My Chocolate Fantasy

Chocolate I am a chocoholic as I know many of you are.  I love chocolate pie but I especially love specialty chocolate pies.  If you want to enjoy pies that are as good as what you could buy at a special bakery, try these recipes.  Joseph’s Chocolate Pecan Pie is just simply delicious.  Chocolate and pecans are two of my favorite things.  Combined, they are irresistible!  And who can resist hot fudge?  Turtle Pie?  Did I die and go to Heaven?

JOSEPH’S CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

3 eggs, slightly beaten1 cup dark corn syrup1 (4-oz)squares of semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled1/3 cup sugar2 tbsp butter, melted1 tsp pure vanilla1 1/2 cups chopped pecans1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, corn syrup, chocolate, sugar, butter, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in pecans and pour mixture into the pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

HOT FUDGE PIE

1/2 cup butter3 (1-oz each)squares unsweetened baking chocolate4 eggs3 tbsp white corn syrup1 1/2 cups sugar1/4 tsp salt1 tsp vanilla1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Melt butter in top of a doubler boiler and add the chocolate. Continue to melt mixture until chocolate is melted; stir to combine well. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs until light. Beat the corn syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla into the eggs. Add a small amount of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix well to temper the eggs. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until the top is crusty and the filling is set but still somewhat soft. Do not over-bake, the filling should be like a custard. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for a real treat!

CHOCOLATE TURTLE PIE

1/4 cup caramel dessert topping (ice cream topping)1 Chocolate Crumb Ready Pie Crust1/2 cup chopped pecans2 pkgs (4-serving size each) Chocolate Cook and Serve Pudding/Pie Filling Mix3 cups milkwhipped cream

Spread the caramel topping on the bottom of pie crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the caramel. Refrigerate.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, stir the pudding mixes into the milk. Stirring constantly, over medium heat, cook until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring twice. Pour mixture into the crust. Place plastic wrap over the top. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped cream drizzled with more caramel topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Enjoy!

Swiss Maid Fudge is a second generation old fashioned candy store that first opened its doors in 1962. We have been treating our customers to mouthwatering homemade chocolate and delicious fudge handmade in our Wisconsin Dells store ever since. In the beginning Swiss Maid Fudge wanted to share what it felt was a deliciously creamy and flavorful fudge recipe with its customers. Since then, Dells Fudge has expanded its line of homemade candy to include homemade chocolates, salt water taffy, caramel apples, caramel corn, brittles and crunches along with buttery homemade caramel. Wisconsin Dells homemade chocolate and other homemade candies are cooked in copper kettles and our fudge is poured and paddled on special tables to produce the smoothest, creamiest fudge you will ever taste. Our homemade chocolate centers are made from scratch and then hand coated in creamy chocolate. One of the several Wisconsin Dells homemade candies available includes caramel apples dipped in our special caramel recipe which are then topped with freshly roasted nuts, chocolate, or other delicious toppings… Our homemade candy and homemade chocolate is simply mouthwatering!Only natural ingredients go into the homemade candy confections – 100% Wisconsin sweet cream butter, heavy cream, and pure chocolate and vanilla. Our homemade fudge and other homemade candies contain no artificial preservatives because we strive to bring you the purest candy possible. Dells Fudge ships everything directly to you immediately after it is made to guarantee you “natural freshness”.At Wisconsin Dells Old Fashioned Candies, all of the homemade candy is made the old European way using copper kettles and cooked over open gas fired cast iron stoves and mixing on marble tables.All of Dells Fudge homemade candies are made from scratch the old world way. Everything is cooked in small batches to ensure freshness. At Dells Fudge we use the finest and freshest ingredients in everything we make without artificial preservatives to extend shelf life.When you want to make the perfect gift, send the very best… Make it homemade from Swiss Maid Fudge.Corporate gift ideas come in many shapes and forms but nothing is as satisfying as the sweet taste of Dells Fudge gourmet homemade candy and homemade chocolate. A unique and original way to communicate that important message can be by giving Swiss Maid Fudge homemade candies or homemade chocolate. Reward or thank your employees for a job well done or thank that special client, friend or family member. Swiss Maid Fudge homemade candy or homemade chocolate would be the perfect way to express that sentiment. Our Wisconsin homemade candy can also be gift wrapped with our signature wrapping to make your gift of homemade candies more personal. You can choose between our holiday gift box and our regular gift box for your fudge orders during the holiday season.  Swiss Maid Fudge also offers a large selection of homemade candy or homemade chocolates for your party or special event. Nothing says thank you like delicious homemade candy or homemade chocolate! Surprise your guests with a delightful treat.Wisconsin Dells Homemade Chocolate and Candy are our pride and we create only the most delicious homemade candies for our customers. If for any reason our finest homemade candy or homemade chocolate does not live up to your highest expectations, Dells Fudge will be happy to give you a replacement or full refund. However, we are confident you will be 100% satisfied and you will keep coming back for more!

