November 30, 2006 - Nestle in a cost cutting move may be closing three plants in Europe. One of the plants that
maybe closing down is in Dijon, France and produces that Nestle standard the Lion Bar. It's late in the year and
that can only mean one thing. Vosges Haute Chocolat has gotten a batch of Volcano island Honey which is a
premium honey harvested in Hawaii. The honey is organic and mixed with dark chocolate to produce an eagerly
awaited item. Production is limited and you can order online or pick up a box at any of their stores. Hoping to get
ahead of the growth of the chocolate industry throughout Asia Cadbury has decided to expand their Dunedin, New
Zealand, factory and are investing $20,000,000 (New Zealand), $13,679,000 (US). They hope to have everything
running smoothly by October , 2007. They also plan to establish a global crumb research and development centre at
the site with a grant from the government of New Zealand. John & Kiras has announced that for a limited time they
are offering free shipping on orders over $75 shipping to one address. They have a nice assortment of items that
are packaged nicely for the Holidays and everything we've ever tried by them has always been of the highest quality
and tasty to. The International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) has upgraded their estimate of this years cocoa crop
from an initial 5,000 ton deficit to a 80,000 ton surplus. With good weather and an end to the strike in the Ivory Coast
world cocoa production increased 6% with Africa producing the bulk , 72%, of the world's supply. Scientists have
identified a gene in peanuts , ara h 3-im, which they feel may be usable in creating a new strain of peanuts that
would be allergen free. Research that is being conducted at The University of Florida could bring relief to peanut
allergy sufferers. Scharffen Berger has posted a recipe for Chocolate Chili Cake which looks promising. We
bumped into the fine folks of DeBrand Fine Chocolates at the recent Chocolate Show here in New York City. This
jogged our memory, we sampled some of their product awhile back and haven't yet gotten around to write up a
review. The chocolates were great and a definite must try for any chocoholic. They have some great looking Holiday
assortments and we love the way their chocolate stuffed gift tote looks.
November 28, 2006 - Ugly Mug Coffee and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), have teamed up to launch the 2006
limited edition Elvis Coffee Christmas Collection which includes two Elvis Hot Chocolate mixes. Read the Press
Release here. The owner of Lake Forest Confections, Bud Kolbrener has teamed up with Simon Katz, owner of
Simons Jewelers to create a $1,500,000 box of chocolates and jewels. The collection includes a variety of precious
gems and a mixture of dark chocolates. If you would like to see pictures of the jewels involved click here. An
'equitrade' agreement between Madagascar and a Preston, England based firm has led to the creation of two new
chocolate bars named Mora Mora after the word for 'relax' in Madagascar and Sambirano after a region in the island
have started to be available in England. Lake Champlain Chocolates has selected Bronto as the provider of it's
email marketing tools. Read the Press Release here. Translucent Chocolates has created Spring 2007 Fashion
Colors a new line of chocolates. These are chocolate covered nuts and fruits in vibrant colors that were on display
during Fashion Week. They were part of the 2006 Emmy Awards Goodie Bags. You can read their Press Release
here. A positive review of "Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate" the story of the Ganong family who have been
making chocolates in Canada for well over 100 years. They produce the Delecto and "chicken bones" chocolate
covered with a cinnamon flavored pink coating. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with
allergies to peanut or almond proteins not to consume certain Cafe Tasse Noir Praline chocolate bars. The bars are
produced in Belgium and were mislabeled.
November 27, 2006 - Chocolove has partnered with Whole Foods to offer an exclusive product the Holiday "Fruits &
Nuts" Chocolate Bar. Inspired by the French Holiday mendiant bar it's a combination of currants, cherries, orange
and ginger mixed with pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts enrobed in dark chocolate. Read the Press Release here.
We here at eChocolateNYC wish Scott Ward , co President Of Russell Stover Candies who is currently hospitalized
after having a metal rod pierce his head while he was assembling sports equipment. He and his brother Tom have
been co - Presidents of the company since 1993. Reuters presents a slide show of models wearing chocolate
based clothing from a Chocolate Festival taking place in Bucharest, Romania. A neat photo of actor Hugh Jackman
on MTV using a chocolate fountain as publicity for his new movie the Fountain. The 17th Annual Creede Chocolate
Festival ran Novemebr 24th and 25th. Located in Colorado nineteen local establishments offered their best
chocolate items for sampling.
November 20, 2006 - A Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe worker was last Wednesday fined $2 000 for stealing a bar of
chocolate. He pleaded guilty to shoplifting the bar from KwikSpar Supermarket in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. The
sentence sounds harsh but that's not US $ so actually the fine is less than one US dollar.
November 18, 2006 - The Canadian Hershey contaminated chocolate mystery has been solved. Hershey and the
CFIA issued a recall for 25 Hershey products produced at the Smith Falls, Ontario plant for potential salmonella
contamination. The recall was undertaken after soy lecithin, used to aid the chocolates viscosity, tested positive for
salmonella. No one has turned up sick. An Indiana couple Michael and Alexis Brennan have filed a lawsuit on
behalf of there daughter claiming that a child version hot chocolate (served at a lower and therefore safer
temperature than the adult hot chocolate) was actually the adult version and when their daughter spilled it, it burned
her legs causing damage that is still a problem two years later. Nontwenhle Mchunu has embarked on an
interesting chocolate journey. Starting in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa she went to Cape Town where
she started her own company Ntwezinhle Creations. She forged a relationship with The Protea Breakwater Lodge
and supplies them with her homemade chocolates. She is going to London, England to study English chocolate
production and hopes to start teaching other women how to go about setting up their own chocolate making
businesses. Legacy Chocolates (2042 Marshall Av., St. Paul, Minnesota 651-646-0644) makes a chocolate sauce
Potion No. 9 which is a mixture of Hope Creamery butter from Hope, Minn., organic sugar cane juice and cocoa. A
writer for the Minneapolis - St. Paul Star Tribune loves the sauce. If you're wondering what the fine folks at
echocolatenyc.com are hoping to get for Christmas may we suggest the Michel Cluizel Brown Card. For $50,000 you
get the card that gets you into 6 exclusive tastings, a meeting with Michel Cluizel, a private tour of his French factory
and lots of chocolate. Last month saw the opening of Pure Chocolate in Quincy, Massachusetts. Two sisters
Christina Bartkus and Lisa Trifone have put together a mix of products which include items from the Sweet Bliss line
and dark fudge made by local chef Gerie Trifone
November 17, 2006 - Four days after announcing the recall of twenty-five chocolate products due to salmonella
contamination, Hershey's and the Canadian food inspection agency (CFIA) still refuse to reveal the exact source and
cause of the contamination. Days ago it was announced an externally sourced ingredient was the cause of the
contamination, but the ingredient or the source has yet to have been publicly identified which makes one wonder if
the ingredient is still being used by other manufacturers. John & Kiras has announced their Holiday boxed sets.
