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Food411.com Site of the Month
Site of the Month

Bitten
Mark Bittman's blog, bestselling cookbook author & writer of the NYT's food column " The Minimalist". This is one of our favorite blogs. LOVE his NYT's column also. Centers around good simple cooking/eating. Wonderful advice to get simple meals with quality ingredients on the table. Terrific video’s on the blog as well.

 
 
  Editor's Pick
   

Das Food’s Fleur de Sel Caramels
A highlight of our Fancy Food’08 trip, these handmade bite size caramels are exceptional. Innovative flavors, all delicious. Warning, you will not be able to stop eating them. Made with Das Foods own fleur de sel, local cream, butter and honey. A show standout!

 
  Featured Product
   
hi*ball
The Fancy Foods show was overloaded with “waters” and energy drinks. Our pick is hi*ball, available at many supermarkets this drink is only 10 calories, no sugar, no sweeteners of any kind. We sample the orange. Just simple sparkling water with natural flavors – this one is refreshing after tasting so many sweet drinks.
 
  Featured Sites
   
Local Harvest
We have been champions of this site from our inception! It’s Farmer’s Market time nationwide, use this valuable site to find the best organic food grown closest to you. Find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
 
   
Sally's Place
Food, beverage & travel. 2,000 pages of content, something for everyone.
 
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  Chocolate Cravings
   
sweetriot
Found these at the NY Fancy Food Show – we love everything about them. The cool packaging tins ( that can be recycled for many uses), the delicious teeny tiny pieces of chocolate covered cacao pieces, the ability to satisfy your chocolate urge and only consume a few calories, heck, even if you devoured the entire tin its only 140 calories!
 
 


"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!"
Lucy from Charles Schulz's Peanuts

 

Occasionally you should indulge yourself with the rich, satisfying taste of chocolate.  It melts so perfectly in your mouth, and warms your soul. Chocolate gives you a mild feeling of euphoria, similar to when you fall in love, because it contains PEA a substance which releases endorphins in your brain. We have gather the very finest chocolate artists for your enjoyment.