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but chocolate gets along with everybody. With more research than ever pointing towards the benefits of indulging in an a bit of chocolate goodness every now and then, this is one treat that appeals to everyone; making chocolate the number one choice when it comes to edible presents.

Today’s chocolate gifts go beyond red drugstore candy hearts- there are decadent chocolate baskets and luscious chocolate assortments to please even the pickiest of receivers. In fact, with so many chocolate varieties to choose from, you may not know where to begin your hunt for the perfect morsel. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when you’re thinking about giving the glorious gift of chocolate:

Think Outside the (Candy) Box. A box of treats is always nice to receive, but if you really want to up the wow factor, go for an unexpected chocolate gift. Chocolate baskets can be filled with an assortment of delicious specialties that go well together. Like rich chocolate covered coffee beans paired with an aromatic java blend. Or, for the ultimate compliment of tastes, try a dark chocolate assortment and a basket of ripe berries. Chocolate and champagne have always made a romantic anniversary gift, but there’s no need to stick to truffles and bon bons. Why not surprise her with a selection of chocolate body paints, or a chocolate rose dusted with real 24 karat gold?

Bring Chocolate Into the Workplace. Corporate gifts are an office necessity. To really make yourself stand out in the eyes of a client, skip the stationary set or logo mug in favor of a chocolate gift that will really impress. At specialty chocolate makers and websites, you can get custom made chocolate business cards to include with your proposal, or a chocolate gift basket made entirely of treats that relate to your target recipient. (Chocolate golf clubs, perhaps?) And since there are properties found within cocoa that have been proven to elevate mood and make people happy, having a chocolate assortment available to nosh on before a big meeting may just make a potential customer more amenable to using your services.

Don’t Forget To Treat Yourself. When choosing the perfect chocolate basket to send as a present, don’t forget to send a little something to yourself. After all, chocolate has been shown to be an effective antioxidant, and induces the same chemical reaction in the brain as being in love. Not to mention the fact that a chocolate assortment is guaranteed to make you smile- and remains a much more affordable alternative to hours of therapy.

Chocolate just makes people happy. From creamy milk chocolate to rich white chocolate and decadent dark, there are dozens of ways for you to indulge in a cocoa covered smile. Just don’t forget to share.