They have a 28 piece box that has every flavor they make for $39 and The Barn Raiser, a 3 box set, that has the 28
piece Every Flavor Box plus 15 pieces of fruit squares and 6 pieces of dipped apricots. With an estimated 90% of
chocolate sold in China consisting of cocoa butter substitutes instead of cocoa butter the government is stepping in
with new regulations that should raise the quality of chocolate sold in China. After December 1, 2006 any product
with more than 5% cocoa butter substitutes will no longer be allowed to be sold as chocolate. The Bridgemarket
branch, under the 59th Street Bridge Manhattan side, of the Food Emporium has been closed but is now reopening
as an upscale, think Whole Foods, food store combined with a "regular' grocery stores inventory. Wow, Frosted
Flakes and Knipschildt Chocolates both under the same roof. It seems that getting acquired by Hershey hasn't
slowed Dagoba down as they are set to release a bunch of what appear to be unique and interesting products. It is
called the Apothecary line and includes Chocolate Bars and Elixirs that blend cacao with "beneficial" botanicals.
There are five different bars each 74% cocoa, 1) Antioxidant: Dark chocolate, Goji berries, cherries, blueberries,
zante currants, Sambazon ® Acai, 2) Clarity: Dark chocolate, ginger, green lemon, 3) Energy: Dark chocolate, nibs,
Guayaki ® yerba mate, maca, guarana, 4) Eros: Dark chocolate, boysenberries and 5) Moon Cycle: Dark chocolate,
Zante currants. The elixirs come in bottles with droppers and are to be ingested by taking a few drops on the tongue.
There are six elixirs 1) Antioxidant: Cacao, elderberry, goji berry, rosehips, Montmorency cherries, bilberry . 2) Clarity:
Cacao, gotu kola, gingko, hawthorne berry, Ginger. 3) Energy: Cacao, guarana, gotu kola, rooibos, green tea 4) Eros:
Cacao, muira pauma, catuaba, horny goat weed, yohimbe, damiana, prickly ash 5) Moon Cycle: Cacao, red
raspberry leaf, blessed thistle, damiana, rosebud leaf & petal, vitex berry 6) Cacao: Uplifting energy & antioxidants.
Cacao nib extract. Lake Champlain Chocolates has announced three limited edition gift boxes for the upcoming
holiday season. They are Chocolate Obsession an assortment of caramels, truffles, chocolate covered almonds,
and pralines, Truffle Obsession is an assortment of petite, high-cocoa-content ganache truffles infused with
Madagascar vanilla beans and coated in cocoa powder and Nut Obsession is an assortment of dark chocolate
covered roasted almonds & caramelized almonds, and milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts.The French
ingredients firm Roquette is moving ahead with Maltitol the sugar replacer and now claims it can replace 100% of
the sugar in chocolate with no loss in taste. Maltitol could be a key product in the future as you don't have to add fat to
keep chocolate creamy when you replace the sugar with Maltitol.
November 15, 2006 - Scientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that cocoa can act in
the same way as aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. Apparently a few squares of chocolate a day leads to slower
clotting platelets which makes it more difficult for a blood vessel to be blocked from clots. The research was
presented to the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago on the 14th. Joseph Schmidt
has announced his 2006 Holiday lineup and has done what appears to be some masterful work. Some of the
flavors his truffles come in this year include Eggnog, Toffee, Dark Peppermint and Tiramisu. The packaging
includes star and Christmas Tree shaped boxes as well as a
November 14, 2006 - Vosges Haut - Chocolat has two interesting new products for sale. One is the Nota Bene Gift
Box. The gift box was done in partnership with Nota Bene and Vosges. It's is Vosge's newest "Travel The World With
Chocolate" item. Each box set includes: Nota Bene's Napa Valley travel guide book paired with an Calindia exotic
candy bar (organic California walnuts + Indian green cardamom + dried plums + dark chocolate) and Nota Bene's
Barcelona guide book paired with our Barcelona exotic candy bar (hickory smoked almonds + grey sea salt + deep
milk chocolate). The second item is a rerelease of The Marchesa Collection. The Marchesa Collection is Black sea
salt and caramel enrobed in 85% dark chocolate topped with pearl dust truffles. They come 9 to a box and is priced
at $45. Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), a the Vermont chocolate maker, has introduced four flavors of QAI-
certified organic 1.25-oz chocolate bars and 0.28-oz squares. The four flavors are Dark Spicy Aztec – 55% cocoa
content with organic cayenne pepper, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon, Milk Sea Salt & Almonds – 38% cocoa
content with grey sea salt and roasted organic almonds, Dark Chocolate – 55% cocoa content and Milk Chocolate –
34% cocoa content.
November 13, 2006 - Deerfield Township, Ohio is the home of a new spa, Spa Chocolat, which will offer cocoa
based spa treatments. The owners Greg and Donna Dougherty own another spa, You Guys, next door. Schöller Ice
Cream has added three new items to its Erlenbacher pre-portioned cake range one of which is a White Chocolate
Fudge Cake. With the organic and fairtrade market growing in the United Kingdom Venture Foods has added to
new bars to its lineup of fairtrade, organic chocolates. They are the Premium Organic White Bar and Swiss Dark
Chocolate with Mint Crisps bar. M&Ms are offering eight new flavors only available through the Internet. The flavors
are All That Razz , (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + rasberry-flavored candy shell), AlmonDee-Licious,
(Almond + creamy white chocolate + candy shell), Eat, Drink and Be Cherry, (Creamy white chocolate + milk
chocolate + black cherry-flavored candy shell), Mint Condition, (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + mint-
flavored candy shell), A Day At The Peach, (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + peach-flavored candy shell),
Nut What You Think, (Peanut + creamy white chocolate + candy shell), Orange-U-Glad, (Creamy white chocolate +
milk chocolate + orange-flavored candy shell) and Cookie Mintster, (Crispy center + dark chocolate + speckled mint-
flavored candy shell). The eight flavors come packed in a limited edition tin that sells for $49.99. Fox News dropped
by the Chocolate Show here in New York and covered the growing trend of infusing chocolate with alcohol based
tastes such as wine. As you know by now chocolate these days can be infused with everything from olive oil to tea. If
you click here and then scroll down a bit you'll find a nice photo montage from the Chocolate Show courtesy of Fox
News. Yesterday we reported the closing of the Smiths Falls, Canada Hershey plant for a few days. Now Hershey
has announced a partial recall of Hershey product distributed in Canada as it may be contaminated with
salmonella. The recall is for Hershey products including OHenry bars and Reeses cups manufactured between
October 15th and November 10th. The recalled chocolate can be identified by date codes found on the back of each
package. The affected date codes range from 6417 to 6455. Anything between those two numbers should not be
eaten.