  • Vosges Haut- Chocolate - Delicious & beautiful packaging! Know for their unique flavored exotic truffles that capture the flavors of the world! Their hatbox with exotic carmels is dreamy!
  • Chokola ' J - Artisan chocolates made in the Hamptons (NY) using organic, single origins cacao & local ingredients (such as Hampton's wild flower honey, wines & herbs) make an ultra smooth taste sensation. The flavor pairings are ingenious. We applaud their passion , " Being surrounded by great vineyards, farm stands & organic herb farms, we had to share, it was a calling".
  • Charles Chocolates - We tasted (savored is a more fitting word) this entire collection of outstanding chocolates & confections. Everything is made by hand in very small batches using traditional techniques, the chocolates are shipped within three days of being created. The triple coated almonds & orange twigs are completely addictive, and their signature edible chocolate boxes, painted and filled with their best make the perfect gift.
  • Wiseman House Chocolates- Amazing handmade truffles and over the top toffee. Their gift boxes/ribbons are exquisite. Tasting their creations was pure delight. The moca crunch topped with crushed coffee beans is designed for the dark chocolate lover.
  • Christopher Norman Chocolate - John Down, Chief Chocolate Officer, uses his background in painting/ arts, to create a unique artistic quality in the taste and feel of all his chocolates.Know for their hand painted & sculptural truffles, & innovative flavors. The variety we sampled were terrific.
  • Poco Dolce - Unusual Chocolates - Bittersweet chocolate tiles topped with gray sea salt, they satisfy both sweet & salty cravings. They are nicely accented with bits of almonds, crystallized ginger, burnt caramel toffee, & Aztec chile. They are simple, sophisticated & very delicious - these were a big hit at Food411! We loved them.
  • Vere Chocolates - We first discovered  Vere at the '05 Fancy Food Show. Low carb, low glycemic, high fiber, no sugar alcohols. Their new fruit & nut tiles are amazing. Very high quality dark chocolate - the solid squares are extremely statisfying, Yum !
  • Brown Paper Chocolates - A unique sophisticated chocolate . Beautifully designed solid blocks of very high quality chocolate artfully mixed with delicious flavors - a multi-layered tasting treat. So beautiful to just gaze at - Richard Kaplan is an artist. Add a cube to your cheese board, serve slices or grate over desserts. Our favorites - the  dark chocolate/cointreali/cherries & orange peel - & while normally not fans of white chocolate, Richard actually uses cocoa butter in it - the block with pistachios/coffee/caramel/citrus peel made us a believer! See our blog entry.
  • Amano Artisan Chocolate - They start with the bean (not many chocolate makers do) & their bars are individual variatals, single-bean origin chocolate, we tasted both the Ocumare Grand Cru Dark & Madagascare Premium Dark . These bars should be broken into small pieces & enjoyed by melting in your mouth. This is not a "candy" bar to be bitten into! We preferred the Ocumare's smooth, delicate flavor to the strong fruity Madagascar. Both are rich chocolate with complex flavors. A real treat for the true dark chocolate lover. Very high quality.
  • Chocolove - Made in CO. from fine belgian chocolate these bars have a smooth creamy finish. 11 different bars are made with the Chocolove wrapper, each gives the appearance of a love note. Any of the darks were our favorites! They also make - Chocolatour -- a line of "single origin, vintage chocolate bars" . You can select a terroir & vintage , "you'll be able to taste something of the country where the cocoa beans were grown." Very enjoyable bars.
  • John Kelly Chocolates - John & Kelly have created a special treat. They call it truffle fudge, don't let the "fudge" part fool you. This creation is more of a chocolate covered truffle bar. It comes in a few size "bars" - one being a 2 oz. portion control! They are deeply satisfying but not "sweet". Wrapped like pieces of gold, they are in sophisticated packaging.
  • Sans Souci Confections - Owners, Angela & Laure, favor the sophisticated flavor & lower sugar content of fine bittersweet chocolate. Salt butter caramels, nut barks, hand-dipped truffles, crunchy nut toffees, brownies/ cookies, & hot chocolate mixes
  • Richard H. Donnelly -  One of Chocolatier magazine's ten favorite chocolate artisans in the US. Full line of treats but the bite size truffles are notable. Intense chocolate subtly flavored with unexpected ingredients like Earl Grey tea, rosemary and Chinese 5 spice make for a unique experience.
  • Norman Love Confections - Based in Fort Meyers, Fla, Mr. Love creates works of art with handpainted colors, each filled with fresh ingredients like pineapple,ginger, passionfruit, bannana.
  • Knipschildt Chocolatier - Knipschildt makes top quality artisan chocolate & confections using classic recipes with a modern twist. If you are in South Norwalk,CT (SONO) treat yourself to a visit at his cafe & see the chocolate being created.
  • 7:3 Chocolates- Truffles, complex & funky, pure . Seasonal flavors. Finest chocolate with fresh cream and natural fruit juices, extracts,spices.
  • Jin Patisserie - Kristy  Choo creates her dark & milk chocolates with asian inspired ganaches, such as green tea & mango basil presented in a beautiful wooden box, her online store also offers cookies from her asian recipes & teacakes
  • Woodhouse Chocolates - Handcrafted in Napa Valley these chocolates are given the care of a fine jewel.
  • Anna Shea's Chocolates- In Tarrytown, NY, Anna creates her chocolates with unique flavors & her artist's eye for beauty. She also fashions chocolate hat boxes & jewelery boxes.
  • Cocoapuro - Fresh roasted whole cocoa beans covered in dark, milk and white chocolate & cocoa powder.
