Blogs

The Chocolate and Wine Festival takes place on October 10th and 11th in Oakhurst CA. The festival will feature Chocolatiers from all over the state, Madera and Mariposa Wine Companies and seven local restaurants including the five star, Erna's Elderberry House.Pre Sale Tickets are only $30.00 and Include 2 Adult Admissions, 2 Souvenir Wine Glasses and 20 Tasting Tickets - Good for Wine, Food and Chocolate Tasting. You save $8.00 by purchasing your tickets prior to the show dates. To purchase your tickets call: 559-683-7766.

PremRoseEdibles chocolates are now available not only from the Eugene Oregon Farmers Markets and special events, but through the following Oregon markets:Eugene:Capella MarketImagine GallerySundance Natural Foods- mid October 09Friendly Street MarketCoffee for CaninesBookmine - (Cottage Grove, Oregon)Coming this fall:Corvallis Holiday Artisans Market - downtown CorvallisEugene Holiday Market - Lane County Fairgrounds in Holiday Hall- december onlyon line store coming in mid October:premrosedibles.com or possible change to PremRoseEdibles.comstore will feature:Organic Rose Petal Jam from our rose farmboxed chocolate sets- Organic and Fair trade chocolatesBoxed sets: Box of rosesraspberry rose - 65% darksaffron rose dulce de lechemerlot rose 70% dark with overtones of hibiscus and merlotrose milk - milk chocolate with organic rose petals for flavor(all ingredients organic whenever possible)News: Our company will be celebrating our first year of business at the Lane County Farmer's Market in October of 2009. Thank you Eugene for your support and patience in my Learning how to transition from a Kitchen Chemist to a "real" chocolatier and sellar of our lovely organic Rose Petal Jam......it has been quite a first year.....lots of tough business building lessons and tons of wonderful new customers that have come into our lives.To all of our customers: our committment to you in the coming years...We have spent 30 years in perfecting our recipes for rose petal jam and chocolates. Our committment to you now, is to perfect our means of distribution and do our best to learn how to serve you in the most efficient and enjoyable way. We put the "Prem" (love in the Sanskrit language) in every bite....now we want to improve our ways of getting the "Prem" out to you!.our "Prem" kitchen became licensed with the O.D.A. in April of this year....just in time for the the big season of jamming! Prior to that, we were just a little restaurant operation......now, we are for real!Now we're not only truffled ..... we're jammin!

I have found that my chocolate sauce is stable. I am not adding dairy products but am actually flavoring the chocolates and wrapping them to look like a butter block. The instructions on the wrapper tell how to properly add the butter/cream.This packaging works well because many people around here use soy based products and this allows them the opportunity make the sauce to their needs (without totally altering the taste).

This afternoon I surprised my guests with a pot full of drinking chocolate . It was fun to watch the reactions as they slowly sipped their cups.Chocolate is one of my favorite things to treat people with. I used to walk around with a little chocolate confection in my bag to treat at least one person with a day. But this winter I will carry a little drinking chocolate mix with me!Harvest spice is our flavor for this fall!What are some of your autumn chocolate favorites?

How much are we willing to pay to enjoy the perfect pralines and chocolates that we soooo love?How do we set limits? Luxury things should cost more, but how much more before we say - no thank you?How much do we need and at what price are we willing to pay to fulfill our chocolate desires?How are pralines / filled chocolates sold on average: per piece, per gram, per pound...QUESTIONS, questions filling my head...I am working on a project together with a chocolate artist and we are trying to determine where price and product match the consumers needs/wants...Any ideas, tips or other are welcome!Have a delicious day!

Does anyone know how to make fruit puree to make ganache fillings with? Or is it better to buy them in the grocery store? Do grocery stores carry quality fruit purees? Thanks a bunch!

I just posted some unused chocolate boxes, bags etc. over in Classifieds. Will be very reasonable on price...I want my storage back.

Does anyone know a U.S. manufacturer who makes candy pads (cushion pads) and can do hot stamping of logos and different colors? Thanks in advance!

I am at a loss to understand the rational and legitimacy of the creation of special names for cacau beans. I frequently see the use of Arriba, Porcelana, Chuao, Cuyagua, Dom Homero, etc. Although I am in the business of producing cacau beans I am struggling to understand which of the three types of cacau are being referenced. Is there someone out there able to provide a chart or document that identifies the "advertised name" with one of the three recognized types. I've almost concluded that it is fair game to create something that lends credence to our beans....."Heavenly Aroma", "Incredible color", etc. It's difficult to know whats actually being offered and I am sure that there are many sales made that utilize some acronym because it implies origin when in fact it's simply propaganda.

Hey Chocolate Life Gang,I need to store one ton of chocolate pellets that come in eighty 25lbs bags which stack about 5' high on a pallet. Ideally the storage area would be in Southern Westchester County, NY (New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye, or Port Chester.)Any ideas/locations?Thanks!John.Rossini@TravelChocolate.com