san francisco international chocolate salon

please join us at the san francisco international chocolate salon this sunday! it will be from 10-6 on april 13. we will be on the panel again... so please come and find us to say hello.

the second annual san francisco international chocolate salon participants include: newtree gourmet belgian chocolate, the tearoom, coco-luxe confections, saratoga chocolates, sacred chocolate, guittard chocolate, the chocolate traveler, san francisco toffee company, marti chocolatt, christopher elbow artisanal chocolate, chocoholics divine desserts, cosmic chocolate, poco dolce, the xocolate bar, jade chocolates, ghirardelli chocolate, gateau et ganache, charles chocolates, amano artisan chocolate, trader joes, moonstruck chocolate cafe, rushburn toffee company, chuao chocolatier, schoggi, scharffen berger chocolate maker, coco delice fine chocolates, vermeer dutch chocolate cream liqueur, nespresso, silver stone wines, sol rouge winery, xox truffles, the san francisco chocolate factory, le creuset, swissmar, putumayo world music, chocolate television and tastetv, and more.

click here for tickets: http://www.sfchocolatesalon.com/

los angeles international chocolate salon: amano

my, my, my... these gentlemen put out an incredibly superior product! art pollard (left) and rick raile are committed to finding the best beans that go directly to the bar. they are "dedicated to reviving the art of making fine artisan chocolate from the bean. [the] chocolate is made in small batches from only the finest cacao beans and the most selected ingredients."

i would suggest having your local chocolatier carry their product. http://www.amanochocolate.com/

los angeles international chocolate salon: vermeer

i am not a fan of most chocolate liqueurs... sure, i always add them to my cakes or to an espresso on a cold night... but i never would imagine drinking the liquers straight because they are way too sweet.

vermeer is an amazing exception! it is a gentle liqueur made of dutch chocolate, cream and vodka. your friend maurice kanbar, the inventor of SKYY vodka, concocted this spirit. vermeer can be consumed with ice on the rocks, and it can be mixed in a chocolate martini cocktail or added to coffee or hot chocolate.

vermeer is 34 alcoholic proof (17% alcohol by volume) and the bottles are labeled with an image of johannes vermeer's girl with a pearl earring. www.vermeercream.com/

freddy baggerman of vermeer is such a delight. he is pictured below.

los angeles international chocolate salon: cocoa privé

i am so glad i attended this salon... betsy schoettlin, artisan chocolatier of cocoa privé, is quite a fabulous and eccentric character - - - which definitely shows in her chocolate. she carried the most phenomenal chocolates: goat cheese truffles, kalamata olive truffles, prune filled with irish whiskey ganache, ginger topped apricot covered in chocolate, chipotle marshmallow smore, australian glazed apricot with stilton and walnut ganache... all of which were absolutely divine.

los angeles international chocolate salon: the chocolate traveler

i recently gave a poor review of the chocolate traveler's holiday dark chocolate. this review completely pained me since i remember the beginnings of my chocolate snob days of always carrying around a tin of chocolate traveler (70% dark chocolate) in my car. after tasting the holiday dark chocolate, i was worried about the quality.

i was a tad apprehensive to meet the chocolate traveler group... but i wanted to understand what was really going on with their chocolate. i met with jon alberon and he stated that the chocolate in the holiday tin was around 33% and that it was targeted to consumers who were not prepared for the higher cacao content.

los angeles luxury chocolate salon on sunday, december 9th, 2007

I am pleased to be on the tasting panel! Please join me in this event...

Discover, taste and savor the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolates & wine




Chocolate lovers, en garde! The first major chocolate show in the Los Angeles area this millenium takes place at the Los Angeles Luxury CHOCOLATE SALON on Sunday, December 9th, 2007 at the Pasadena Center. Chocolate aficionados, fanatics, lovers and addicts can taste & experience the finest in artisan, gourmet & premium chocolate in one of the world's great culinary metropolitan areas.


Salon highlights feature chocolate tasting, demonstrations, chef & author talks, wine tasting and ongoing interviews by TasteTV's Chocolate Television program. (Salon Entry includes all chocolate & wine tastings, demos, etc.).


A sample of salon participants includes L'Artisan du Chocolat, Mignon Chocolate, Decadent Tastes, Yum! Chocolate, Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur, Chuao Chocolatier, Guittard Chocolate, The Chocolate Traveler, Malibu Toffee, Cocoa Prive, The TeaRoom, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Chocolate Covered Company, Randy Fuhrman Events / Randy's Brownies, Silver Stone Wines, Vihuela Winery, Sol Rouge Winery, C'est Tres Chic Chocolate Molds, Le Creuset, Swissmar, Putumayo World Music, Chocolate Television, and much, much more.

Go here: luxurychocolatesalon.com or lachocolatesalon.com