November 12, 2006 - We apologize for not posting the last couple of days. With the Chocolate Show in town we've
been quite busy and in the next few days we will let you our readers in on what we have observed and tasted. In the
meanwhile onto the regular news roundup. Reuters dropped by the Chocolate Show where they put together a
piece on the growth of the organic chocolate business. This year sales are estimated at $70,000,000 and the big
players in the business have been busy acquiring there way into the field. Hershey's has picked up Dagoba and
Cadbury now owns Green & Black. Chris Samuel, spokesman for Green & Black's USA Inc., claims the organic end
of the business is growing 40% a year with his firm controlling 20% of the market. Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle
Farms talks about how his firm has gone from $500 worth of business in the first year, 2002, to $400,000 in 2006.
Fashion Wire Daily has a neat slide show posted with 24 great and I mean it when I write it great photos from The
Chocolate Show's kick off Chocolate meets fashion event on Thursday. Today Show, food editor, Phil Lempert,
dropped by the Chocolate Show and lists his best bets for the show. His list is quite impressive and in the next few
days we will be posting ours. The article is accompanied by NBC footage of the Today Show regulars trying some of
the chocolate. Students at the Neary School in Southborough, Massachusetts pooled together 483 pounds of
Halloween candy they collected and are going to ship it off to our troops in Iraq. The soldiers will give the candy out
to local youngsters and try to use it as small bribes to encourage the kids to visit the Doctor etc. Workers at the
Smiths Falls, Canada, Hershey Chocolate plant are waiting to go back to work. They were sent home when the plant
was closed by the company when some of the chocolate was found to be contaminated by an outside source. The
company is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the workers are hoping to get back to work
early next week.
November 9, 2006 - Scott Lund, owner and chef at Lula's Chocolates has an interesting history with chocolate. His
Grandmother Lula Lund learned to make chocolate early in life from a home economics teacher in Wyoming. She
moved to Salt Lake City and started making chocolates in her home. Five decades of chocolate making went on in
her basement shop - her husband built the shop and she sold them at the arms plant she worked at - . She finally
closed down in 1996 but for six years her grandson Scott helped her and learned the business. Scott went on to get
an MBA from BYU and then entered the laundry business. The call of chocolate was to much though and he
partnered with his college friend Aaron Davidson and they have rented 5,000 square feet of production facility in
Monterey, California and have started Lula's Chocolates. They have a website in production and hope to open a
retail store in Carmel. Klaus J. Jacobs, a German-born billionaire who lives in England has returned to his
hometown, Bremen, Germany to give $250 million to the International University Bremen. German Universities are
funded by the government so Mr. Jacobs gift is a rarity in the land of his birth. He hopes his gift will raise the school
to the upper level of European Universities. Among Mr. Jacobs holding is Callebaut AG. For a list of Mr. Jacobs
holdings and what they do in the chocolate industry click here. Zetar, the owner of Fakenham based chocolate
manufacturer Kinnerton, has reported excellent sales recently. They recently purchased confectionery manufacturer
Salamanda for £2.25m, and are on the lookout for more companies to acquire. Beware for in Huntingdon, Great
Britain police are on the lookout for a thief who stole two tins of chocolate from the local High Street Woolworths.
The suspect is described as white, aged between 15 and 18, and wearing a dark beanie hat, a Nike top, black
tracksuit bottoms and dirty white trainers
November 8, 2006 - Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut is entering a new growing market by attempting to
open a production plant in the Suzhou area of China. Callebaut hopes the plant will service the growing Shanghai
region market as well as be able to export to Korea and japan, two more mature chocolate markets. Dr Hazel
MacTavish left Australia to set up shop in the United Kingdom where she is recognized as an expert in smells
especially herbal. She has started her own business and she is releasing a line of bathing products. One of the
products is chocolate bathing chunks which contain chocolate extracts. The products are 100% natural.
Donsuemor, creators of The Original American Madeleine, have added a new flavor to their lineup of Madelines.
Named the Rich Chocolate Madeleine it along with Donsuemor's other Madelines will be available at Whole Foods
and Trader Joes. A recipe for Milk Chocolate Pudding from CIA - The Culinary Institute Of America. From The
Boston Globe a recipe for Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread. An article from the New York Sun recapping the
upcoming NY Chocolate Show listing some of the exhibitors and events. Whole Foods is recalling Whole Treat
Organic Vanilla Ice Cream Bars Dipped in Chocolate with a best by date of August 2007. The time stamp is greater
than 21:25. The bars may contain undeclared almonds and pose an allergy threat.
November 7, 2006 - Jean Galler is launching his new creation "Kaori" in the United States. You open an attractive
box where you find 6 chocolate sticks. The sticks are Vanilla & Coconut , Saffron, Strawberry & Balsamic,
Cardamom, Yuzu ( a Japanese citrus fruit ) and Ginger. The box also includes three different spices Calamansi
juice ( another Japanese citrus fruit ), Orange Powder and Green Powder ( Green Tea with Poppy ). Dip the sticks in
the spices and your ready to go. Read the Press Release here. A simple to use recipe for Almost Flourless
Chocolate Cake, from San Francisco baker and writer Fran Gage, co-author with San Francisco chocolatier Michael
Recchiuti, of "Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor" . The article has some good
material on Fran Gage and her baking. The second annual Wine & Chocolate Fundraiser was held Oct. 20 at
Locust Grove, New York the Samuel Morse Historic Site. Clinton Vineyards co-owner Phyllis Feder shared five
wines with the guests who also sampled chocolate desserts donated by Desserticus in Stanfordville, LaGrande
Confections in Wappingers Falls, Calico Patisserie in Rhinebeck, The Lollipop Tree Flower Shop in Poughkeepsie
and Pastry Garden in Poughkeepsie. CocoaVia® has issued a Press Release extolling a study from researchers at
the University of California-Davis that found a diet that includes CocoaVia® bars helps to lower bad cholesterol
(LDL) without affecting the bodies production of good cholesterol.
November 5, 2006 - CNN has an interesting article about off beat jobs and they feature chocolatier Mary Loomas of
Saratoga Chocolates located in Saratoga, California. A few years back Ms. Loomas was a comptroller at Intel when
she took up chocolate making as a hobby. She took classes at École Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage, France and then
opened up her shop in November 2005. From Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day Ms. Loomas and her 5 employees
make chocolates and the rest of the year they produce chocolates and Ms. Loomas teaches classes in truffle
making. More than 2,000 people attended the 22nd annual Fantasies in Chocolate fundraiser Friday night at the
Reno-Sparks Convention Center. "A Taste of Art" was this years theme and among the 18 vendors who participated
were Ethel M Chocolates and Chocolate Walrus. Tickets were $65. The Samaritan Inn, the only homeless shelter in
Collin County, Texas has found a novel approach to raising money. They started Samaritan Inn-Dustries and have
started making truffles, under strict sanitary conditions, under the name "Greater Goodies". The truffles sell for one
dollar each and they have sold 10,000 since June. If you'd like to try them you can order them online. Ann Czaja, the
Lindt master chocolatier, recently introduced customers at the Lindt Shop, located at the Chicago Premium Outlets
mall in Aurora, to the "5 Senses Chocolate Tasting Experience". She was teaching customers how to feel, smell
and taste chocolate. A neat little article from The Kennesaw State University newspaper tells the history of lollipops,
gummy bears and candy corn. A nice looking recipe for Hot Fudge Cake. Yet another article recapping the growth
in the dark chocolate world. The article has some interesting quotes from John Doyle of John & Kiras. Lindsay
Watts is bringing imported chocolate to the Charlottesville Fashion Square mall in West Virginia by opening her
Chocolatier kiosk. Some of the brands she will be carrying are Dolfin, Bruyerre and Nirvana.
