the wonderful world of.....
              Chocolate

   The magic elixer of life... rich, luscious, sweet CHOCOLATE.  Men like it, and women NEED it!  (Imagine: Cortez was only interested in Aztec gold, when there was all that chocolate to be had!!)  Of course, you can't be eating chocolate every minute... don't want to smudge the keyboard.... so here's a chance to rejoice in the glories of our favorite food group right here in cyberspace!

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      Chocolate Books

you can't get fat from reading, can You?
 
The Search for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

  by Gwen Steege
For chocoholics, this search is a Mission!  Everyone has their own favorite flavors and consistency, but this book is a great asset regardless of your preference.  In addition to lots of delicious recipes, it contains reader-friendly explanations of how each ingredient affects the finished cookie.  This is fascinating and helpful information for your quest. It's still in print after 13 years, so you know she's onto something!

© 1988  by Storey Communications, Inc.
Currently available from Random House
 
 

Chocolate: The Consuming      Passion 

              by Sandra Boynton
 
This is another long-lived classic, still very much in print.  It was a stroke of genius which brought fame and fortune to Boynton.  It is a hilarious gathering of cartoons, recipes and observations, featuring her comic characters who have become well-known to American gift shoppers.  A must-have for any self-respecting chocoholic, and a great gift to or from anyone with a sense of humor.
c  1982   Workman Publishing Co.
 
 
The Book of Chocolate

                    by  Jeanne Bourin
      Nathalie Bailleux (Editor) 
            Diana Groven (Editor)
      Bernard Wooding (Editor) 
     This is the ultimate coffee-table book.  It is a sumptuous, gorgeous book, in the same beautiful format as "the Book of Spices" and "the Book of Beads."  Recipes, history, pictures.... you might actually get a chocolate rush just LOOKING at this one!  It's pricey, but stunning!

Hardcover, 212pp.
Publisher: Abbeville Press, Inc.
Pub. Date: January  1996

"365 Reasons to Eat Chcolate"
Here's a great little desktop page-a-day collection of excuses, jokes and serving suggestions to get you through every day of the year.  It's sold by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, which has stores in nearly every outlet center in North America.  Some pages are funnier than others, of course.  But it makes a great little gift, even for yourself!  Check out their website at  http://www.rmcf.comto order online.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 M&M's Trivia
Did You Know.......

- That you can order M&M's in custom colors?
You can choose from 21 different colors.  These are great for college reunions, holidays, or other color-themed events.  And now you can order in small amounts!  You can even order custom M&M's printed with cute phrases. Check out their website for more details.

- That M&M's are currently available in DARK CHOCOLATE??  They're sooooooo good!  And very hard to find.  Look for the special Star Wars package encouraging you to "Go to the Dark Side."  And then call M&M/Mars to tell them you want this flavor made permanent.  It's awesome!   (There's also a peanut variety with Dark Chocolate, but I'm not impressed with that one.) 
More info at: http://us.mms.com/us/mpire/

- That M&M's used to include tan?
  Most baby-boomers remember this lovely color.  I don't know why they discontinued it.  Do you? Drop me a line if you know, and I'll add the info here.

- That you can help cancer research while eating chocolate? 
Buy the specially-marked packages of pink-and-whiteM&Ms, and the company will donate part of the purchase to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  For more info, go to: http://us.mms.com/us/news/promotions/komen/

-That Purple won? 
  Purple is the newest color of M&M's color, after a world-wide vote. 
- The proportion of colors in packages of various M&M flavors?  (They're not all the same.)
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 Milk Chocolate (plain) & Peanut:

20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
10%
.
Almond & Peanut Butter:
20%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
.
Crispy:
16.6%
16.6%
16.6%
16.6%
16.6%
8.3%
8.3%
.
Minis:
15%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%
12.5%

Baking Bits:
30%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%

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.More Chocolate Links: 
 
- The Sweet Science of Chocolate 
.This is a very cool site posted by the San Francisco Exploratorium.   All kinds of info about the "sweet science of chocolate."  History, how it is made, etc.  Also there's a webcast done a few years ago, featuring some prominent chocolatiers.  You can explore this site without chocolate-guilt, because it's educational! 
.http://www.exploratorium.edu/chocolate

- Fudge Is My Life  Chocolate Sauce
Hand-made jars of incredible fudge sauce made in San Francisco, in cool flavors like Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Ginger, Mocha, and original FUDGE.
http://fudgeismylife.com/
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- Virtual Chocolate
."Online chocoholics heaven."  Send virtual chocolate treats, grab some wallpapers, 
or find real chocolate worldwide.
.http://www.virtualchocolate.com

- Chocolate Recipe Archive
This is the chocolate category within LaBelle Cuisine recipe index. Includes a FAQ of "The 16 Most-Frequently-Asked Questions About Chocolate."  Very cool.
http://labellecuisine.com/Archives/index__chocolate_recipe_archives.htm

- Chocolate and Zucchini
Internet blog by an English-Speaking Parisienne, about food & cooking. Fascinating archive of recipes and articles, plus links to other food sites.
http://www.chocolateandzucchini.com
What's Your Favorite?

No, I wouldn't presume to declare which is the "best,"  but i'd like to know:  What's your all-time favorite chocolate?

Please choose ONE:

    Callebaut 
    Cote d'Or 
    Dagoba 
    Droste 
    Elite 
    Ghirardelli 
    Godiva 
    Hershey 
    Lindt 
    Nestle 
              Scharffen Berger
    See's 
    Suchard 
    Tobler 
    Valrhona 
    Other 
     
    .

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Have you see this vehicle?

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It's the Hershey Kissmobile, and it tours North America, passing out free chocolate and raising awareness of Hershey's charity partnership with Children's Miracle Network.  I saw the kissmobile one day at the post office, and its effect on people was amazing!  For more info and tour schedule, check their website: http://www.kissmobile.com

,,..............http://www.hersheys.com

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This page last updated on July 22, 2005

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