Howdy readers!

Valentine’s Day is fast upon us. And I’m incredibly giddy at the thought of Valentine’s sweets. I’m personally pining away for a few things on our shelves, but more to the point, I’m super excited by the opportunity to help guests craft surprises for their loved ones. I can trace this compulsion back to the charming Valentine’s Days orchestrated by my Mom. In the past, I’ve felt a little bit guilty that for all her efforts at ensuring the family a red & white brunch, complete with chocolate dipped goodies, we never really offered anything in return. But, as I enter another Valentine’s season, I’m coming to understand that what was fun for her was ensuring a Very Special Day for the rest of us.

Whether you’re shopping for your spouse, an unsuspecting crush, a friend, or family, we’ve got something to make them swoon and smile.

Margot’s February Picks!

Chocolate-dipped Strawberries and Marshmallows!

An iconic treat of my childhood Valentine’s Days. These are a special Valentine from the Deli’s Catering Department. Long-stemmed strawberries, dipped in Michel Cluizel dark chocolate are decorated with either white chocolate drizzles, toasted coconut, or slivered almonds. Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory Marshmallows dipped in dark chocolate take a roll in crushed Bakehouse graham crackers.

We’ll have a small amount for sale from the truffle case on the day of and days preceding Valentine’s – but to ensure you won’t miss out, I recommend pre-ordering; email me at mmillerzingermanscom  (mmillerzingermanscom)   or phone the Next Door at 734.663.5282. These goodies will be available for pick-up, in the Next Door, February 12th, 13th, and 14th.

Fran’s Coconut Gold Bars
We’ve had the distinct honor of being the only shop other than Fran’s own retail stores to sell this confection for the last year or so, and while we never have too many on hand, we’ve stocked up a touch for Valentine’s Day. Soft shredded coconut, held together with a bit of white chocolate and spiked with a tiny touch of rum, topped with almonds, all enrobed in dark chocolate. Almond Joy fanatics find themselves weak at the knees. Hurry in quick; once word gets out, these tend to disappear fast!

Chocolat Moderne BonBons!
Congratulations are in order for our beloved Joan Coukos-Todd – the firecracker behind Chocolat Moderne in New York City. Joan’s Mysteries of Love Collection was the chocolate-y centerfold of Oprah’s February O List! Oprah’s catching on to something we’ve known for a long time: Joan’s confections are not only fetching in appearance, but also feature exacting technique and bold, yet balanced flavors. We have individual bonbons from Joan, as well as some eye-catching packaged collections, sure to impress.

Goat’s Milk & Buckwheat Caramels
These all-natural, gluten-free French caramels are the handiwork of the Conraux family, who has been crafting caramels using regional butters since the 1960s. In 2008, seeking new textures and flavors, they developed this pleasant goat’s milk caramel. Mellow, buttery, and not too sweet with a little bit of crunch from gently roasted buckwheat kernels. We have them available by the piece or nine caramels packaged in a sweet, wooden cheese box stamped with the profile of a handsome goat!

Truffles and Bonbons and Caramels – oh my!

I spent Friday stuffing the truffle case to its gills – and guess what, there are even more on the way! Valentine’s is the truffle case’s golden moment – and I went all out this year, strategizing so that we’ve got the widest variety of options from our confectioners. Chocolate Balsamic… Madame X’Tasy (espresso & sea salt caramel)… Black Forest (morello cherry pate de fruit paired with dark chocolate ganache)… Lemon-Basil… Costa Rican Peppercorn… Amarena Mon Amour (tart Amarena cherries tipsy on vodka liqueur)… Mayan Honey Caramels (spicy & sweet!)… Ginger Pear Caramels (vegan!)… and more! Let us customize a box for you!

Barbero Pistachio Torrone
This is a treat I’m personally pining for. The translucent box enclosing this toothsome, slightly sweet torrone doesn’t leave too much to the imagination – but I’m all right with that. The quantity of bright green Bronte pistachios studding the egg and honey Italian nougat is a wonder to behold.

