Chocolate

Gourmet Foods ~ OH BOY! Gourmet Goodies. You should never go shopping on this site when you're HUNGRY! I just wanted to see if they had anything like goat cheese. So, I typed in "goat" in their search box and I got 86 different kinds of goat cheeses. They also have a "Build Your Own Gift Basket" system. Here are my choices, the cheese, the champagne AND the chocolate. This company, Igourmet, is in the state of PA, which is why the shipping is so expensive to CA: Goat Camembert $10. [shipping... Read Full Story

The Europeans strike again! According to a survey conducted by Infosecurity Europe, 45% of women gave out personal passwords to complete strangers in exchange for chocolate bars. Only 10% of men did the same. There was no indication as to whether women gave out real passwords. So, why is it that chocolate makes women freely give out personal information to complete strangers, but it cannot convince them to . . . how shall I say this delicately . . . become more playful? The answer to that... Read Full Story

Ahh, nothing makes me feel as warm on a cold night - or day - than a comforting mug of hot chocolate. It’s definitely something I stock in my pantry this time of year. So, naturally I was curious when I found out Consumer Reports (CR) just rated ten popular ones. Sensory panelists tasted 10 cocoas prepared according to the directions on the package. They rated two brands as excellent: Ghirardelli and Cacao Reserve. The panelists note both are more expensive than many, and the Ghirardelli... Read Full Story

The Bitter Truth About Valentine's Day Chocolate In this era where organic foods, environmentally friendly products and sweatshop-free clothing are trendy, why not consider fair trade chocolates for your valentines day gift? Chocolate that is sold in the US is still being made with cocoa beans harvested by children in Africa working in unsafe conditions, while the average consumer has no idea this is going on. The truth behind chocolate is not-so-sweet. The Ivory Coast is the world's... Read Full Story

... I woke up at 6:00, put on my favorite CD of opera arias, and brewed a pot of San Francisco French Roast. With my coffee and a fresh box of Chuao truffles in hand, and Kiri Te Kanawa singing Dove Sono on the stereo, I submitted to the comfort of the chaise lounge, la Marie Antoinette, and took my first bite of a Picante truffle.... Welcome to Chuao. Chuao is to chocolate what Beluga is to caviar. A transcendental experience. Read Full Story

There is nothing quite like the deep, rich flavor of fine dark chocolate.  While dark chocolate is still not as common as white or milk chocolate, it is becoming more popular for both its taste and health benefits.  Dark chocolate comes in many forms including bars, chips, baking bars, frostings, truffles, hot cocoa and even mousse.  Dark chocolate is different than milk or white chocolate in that it has a higher concentration of cocoa which is the same thing that gives dark chocolate its... Read Full Story

This story appeared on the “World” headlines of CNN earlier today: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) — A Dutch journalist asked an Amsterdam court on Friday to convict him for eating chocolate, saying by doing so he was benefiting from child slavery on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast. Teun van de Keuken, 35, is seeking a jail sentence to raise consumer awareness and force the cocoa and chocolate industry to take tougher measures to stamp out child labor. “If I am found guilty of this crime, any... Read Full Story