November 4, 2006 - Today Pierre Marcolini will be holding a tasting of their new Confit Lait spread at their 485 Park
Avenue store, located between 58th and 59th street. Their will also be a tasting of their fruit jams which are less than
10% sugar. Vosges Chocolates, 132 Spring Street, is holding the Groove Collection Launch Party on November
16th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. They will have a DJ, a tasting of the new truffles and a book signing. Call 212 625 - 2929
for more information. They will also be holding a similar event in their Chicago and Las Vegas shops November
15th. Newsday has a good article about the different health benefits of cocoa. Out of New Zealand an article on the
city of Bruges, Belgium with a bit about the cities connection to chocolate, they hold an annual festival and are the
home of the Choco-Story museum on Sint Jansplein. Dr. Steve Markus a dentist from Haddon, New Jersey started
collecting candy to send to our troops in Iraq. Last year he collected 40 pounds of candy but this year with some
local media attention as of Friday he was over 300 pounds and people were still bringing him candy. How's this for
a Halloween moment. Cindy Pappas of Tinley Park, Illinois was sorting through her child's Halloween bag and
came across a gold and diamond wedding band that had fallen off someone's finger as they dispensed candy. She
has turned the band over to the local police in the hope they can find the owner. Hooray a happy ending to the
previous story as the ring was returned to its rightful owner. Holl's Chocolates Inc. has retail outlets located in
Vienna and Charleston, West Virginia. Started by Fritz Holl who had worked at Broughton Food Company until his
retirement in 1986 the company is currently in the hands Fritz's son, Dominique. The family produces 200 - 400
pounds of chocolate a day and Dominique is the third generation of Holl's in the business. Wilmington, North
Carolina is the home to South 'N France where they hold classes in bonbon making. The evening starts with a
cocktail and then gets down to some serious bonbon making.
November 3, 2006 - The National Confectioners Association announced that the 2007 All Candy Expo, that takes
place, September 17–19, 2007, at McCormick Place in Chicago, will have a new display area "The Gourmet
Marketplace". The Marketplace will have tastings, pairings and other events as well as a Chocolate Lounge. You
must be an industry professional to attend The 2007 All Candy Expo. The Lodi, California branch of The Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory was burglarized late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The thief or thieves took no
merchandise but they did break into a filing cabinet and steal 46 credit card receipts which have card numbers,
expiration dates etc on them. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article about chocolate martinis and rates those
available in St. Louis. The winner was found at Lafayette Square's Chocolate Bar. The Chocolate Bar offers 15
different versions of the chocolate martini. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Kailua, Hawaii is holding its annual
Chocolate Extravaganza November 11th. Their is a recipe contest and plenty of chocolate items to try. Admission is
a reasonable $15, kids under 6 free and the proceeds go to charity. Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has
posted a 17.4% increase in profit for the fiscal year that ended August 31, 2006. Although it was a hot summer in
Europe making for decreased sales for some Callebaut was able to lower costs and increase margins allowing
them to do so well. The North Tahoe Conference Center in Kings Beach, Nevada will be the home for the 18th
Annual Chocolate Festival which will benefit Tahoe Women's Services. Local chocolatiers will provide the wares and
the event takes place Saturday night November 4th. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Kettle Foods'
third annual People's Choice campaign: Passport to Flavor is starting and you can vote online for your favorite
potato chip flavor. The five flavors you can vote on are as follows, Aztec Chocolate, Island Jerk, Royal Indian Curry,
Dragon 5 Spice and Twisted Chili Lime. You can read the Press Release here. Whitney Shuman is the winner of
the NordicWare "Bundts Across America" recipe contest. Her cake represented her city, New Orleans and was
named Chocolate City. The cake was spicy and included coffee, cayenne, New Orleans cane rum and a topping of
nuts. Rafael Rizzello, head bartender at Miami Beach's Pelican Hotel, has reinvented the Chocotini. He's gotten rid
of the cream liqueur and replaced it with white creme de cacao. Then instead of garnishing with chocolate shavings
he uses a mint stick creating a clear drink that is not as thick as a classic Chocolate Martini. His recipe is in the
article.
November 2, 2006 - Singapore-based cocoa bean supplier Olam has jointly acquired the Cameroon cocoa
processor Usicam with Archer Daniels Midland. Each company will own 50% of the plant which will become one of
the countries largest plants handling all aspects of cocoa bean processing including drying, cleaning and grading.
Cameroon produced 160,000 metric tons last season down a bit from the year before. Cameroon's cocoa is
currently used by Cargill, ADM and Barry Callebaut. A very interesting article from Beverage Daily about the need
for an International body to regulate Fairtrade goods including cocoa. The author brings up many good points that
are worth thinking about.
November 1, 2006 - The Essence of Chocolate is a new book by Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger. The
authors explain cacoa and all about Scharffen Berger chocolate. The book also includes 100 recipes. Their is a
limited book tour where you can get your copy of the book signed and meet the authors. To see if they will be
appearing near you click here. M&M's has a neat item out for the holiday season, Christmas that is. A collectible tin
full of green and red M&M's and 4 bags of custom printed milk chocolate M&M's and a customized Christmas card
all for $54.99 . This looks like an entertaining gift for someone who enjoys chocolate and likes M&M's. A study
undertaken by the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in collaboration with the University of California-Davis
and the University of Padova in Italy has found that hamsters on a high walnut diet have lower levels of the protein
endothelin. Endothelin can contribute to cardiovascular disease as it clogs arteries. A previous study showed that
walnuts lowered LDL, bad cholesterol. I'll have my walnuts coated in chocolate please. About 10 miles from
Cincinnati, Ohio is Galerie, a company in Hebron, Kentucky who have changed the face of humble candy corn with
their Gourmat Candy Corn. Candy corn as we know it was originally conceived in the late 19th century and is a
Halloween staple. Galerie has created three new flavors, green apple is lime on the bottom, yellow in the middle
and orange at the tip. Cherry is red, pink and yellow, Tangerine is orange, yellow and purple. They claim they will be
releasing some new flavors in the future.
