March 2009 Blog Posts (14)

Votes are in...

Awards for the 2009 San Francisco International Chocolate Salon came out on Thursday. Neo Cocoa did quite well taking First Place in the BEST TRUFFLE category!

BEST TRUFFLE

First Place

BEST TRADITIONAL CHOCOLATES

Second Place

TOP ARTISAN CHOCOLATIER

Second Place - shared

MOST LUXURIOUS CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE

Second Place - shared

BEST IN SALON

Second Place - shared

NEW PRODUCT AWARD -… Continue

Added by Christine Doerr on March 29, 2009 at 9:06pm — 2 Comments

Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates to Attend Northeast Family Chocolate Festival

Plattsburgh, NY – March 26, 2009 – Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates, an Internet-based gourmet chocolate retailer, will be participating in the 5th Annual Northeast Family Chocolate Festival from 10 am – 5 pm on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at the Washington Avenue Armory&Sports; Arena in Albany, NY. Proceeds from the festival will benefit The… Continue

Added by David Pearce on March 26, 2009 at 11:47am — 1 Comment

Now Try This # 4 (b) Espresso Infused Cream based Ganache

Now Try This # 4 (b) Espresso Infused Cream based Filled Chocolates

This recipe is for a cream based chocolate ganache (not condensed milk based) and the cream has been infused with espresso flavor. How is it possible to get the coffee flavor into heavy whipping cream and hence the ganache without making coffee? Chop up the roasted coffee beans and put them in the cream of course. But what if you… Continue

Added by Frank Schmidt on March 26, 2009 at 9:24am — No Comments

Now Try This: #4 (a) Frank’s Famous Chopped Espresso A friend and I have been experimenting with coffee beans in molded chocolate. We’ve tried dark chocolate and dark milk chocolate shells; bite-siz…

Now Try This: #4 (a) Frank’s Famous Chopped Espresso

A friend and I have been experimenting with coffee beans in molded chocolate. We’ve tried dark chocolate and dark milk chocolate shells; bite-sized molds and slightly larger molds ; one bean and two. So far, they’ve not been flavored with anything else, just the coffee bean. And these are not confections coated with a hard sugar shell on the outside like some of the chocolate covered coffee beans or M&M’s. Nothing seemed to… Continue

Added by Frank Schmidt on March 24, 2009 at 8:56am — 1 Comment

My chocolate journey in Guatemala may have ended...

I was honored to visit the operation of chocolate maker Carlos Eichenberger last week in Guatemala City. Me, just a mere student here for one year but he was nice and patient enough to take the time and show a complete stranger into his home and show me the complete process from bean to bar. Carlos buys the already fermented cacao and then starts with roasting and goes all the way to wrapping each bar himself. Everything about his process was precise and maniacally exact. If there was so much… Continue

Added by IslaReina on March 23, 2009 at 6:32pm — No Comments

So Much Chocolate in San Francisco

Today I joined 40 other chocolatiers - bayside with seagulls - thinking: this is a perfect day for chocolate lovers in San Fran to collect at the waterfront wharf and celebrate chocolate. Look out! 5,000 of them turned up! I was next to Chocolatique from LA, Jade from SF, Amano from Utah, William Dean from Florida, and nearly 20 wine and liqueur makers, 20 artists....and thousands of enthusiasts sampling the wares. My observatons: chocolate is still recession-proof! People were buying,… Continue

Added by Susie Norris on March 22, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Funnel

Can anyone tell me where to purchase a metal or stainless funnel with a handle and a wooden stopper?

Added by Joan on March 20, 2009 at 11:36am — 3 Comments

what can you say about this?

To know more...Click here

Added by Henry delos Santos on March 20, 2009 at 2:39am — No Comments

My Secret Chocolate Experience

Hi I am a chocoholic
a chocolate maniac
a chocolate fan
a chocolate blogger

please visit my choco world

Added by Henry delos Santos on March 20, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

The apprentice

The apprentice season is about to start in the UK, quite similar to the US but with Alan Sugar instead of Donald Trump. This year, one of the tasks which will be aired in a couple of weeks (and no we won't tell you who won), involved chocolate and we were asked to help one of the teams.

Great, we thought, as this was one of our favourite tv program.

Unfortunatelty it was made clear to us that any mention of cocoa content or origin was far too esoteric for the average TV… Continue

Added by Artisan on March 18, 2009 at 5:09am — 1 Comment

Chocolate Reviews

Seeing as how I have STILL not heard back with meaningful review from the Academy of Chocolate (it seems like they would have needed to put this information together at the time of judging, not months later) I've been thinking a lot about flawed review systems. The thread on the ethicalness of chocolate reviews only exasperated my frustration with this topic.

I should be able to say that I think Amedei is an overrated product that has never won an award that wasn't bought and paid… Continue

Added by Robert Shea on March 17, 2009 at 2:35pm — 1 Comment

Sweet Paradise is Opening a New Store

I am pleased to announce that my chocolate company, Sweet Paradise Chocolatier will be opening this summer at the Kings Shops at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. My manufacturing kitchen will also move to Waimea, also on the Big Island. The Kailua location will remain and expand to a dessert cafe in addition to chocolates. Despite the economy I am looking forward to this move and direction into the resort world.

The little shop is only 300 sf and will also serve gelato and a unique variety of… Continue

Added by Melanie Boudar on March 13, 2009 at 4:00am — 2 Comments

The beginning of my chocolate journey

I've been in Guatemala for about 2 1/2 months now and today I had my first taste of good chocolate. It was quite by accident. I stopped by the University and I spotted a corner bakery where I could enjoy a coffee and make a few phone calls. On my way out I saw wrapped in cellophane with bright yellow ribbons, bars of chocolate. It read "Chocol 'ha: Chocolate Oscuro, 62% Cacao". Mmmmm! I immediately bought it, it was a good deal for 18Q (about $2.50 or so). It was delicious! I really should have… Continue

Added by IslaReina on March 11, 2009 at 5:00pm — 5 Comments

Earth’s Sweet Pleasures Gourmet Fudge Bar voted in the Top 5

Chocolate! The Best of the Best Organic, Fair Trade Chocolates

Find out why organic and fair trade certification really matter when it comes to chocolate, and how our editors ranked the best of these treats.

Feb. 26, 2009

By Katherine Loeck and Aubrey Vaughn