The gold standard in the world of coconut and almond bars. White chocolate and coconut filling, topped with crunchy almonds, enrobed in dark chocolate. Next Door Barista Em has waited seven years for their return.
Fran’s Chocolates, Coconut Gold Bar
Fran’s Chocolates Demo
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Saturday, February 26th, 11am – 1pm, Next Door
Salted Caramels! Hazelnut Diamonds! Coconut Gold Bars! FREE! |
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“I’m Sweet on You” – Valentine’s Day Edition
In my mind, there are two holidays that got my mother particularly excited when my sister and I were growing up. The Fourth of July & Valentine’s Day. Daughter of a US Colonel that my mom is, the Fourth of July enthusiasm continues strong to this day; not a year has gone by that I haven’t been awoken by a phone call where I answer and hear extremely loud and extremely garbled John Philip Sousa, my mother holding the telephone against one of our home’s sound system speakers. When I was living in Austin, the day would continue with conspicuous red, white & blue attire, traditional American fare, splashing in the swimming pool, watermelon gluttony, sparklers (with requisite paranoia and hysteria regarding safety), and fireworks observed from a very safe distance.
Valentine’s was celebrated with equal enthusiasm, but a good deal more charm and sweetness. My mom would orchestrate a little family brunch in the formal dining room. She’d dress the table in a rich red tablecloth, overlaid with a white lacey one. Some red roses and shiny Hershey kisses for a centerpiece. Perhaps some Texas French Bread pastries. Sparkling apple juice in champagne flutes and big, red strawberries with copious amounts of powdered sugar for dipping. After indulging in pastry and strawberries till our lips were stained with juice, my mother would present us each with a box of fancy chocolates. We’d pour over these chocolates for the next week or two, delighted when we bit into a favorite, horrified when we hit a chocolate we had been trying to avoid. Once we emptied our boxes, it’d be another year before we were graced with such fancy delights!
Regardless of how you may feel about Valentine’s Day, I would like to think that it is a perfect excuse for anyone to treat his or herself, a friend, or a loved one to a little something sweet. That being said, I’ve picked out some of my favorite treats and hope
that you’ll stop by for one or more of them!
Yours in Chocolate,
Truffles!
Valentine’s is another holiday where I am allowed to let the truffle case go wild and over the next several days it will only continue to burst at the seams with old favorites and guest appearances from beloved truffles that we don’t have year-round. Here’s the tiniest glimpse of our offerings to get you thinking about your perfect box of chocolates!
- Sweet Gem’s Champagne Hearts: This is a terribly special confection showcasing a sparkling wine from France, Campalou Vouvrey; the ganace is then finished with a touch of Courvoisier Cognac and as always features local Calder Dairy cream.
- Grocer’s Daughter’s Ginger Pear Caramel: Truffles generally aren’t something I dream about, but the juiciness of the pear paired with the nice bite of ginger in lush caramel got me good. And hey, it’s vegan!
- Chocolate in Chelsea’s Lavender: Cathy Selin snuck a sample of this confection in one of my December orders and after a grueling day at work, it was a perfect antidote. Cathy is queen of velvety ganaches and restraint in her flavor combinations. Perfect balance!
- Chocolat Moderne’s Amarena Mon Amour: Joan Coukos elevates chocolate-
covered cherries to new heights; tart Italian cherries suspended in vodka syrup, neatly packaged in jewel-like, iridescent dark chocolate shells. These have even the toughest critics swooning. Available by the piece or in lovely coral 12-piece gift
boxes. - Fran’s Salt Caramels: Buttery caramels, enrobed in either milk or dark chocolate, topped with the perfect amount of salt. These caramels have been inspiring love better than Cupid’s arrows since the mid-1980s. Available by the piece, in 7-piece sleeves, and in 20-piece gift boxes.
Speaking of salt caramels, don’t miss former Deli Zingernaut, Kathleen, who will be visiting from Seattle where she is currently employed with Fran’s Chocolates. She’ll have tasty treats in tow, ready to regale you with Fran’s trivia. Don’t miss the Hazelnut Diamonds!
FREE Fran’s Chocolates Demo!
Saturday, February 26th, 11am – 1pm
Zingerman’s Next Door
Pralus’ Diabolical Bar
One bite and you’ll understand; this is true love. Hazelnut & almond cream, dotted with whole Piedmont hazelnuts tucked inside a milk chocolate shell.