maybe closing down is in Dijon, France and produces that Nestle standard the Lion Bar. It's late in the year and
that can only mean one thing. Vosges Haute Chocolat has gotten a batch of Volcano island Honey which is a
premium honey harvested in Hawaii. The honey is organic and mixed with dark chocolate to produce an eagerly
awaited item. Production is limited and you can order online or pick up a box at any of their stores. Hoping to get
ahead of the growth of the chocolate industry throughout Asia Cadbury has decided to expand their Dunedin, New
Zealand, factory and are investing $20,000,000 (New Zealand), $13,679,000 (US). They hope to have everything
running smoothly by October , 2007. They also plan to establish a global crumb research and development centre at
the site with a grant from the government of New Zealand. John & Kiras has announced that for a limited time they
are offering free shipping on orders over $75 shipping to one address. They have a nice assortment of items that
are packaged nicely for the Holidays and everything we've ever tried by them has always been of the highest quality
and tasty to. The International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) has upgraded their estimate of this years cocoa crop
from an initial 5,000 ton deficit to a 80,000 ton surplus. With good weather and an end to the strike in the Ivory Coast
world cocoa production increased 6% with Africa producing the bulk , 72%, of the world's supply. Scientists have
identified a gene in peanuts , ara h 3-im, which they feel may be usable in creating a new strain of peanuts that
would be allergen free. Research that is being conducted at The University of Florida could bring relief to peanut
allergy sufferers. Scharffen Berger has posted a recipe for Chocolate Chili Cake which looks promising. We
bumped into the fine folks of DeBrand Fine Chocolates at the recent Chocolate Show here in New York City. This
jogged our memory, we sampled some of their product awhile back and haven't yet gotten around to write up a
review. The chocolates were great and a definite must try for any chocoholic. They have some great looking Holiday
assortments and we love the way their chocolate stuffed gift tote looks.
November 28, 2006 - Ugly Mug Coffee and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), have teamed up to launch the 2006
limited edition Elvis Coffee Christmas Collection which includes two Elvis Hot Chocolate mixes. Read the Press
Release here. The owner of Lake Forest Confections, Bud Kolbrener has teamed up with Simon Katz, owner of
Simons Jewelers to create a $1,500,000 box of chocolates and jewels. The collection includes a variety of precious
gems and a mixture of dark chocolates. If you would like to see pictures of the jewels involved click here. An
'equitrade' agreement between Madagascar and a Preston, England based firm has led to the creation of two new
chocolate bars named Mora Mora after the word for 'relax' in Madagascar and Sambirano after a region in the island
have started to be available in England. Lake Champlain Chocolates has selected Bronto as the provider of it's
email marketing tools. Read the Press Release here. Translucent Chocolates has created Spring 2007 Fashion
Colors a new line of chocolates. These are chocolate covered nuts and fruits in vibrant colors that were on display
during Fashion Week. They were part of the 2006 Emmy Awards Goodie Bags. You can read their Press Release
here. A positive review of "Ganong: A Sweet History of Chocolate" the story of the Ganong family who have been
making chocolates in Canada for well over 100 years. They produce the Delecto and "chicken bones" chocolate
covered with a cinnamon flavored pink coating. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with
allergies to peanut or almond proteins not to consume certain Cafe Tasse Noir Praline chocolate bars. The bars are
produced in Belgium and were mislabeled.
November 27, 2006 - Chocolove has partnered with Whole Foods to offer an exclusive product the Holiday "Fruits &
Nuts" Chocolate Bar. Inspired by the French Holiday mendiant bar it's a combination of currants, cherries, orange
and ginger mixed with pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts enrobed in dark chocolate. Read the Press Release here.
We here at eChocolateNYC wish Scott Ward , co President Of Russell Stover Candies who is currently hospitalized
after having a metal rod pierce his head while he was assembling sports equipment. He and his brother Tom have
been co - Presidents of the company since 1993. Reuters presents a slide show of models wearing chocolate
based clothing from a Chocolate Festival taking place in Bucharest, Romania. A neat photo of actor Hugh Jackman
on MTV using a chocolate fountain as publicity for his new movie the Fountain. The 17th Annual Creede Chocolate
Festival ran Novemebr 24th and 25th. Located in Colorado nineteen local establishments offered their best
chocolate items for sampling.
November 20, 2006 - A Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe worker was last Wednesday fined $2 000 for stealing a bar of
chocolate. He pleaded guilty to shoplifting the bar from KwikSpar Supermarket in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. The
sentence sounds harsh but that's not US $ so actually the fine is less than one US dollar.
November 18, 2006 - The Canadian Hershey contaminated chocolate mystery has been solved. Hershey and the
CFIA issued a recall for 25 Hershey products produced at the Smith Falls, Ontario plant for potential salmonella
contamination. The recall was undertaken after soy lecithin, used to aid the chocolates viscosity, tested positive for
salmonella. No one has turned up sick. An Indiana couple Michael and Alexis Brennan have filed a lawsuit on
behalf of there daughter claiming that a child version hot chocolate (served at a lower and therefore safer
temperature than the adult hot chocolate) was actually the adult version and when their daughter spilled it, it burned
her legs causing damage that is still a problem two years later. Nontwenhle Mchunu has embarked on an
interesting chocolate journey. Starting in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa she went to Cape Town where
she started her own company Ntwezinhle Creations. She forged a relationship with The Protea Breakwater Lodge
and supplies them with her homemade chocolates. She is going to London, England to study English chocolate
production and hopes to start teaching other women how to go about setting up their own chocolate making
businesses. Legacy Chocolates (2042 Marshall Av., St. Paul, Minnesota 651-646-0644) makes a chocolate sauce
Potion No. 9 which is a mixture of Hope Creamery butter from Hope, Minn., organic sugar cane juice and cocoa. A
writer for the Minneapolis - St. Paul Star Tribune loves the sauce. If you're wondering what the fine folks at
echocolatenyc.com are hoping to get for Christmas may we suggest the Michel Cluizel Brown Card. For $50,000 you
get the card that gets you into 6 exclusive tastings, a meeting with Michel Cluizel, a private tour of his French factory
and lots of chocolate. Last month saw the opening of Pure Chocolate in Quincy, Massachusetts. Two sisters
Christina Bartkus and Lisa Trifone have put together a mix of products which include items from the Sweet Bliss line
and dark fudge made by local chef Gerie Trifone
November 17, 2006 - Four days after announcing the recall of twenty-five chocolate products due to salmonella
contamination, Hershey's and the Canadian food inspection agency (CFIA) still refuse to reveal the exact source and
cause of the contamination. Days ago it was announced an externally sourced ingredient was the cause of the
contamination, but the ingredient or the source has yet to have been publicly identified which makes one wonder if
the ingredient is still being used by other manufacturers. John & Kiras has announced their Holiday boxed sets.
