| December 2005 News |
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December 29, 2005 - A nice recipe for chocolate orange pear tart.
December 28, 2005 - Australian weaver and artist Kay Faulkner received a grant from Arts Queensland to create
more chocolate themed art that incorporates chocolate wrappers. Starbucks has announced that they are
dropping there Chantico chocolate drink from there menu and replacing it with two new chocolate drinks come
February.
December 27, 2005 - Out of Oregon a recipe for Spicy Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake that looks promising.
December 26, 2005 - Neat little article from Bella Online with a recipe for Pan Pepato , Italian chocolate bread.
December 25, 2005 - A Maine woman started baking whoopie pies three at a time a decade ago and now
produces 5,000 - 7,000 of her Wicked Whoopies everyday. Austria gears up for the 250th birthday of Mozart. Sales
are expected to rise on Mozartkugel, that combination of chocolate, marzipan and pistachios that has always been
available here in New York. A few fun Mozartkugel facts gleaned from the article. It was created in 1891 for the 100th
Anniversary of Mozart's death by a Salzburg confectioner Paul Fuerst. It won a Gold Medal at the 1905 Universal
Exhibition in Paris and they sell 90 million pieces every year. In England sales of Turkish Delight have been going
up since the release of the film the Chronicles Of Narnia where the White Witch offers Edmund enchanted Turkish
Delight. Cadbury makes Fry's Turkish Delight and many other companies also make there own versions.
December 24, 2005 - Soccer star David Beckham purchased a chocolate fountain from Harrods for his wife Posh
Spice. Chocolate malt truffles soon will be made from a new strain of barley according to Seed Quest news service.
December 23, 2005 - USA Today has a good piece on 10 of the best places to get hot chocolate including Mio
Gelato in Portland and City Bakery here in New York City.
December 21, 2005 - A nice article from CNN.com about the growth of Haut hot chocolate. Information on Jacques
Torres, Marie Belle and Holy Chocolate.
December 20, 2005 - Nestle has announced that they have acquired Delta Ice Cream. For 240,000,000 Euros they
now own Delta's four production facilities in Greece. They operate under brand names such as Boss, Nirvana and
Aloma and operate through out Greece, Romania, Montenegro and Serbia. Hershey Chocolate has objected to the
cover of a new book, ''Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams,".
The cover looks like a regular Hershey Bar and Hershey claims it violates there copyrights. An interesting article
from Food Production Daily out of Europe with a roundup of this years discoveries in the world of chocolate and
how chocolate is being recognized as something good for ones health. Zellers out of Canada wins the
eChocolateNYC award for chocolate grinch of the year.
December 19, 2005 - Fonterra a New Zealand firm has been doing a brisk business selling chocolate flavored
cheese in Taiwan. Swiss chocolate maker DeLafee International is selling authentic gold plated chocolate
pralines. Chocolate Deities hand painted chocolate representations of Buddha and Ganeesh are becoming
popular. Researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich have just concluded a study which has found that the
consumption of Dark Chocolate cuts the risk of heart failure among smokers. The story of a Michigan family who
purchased a chocolate fountain and went into business setting up fondue like displays at weddings.
December 18, 2005 - The story of a Mandan North Dakota drugstore owner who has also 750,000 chocolate bars
of her line celebrating the Lewis And Clark Bicentennial. The following article is from last year but goes into the
legal battle between Debbie Kruger the maker of the Lewis and Clark bar and the New England Candy Company
owners of the Clark Bar over copyright infringement. Neat article about The Idaho Candy Company a firm that has
been in business since 1901 and makes the Idaho Spud Bar which sells 3,000,000 pieces a year.
December 16, 2005 - The South Bend Chocolate Company is looking to buy an adjoining building and launch a
$1,200,000 expansion. Chocolate has six times the anti oxidants as the next closest natural food the blueberry
and has some of the same properties as Prozac. A lawsuit has been settled making DZ Enterprises the sole
owner of Endangered Species Chocolate. The Keystone Lodge Ski Resort in Keystone Colorado has on display
until January 2, 2006 a miniature Alpine village constructed entirely of chocolate. 2,500 pounds of chocolate were
used to construct the village. Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven has posted a help wanted ad on Craigs List
looking for workers for his Chocolate Factory. As well as getting paid you will learn tempering, molding and
enrobing among other skills. Article on how more chocolate than ever is going high end in Florida.