Taken from the experience of someone who has spent countless hours searching in the past for sugar-free chocolates for the diabetic chocoholic(s) in their life. I remember hours of pouring over the numerous catalogs only to find only one or two chocolate items.
Then not too many years ago the age of inter-net shopping started. There was maybe a lot less paper but the problem was still remained. Simply because not many people at that time were interested in making sugar-free chocolate. But as more people are either finding out that they are diabetic or that they simply want to cut down on their carbohydrates, sugar-free chocolates has taken off.
So now the remaining questions are how much you want to spend, what kind of chocolate and from who do you want to order from.
One such place on line is Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe. There they have sugar-free dark chocolates, milk chocolates, white chocolates and specialty chocolates. Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe has been approved Feingold Program And meet the F.D.A. sugar-free requirement.
There are many companies on the inter-net that now cater to those who need to be or want to be sugar-free. However to claim that one is sugar-free must not raise blood glucose. And the way to do that is to use sweeteners like Maltitol. Their products are made from 70% all natural cocoa, they are sugar-free, low on trans fat therefore low on net carbohydrates, they are also gluten free, lactose free and peanut free. And to make it even more appealing their products are zero in cholesterol and high on antioxidants. So even those who are on a vegetarian diet will love these chocolates.
There are other place on line that have as a high standards as Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe in their sugar-free chocolates. For instance the developers at YC Chocolate have been developing a low carbohydrate, sugar-free dark chocolate bar with no artificial colorings, or flavorings, preservatives or sweeteners. YC Chocolate’s sugar-free chocolate has passed the natural foods criteria that they have set for what would be considered to be Natural and Clean. They have passed the F.D.A.’s requirements as well of not exceeding the 0.05% sugar from any source per any serving and is lactose-free.
This company are properly grown, harvested, and processed to create an unique and intense taste. Like Ultimate Chocolate Shoppe they use Maltitol which comes from corn, to sweeten the chocolate. Because Maltitol mostly doesn’t get digested it passes like fiber. This good for those who are in search of a low carbohydrate treat. Especially diabetic chocoholics because this chocolate don’t raise the blood sugar and because they use the minimal amount of Maltitol, the laxative effect reported is minimised as well.
These are just a few companies on the inter-net today that produce and sell many chocolate candies that will satisfy any chocoholics sweet tooth. Whether they are diabetic or just looking for ways to cut carbohydrates from their diet, know that there are places now that cater to those who are going sugar-free. Gone are the days of endlessly pouring over catalogs just to be disappointed at the selection.

Abstaining from chocolate is surely not an easy feat. The joy of chocolate is just too hard to resist even when it is loaded with sugar that obviously takes a toll on our health. Luckily, recent studies have shown that chocolate has tons of health benefits, particularly dark chocolate because it contains higher levels of cocoa and thus contain more antioxidants that’s even higher than black tea and red wine. Still, sugar levels in milk chocolate and white chocolate is enough to give the diabetic a heart attack. Even chocolates that are marketed as sugarless or sugar-free still contain maltitol, which is almost as bad as sugar. Is it possible to consume chocolate in its pure yummy goodness without consuming the carbohydrates and alarmingly high sugar? With a little ingenuity, it’s possible!The Nutritious Content of Chocolate
Unsweetened chocolate contains about 8 grams of carbohydrate and around 145 calories, more than half of it is fiber, which is very good for the stomach and for aiding digestion. Chocolate, particularly unsweetened chocolate, also contains lots of minerals. One ounce of unsweetened chocolate contains about a quarter of the magnesium and iron, and about half of the manganese and copper that our body needs in a day. The fat contained in chocolate, when it is made of pure cocoa butter (and not animal fat or vegetable fat), is healthy fat-either stearic acid or monounsaturated fat, both considered to be “good saturated fat.” Three table spoons, or about 36 calories of unsweetened cocoa powder, has the same amount of fiber and carbohydrates as unsweetened chocolate but has lower levels of vitamins and minerals,. However, it also has much less fat content.Appreciating Unsweetened Chocolate
The Maya and Aztecs, the earliest civilizations known to have consumed chocolate, used to drink unsweetened chocolate spiked up with some chile and spices. It was considered a drink for the royal family and was adopted by the Spanish courts. Unsweetened chocolate also makes a wonderful ingredient for unusual but interesting dishes such as Cincinnati Chili and Mexican mole sauces. It adds a fuller and richer flavor to dishes that blends well with sauces without being too distinct, plus it adds a wonderful aroma. When it comes to desserts and sweets, it’s harder to go totally unsweetened. Unsweetened cocoa has a really bitter taste that may be too string for most people’s palate. Artificial sweeteners are available, such as maltitol and other sugar alcohols. However, maltitol is about the same as regular sugar when it comes to its blood sugar impact, so using it as a sugar substitute may be defeating the point. While we want to find a healthy alternative to sweetening chocolate, we don’t want to sacrifice depth of flavor and mouthfeel. Sugar alcohols can provide the same characteristics as regular sugar to chocolates. It counteracts the bitterness of chocolate wonderfully better than artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols are not all alike though. When buying sugar-free milk chocolates, use sugar alcohols that have the least impact on blood sugar such as erythritol. A healthy, but still yummy alternative is diabetic chocolate.