  • Ghyslain Chocolates - Hand painted chocolates
  • Mr. Chocolate - NY's Jacque Torres' famous chocolates
  • Legacy Chocolates - Hand-crafted from Criollo cocoa beans from Venezuela. Four levels of cocoa intensity are offered, 8 fresh flavors
  • Partistry - Jehangir Mehta creates handmade chocolates, teas, and confections, Mehta finds endless inspiration in cultural heritage & Ayurveda. His favorite ingredients are fruits and spices. His predilection for these ingredients is evident in Partistry's line of Star Anise & Grand Marnier Truffle
  • Recchiuti Confections - Known for its blend of contemporary San Franciscan style & traditional European technique. Natural ingredients with global influences create unique flavors . Made with French artisan methods & in small batches.
  • Fiori Chocolatiers - Artisan chocolate confections created using handcrafted European-styled cream & butter, organic fruits, herbs & spices. All natural, no preservatives or artificial additives. Chocolate sourced from small environmentally-friendly cacao plantations in Ecuador, Java, & Venezuela.
  • Lillie Belle Farms: Based on his Orgeon farm, Jeff Shepherd makes fruit cordial chocolates using his own farm fresh organic fruit--raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and wild blackberries.
  • Cocoa Vino - Drunken Figs; aka, Figs gone wild. Chocolate-covered organic figs filled with vintage port & organic dark chocolate. Their signature treat; bacchanals (definition=a wild night of lusty indulgence) - fruity, organic Malbec is folded into a creamy dark chocolate center, then covered in dark chocolate.
  • B.T. McElrath Chocolatier - Proud of their handmade,& homegrown approach, innovative flavors include Passion Fruit, Zinfandel-Balsamic, Green Tea, Cinnamon Star Anise, and Kaffir Lime with Coconut and Ginger.
  • Jubilee Chocolates (John & Kira's)- Handcrafted with local Philadelphia flavors, supporting local agriculture. Now, well known for their ladybugs, bees & druken chocolate figs. We have not tried these but have been told they are terrific.
  • Temper Chocolates - handmade artisinal chocolates- great spicy flavorsi.e. spicy habanero, flavors change often
  • Boule Patisserie - Homemade chocolates infused with teas. Also offer pate de fruits.
  • Sterling Truffle Bar - Triangle truffle bars, each a work of art
  • Chocolat Moderne - In NYC, Joan Coukos, uses French chocolate, Valrhona, featuring high cocoa content. Her fillings include 5 varieties of dark chocolate, pistachios, hazelnuts, fruit purées, fresh juices, honey, liqueurs, essential oils, teas & spices.
  • MarieBelle - Chocolate as art; famous for their Aztec hot chocolate, which makes a wonderful gift
  • Thomas Haas - Handmade chocolates and fresh fruit gelees, grown up gumdrop squares
  • Teuscher Beverly Hills Chocolates - Fine chocolates imported from Zurich, Switzerland. Known for their champagne truffles!
  • Candinas Chocolatier - Made by Swiss-trained confectioner Markus Candinas using only the finest ingredients. Created with equal parts artistry, science and love, each chocolate is a composition of balance and harmony
  • Garrison Confections - Andrew Shotts works in small batches & hand-enrobes each piece in milk, dark, or white chocolate. His trademark style allows many bonbons to include two distinct flavor or textural combinations within each piece.
  • L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates - They import chocolate from France, Switzerland & Venezuela, (higher cacao content & minimally sugared) . Complementing flavors come directly from their sources ie.brew coffees/ teas, cook fruits, squeeze oranges/ lemons, local honey . Only butter/fresh local milk/ cream used.
  • Romanico's Chocolates - Handrolled truffles by Alejandra. Made with very high quality chocolate from Europe & South America. She promises that her Truffles are what an authentic French chocolate truffle should be: bite-sized, very smooth & absolutely wax-free.
  • Compartes - They specialize in chocolate dipped fruits - orange peels, apricots, peaches, pineapples, pears dipped in a signature blend of chocolates. Their all natural stuffed fruits, are handmade every day . While the quality of their product is very good (that is why we have listed them)we did not have a good experience with their customer service.
  • Scharffen Berger - First-tier dark chocolate manufacturer. They execute every step of the process....from bean to bar.They begin with sourcing the finest cacao & use small-batch, artisanal methods.
  • Fran's Chocolates - Hand dipped truffles, luxury caramels, chocolate dipped fruits
  • Chocolat Moderne - Fine handmade chocolates with unique flavors
  • Chocolate Bar NYC - Everything chocolate, NYC store that reps 5 of the top NY chocolate chefs
  • La Maison du Chocolate - Demand for the greatest quality
  • Green & Blacks - Organic dark chocolate bars, fair trade. These chocolate bars are just delicious. The original with the orange is terrific.
  • eChocolates - Source premium varietal chocolates from select cocoa plantations, distributes 1,500 raw, semi-finished / finished chocolates throughout USA. They facilitate market access for small cacao growers who employ sustainable agricultural methods.
  • Chocosphere - Choose from Belgian, French, Venezuelan , German Organic, Spanish, Italian & Fine American Chocolate online. 31 chocolatiers to choose from.
  • Endangered Species Chocolate Company - All natural preimum chocolate, saving the world one chocolate at a time
  • Lake Champlain Chocolates - Gourmet chocolate truffles, chocolate gift baskets, kosher chocolate
  • Godiva - For the traditionalist!
  • Certified Fair Trade Chocolates:
  • Dagoba Organic Chocolate
  • Dean's Beans
  • Divine Chocolate
  • Equal Exchange
  • Ithaca Fine Chocolates
  • Sojourn
  • Omanhene
 
 
 
 
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