December 15, 2005 - Lake Champlain Chocolates has announced they are now making available over the Internet
the following products which were previously only available in there retail locations - Dark Chocolate Orange Peels
, Dark Chocolate Apricots , Vanilla Caramels , Marzipan , Coconut Delight and Ginger coated in Dark Chocolate.
Ghiradelli is currently running a "sweetstakes" where a lucky purchaser can win a luxury trip to San Francisco
among other prizes. Interesting piece from National Public Radio on the flavanol content of chocolate and the
factory that produces Dove bars. Jacques Torres on the Today Show. See a video clip and learn how to temper
chocolate. An excellent article from the Miami Herald about Mexican chocolate and its uses. The Fernbank
Museum Of Natural History of Atlanta Georgia has a current show Chocolate the Exhibition. Also they will have a
special Valentine's Day event February 14, 2006.
December 14, 2005 - A nice recipe for Chocolate Crackles. A recipe for Honey-drizzled chocolate cheese fritters.
A small piece about New Tree chocolate. A good article from the Motley Fool on Hershey's Chocolate and there
plans for the future. Interesting article about Maine chocolatier Rebecca Potter and her Raspberry Wine flavored
Truffles.
December 13, 2005 - The Minister Of Tourism of Ghana has challenged restaurants in Ghana to create chocolate
recipes and serve them on there menus to promote the chocolate industry. "I want our industry to take chocolate
and own it. Today, if you say chocolate, people think Belgium and Switzerland. I want them to also think Ghana," he
stated. Prizes will be awarded at next years tourism awards ceremony. Swiss chef Max Huber created 17 foot tall
400 pound Christmas Tree which is currently on display in the lobby of a Bangkok Thailand Hotel. An interesting
article about Bedre Fine Chocolate a chocolate company out of Oklahoma owned by the Chickasaw Nation. They
have been in business since 1986 and last year sales topped $2,000,000.
December 12, 2005 - Noka announced today there chocolate was named the number 1 gourmet chocolate in the
world by the editors of the television show TASTE which is broadcast on SKY TV in the United Kingdom. Dean &
DeLuca is currently carrying Hammonds candy canes which are made in Denver and pretty hard to find here in New
York. These are special candy canes hand pulled and flavored with cloves, peppermint, cinnamon, green apple
and cherry. They make excellent stocking stuffers. Coke and Godiva announce that they are working on a joint
venture a bottled chocolate flavored coffee to compete with the Starbucks/Pepsi Double Shot.
December 11, 2005 - How cocoa production affects events in the Ivory Coast and the threat of possible war in a
nation where 40% of the worlds cocoa beans are produced. Springfield Illinois chocolate makers Pease's open
there factory doors to the general public for the first time in 75 years and hold a holliday open house. Interview
with Sarasota Ritz-Carlton pastry chef Daniel Mangione who along with partner Marina Sousa took first place in
the Food Network's Wedding Cake challenge. They put together a 6 tier 165 lb cake and took home the $10,000
prize. The contest will be televised in June. The Hershey Chocolate Board OKs Additional $500M Stock Buyback
Program and forecasts 3 - 4% growth next year.
December 9, 2005- Godiva has announced they will be giving out samples from there Pop Chocolate Collection
through December 10th. A recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Puffs. Dark chocolate sales in England are starting to
catch up to the sales of milk chocolate for the first time.
December 8, 2005 - A P.R. release from Cocoamill Chocolate announcing there holiday sales are way ahead of
last year. An article on CocoaVia from the Mars Company that claims that the purported health benefits from
CocoaVia, the healthy chocolate, might be exaggerated. A few nice recipes for chocolate martinis. Some recipes
for hot chocolate from the National Confectioners Association. A recipe for chocolate pinwheel cookies.
December 7, 2005 - A nice article about the history of the chocolate chip cookie. An interesting piece on the
ongoing conflicts in the Ivory Coast and how the cocoa industry is affected. An article out of California on what
cocoa percentages on chocolate bars mean. A recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Bark. A recipe from the Seattle
Times for Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Sour Cherry Filling. Fascinating article on how the FDA is
exploring new labeling rules for ice cream and some of the more bizarre proposals for ingredieints to make ice
cream.