Planes, trains, motorcoaches, boats, cable cars, gondolas, lake steamer, funicular, cog wheel train and ferry were our modes of transport. We were 60 singles with 124 bags who came, who saw, who conquered Switzerland & Italy. Aside from the traffic delays of high holiday season, it went without a hitch. No lost passports and no one lost. It was a whirlwind vacation but my theory has always been carpe diem per dollar, that is to squeeze in all experiences possible enroute of any journey. After all, travel is intensified living as we attempt to absorb the maximum thrills per minute. (When I compare this to my Suzy’s Taste of Europe trip 11 years ago, this was easy. We then did 6 countries in 7 days, like The Amazing Race.)
In charming Lucerne, we were led on a walking tour of Old Town followed by a welcome dinner of Swiss fondue. There was a folklore show which provided us the opportunity to blow an alpine horn. At the end of the evening was a yodeling contest where the bold wailed out like dying cows into the mic. We enjoyed a real alpine adventure up to and over the 7000 ft. Mt. Pilatus which legend says is infested with dragons. From here we boarded a paddle steamer and sailed across a crystal lake to meet our motorcoach in Fluelen.
Our driver, Peter was super-human as he transported us 7 days over narrow mountain roads in our Super-Size-It double-decker bus with a luggage trailer hitched in tow! At times local farmers would peer out chalet windows in awe of such a feat. We stopped to visit the Merlot Del Ticino Winery set in cliff-side vineyards. So simple, so pure. The family owners stated we were their largest group ever. As we imbibed on 3 fine vintages, Peter spends a half hour trying to turn the coach around with help from dozen locals. Finally we arrive in Lugano. Is it Switzerland or Italy? You Google it. We unpack for 3 glorious nights at Hotel De La Paix.
If it is Tuesday, must be Italy. We set out to tour the lush Lake District which sprawls dreamlike as a watercolor painting. This is the Rio of the Old Continent. In Tremezzo we view the famous Villa Carlotta Gardens and water taxi over to elegant Bellagio. The town has fallen asleep for its 3 hour siesta. Nothing to do but manga so I amble up the cobbled streets for my third pistachio gelato of the day. A shopping stop is scheduled in Como. Some women do not even glance at the mirrored lake lined with palm trees. As if on steroids, they march forward armed with Euros, Swiss francs and a MasterCard. Their motto on this 2 hour marathon is if the shoe fits, charge it. Our day ends with a visit to Alprose Chocolate Factory. The tour is disappointing, but offers good buys on sweets.
Our evenings are totally free and we disperse in mini-groups to discover the best local cafes. Seafood is ultra fresh here but on my budget in this land of a weak dollar, I settle each night for Pizza Margarita, paper thin with slabs of buffalo mozzarella. On Wednesday, half the group defects to explore the region on their own. Some do nature trails, boating, Mt. Bre, the fishing villages and even Milan in a day. A few others lounge poolside at our hotel sunning like lizards. We are graced with perfect weather up to departure. The other half of the group joined me with our wonderful guide Isabelle. (She has an obsession with George Clooney whose villa faces Lake Como.) We begin at the Ponte Tressa market where Europeans flock for bargains, but depart early as it resembles a giant garage sale. We ferry from Lavino along with our monster bus across Lake Maggiore to Intra and then drive to Stressa. Now heres a place I would like to linger for its Mediterranean feel. From here, some visit the Borromean Islands.
Time to check out and head to Switzerland on one of the worlds most diverse rail journeys. The Bernina Express corkscrews its way up and over the Alps with a Kodak moment at every turn. We pass 3 glaciers and Lake Bianco named for its glacial milk. In 3 hours we arrive at top of the world to glitzy St. Moritz. Our hotel was upgraded to the 5 star Hotel Kempenski Grand, according to our driver the finest hotel in Switzerland. We quietly enter the chandeliered lobby in T-shirts and denim shorts as if we too are part of the rich and famous. This is as elegant as it gets. I do not want to leave my suite with its marbled tub and feathered duvet. The designer boutiques in town are closed now. We scatter on nature trails towards the lake. For dinner, some splurge at the hotels world class restaurant on fresh lamb enveloped in herbed crepes and deserts of spun sugar. Twenty of us enjoy an outdoor BBQ of organic local products. Later I take advantage of the complimentary spa with a swim and 4 treatment rooms.
I have always said that if I was forced to trade my passport with another country, I would choose Switzerland. Even the cows with their bells are happy here. It is the purest air and purest food. It is the efficiency. Like the Boy Scouts, Swiss count neatness, punctuality, cleanliness and hard work as virtues. It is the serenity in the verdant hills where one feels safe. And it is the beauty in the rugged geography of rocks, bubbling brooks, clean lakes and snow capped mountains.
The highlight for me was our morning excursion by 2 gondolas ascending to a lone restaurant 9000 ft high. Here we are greeted with a private champagne toast on a sun drenched terrace. Some of us hiked down through the Ice Palace, a grotto-like cave in sheer ice. The majesty of this mountain humbled me.
Peter must drive us to Zurich over a seemingly insurmountable mountain pass before reaching the highway. In 27 years, he is driven tour buses over 3 million kilometers and tells me he hates driving this road. We pass cows mating and villages with populations of 12. After a lunch stop in Heidiland, we arrive safely in Zurich. It is raining now as if Mother Nature mimics the sadness of our departure. I overnight here with a solid 9 hours sleep and reminisce of another journey well done.

