Cooking
You probably think you know what this is, right? A box of chocolates, with some missing. Oh, but it's so much more than that. First of all, this box of chocolates is a box of Charles Chocolates. If you're lucky enough to have had Charles Chocolates you know that these are some of the best, premium, handcrafted, fresh chocolates made in the Bay Area.
But there's still more to this story. The box you see is one I got from Chuck Siegel, the Charles of Charles Chocolates. I got it at his facility in Emeryville where I got to see his talented pastry chefs in action making and creating brand new delicious confections. While Chuck is self-taught his staff is strictly professional with experience from top-notch restaurants like the Fifth Floor and Farallon.
Better than a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, visiting a real chocolate factory, meeting Chuck, tasting and even taking home confections so new that they have yet to be officially launched, is what makes me love what I do. Can you blame me? So I bet you're now wondering which of those chocolates are the new ones. Well, the squares in the picture are all fabulous new flavors, but that's all I'm saying for now.
You can find these chocolates locally at my favorite chocolate shop, CocoaBella, at Bittersweet Cafe and Gumps or you can have them shipped to you directly from Charles Chocolates. And do head over to Bay Area Bites to read my interview with Chuck when you get a chance.
FOOD + CHOCOLATE
- Fall Chocolate Salon Tickets Giveaway!
The Fall Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason in San Francisco offers a fantastic opportunity to try, buy and learn about chocolate in many forms from bars to confections to beverages. I've participated many times as a judge for the awards and moderating...
- Meet Alice Medrich At Charles Chocolates Postponed
Photo ©Abigail Huller Since the 1800's, the Bay Area has been a delicious environment for chocolate. Early on immigrants like Guittard and Ghirardelli made their fortunes not in gold, but in chocolate and their companies exist to this day. Our cool...
- Still Hungry?
How about some chocolate? Over at SF Station is an article with my picks for chocolates to enjoy during the holiday season. One of the pleasures of writing the piece was discovering Coco Luxe chocolates which are made locally by a talented and creative...
- Charles Chocolates News
Last month when I visited Charles Chocolates in Emeryville I got a sneak peak at what the future held, including tastes of a few delicious new chocolates not quite launched yet. Today I can tell you the new chocolates are caramels and marzipans. The...
- Cocoabella: A Chocolate Love Story
Don't you just love those stories about people who come to a crossroads in life and find true fulfillment? Stories with the ultimate sweet ending. This is one of those stories. Michael Freeman was a passionate chocolate lover who had what might...
Cooking
Favorite Things: Charles Chocolates
You probably think you know what this is, right? A box of chocolates, with some missing. Oh, but it's so much more than that. First of all, this box of chocolates is a box of Charles Chocolates. If you're lucky enough to have had Charles Chocolates you know that these are some of the best, premium, handcrafted, fresh chocolates made in the Bay Area.
But there's still more to this story. The box you see is one I got from Chuck Siegel, the Charles of Charles Chocolates. I got it at his facility in Emeryville where I got to see his talented pastry chefs in action making and creating brand new delicious confections. While Chuck is self-taught his staff is strictly professional with experience from top-notch restaurants like the Fifth Floor and Farallon.
Better than a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, visiting a real chocolate factory, meeting Chuck, tasting and even taking home confections so new that they have yet to be officially launched, is what makes me love what I do. Can you blame me? So I bet you're now wondering which of those chocolates are the new ones. Well, the squares in the picture are all fabulous new flavors, but that's all I'm saying for now.
You can find these chocolates locally at my favorite chocolate shop, CocoaBella, at Bittersweet Cafe and Gumps or you can have them shipped to you directly from Charles Chocolates. And do head over to Bay Area Bites to read my interview with Chuck when you get a chance.
FOOD + CHOCOLATE
- Fall Chocolate Salon Tickets Giveaway!
The Fall Chocolate Salon at Fort Mason in San Francisco offers a fantastic opportunity to try, buy and learn about chocolate in many forms from bars to confections to beverages. I've participated many times as a judge for the awards and moderating...
- Meet Alice Medrich At Charles Chocolates Postponed
Photo ©Abigail Huller Since the 1800's, the Bay Area has been a delicious environment for chocolate. Early on immigrants like Guittard and Ghirardelli made their fortunes not in gold, but in chocolate and their companies exist to this day. Our cool...
- Still Hungry?
How about some chocolate? Over at SF Station is an article with my picks for chocolates to enjoy during the holiday season. One of the pleasures of writing the piece was discovering Coco Luxe chocolates which are made locally by a talented and creative...
- Charles Chocolates News
Last month when I visited Charles Chocolates in Emeryville I got a sneak peak at what the future held, including tastes of a few delicious new chocolates not quite launched yet. Today I can tell you the new chocolates are caramels and marzipans. The...
- Cocoabella: A Chocolate Love Story
Don't you just love those stories about people who come to a crossroads in life and find true fulfillment? Stories with the ultimate sweet ending. This is one of those stories. Michael Freeman was a passionate chocolate lover who had what might...