rinds covered with dark chocolate.  Quite tasty!   Perhaps fruit isn’t your thing.  How about some traditional Valrhona Mendiants?  For those of you who have never tried a Mendiant, they are disks of dark chocolate or milk chocolate with a piece of hazelnut, apricot and pistachio.  Other chocolate makers make these too.  The topping changes, but the concept is the same.  Varhona Chocolates is offering free shipping on orders over $65!  Go ahead!  Buy yourself some Halloween chocolates!

Here’s a great recipe for Bourbon Whiskey Truffles from Valrhona Chocolates.  I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I know Valrhona Chocolates tests their recipes thoroughly before they share them.  Looks like a lot of people will be getting boozy truffles from me this holiday season.  I’m sure there will be no complaints!

Bourbon Whiskey Truffles

Recipe created by: Derek Poirier Valrhona Pastry Chef North America

Ingredients:
4 ounces Whipping cream
7 ounces Valrhona Chocolates Le Noir 61%
1/2 ounce unsalted butter
1 ounces bourbon whiskey
Valrhona Chocolates cocoa powder

Directions:
Bring whipping cream just to boil.Pour slowly over the chocolate and mix rapidly to create an elastic and shiny mixture. Add butter and mix it again with the spatula.Let crystallize the ganache for 12 hours. Then shape and roll truffle in Valrhona Chocolates cocoa powder.

Valrhona Chocolates Bourbon Whiskey Truffles

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Almonds

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Nuts are back!  If you haven’t tried these babies…you have to hook yourself up!  I can’t do them justice in the description, so here is what they say about them… Me speechless?  It does happen on occasion! “Our Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Almonds and Triple Chocolate Hazelnuts are what chocolate covered nuts should be. Each California almond or Oregon hazelnut is roasted nice and dark, bringing out its full flavor and texture. Once they have cooled, we coat them with several layers of a unique blend of our 41% milk chocolate and our 65% bittersweet chocolate. The perfect amount of almond or hazelnut flavor combines with the rich chocolate coating to create a result that is sheer delight.”  I cannot tell you to buy one over the other,  I really can’t.  It depends on my mood.  My advice?  Buy two of each.  One of each for yourself and one of each for everyone else.  Hey, don’t forget the holidays are coming up.  Need hostess gifts or treats for people to snack on?  Charles Chocolates to the rescue.  The only problem?  People will keep inviting you back to get more of these little babies!

Charles Chocolates Triple Chocolate Hazelnuts

Now, the good news is that Theo Chocolate has some really amazing treats for us this year.  The bad news?  You have to go their shop to get them.  Here’s what they have in store, literally, for you!

Full Moon Bar – Back by popular demand! Their special Halloween Full Moon bar is 100 % Theo organic & fair trade white chocolate. Rich, creamy smooth & thoroughly decadent. $4 each

Spooky Marshmallows – Spooky and yummy! Their marshmallows are made there in their kitchen, cut out by hand in fun Halloween shapes (ghost, cat or pumpkin), and then enrobed in their hauntingly delicious dark chocolate. They wait all year long to bite the heads off their spooky chocolate covered marshmallow! $6 each

Dia de los Muertos Chocolate Skulls – These solid dark chocolate skulls are always a frightening favorite! $2 each

Peanut Butter Buddies – Their Peanut Butter Buddies are dressed up in Halloween colors! $1.25 each

These Halloween treats are only available in their retail store NOW – thru October 31st.

Theo Chocolate Halloween Treats

Also, some upcoming events at Theo Chocolate…

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd 6:30pm-8:30pm

FAIR TRADE DISCUSSION WITH THEO FOUNDERS
Join Founder/CEO Joe Whinney and VP of Sales & Marketing Debra Music at Theo Chocolate for an evening talk and Q&A.  Learn how Theo Chocolate’s new IMO certification supports transparent business practice and allows the company to better support farmers at origin. Attendees will enjoy a bowl of groundnut stew. (West African Groundnut Stew is a  typical dish in African cocoa producing countries – I used to make this a lot from the vegetarian Moosewood Cookbook.  It’s fantastic.)

If you would like to come and experience the factory tour before the discussion please call and make a reservation for their 5 pm public tour before the event

COST: $10 per person | Reservations are required*

TheoChocolate’s  Confection Making Classes

NOVEMBER DATES: 13th or 20th
DECEMBER DATES: 4th or 11th
JANUARY DATES: 15th. 22nd or 29th
All classes are on a Saturday from 2:00pm-5:00pm.
Are you interested in making your own chocolate confections for holiday gifts or as a treat just for fun? Theo Chocolate invites you to spend an afternoon with a Theo Chocolate’s chocolatier participating in a hands on confection making class. You will learn “behind the scenes” techniques for making ganache, tempering chocolate, and putting the finishing touches on confections! Best of all, you will walk away with the fruits of your labor! All materials are included.

COST: $125 per person, Reservations are required.
Due to popular demand 7 days advance notice is required to cancel.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18th from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Join Theo Chocolate and Food Lifeline for the release of their highly anticipated Chef Session Confection Collection. Mingle with Theo Chocolate chocolatiers and their partners from Food Lifeline as they celebrate this extraordinary collaboration.

COST: $45 (Includes: special sweet and savory treats, beverages, $15 donation to Food Lifeline and a Chef Session Confection Collection Box to take home!)

Theo Chocolate Chef Session Confection Collection

Theo Chocolate Apple Cider Caramels

I also found something new on their the Theo Chocolate website that I simply have got to try!  Apple Cider Caramels!  Are you kidding me?  These have my name written all over them.  I think I’ll need three boxes just to get me through one sitting!  How autumnal is that?  I’m guessing they won’t have these at Whole Foods.  I just finished the last of my Theo Chocolate from there.  Adore the Jane Goddall bars!  When you order these, don’t forget to treat yourself to the Big Daddy Marshmallows.  I got a box at Whole Foods when I first tried them and I couldn’t stop talking about them for weeks.  You won’t believe how exceptional they are… Think grown-up, gourmet monster ‘mores!

Theo Chocolate Big Daddy Marshmallows

Have a chocolicious day!  Annmarie Kostyk