How It All Began It all started with Leopold II of Belgium in the year 1885 when he colonized Congo. It was a territory eighty-six times bigger than his country. Leopold II was the very first one to commit genocide during the 20th Century. The chocolate industry first took off during the 1880′s, supported by getting hold of the Belgian Congo that has aided an easy way in to Africa’s cocoa grounds. The truth is that it is very hard to imagine that the Belgian Chocolates’ history may be that far from being sweet. There was an estimated 10 million Africans that passed away under the orders of Leopold II. Despite of the war that was happening, Belgians were able to maintain the cocoa importing connections. On the other hand, the Belgian contribution in the chocolate industry is the introduction of their chocolate product which is the praline. It was created and expanded by a Swiss family in Brussels, the Neuhaus family in 1912. The praline was the very first butter cream-filled bite sized chocolate. It was either filled with nuts or cream or coated with milk or milk chocolate or filled also with a very good quality of dark chocolate. In the year 1912, chocolate started as a gift in Belgium. A Belgian chocolatier created the very first praline, a chocolate that absolutely complied to the gift career it was building. Not later on, a packaging called Ballotin was developed and patented for praline. At that moment the pralines in Ballotin were the most desired gift in every chance somebody has to give someone something as a present. The Making Chocolates start with the seeds of a cacao tree. A fruit bearing tree that has large football-shaped like pods, in which the seeds are contained. The cacao tree was first discovered in the United States but now can be grown in many countries near the Equator. These pods are gathered and the seeds are then dried in the sun. After drying, they undergo roasting. When the beans are roasted, they will now be crushed to produce cocoa powder, and then squeezed to get the cocoa butter. When the powder is ready, it will be mixed with butter. Adding the milk powder and sugar creates chocolate. Each component of the mixture determines the color of the chocolate. Therefore creating different kinds of chocolate like black or the dark chocolate that can be made with up to seventy percent of cocoa in the mixture; milk chocolate containing more milk powder than the others, and of course the white chocolate that does not contain cocoa but cocoa butter only mixed with milk and sugar only. Trivia Did you know that if not most, all the pralines during those times were hand made? Presently chocolates are considered as an energy giving food because of its very high content of sugar and calorie. Another fact about chocolate is that it is also considered as one of the many sexual stimulant foods. In fact, aside from being an exceptional energy booster, one of the Aztec emperors drank chocolate to have access to women. It is also known to be use as an anti-depressant. It is known to contain a substance called “pheryletylanine” that has a positive effect in the event of a nervous depression but not only that, there is something in chocolates that gives anyone a lighter mood every time it is drank.

