Los Angeles Chocolate Salon - OR - How I Found Hope Again in a Scary World of Politics and a Broken Heart

In the lonely days of post-breakup blues it's difficult, if not altogether insulting, to imagine ever being happy again. But when I stumbled upon a goddamned Los Angeles CHOCOLATE CONVENTION website, all at once a heady glow of unmentionable hope bloomed inside my brain. Chocolate is of course infamous for providing unsustainable but ever so deeply profound levels of lustful contentment and joy, so I might as well TRY. Right? At least I have chocolate, it never fails. I've been getting so worn out by reading about poltics too I just about forgot what it was like to feel alive again.

The Pasadena Convention center will hold the "Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon" on October 5th so no need to bring your heroin, porn or Matt Bellamy videos: the $17.50-$20 ticket will include plenty of free samples of lust and visual stimulation of the dark, melting, milky, and all around perfect creature that is chocolate. I feel somewhat stupid even trying to describe why this is a good thing to go to a chocolate convention! The photos speak for themselves for sure on this one. One glance at the website and I just about (say it with me) had a baby. A little "gourmet", "artisan" one.

When checking out the site make sure to watch the video under the "tasting and salon" section. An endearingly corny but tremendously charming mini trailer for a chocolate documentary. I dont' think I've felt this bonded to my fellow man in a long time. (It also reminded me of Monty Python's "Man on the Street" segments while being utterly sincere and sweetly exposing the true vulnerability that chocolate inspires in us all.

Take a gander at some beautiful photos while you're at it to get in the mood for Feelgood Town. Just searching for them gave me a big smile and, let's be honest, a bit of a thrill. As any good food photo should.


photo by sonicwalker on Flickr.com


photo by ayalan on Flickr.com


photo by bonnie shulman on Flickr.com


See you at the Chocolate Salon! I'll be the lady in the corner clutching a piece of chocolate and looking stoned. And smudged.

Dark Chocolate Terrain

Nothing says LOVE like a gently cracking chocolate cake just out of the oven. Naked, untouched, waiting... heheh.

Food Muse 2- Chocolate! and it's addictive properties

Hey Everyone-
Long ago when I was thinking of making Foodie a 'hard copy' magazine, I called for chocolate/food articles. Local LA writer, Tina M. Courtney, responded with enthusiasm and a great article about said topic. Since I finally have the proper venue, and I happen to be chocolate musing today anyway, I thought it would be the best time to post it. at last!
Enjoy!


The Addictive Properties of Chocolate – Myths Dispelled and Truths Revealed
By Tina M. Courtney

Few foods are held in higher accord than our beloved chocolate, and for good reason. Even the mightiest among us have succumbed to a late-night cocoa craving, so when you find yourself combing through the cupboards at 2 AM itching for a fix, take heart – it’s chemical. Chocolate has many psychoactive qualities, but you don’t need to hit the nearest rehab. This is one addiction you can be proud of, and there’s even evidence that regular consumption is heart-healthy and improves longevity. Sounds too good to be true? The proof is in the pudding, so read on for the delicious details.

Chocolate is derived from the tropical tree Theobroma Cocao - theobroma means “food of the gods” in Greek. You’re already feeling better, aren’t you?
Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, a chemical naturally found in our active little brains the induces a sense of well-being and peacefulness. Chocolate contains two structurally similar chemicals, and some believe this accounts for the soothing feeling sparked by a chocolate binge.
Chocolate also contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid most commonly found in turkey. Think of your last Thanksgiving meal – you felt fat, happy, and super-relaxed in the aftermath, right? Chocolate can have the same effect. The tryptophan in both of these foods assists in the production of serotonin, our mood-modulating neurotransmitter.
Hardcore chocoholics swear consumption triggers an inner-glow like none other. Science can prove it. This sweet treat assists in releasing endorphins, the body’s own opiates. These little honeys ease pain sensitivity and give us a little buzz – and it’s all legal!
Know any wise women who swear that PMS sparks serious chocolate cravings? There’s proof of that as well. Chocolate is rich with magnesium, and during the pre-menstrual days, women are low on this essential nutrient. These cravings are, in part, the body’s way of staying healthy.
The key player in this heavenly snack is phenylethylamine, the beloved substance that releases dopamine in our pleasure-center, setting off feelings of attraction, excitement, and full-on euphoria. The amount of chemical giddiness chocolate is truly responsible for remains debatable, but believers speculate some are simply more susceptible to phenylethylamine than others. It’s also common knowledge that women produce more phenylethylamine than men. It’s all making so much sense.
Lastly, chocolate may even be linked to a longer life span. A recent study of 8,000 male Harvard graduates showed that chocoholics lived longer than abstainers. This may be derived by the high polyphenol levels in chocolate – a substance the vehemently protects again heart disease.

There’s enough backlash out there about the negative repercussions of this sinful treat, but enough with the chocolate bashing. Yes, of course unreasonably large consumptions of high-fat chocolates will cause weight gain and related health issues, but those in the know embrace the darker varieties as a truly healthy snack. Consider these facts justification for your next bona fide craving – tell the nay-sayers it’s biological, and get yourself a guilt-free fix.



