Sarah Takes The Cake
With the city once again blanketed in snow, I can so relate to the winter weary flutters that adorn Sarah Magid's inspired cake. A small business based in Brooklyn, Sarah uses organic and farm fresh ingredients for all of her baking. She loves handmaking decorations out of sugarpaste and manages to embellish while maintaining a very edible aesthetic. Extremely welcoming of custom orders, Sarah explains: "Last week I made a cake for someone who wanted a "stoner" cake, and it was organic decadent chocolate with rolled sugarpaste joints and metallic green pot leaves! That was very fun to do. And tomorrow we are making a lobster cake for an engagement party for a couple who love Main and who believe lobsters mate for life. So it will have two lobsters on top with "sand" made out of organic light brown sugar." Gotta love it.

Bundle of Bergamot
For the past week or so, New York was covered in snow. I thought it the perfect opportunity to hybernate with a warm cup of chocolate. If you like your hot cocoa dark and fragrant, then you'll totally dig this bar of imported, handmade, coldpressed chocolate from Casa Don Puglisi. Fashioned in the classic Aztec style, the bar is super brittle and laden with crunchy sugar crystals which makes it way too authentic to enjoy as is, yet when dissolved in a saucer of steaming milk, the flavor really comes to life. And although the cocoa somehow tastes slightly herbal, I can't honestly say that I tasted Bergamot, or anything citrusy for that matter.

Forget Me Knot
Reminiscent of the classic Cartier, although one band short, these interlocking wedding bands are made of imported, semisweet, Italian chocolate. Think super crunchy, triple coated, gourmet, M&Ms. Great wedding favors, though delicate--the candy coating chipped during a short ride home. I found them at Chelsea Market Baskets.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Soup For The Soul
City Bakery's 15th Annual Hot Chocolate Festival sponsored by Valrhona is on until February 28th. The Bakery is featuring a special flavor each day of their signature hot chocolate. Sugary, exorbitant, and gluttonously marshmellowed, it's like downing a bowl of pure chocolate soup. If you're into that kind of thing, it's worth stopping by, at least to find out what all the rave is about.

Eureka!
Everyone knows that really good things come in small packages. Inspired by gold, love, and all things opulent, Cocoa Locoa's limited edition four piece LOVE box is the perfect gift for paramours on portion control. Handmade with passion by Brooklynite and former Vere Pastry Sous Chef Karalee LaRochelle, the box contains: Fools Gold--72% dark chocolate and Anejo Tequila, Heart Of Gold--liquid salted caramel, Gold Rush--72% dark chocolate, rasberries and Veuve Cliquot and Pure Gold--64% single origin Madagascan cacao. While the Heart Of Gold is my handsdown favorite (the center gushes with caramel made from rare Fireweed honey, sugar and cream and strikes the perfect balance between salty and sweet), each decadent bon bon is as rich as it is good looking.

Nuts About You
If you're Valentine gets off on nuts, these Triple Chocolate Almonds from Cali chocolate veteran Charles Chocolates will go over quite well. Charles coats premium roasted almonds in an amazing mixture of 65% bittersweet and 41% milk chocolates, then dusts them in cocoa powder. The result is a really delicious marriage of flavor. Not to mention the eye-catching tin.





Also, check out Charles Edible Chocolate Boxes...

Pure Zen
Jin Patisserie's limited edition Valentine's Six Piece Silk Box easily inspires a love Haiku...

Zen is lavender,
a silk garden of sublime chocolate
love infused gems.

Chef Kristy Choo separates herself from the trendy offerings of graphically adorned chocolates with subtle hints of exotic flavors such as grand jasmin, the' du hammamm (a green tea flavored with orange blossoms, rose petal, red fruit and green dates), lavender and caramel clove. Special for Valentine's, the silk box contains a heart adorned green tea truffle and doubles as a romantic keepsake or home for your favorite baubles.

Saddle Up!
There's little more sexy than a girl with a gun. And you must admit that all the saccharine heart shaped boxes and bows can get a little tired. This Valentine's day, I plan to get down and dirty with Cowgirl Chocolates' bounty of spicy treats. The 1/2 pound Valentine's sampler of truffles includes Habanero Caramels and comes packaged in Saloon Girl inspired velvet ribbon and silver charm. Or man up with a bucket of Truffle Bars spiked with tough flavors like Lime Tequila and spicy cayenne. The balance of bold flavors is virtually perfect (I'm scoffing down a Spicy Mint Julep bar--the cayenne is stimulating the palate while the pepermint cools things down and the smooth milk chocolate melts effortlessly in my mouth--it's all about sensations, and I'm really, really, happy!) With a few Western themed props, things are bound to get interesting!