They have a 28 piece box that has every flavor they make for $39 and The Barn Raiser, a 3 box set, that has the 28
piece Every Flavor Box plus 15 pieces of fruit squares and 6 pieces of dipped apricots. With an estimated 90% of
chocolate sold in China consisting of cocoa butter substitutes instead of cocoa butter the government is stepping in
with new regulations that should raise the quality of chocolate sold in China. After December 1, 2006 any product
with more than 5% cocoa butter substitutes will no longer be allowed to be sold as chocolate. The Bridgemarket
branch, under the 59th Street Bridge Manhattan side, of the Food Emporium has been closed but is now reopening
as an upscale, think Whole Foods, food store combined with a "regular' grocery stores inventory. Wow, Frosted
Flakes and Knipschildt Chocolates both under the same roof. It seems that getting acquired by Hershey hasn't
slowed Dagoba down as they are set to release a bunch of what appear to be unique and interesting products. It is
called the Apothecary line and includes Chocolate Bars and Elixirs that blend cacao with "beneficial" botanicals.
There are five different bars each 74% cocoa, 1) Antioxidant: Dark chocolate, Goji berries, cherries, blueberries,
zante currants, Sambazon ® Acai, 2) Clarity: Dark chocolate, ginger, green lemon, 3) Energy: Dark chocolate, nibs,
Guayaki ® yerba mate, maca, guarana, 4) Eros: Dark chocolate, boysenberries and 5) Moon Cycle: Dark chocolate,
Zante currants. The elixirs come in bottles with droppers and are to be ingested by taking a few drops on the tongue.
There are six elixirs 1) Antioxidant: Cacao, elderberry, goji berry, rosehips, Montmorency cherries, bilberry . 2) Clarity:
Cacao, gotu kola, gingko, hawthorne berry, Ginger. 3) Energy: Cacao, guarana, gotu kola, rooibos, green tea 4) Eros:
Cacao, muira pauma, catuaba, horny goat weed, yohimbe, damiana, prickly ash 5) Moon Cycle: Cacao, red
raspberry leaf, blessed thistle, damiana, rosebud leaf & petal, vitex berry 6) Cacao: Uplifting energy & antioxidants.
Cacao nib extract. Lake Champlain Chocolates has announced three limited edition gift boxes for the upcoming
holiday season. They are Chocolate Obsession an assortment of caramels, truffles, chocolate covered almonds,
and pralines, Truffle Obsession is an assortment of petite, high-cocoa-content ganache truffles infused with
Madagascar vanilla beans and coated in cocoa powder and Nut Obsession is an assortment of dark chocolate
covered roasted almonds & caramelized almonds, and milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts.The French
ingredients firm Roquette is moving ahead with Maltitol the sugar replacer and now claims it can replace 100% of
the sugar in chocolate with no loss in taste. Maltitol could be a key product in the future as you don't have to add fat to
keep chocolate creamy when you replace the sugar with Maltitol.
November 15, 2006 - Scientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that cocoa can act in
the same way as aspirin to help prevent heart attacks. Apparently a few squares of chocolate a day leads to slower
clotting platelets which makes it more difficult for a blood vessel to be blocked from clots. The research was
presented to the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago on the 14th. Joseph Schmidt
has announced his 2006 Holiday lineup and has done what appears to be some masterful work. Some of the
flavors his truffles come in this year include Eggnog, Toffee, Dark Peppermint and Tiramisu. The packaging
includes star and Christmas Tree shaped boxes as well as a
November 14, 2006 - Vosges Haut - Chocolat has two interesting new products for sale. One is the Nota Bene Gift
Box. The gift box was done in partnership with Nota Bene and Vosges. It's is Vosge's newest "Travel The World With
Chocolate" item. Each box set includes: Nota Bene's Napa Valley travel guide book paired with an Calindia exotic
candy bar (organic California walnuts + Indian green cardamom + dried plums + dark chocolate) and Nota Bene's
Barcelona guide book paired with our Barcelona exotic candy bar (hickory smoked almonds + grey sea salt + deep
milk chocolate). The second item is a rerelease of The Marchesa Collection. The Marchesa Collection is Black sea
salt and caramel enrobed in 85% dark chocolate topped with pearl dust truffles. They come 9 to a box and is priced
at $45. Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), a the Vermont chocolate maker, has introduced four flavors of QAI-
certified organic 1.25-oz chocolate bars and 0.28-oz squares. The four flavors are Dark Spicy Aztec – 55% cocoa
content with organic cayenne pepper, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon, Milk Sea Salt & Almonds – 38% cocoa
content with grey sea salt and roasted organic almonds, Dark Chocolate – 55% cocoa content and Milk Chocolate –
34% cocoa content.
November 13, 2006 - Deerfield Township, Ohio is the home of a new spa, Spa Chocolat, which will offer cocoa
based spa treatments. The owners Greg and Donna Dougherty own another spa, You Guys, next door. Schöller Ice
Cream has added three new items to its Erlenbacher pre-portioned cake range one of which is a White Chocolate
Fudge Cake. With the organic and fairtrade market growing in the United Kingdom Venture Foods has added to
new bars to its lineup of fairtrade, organic chocolates. They are the Premium Organic White Bar and Swiss Dark
Chocolate with Mint Crisps bar. M&Ms are offering eight new flavors only available through the Internet. The flavors
are All That Razz , (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + rasberry-flavored candy shell), AlmonDee-Licious,
(Almond + creamy white chocolate + candy shell), Eat, Drink and Be Cherry, (Creamy white chocolate + milk
chocolate + black cherry-flavored candy shell), Mint Condition, (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + mint-
flavored candy shell), A Day At The Peach, (Creamy white chocolate + milk chocolate + peach-flavored candy shell),
Nut What You Think, (Peanut + creamy white chocolate + candy shell), Orange-U-Glad, (Creamy white chocolate +
milk chocolate + orange-flavored candy shell) and Cookie Mintster, (Crispy center + dark chocolate + speckled mint-
flavored candy shell). The eight flavors come packed in a limited edition tin that sells for $49.99. Fox News dropped
by the Chocolate Show here in New York and covered the growing trend of infusing chocolate with alcohol based
tastes such as wine. As you know by now chocolate these days can be infused with everything from olive oil to tea. If
you click here and then scroll down a bit you'll find a nice photo montage from the Chocolate Show courtesy of Fox
News. Yesterday we reported the closing of the Smiths Falls, Canada Hershey plant for a few days. Now Hershey
has announced a partial recall of Hershey product distributed in Canada as it may be contaminated with
salmonella. The recall is for Hershey products including OHenry bars and Reeses cups manufactured between
October 15th and November 10th. The recalled chocolate can be identified by date codes found on the back of each
package. The affected date codes range from 6417 to 6455. Anything between those two numbers should not be
eaten.