(And now thanks to Tina's article I'm sure we all could do with a healthy chocolate indulgence! Here are my top favorites and suggestions. yumyumyumyumyum stuff chocolate into your mouth!! :))

http://omgfood.blogspot.com/
(First things first, this is Tina's blog site! check it out of course. honestly it makes me hungry just looking at it)

http://www.mrchocolate.com
(Jacques Torres: Charming. French. Chocolate obsessed. totally worth shipping from NY.)

http://www.candydirect.com/bars/Violet-Crumble.html
(Like, one of the best candy bars ever)

http://thetudorhouse.com/
(a FANTASTIC tea house and british store in Santa Monica, with, most importantly, a divine British candy selection. You can get yer Violet Crumble there luv! and I also highlyreccommend the Aero bars. OO! and Twirly Whirleys!)

http://www.cacaoetchocolat.com/
(Ok maybe a bit of a stretch 'cuz it's in France, but I love them. really tasty spicey conncoctions. They too are worth the shipping. Just look at the pretty dark chocolate site! drroooool)

http://www.scharffenberger.com
(ok, not a huge scharffberger fan, BUT their Gianduja (Hazelnut) bar is UNREAL. unreal. again... unreal.)

http://www.traderjoes.com/
(They have REALLY good dark chocolate from Belgium ("pound plus") that's less than $3. seriously. Good for, oh say really strange hormonal late night cravings where you want to eat frozen cherries and feel gobs of rich, melted, dark chocolate sliding down your throat. ahem. just as a purely hypothetical example, of course. Check them out to find a store near you.)

http://www.tootsie.com/junior.html
(AND just for fun, as a healthy reminder, pretty much my fav. candy ever - junior mints! Dark chocolate and "low fat"! wheeeee. Try them slowly in a movie theatre with popcorn. yes.)

Burdgeoning food business tips- or- "How I procrastinate making chocolate in the morning"

Good morning! (afternoon) ish

I have started a small business. in small theory, and very small practice. But my heart is clear (now) and my labels (which arrived yesterday!!) are gold and shiny. It's been sort of difficult lately...well actually always, because I get in my way so damn much that I end up doing nothing. Fortunately I have a dear friend, who, if he ever reads this blog, will be glad to know that I think he finally cracked the egg. Or rather, I think I finally heard him. (oh my)

For those of you who understand what it's like to battle a relentlessly evil and stubborn ego, you know what I'm talking about. You spin yourself into chaos, fear, anger... and of course it only gets worse when the bad side starts to see the good side struggle through and wants to kill it. Think Richard E Grant in "How to Get Ahead in Advertising"...

So this is what I've learned so far, without giving voice to my bad bad little ego. shame on you ego.
1.Dont' spend 3 months picking a name.

That's what I did, and I see now it was a frantic, scared attempt at overmanagement (of myself) and perfectionism. much as I still LOVE to know that I am a bit of a perfectionist, an image maker, and a control freak, which I think might work lovely for a good food astehtic and an eventual work ethic in a difficult business, it gets in the way when you end up making doodles of signs and menus for things you haven't even made or told anyone about yet. again, for MONTHS. To take a page out of my friends book - it's just avoiding DOING anything. The JOY of getting a name that clicks will be worth it. Go about your business, (literally and figuratively) and it will come to you. Or maybe I'm the only one obsessed with a name...

2. http://www.foodnetwork.com/ (if you type in foodtv.com that will work too)

best site ever.
If you are reading this blog, chances are you know the site, but still, go on, have a look. give yourself a cheer. the colors are pretty, you can search recipes, shows or topics, you can type in keywords (such as "caramalized apples") and VOILA pages of recipes file down and are rated on scales of easy-difficult. And it's great to see each chef's different method and to find one that suits you.
It's simple, incredibly helpful, and you can print really cute little recipe cards too! ahhh, i'm a girl. but seriously, it's not just a site devoted to thier shows, there is a wealth of knowledge there, and I owe my ganache recipe.. hell pretty much my entire ganache knowledge to Sara Moulton. There is MUCH more on the site, but I use the search feature so religiously, and with such great results I haven't even seen what else they can offer! so have fun. trust your cool tv chefs.

3. Keep Track of Your Expenses n' shit.
Ok
so I havent' been doing this lately and this is why I tell you. For my first business idea, that has now morphed into chocolate truffles, I had a binder devoted to all things relating to the business. Just get a good ol' 3-ring grammer school binder and sort it according to your taste with those little colored tabs. It's also a good idea to have a page devoted to expenses. Though I haven't been doing this lately (shame) I know from the real adults in my life who actually manage thier finances, that this is an invaluable thing to do. ESP. if you are wanting to have any idea what profit you are making vs. what you are spending on materials, etc.

4. DBA/government-y stuff

When I was searching for all the complicated, red-tapey government stuff involving tax ids, seller ids, DBA ("doing business as") registration, etc. and what it all meant, I found this site:
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/businessstructure/a/doingbusinessas.htm

This guy is cool. and the site is helpful in general. All subsequent info on this type of stuff I pretty much gleaned from this article and all it's links.

OK
enough about that, I still have to practice a lot of this preach, but I hope what I have learned is helpful!


OH!
also, check out http://www.ecolechocolat.com/forum/index.php?t=i&
it's a great chocolate forum. very helpful, knowledgable people, free to sign up.
YAY FOOD!