Hot chocolates!
What better way to enhance cozying up on the couch with your loved one? We’ve got Vosges Couture Cocoas, Mexican Drinking Chocolate, and delicious cocoa powders (requiring a bit of sugar and a touch of TLC) from Askinosie and (just-down-the-road-in-Dexter) Mindo Chocolate Makers!
El Rustico
Crunchy, stone-ground Soconosco and hand-chopped vanilla bean pair together for an aromatic & texturally unique chocolate. Get it while you still can! Soconosco & Vanilla Bean are star-crossed lovers; Askinosie has processed its final bags of this Mexican origin cacao, which will soon send El Rustico back to the drawing board.
Pralus Mini Pyramids
This miniature pyramid composed of tasting squares for each of Pralus’ tropical origins offers an exotic, chocolatey vacation. Taste your way from savory Sao Tome to jammy Madagascar; break each square in half and you’ve got a romantic getaway for two!
French Honey Nougat (Nougat de Montelimar)
To be classified as a Nougat de Montelimar, the product must contain lavender honey; while other producers just squeak by with the minimum necessary, Jacques Savin’s recipe is 30% honey, allowing the ingredient to shine. Soft and pliable with crunchy almonds & pistachios, this well-balanced sweet treat is sure to delight.
Zzang! Bars
Surprise a loved one with a Zzang! secretly tucked away in their coat pocket, purse, or bagged lunch. This trick is sure to warm a their heart!
Baking chocolate!
As someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen, I’ve got a soft spot for our baking offerings. If you’ve read Ari’s Guide to Good Eating, you’re probably familiar with his emphasis on simple recipes featuring knock-out ingredients. The same goes with baking; you can take recipes up a notch with better butter, better sugar, and, of course, better chocolate. We presently offer Michel Cluizel Minigrams (chocolate chips) in a variety of percentages ranging from 60% to 99% as well as 45% Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate chips; Valrhona Baking Bars (perfect for roughly chopping into chunks!); and Mindo Chocolate Maker’s Unsweetened Baking Discs.
If you’ve got a recipe and feel like you might need a little help picking out the perfect chocolate, please email me (mmiller
zingermans
com) ! I’d love to help.
A word about those pesky imports…
I’ll wrap up these Chocolate News & Notes with a short comment about our import orders. Those of you familiar with ourimport offerings, have surely noticed a void. We did receive our Mexican chocolate and half of our Italian imports which include D. Barbero Hazelnut Torrone, D. Barbero Torroncino Cream, Ravera Chocolate Torrone and a few other items. We’ve had less success in getting the rest of our Italian product, as well as our Spanish Drinking Chocolate. The fate of the Spanish Drinking Chocolate remains up in the air, but I hope to see the rest of the Italian imports within the next couple of weeks. What does that include? Bonajuto Bars, Almond & Hazelnut barks, Guido Gobino Gianduja Spread, and a medley of candy jar treats (pistachio triple-layer fudge! hazelnut bites!). If you’d like to know when these products hit the deli floor, please shoot me an email (mmillerzingermanscom) and I’ll add you to my call back log so that you don’t miss out.
California Dreamin’ – and yes we’re open during construction!