The Problem With Combining Sparkling Wine, Wines And Chocolates One of my favorite ways to entertain is with tantalizing champagnes and sparkling wines. So, it is no surprise to everybody who knows me, that two of my favorite things in the world are decadent chocolates, and a fine bottles of champagne. I prefer nothing better than having a house full of guests or a quiet evening at home indulging, lingering and sipping one of my favorites, while nibbling assorted desserts and chocolates. I have my own personal preferences that run the gamete from luscious chocolate covered strawberries, white truffles, or a bite size pieces of silky white or dark chocolate with fruit and almonds. Just thinking about it makes me happy, and satisfied. However, there are champagne enthusiasts like myself who find the pairing of chocolate and bubbly to be unpleasant, and truth be told it can be. The fusion of the two flavors can leave a dry bitter after taste when the complexities of both the sweet coco and the bubbly co-mingle on the sensitive palate. This dry and dusty finish lingers in the mouth, and in many cases, as each individual wine or sparkling wine can have their own complexities that leave a unusual “dusty” taste impression. It can be difficult to imagine that your favorite chocolate can suddenly seems overly tart or even sour when paired with the complex sweetness of a sparkling wine, but with a little bit of experimentation you can discover the right combination that offers a more agreeable experience to appreciate. There are literally thousands of possible taste combinations, so you are sure to discover a personal favorite if you persevere. How To Choose The Right Chocolates To Pair With Champagne and WineIf you are inviting people over for a relaxing wine tasting party you might choose to include pieces of broken chocolate that contain nuts, and fruit which I have found pair very well with the wine, and break up the sweetness of the candy. Mousse of white or darker chocolate, cookies, nutted coco tarts, and a lightly flavored coco cake can all add scrumptious taste sensations to your selected wines and champagnes. White chocolate is an excellent choice and many find that it counter balances a delicious demi sec champagne, and making a white fondue is quite simple and fun experience for your guests. You can also add chocolates containing: cherries, bitter orange,assorted fruit, and dipped pretzels to the dessert menu too? Feel free to add some flavorful cheeses to add contrast to your sweet desserts.Of course the individual tastes of your guests will be the most significant factor in any food and wine pairing that you choose, but a fine bottle of Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) has found to pair well with chocolate due to its characteristic lighter and less acidic composition when compared to champagne. Do not be afraid to experiment, and enjoy the evening with friends, family, and loved ones. The Set Up For Your Party Guests

Take Pleasure In Spending Time With Family & FriendsEnjoying the taste sensations of wine, sparkling wines, champagnes, ports, and sherry, followed by your choice of candied sweets, and scrumptious coco desserts can be quite tantalizing. Finding the right combinations, and great pairings can create a memorable evening for everyone. Remember that you want your guests to imbibe slowly in a long leisurely evening taking pleasure in some of the most self-indulgent, and delicious collections you have to offer. A fun Idea is for keeping the conversation going through out the evening, and your guests completely engaged is to schedule the evening pairing. Serve the wine and gorgeous desserts on a set schedule, and then make conversation based on each persons individual appraisal of the taste groupings. You and your guests will find some pairings that will be delectable opening your eyes to matches you may not have ever considered and others will literally leave you dry and dusty, but once you find the perfect combinations of chocolate and wine you will have found your own blissful nirvana. Of course wine, champagne, and decadent delights always go best with friends, and family. Gift baskets containing your favorite bottle of bubbly and sweets are a lovely gift to share as well.

Temptation from Amadei of Tuscany and the Annual Chocolate Show. Photo: Steven Richter.

The people who sell chocolate are not merely happy – I think of Jacques Torres, always smiling – they also seem wildly passionate and can be deeply poetic, if not mystical. Chana Krausz-Papp, who left selling wine to become the U.S. rep for Amadei chocolates, is no exception. Amadei is Tuscan chocolate, the most expensive chocolate in the world, she claims. It’s made in an area of Tuscany known as Chocolate Valley, near Pontedera. How often have I been to Tuscany? How many summers have we spent in Pietrasanta on the Tuscan seashore? No one ever mentioned Pontedera. No one ever spoke of Amadei.