December 6, 2005 - An interesting recipe for chocolate pudding cake from a Canadian newspaper. Kelly (daughter
of Ozzy and reality TV star) claims she's losing weight on a chocolate diet. A nice article from Stars And Stripes
about a cookie bake off to produce a tray of cookies for every single or unattached service person on the Misawa Air
Base in Japan. They call it the Annual Cookie Caper.
December 1, 2005 - Hello. Sorry about the dearth of news lately we were on hiatus for the Thanksgiving holidays
and are just getting back up to speed. There is a lot to report starting with the biggest news from a New York
chocolate perspective. Finally Michel Cluizel has established a retail branch here in the city, although his chocolate
bars have been readily available. It is located in the ABC Carpet & Home building at 888 Broadway. Neuhaus
occupied space there a few years back but closed down, here's hoping Cluizel fares better. He has a nice size
room towards the back of the ground floor. The showcases are jammed with his full line and the staff was quite
helpful. We sampled the hot chocolate which was amazing. They also are the first chocolate store in Manhattan to
have a full liquor license and are offering a $100 per person 10 chocolate and 8 spirits tasting. If that doesn't fortify
you against the winter cold I don't know what else would. You can reach the store at 212 477 - 7335 for more
information about the tastings and store hours. This is a must see shop for the chocolate lover. As an added
bonus they are open until midnight Thursday - Saturday, if ABC Carpet is closed go around the corner and enter
through Lucy Latin Kitchen. We recently sampled some of the new Vintage line from NOKA and it was quite good ,
deep dark and very complex. A full review will be posted in a few days but I mention it here to congratulate NOKA
and Dean & DeLuca for joining forces to make NOKA product available here in the city. You can check it out at both
the Dean & DeLuca on Broadway and Prince and the Madison Avenue and 85th Street branch. It has come to our
attention that like many retailers New York's chocolate ships are expanding there staffs for the holiday season. This
is a great way to learn about chocolate and maybe make a few extra dollars. The following are links to recent job
postings we've come across. Chocolate Bar is looking for people who can make coffee, tea and package
chocolates nicely, bow making is a big plus. Christopher Norman is looking for a server who can learn a lot about
there chocolates and aid customers in making the right chocolate selection Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven is
seeking a team player with strong customer service skills. If you check upcoming events you'll find that French
Alliance is working in conjunction with Cafe Fauchon to hold two upcoming tasting events.Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory profits up
December 28, 2005 - Australian weaver and artist Kay Faulkner received a grant from Arts Queensland to create
more chocolate themed art that incorporates chocolate wrappers. Starbucks has announced that they are
dropping there Chantico chocolate drink from there menu and replacing it with two new chocolate drinks come
February.
December 27, 2005 - Out of Oregon a recipe for Spicy Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake that looks promising.
December 26, 2005 - Neat little article from Bella Online with a recipe for Pan Pepato , Italian chocolate bread.
December 25, 2005 - A Maine woman started baking whoopie pies three at a time a decade ago and now
produces 5,000 - 7,000 of her Wicked Whoopies everyday. Austria gears up for the 250th birthday of Mozart. Sales
are expected to rise on Mozartkugel, that combination of chocolate, marzipan and pistachios that has always been
available here in New York. A few fun Mozartkugel facts gleaned from the article. It was created in 1891 for the 100th
Anniversary of Mozart's death by a Salzburg confectioner Paul Fuerst. It won a Gold Medal at the 1905 Universal
Exhibition in Paris and they sell 90 million pieces every year. In England sales of Turkish Delight have been going
up since the release of the film the Chronicles Of Narnia where the White Witch offers Edmund enchanted Turkish
Delight. Cadbury makes Fry's Turkish Delight and many other companies also make there own versions.
December 24, 2005 - Soccer star David Beckham purchased a chocolate fountain from Harrods for his wife Posh
Spice. Chocolate malt truffles soon will be made from a new strain of barley according to Seed Quest news service.
December 23, 2005 - USA Today has a good piece on 10 of the best places to get hot chocolate including Mio
Gelato in Portland and City Bakery here in New York City.
December 21, 2005 - A nice article from CNN.com about the growth of Haut hot chocolate. Information on Jacques
Torres, Marie Belle and Holy Chocolate.
December 20, 2005 - Nestle has announced that they have acquired Delta Ice Cream. For 240,000,000 Euros they
now own Delta's four production facilities in Greece. They operate under brand names such as Boss, Nirvana and
Aloma and operate through out Greece, Romania, Montenegro and Serbia. Hershey Chocolate has objected to the
cover of a new book, ''Hershey: Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams,".