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Andante Dairy’s Etude Cheese One of our new favorite American cheeses comes from Andante Dairy in Santa Rosa, California. A hard cheese made from gently pasteurized goat’s milk made in the style of a Pyrenees Tomme, carefully aged about 6 months for a fine, not too dry texture and a balanced sweet and milky flavor. |
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Andante Dairy’s Andantino Cheese Made to order exclusively for Zingerman’s by our friends at the Andante Dairy in Santa Rosa, California. They gently pasteurized goat’s milk and lightly infuse it with fresh rosemary. Which produces a delicate, hand-ladled cheese that showcases a pristinely fresh, mellow goat’s milk flavor! Excellent alongside a freshly baked French Baguette from Zingerman’s Bakehouse! |
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Vella Dry Jack Cheese
One of America’s oldest traditional cheeses, made by Ig Vella in Sonoma, California. Dry Jack combines the crumbliness of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the butteriness of well-aged cheddar into a single, golden chunk. This is a cheese we come back to again and again, and each time is a revelation. It keeps a long time, too |
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Fabrique Delices Duck Salami
A new and unique favorite from the folks at Fabrique Delices in Hayward, California. This rich, flavorful French style duck salami has an excellent, well-seasoned but still balanced flavor and a pleasantly moist texture. Slice some up as a snack, or as part of an antipasto platter. |
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All Natural Fabrique Delices Pates & Mousses
The most traditionally -made and flavorful line of pates we’ve tasted, that are produced in the US. They are produced without using any preservatives, artificial ingredients, or nitrites, and they are made from animals who have been raised without any added hormones, or antibiotics. Excellent with cornichons and Dijon mustard on Zingerman’s Bakehouse Breads! |
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Pasolivo Olive Oil
From year to year, the flavor of olive oil changes due to the weather and a whole host of other influences. Some folks love the huge flavors of the fresh harvest while others prefer the mellower (yet still big) flavors of the previous harvest. Here’s your opportunity to experience both side by side, harvested in the late fall of 2009 and 2010. Bold and robust, grassy and peppery… it’s in a class of its own. |
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Owens Creek Olive Oil
Good for your heart in more ways than one! $4.00 from the sale of each bottle of Owens Creek Olive Oil goes directly to fund research in preventing heart disease conducted at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center. But, don’t just buy this oil because it is a good cause. It also tastes great and is made right. They use Sicilian and Tuscan varietals grown by traditional methods, including wide tree spacing and hand-picking and they’re pressed within 24 hours of being picked. We think you’ll be pleasantly impressed. |
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Katz Late Harvest Zinfandel Vinegar
‘AgroDolce’ in Italian translates to ‘sweet and sour,’ which is exactly what the Katz family was aiming for with this garnet colored wine vinegar. Plum and fresh berry overtones give way to a pleasant, crisp finish that will be endlessly versatile in your kitchen. |
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June Taylor Citrus Marmalades and Jellies
June Taylor hand makes her artisanal preserves in her sky-lit ‘Still Room’ in Berkeley California in small batches, with fruit harvested either by herself or friends. They’re delicate and flavorful in both texture and taste- the Meyer Lemon, Blood Orange and Rangpur Lime have a very loyal following. |
February 2011
2 years, 2 months, 25 days, 2 hours, 43 minutes, 44 seconds ago
left to get pot pies! Then they’ll be gone till 2012!
left to get pot pies! Then they’ll be gone till 2012!
Featured Foods – California Dreamin’ Tastings and Events Staff Favorites! Pot Pie 2011 menu We’re expanding! Keep updated on the process here
February Specials!
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Olive of the Month! Nyons Dry-Cured Olives Oil-cured, salty and slightly bitter $19.99/lb |
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Creamery Cheese of the Month! Sharon Hollow Fresh, hand-ladled cheese layered with pepper or fresh herbs. Available in Telicherry black pepper and garlic, or garlic and freshly-chopped chive. Crisp, clean, milky flavor accented by the flavor of the herbs. 2 for $9.99 – reg price $6.99/each |
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Bread of the Month! Better than San Francisco Sourdough bread Classic American bread with a beautifully blistered crust, pleasant sour tang and chewy texture. $4.50/ea Bread Special! Dense, intense rustic bread of the hard to reach mountain regions of France and Switzerland. Vying with Farm bread for top spot on Frank’s list of favorite breads. Celebrate this very special bread with a special price this month. Available for Tuesday, Friday and Saturday bake days. $5.99/ea ($2 off! reg. $7.99/ea) Special Bakes! Chernushka Rye bread baked on 2/4 & 2/5 Pepper Bacon Farm bread baked on 2/11 & 2/12 Bacon Pecan Sandy Cookie for 2/12 Chocolate Cherry bread bake added for Valentine’s Day 2/14 Porter Rye bread baked on 2/18 & 2/19 Scallion Walnut Farm bread baked on 2/26 & 2/27 |
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Sandwich of the Month! Hoagie’s Banh Mi The deli’s take on banh mi, the popular Vietnamese sandwich. Ours is filled with roasted pork with Asian spices, tangy-sweet daikon radish and carrot pickles, slices of cucumber and jalapeños, with a slather of cilantro mayo on a baguette. Brought to us by Kristen “Hoagie” and Ji Hye of San Street, an aspiring new business serving up Asian street food. $10.99/one size |
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Zingerman’s Coffee Company, Roaster’s Pick! El Salvador Finca Santa Theresa Wonderfully complex, floral aroma, syrupy body, flavors of bright fruits. From an Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified Farm. $15.99/12oz bag |