Now I learn it is favored by the fussy patissier Pierre Hermé (over the snootiest French chocolate), the visionary Ferran Adria (surely there must be Spanish chocolate), Heston Blumenthal at Fat Duck (the English are notoriously chauvinistic about their chocolate too), and President Sarkozy, who mentioned it among his favorite Italian products. Closer to home, Per Se, Nobu, Fiamma, Daniel and Lever House are fans. Le Bernardin patissier Michael Liaskonis writes about it on his blog. And at Del Posto, they serve the chocolate in bar form, paring it with aged rums.

The Amadei story is romantic and dramatic. Brother and sister Cecilia and Alessio Tessieri, born into a family confectionary business, teethed on making pralines (what I call bon bons, or filled chocolates) and ultimately began producing their own chocolates from the bean itself. She trained to become one of the few women maitre chocolatiers in the world. He scours the globe in search of the best cacao beans, the best plantations in Central and South America and Madagascar, tying up an exclusive for Chuao cocoa from Venezuela.

In her enormous tote, Chana always has a stash of Amadei’s small 5 gram squares in assorted flavors, single origin crus, and of varying cacao pow, that she passes around after dinner. Hmmmm…Venezuela cru hits the spot after too much pizza, I promise you.

She offers to do a tasting for me. After the summer, I say.

As I’ve written, I am not an obsessed chocoholic. I love chocolate. One bite or three seems to me the perfect ending of a meal. But I like Jujee Fruits too, so a serious chocolate purist should probably not trust me. I’m guessing those hopelessly obsessed by chocolate will want to Google Amadei and taste for themselves anyway. It’s sold on-line by the bar and in stunning gift boxes.

Last week Chana came by, low key and soft-spoken, mellifluous – as if her mouth was already full of chocolate. My friend Pamela Morgan of Flavors has been chattering away about Xoçai, a healthy chocolate she is peddling with equal passion, so I nvited her to join us. “Xoçai,” says the box, “is rich in unprocessed, non-alkalized, non-fermented cacao powder.” It’s made with “extreme dark” Belgian chocolate, açai and blueberries, with more than half its calories in fat, even saturated fat. Pam is shocked when I point that out. It’s the açai, a powerful anti-oxidant, and the dark, unprocessed chocolate’s total flavonoids that help the body resist damage by free radicals, I’m supposed to be impressed by. An astonishing 1.008 mg. of total flavonoids per 100 calorie serving (3 small squares) and, according to the label, the ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) per serving is 58,700 compared to 2,400 for blueberries. If I need an excuse to have chocolate with my blueberries, this is it.

Chana takes these thrilling health claims quite calmly, noting that Pamela’s chocolate has lecithin as an emulsifier, which Amadei would never, never, ever. “We don’t talk about the health aspect of chocolate,” she says, handing out bits of Amadei –“Let it melt on your tongue,” she begins her spiel.

“We are all about the sensuality of chocolate, the emotion, the pleasure of the senses.”

After the brown (or milk chocolate), the Toscano black 63%, the 70%, the Amadei 9, the grand crus of single variety beans – Grenada, Jamaica, Ecuador, Madagascar, Venezuela, the fabled Chuao – a few interruptions of Xoçai, comes the climactic Toscana red – extra bitter chocolate fondente, 70% cacoa with strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Chana smiles knowingly as she breaks off a chunk for each of us.

Oh dear heaven. I’ve found my chocolate. I cannot go on. Chana wisely folds her tent and her tote.

If you think you know everything there is to know about chocolate, you will surely want to meet Krausz-Papp. She will be telling the Amadei story and passing out samples to melt on your tongue at the 11th annual New York Chocolate Show from November 7-9 on Pier 94 (711 12th Avenue at 55th Street). It launches with a Chocolate Couture Collection – creations from designers working with pastry chefs and chocolatiers. There’s a KidZone and a Blackberry hand massage op. In the overstuffed shopping bag the promoters sent, I found white chocolate pops and cocoa butter skin cream, Berkshire bark and dark chocolate with chipotle, salt and popping candy. I’ve been giving it away as fast as I can.