The cover looks like a regular Hershey Bar and Hershey claims it violates there copyrights. An interesting article
from Food Production Daily out of Europe with a roundup of this years discoveries in the world of chocolate and
how chocolate is being recognized as something good for ones health. Zellers out of Canada wins the
eChocolateNYC award for chocolate grinch of the year.
December 19, 2005 - Fonterra a New Zealand firm has been doing a brisk business selling chocolate flavored
cheese in Taiwan. Swiss chocolate maker DeLafee International is selling authentic gold plated chocolate
pralines. Chocolate Deities hand painted chocolate representations of Buddha and Ganeesh are becoming
popular. Researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich have just concluded a study which has found that the
consumption of Dark Chocolate cuts the risk of heart failure among smokers. The story of a Michigan family who
purchased a chocolate fountain and went into business setting up fondue like displays at weddings.
December 18, 2005 - The story of a Mandan North Dakota drugstore owner who has also 750,000 chocolate bars
of her line celebrating the Lewis And Clark Bicentennial. The following article is from last year but goes into the
legal battle between Debbie Kruger the maker of the Lewis and Clark bar and the New England Candy Company
owners of the Clark Bar over copyright infringement. Neat article about The Idaho Candy Company a firm that has
been in business since 1901 and makes the Idaho Spud Bar which sells 3,000,000 pieces a year.
December 16, 2005 - The South Bend Chocolate Company is looking to buy an adjoining building and launch a
$1,200,000 expansion. Chocolate has six times the anti oxidants as the next closest natural food the blueberry
and has some of the same properties as Prozac. A lawsuit has been settled making DZ Enterprises the sole
owner of Endangered Species Chocolate. The Keystone Lodge Ski Resort in Keystone Colorado has on display
until January 2, 2006 a miniature Alpine village constructed entirely of chocolate. 2,500 pounds of chocolate were
used to construct the village. Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven has posted a help wanted ad on Craigs List
looking for workers for his Chocolate Factory. As well as getting paid you will learn tempering, molding and
enrobing among other skills. Article on how more chocolate than ever is going high end in Florida.
December 15, 2005 - Lake Champlain Chocolates has announced they are now making available over the Internet
the following products which were previously only available in there retail locations - Dark Chocolate Orange Peels
, Dark Chocolate Apricots , Vanilla Caramels , Marzipan , Coconut Delight and Ginger coated in Dark Chocolate.
Ghiradelli is currently running a "sweetstakes" where a lucky purchaser can win a luxury trip to San Francisco
among other prizes. Interesting piece from National Public Radio on the flavanol content of chocolate and the
factory that produces Dove bars. Jacques Torres on the Today Show. See a video clip and learn how to temper
chocolate. An excellent article from the Miami Herald about Mexican chocolate and its uses. The Fernbank
Museum Of Natural History of Atlanta Georgia has a current show Chocolate the Exhibition. Also they will have a
special Valentine's Day event February 14, 2006.
December 14, 2005 - A nice recipe for Chocolate Crackles. A recipe for Honey-drizzled chocolate cheese fritters.
A small piece about New Tree chocolate. A good article from the Motley Fool on Hershey's Chocolate and there
plans for the future. Interesting article about Maine chocolatier Rebecca Potter and her Raspberry Wine flavored
Truffles.
December 13, 2005 - The Minister Of Tourism of Ghana has challenged restaurants in Ghana to create chocolate
recipes and serve them on there menus to promote the chocolate industry. "I want our industry to take chocolate
and own it. Today, if you say chocolate, people think Belgium and Switzerland. I want them to also think Ghana," he
stated. Prizes will be awarded at next years tourism awards ceremony. Swiss chef Max Huber created 17 foot tall
400 pound Christmas Tree which is currently on display in the lobby of a Bangkok Thailand Hotel. An interesting
article about Bedre Fine Chocolate a chocolate company out of Oklahoma owned by the Chickasaw Nation. They
have been in business since 1986 and last year sales topped $2,000,000.
December 12, 2005 - Noka announced today there chocolate was named the number 1 gourmet chocolate in the
world by the editors of the television show TASTE which is broadcast on SKY TV in the United Kingdom. Dean &
DeLuca is currently carrying Hammonds candy canes which are made in Denver and pretty hard to find here in New
York. These are special candy canes hand pulled and flavored with cloves, peppermint, cinnamon, green apple
and cherry. They make excellent stocking stuffers. Coke and Godiva announce that they are working on a joint
venture a bottled chocolate flavored coffee to compete with the Starbucks/Pepsi Double Shot.