November 12, 2006 - We apologize for not posting the last couple of days. With the Chocolate Show in town we've
been quite busy and in the next few days we will let you our readers in on what we have observed and tasted. In the
meanwhile onto the regular news roundup. Reuters dropped by the Chocolate Show where they put together a
piece on the growth of the organic chocolate business. This year sales are estimated at $70,000,000 and the big
players in the business have been busy acquiring there way into the field. Hershey's has picked up Dagoba and
Cadbury now owns Green & Black. Chris Samuel, spokesman for Green & Black's USA Inc., claims the organic end
of the business is growing 40% a year with his firm controlling 20% of the market. Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle
Farms talks about how his firm has gone from $500 worth of business in the first year, 2002, to $400,000 in 2006.
Fashion Wire Daily has a neat slide show posted with 24 great and I mean it when I write it great photos from The
Chocolate Show's kick off Chocolate meets fashion event on Thursday. Today Show, food editor, Phil Lempert,
dropped by the Chocolate Show and lists his best bets for the show. His list is quite impressive and in the next few
days we will be posting ours. The article is accompanied by NBC footage of the Today Show regulars trying some of
the chocolate. Students at the Neary School in Southborough, Massachusetts pooled together 483 pounds of
Halloween candy they collected and are going to ship it off to our troops in Iraq. The soldiers will give the candy out
to local youngsters and try to use it as small bribes to encourage the kids to visit the Doctor etc. Workers at the
Smiths Falls, Canada, Hershey Chocolate plant are waiting to go back to work. They were sent home when the plant
was closed by the company when some of the chocolate was found to be contaminated by an outside source. The
company is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the workers are hoping to get back to work
early next week.
November 9, 2006 - Scott Lund, owner and chef at Lula's Chocolates has an interesting history with chocolate. His
Grandmother Lula Lund learned to make chocolate early in life from a home economics teacher in Wyoming. She
moved to Salt Lake City and started making chocolates in her home. Five decades of chocolate making went on in
her basement shop - her husband built the shop and she sold them at the arms plant she worked at - . She finally
closed down in 1996 but for six years her grandson Scott helped her and learned the business. Scott went on to get
an MBA from BYU and then entered the laundry business. The call of chocolate was to much though and he
partnered with his college friend Aaron Davidson and they have rented 5,000 square feet of production facility in
Monterey, California and have started Lula's Chocolates. They have a website in production and hope to open a
retail store in Carmel. Klaus J. Jacobs, a German-born billionaire who lives in England has returned to his
hometown, Bremen, Germany to give $250 million to the International University Bremen. German Universities are
funded by the government so Mr. Jacobs gift is a rarity in the land of his birth. He hopes his gift will raise the school
to the upper level of European Universities. Among Mr. Jacobs holding is Callebaut AG. For a list of Mr. Jacobs
holdings and what they do in the chocolate industry click here. Zetar, the owner of Fakenham based chocolate
manufacturer Kinnerton, has reported excellent sales recently. They recently purchased confectionery manufacturer
Salamanda for £2.25m, and are on the lookout for more companies to acquire. Beware for in Huntingdon, Great
Britain police are on the lookout for a thief who stole two tins of chocolate from the local High Street Woolworths.
The suspect is described as white, aged between 15 and 18, and wearing a dark beanie hat, a Nike top, black
tracksuit bottoms and dirty white trainers
November 8, 2006 - Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut is entering a new growing market by attempting to
open a production plant in the Suzhou area of China. Callebaut hopes the plant will service the growing Shanghai
region market as well as be able to export to Korea and japan, two more mature chocolate markets. Dr Hazel
MacTavish left Australia to set up shop in the United Kingdom where she is recognized as an expert in smells
especially herbal. She has started her own business and she is releasing a line of bathing products. One of the
products is chocolate bathing chunks which contain chocolate extracts. The products are 100% natural.
Donsuemor, creators of The Original American Madeleine, have added a new flavor to their lineup of Madelines.
Named the Rich Chocolate Madeleine it along with Donsuemor's other Madelines will be available at Whole Foods
and Trader Joes. A recipe for Milk Chocolate Pudding from CIA - The Culinary Institute Of America. From The
Boston Globe a recipe for Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread. An article from the New York Sun recapping the
upcoming NY Chocolate Show listing some of the exhibitors and events. Whole Foods is recalling Whole Treat
Organic Vanilla Ice Cream Bars Dipped in Chocolate with a best by date of August 2007. The time stamp is greater
than 21:25. The bars may contain undeclared almonds and pose an allergy threat.
November 7, 2006 - Jean Galler is launching his new creation "Kaori" in the United States. You open an attractive
box where you find 6 chocolate sticks. The sticks are Vanilla & Coconut , Saffron, Strawberry & Balsamic,
Cardamom, Yuzu ( a Japanese citrus fruit ) and Ginger. The box also includes three different spices Calamansi
juice ( another Japanese citrus fruit ), Orange Powder and Green Powder ( Green Tea with Poppy ). Dip the sticks in
the spices and your ready to go. Read the Press Release here. A simple to use recipe for Almost Flourless
Chocolate Cake, from San Francisco baker and writer Fran Gage, co-author with San Francisco chocolatier Michael
Recchiuti, of "Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor" . The article has some good
material on Fran Gage and her baking. The second annual Wine & Chocolate Fundraiser was held Oct. 20 at
Locust Grove, New York the Samuel Morse Historic Site. Clinton Vineyards co-owner Phyllis Feder shared five
wines with the guests who also sampled chocolate desserts donated by Desserticus in Stanfordville, LaGrande
Confections in Wappingers Falls, Calico Patisserie in Rhinebeck, The Lollipop Tree Flower Shop in Poughkeepsie
and Pastry Garden in Poughkeepsie. CocoaVia® has issued a Press Release extolling a study from researchers at
the University of California-Davis that found a diet that includes CocoaVia® bars helps to lower bad cholesterol
(LDL) without affecting the bodies production of good cholesterol.
November 5, 2006 - CNN has an interesting article about off beat jobs and they feature chocolatier Mary Loomas of
Saratoga Chocolates located in Saratoga, California. A few years back Ms. Loomas was a comptroller at Intel when
she took up chocolate making as a hobby. She took classes at École Chocolat in Tain l'Hermitage, France and then
opened up her shop in November 2005. From Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day Ms. Loomas and her 5 employees
make chocolates and the rest of the year they produce chocolates and Ms. Loomas teaches classes in truffle
making. More than 2,000 people attended the 22nd annual Fantasies in Chocolate fundraiser Friday night at the
Reno-Sparks Convention Center. "A Taste of Art" was this years theme and among the 18 vendors who participated
were Ethel M Chocolates and Chocolate Walrus. Tickets were $65. The Samaritan Inn, the only homeless shelter in
Collin County, Texas has found a novel approach to raising money. They started Samaritan Inn-Dustries and have
started making truffles, under strict sanitary conditions, under the name "Greater Goodies". The truffles sell for one
dollar each and they have sold 10,000 since June. If you'd like to try them you can order them online. Ann Czaja, the
Lindt master chocolatier, recently introduced customers at the Lindt Shop, located at the Chicago Premium Outlets
mall in Aurora, to the "5 Senses Chocolate Tasting Experience". She was teaching customers how to feel, smell
and taste chocolate. A neat little article from The Kennesaw State University newspaper tells the history of lollipops,
gummy bears and candy corn. A nice looking recipe for Hot Fudge Cake. Yet another article recapping the growth
in the dark chocolate world. The article has some interesting quotes from John Doyle of John & Kiras. Lindsay
Watts is bringing imported chocolate to the Charlottesville Fashion Square mall in West Virginia by opening her
Chocolatier kiosk. Some of the brands she will be carrying are Dolfin, Bruyerre and Nirvana.