The truth is, my afternoon with Chana and Pamela ended on a very scary note. Halfway home I disappeared into a fugue state, but kept on walking in my chocolate fog. I didn’t know where I was or where I was going. A sugar fit perhaps. I woke up in my own bed two hours later. I never did figure out what happened.

“I’m so glad you’re up,” the Road Food Warrior greeted me. “I was afraid to wake you, but it’s past time for dinner.” I stood up slowly. My brain was back. My pulse was normal. I felt myself again. We went out to dinner.

Amadei is available in New York at The World of Chocolate, Ideal Cheese, Sant Ambreous (pralines only), and The Chocolate Room (two locations) in Brooklyn.

As the word chocolate comes to our mind or passes through our ears, our tongue starts licking the lips, filling the mouth with saliva. Chocolates usually tempt all of us. Besides eating, chocolates are also used in baking and cooking many delicacies. But how many of us know about the different varieties of chocolates? Lets us take a look at the most famous chocolate types.Milk Chocolate: As the name implies, milk chocolate has a creamy, sweet and mild flavor. It is a combination of sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, vanilla, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Milk chocolates work well for dessert sauces, fondue, dipping coatings and chocolate garnishes. This is the most eaten chocolate of all chocolate flavors. Though it is heat sensitive, it works great for cooking and chocolate decorations. In the US milk chocolate is made with 10% chocolate liquor and 12% whole milk as a minimum.  White Chocolate: White chocolate is different from the other chocolate flavors. It is manufactured from sugar, cocoa butter, dry milk solids and the addition of flavorings like vanilla. However it does not contain any nonfat cocoa solids that gives it an off-white color. White chocolate is used for all types of cooking and baking. It is manufactured from sugar, cocoa butter, milk, lecithin, vanilla, butter, corn syrup, and salt. It is sold in bars, blocks, discs and chips. It has a mild and pleasant flavor and can be used to make chocolate mousse, panna cotta and other desserts.  Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate is actually sweetened chocolate with high content of cocoa solids and very little milk or somtimes no amount of milk. Dark chocolate can of various types. It can be sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet or unsweetened. In general, dark chocolates contain at least 35 percent chocolate liquor. Other ingredients include cream, sugar, butter, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. It is very popular for baking and dessert recipes. Semisweet Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate is a type of dark chocolate with low sugar content. Great way to introduce others to dark chocolate. Semisweet chocolate combines well with other flavors, melts easily and is great for dipping. It is sold in different forms such as, chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, bars, and disks. Semisweet chocolate has a good, sweet flavor, it contains often 40-62% cocoa solids. It is frequently used for cakes, cookies and brownies, and can be used in place of sweet dark chocolate. Bittersweet Chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate is made with very little or no amount of sugar. It is often referred to as unsweetened or baking or cooking chocolate. It contains sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin. Lecithin holds the cocoa and the cocoa butter together in a candy bar. The minimum amount of cocoa solids in a dark sweetened chocolate is 35%. The amount of cocoa solids in good quality bittersweet chocolate is in the range of 60% to 85% depending on brand. If the amount of cocoa solids is more the content of sugar is less, giving a rich, intense and more or less bitter chocolate flavor. It is strongly advised that if a recipe specifies bittersweet chocolate do not substitute with semi-sweet or sweet chocolate. Due to its deep, rich chocolate flavor, it is most frequently used in cakes and other baked or steamed desserts. Unsweetened Chocolate: It has found many names like bitter chocolate, chocolate liquor or baking chocolate. It is preared without adding sugar. Unsweetened chocolate is made from finely ground and roasted cocoa nibs, and has zero alcohol content. In addition with sugar, unsweetened chocolate can be used in cakes, brownies, and cookies. It is packaged and sold in bars, blocks and discs.