December 11, 2005 - How cocoa production affects events in the Ivory Coast and the threat of possible war in a
nation where 40% of the worlds cocoa beans are produced. Springfield Illinois chocolate makers Pease's open
there factory doors to the general public for the first time in 75 years and hold a holliday open house. Interview
with Sarasota Ritz-Carlton pastry chef Daniel Mangione who along with partner Marina Sousa took first place in
the Food Network's Wedding Cake challenge. They put together a 6 tier 165 lb cake and took home the $10,000
prize. The contest will be televised in June. The Hershey Chocolate Board OKs Additional $500M Stock Buyback
Program and forecasts 3 - 4% growth next year.
December 9, 2005- Godiva has announced they will be giving out samples from there Pop Chocolate Collection
through December 10th. A recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Puffs. Dark chocolate sales in England are starting to
catch up to the sales of milk chocolate for the first time.
December 8, 2005 - A P.R. release from Cocoamill Chocolate announcing there holiday sales are way ahead of
last year. An article on CocoaVia from the Mars Company that claims that the purported health benefits from
CocoaVia, the healthy chocolate, might be exaggerated. A few nice recipes for chocolate martinis. Some recipes
for hot chocolate from the National Confectioners Association. A recipe for chocolate pinwheel cookies.
December 7, 2005 - A nice article about the history of the chocolate chip cookie. An interesting piece on the
ongoing conflicts in the Ivory Coast and how the cocoa industry is affected. An article out of California on what
cocoa percentages on chocolate bars mean. A recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Bark. A recipe from the Seattle
Times for Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Sour Cherry Filling. Fascinating article on how the FDA is
exploring new labeling rules for ice cream and some of the more bizarre proposals for ingredieints to make ice
cream.
December 6, 2005 - An interesting recipe for chocolate pudding cake from a Canadian newspaper. Kelly (daughter
of Ozzy and reality TV star) claims she's losing weight on a chocolate diet. A nice article from Stars And Stripes
about a cookie bake off to produce a tray of cookies for every single or unattached service person on the Misawa Air
Base in Japan. They call it the Annual Cookie Caper.
December 1, 2005 - Hello. Sorry about the dearth of news lately we were on hiatus for the Thanksgiving holidays
and are just getting back up to speed. There is a lot to report starting with the biggest news from a New York
chocolate perspective. Finally Michel Cluizel has established a retail branch here in the city, although his chocolate
bars have been readily available. It is located in the ABC Carpet & Home building at 888 Broadway. Neuhaus
occupied space there a few years back but closed down, here's hoping Cluizel fares better. He has a nice size
room towards the back of the ground floor. The showcases are jammed with his full line and the staff was quite
helpful. We sampled the hot chocolate which was amazing. They also are the first chocolate store in Manhattan to
have a full liquor license and are offering a $100 per person 10 chocolate and 8 spirits tasting. If that doesn't fortify
you against the winter cold I don't know what else would. You can reach the store at 212 477 - 7335 for more
information about the tastings and store hours. This is a must see shop for the chocolate lover. As an added
bonus they are open until midnight Thursday - Saturday, if ABC Carpet is closed go around the corner and enter
through Lucy Latin Kitchen. We recently sampled some of the new Vintage line from NOKA and it was quite good ,
deep dark and very complex. A full review will be posted in a few days but I mention it here to congratulate NOKA
and Dean & DeLuca for joining forces to make NOKA product available here in the city. You can check it out at both
the Dean & DeLuca on Broadway and Prince and the Madison Avenue and 85th Street branch. It has come to our
attention that like many retailers New York's chocolate ships are expanding there staffs for the holiday season. This
is a great way to learn about chocolate and maybe make a few extra dollars. The following are links to recent job
postings we've come across. Chocolate Bar is looking for people who can make coffee, tea and package
chocolates nicely, bow making is a big plus. Christopher Norman is looking for a server who can learn a lot about
there chocolates and aid customers in making the right chocolate selection Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven is
seeking a team player with strong customer service skills. If you check upcoming events you'll find that French
Alliance is working in conjunction with Cafe Fauchon to hold two upcoming tasting events.Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory profits up