November 4, 2006 - Today Pierre Marcolini will be holding a tasting of their new Confit Lait spread at their 485 Park
Avenue store, located between 58th and 59th street. Their will also be a tasting of their fruit jams which are less than
10% sugar. Vosges Chocolates, 132 Spring Street, is holding the Groove Collection Launch Party on November
16th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. They will have a DJ, a tasting of the new truffles and a book signing. Call 212 625 - 2929
for more information. They will also be holding a similar event in their Chicago and Las Vegas shops November
15th. Newsday has a good article about the different health benefits of cocoa. Out of New Zealand an article on the
city of Bruges, Belgium with a bit about the cities connection to chocolate, they hold an annual festival and are the
home of the Choco-Story museum on Sint Jansplein. Dr. Steve Markus a dentist from Haddon, New Jersey started
collecting candy to send to our troops in Iraq. Last year he collected 40 pounds of candy but this year with some
local media attention as of Friday he was over 300 pounds and people were still bringing him candy. How's this for
a Halloween moment. Cindy Pappas of Tinley Park, Illinois was sorting through her child's Halloween bag and
came across a gold and diamond wedding band that had fallen off someone's finger as they dispensed candy. She
has turned the band over to the local police in the hope they can find the owner. Hooray a happy ending to the
previous story as the ring was returned to its rightful owner. Holl's Chocolates Inc. has retail outlets located in
Vienna and Charleston, West Virginia. Started by Fritz Holl who had worked at Broughton Food Company until his
retirement in 1986 the company is currently in the hands Fritz's son, Dominique. The family produces 200 - 400
pounds of chocolate a day and Dominique is the third generation of Holl's in the business. Wilmington, North
Carolina is the home to South 'N France where they hold classes in bonbon making. The evening starts with a
cocktail and then gets down to some serious bonbon making.
November 3, 2006 - The National Confectioners Association announced that the 2007 All Candy Expo, that takes
place, September 17–19, 2007, at McCormick Place in Chicago, will have a new display area "The Gourmet
Marketplace". The Marketplace will have tastings, pairings and other events as well as a Chocolate Lounge. You
must be an industry professional to attend The 2007 All Candy Expo. The Lodi, California branch of The Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory was burglarized late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The thief or thieves took no
merchandise but they did break into a filing cabinet and steal 46 credit card receipts which have card numbers,
expiration dates etc on them. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article about chocolate martinis and rates those
available in St. Louis. The winner was found at Lafayette Square's Chocolate Bar. The Chocolate Bar offers 15
different versions of the chocolate martini. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Kailua, Hawaii is holding its annual
Chocolate Extravaganza November 11th. Their is a recipe contest and plenty of chocolate items to try. Admission is
a reasonable $15, kids under 6 free and the proceeds go to charity. Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has
posted a 17.4% increase in profit for the fiscal year that ended August 31, 2006. Although it was a hot summer in
Europe making for decreased sales for some Callebaut was able to lower costs and increase margins allowing
them to do so well. The North Tahoe Conference Center in Kings Beach, Nevada will be the home for the 18th
Annual Chocolate Festival which will benefit Tahoe Women's Services. Local chocolatiers will provide the wares and
the event takes place Saturday night November 4th. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Kettle Foods'
third annual People's Choice campaign: Passport to Flavor is starting and you can vote online for your favorite
potato chip flavor. The five flavors you can vote on are as follows, Aztec Chocolate, Island Jerk, Royal Indian Curry,
Dragon 5 Spice and Twisted Chili Lime. You can read the Press Release here. Whitney Shuman is the winner of
the NordicWare "Bundts Across America" recipe contest. Her cake represented her city, New Orleans and was
named Chocolate City. The cake was spicy and included coffee, cayenne, New Orleans cane rum and a topping of
nuts. Rafael Rizzello, head bartender at Miami Beach's Pelican Hotel, has reinvented the Chocotini. He's gotten rid
of the cream liqueur and replaced it with white creme de cacao. Then instead of garnishing with chocolate shavings
he uses a mint stick creating a clear drink that is not as thick as a classic Chocolate Martini. His recipe is in the
article.
November 2, 2006 - Singapore-based cocoa bean supplier Olam has jointly acquired the Cameroon cocoa
processor Usicam with Archer Daniels Midland. Each company will own 50% of the plant which will become one of
the countries largest plants handling all aspects of cocoa bean processing including drying, cleaning and grading.
Cameroon produced 160,000 metric tons last season down a bit from the year before. Cameroon's cocoa is
currently used by Cargill, ADM and Barry Callebaut. A very interesting article from Beverage Daily about the need
for an International body to regulate Fairtrade goods including cocoa. The author brings up many good points that
are worth thinking about.
November 1, 2006 - The Essence of Chocolate is a new book by Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger. The
authors explain cacoa and all about Scharffen Berger chocolate. The book also includes 100 recipes. Their is a
limited book tour where you can get your copy of the book signed and meet the authors. To see if they will be
appearing near you click here. M&M's has a neat item out for the holiday season, Christmas that is. A collectible tin
full of green and red M&M's and 4 bags of custom printed milk chocolate M&M's and a customized Christmas card
all for $54.99 . This looks like an entertaining gift for someone who enjoys chocolate and likes M&M's. A study
undertaken by the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in collaboration with the University of California-Davis
and the University of Padova in Italy has found that hamsters on a high walnut diet have lower levels of the protein
endothelin. Endothelin can contribute to cardiovascular disease as it clogs arteries. A previous study showed that
walnuts lowered LDL, bad cholesterol. I'll have my walnuts coated in chocolate please. About 10 miles from
Cincinnati, Ohio is Galerie, a company in Hebron, Kentucky who have changed the face of humble candy corn with
their Gourmat Candy Corn. Candy corn as we know it was originally conceived in the late 19th century and is a
Halloween staple. Galerie has created three new flavors, green apple is lime on the bottom, yellow in the middle
and orange at the tip. Cherry is red, pink and yellow, Tangerine is orange, yellow and purple. They claim they will be
releasing some new flavors in the future.
| November 2006 News |
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