Chocolate Connoisseur Bundle!
If you missed this deal during the December holiday rush, no fear! It is ongoing – and the perfect way to further dress up a gift for your honey. Buy any two chocolate bars and receive a copy of Chloe Doutre-Roussel’s The Chocolate Connoisseur for $1. Part memoir, part guide – this easy read is sure to delight your favorite chocoholic. Some of my recommended bar pairings?

• Roguish Rivalry! Rogue Chocolatier’s Rio Caribe and Hispaniola share little in common other than Colin Gasko (the guy responsible for their crafting) and a designation of 70% cacao, which makes them chocolate par excellence for putting your recipient’s newfound tasting expertise to good use.
• Smoke, Two Ways! Pair an old Vosges favorite – the Bacon Bar, featuring smoked bacon and salt – with a new one, the Smoke & Stout bar, featuring a smoky chocolate stout. (Think your recipient wouldn’t care for the book? No one said you couldn’t keep it for yourself. I won’t tell.)
• Missourian Matchmaking! The state of Missouri is home to two of our favorite chocolate makers – Askinosie & Patric. Show your love for the Show Me State! My current favorites? Askinosie’s 70% Cortes (raspberries & a squeeze of sweet lime!) and Patric’s In-NIB-itable bar (jammy Malagasy chocolate complimented by roasty nibs)

Cocoa Nibs from Askinosie Chocolate

At the end of January, we welcomed Shawn Askinosie to the Deli for his fourth tasting – but shook things up a bit with some prepared food offerings featuring his chocolates. A unanimous favorite amongst guests was a Butternut Squash with Cocoa Nib Vinaigrette dish which hit all the right notes – caramelized, roasted squash; tart Balsamic vinegar; earthy, crunchy cocoa nibs; and smokey bacon. Perhaps you’re planning to cook dinner for your sweetheart? This would make a fantastic addition to the table. Find the recipe here!

I hope that something on this list has caught your attention, but in the event you’ve not quite landed upon that perfect surprise, stop by and see us! We’ve got a corner full of sweets to wow you.

And now, for a few additional public service announcements…

February’s Drink of the Month proves to be a hard hitter; the Next Door is featuring not one, but two warm chocolate beverages in a Battle of Italian Drinking Chocolates!

From the North…. Gianduja Cocoa! A generous spoonful of Guido Gobino chocolate hazelnut spread steamed with whole milk – one sip and you’ll be dreaming of the Piedmont.

From the South…. Bonajuto Drinking Chocolate!
Hand-chopped Sicilian chocolate spiced with cinnamon and steamed with a touch of milk; this thick drinking chocolate is an offer you can’t refuse!

Lastly, this year February isn’t all hearts and cupids; on February 21st, we get to celebrate Fat Tuesday – and what I learned when I moved to Michigan is that this means Paczki Pandemonium! In addition to the four flavors offered last year, the Bakehouse is introducing a chocolate pudding paczki dusted in cocoa powder! For more info about our paczkis and how to pre-order (highly, highly, highly recommended – we’ve got a limited amount to sell), click here or phone the Next Door at 734.663.5282!

Yours in chocolate,

I hope these first weeks of 2012 find you in good spirits and health – and that your list of resolutions hasn’t sworn off sweets entirely! Perhaps 2012 is the year you vow to familiarize yourself with the wide world of nougat & torrone? The year you make a return to eating milk chocolate? The year you realize you’re a licorice hound? (Yes, RJ’s Licorice, you got me.) Whatever the case may be, we’d love to see you and help find something new for you to taste this year.

Enough small talk. We’re a scant two weeks into the New Year and I already have gobs to share with you!

Zzang! Bar BONANZA!
Buy 2, Get 1 Free!
All month long we’re celebrating the Candy Manufactory’s stellar small-batch, made-to-order, fresh candy bars. Charlie Frank sources the best ingredients out there, elevating and transforming them into chocolate bar “insides” – butter-roasted peanuts! muscovado caramel! fluffy nougats! cashew gianduja! – which are then enrobed in dark chocolate. Have a favorite? In search of a favorite? Tasting Zzangs! for the very first time? This is your month. Come stock up!

From the Court Scene to the Cocoa Bean!
4th Annual Askinosie Chocolate Tasting
Thursday, January 26th
6:30 – 8:30pm
Shawn Askinosie is our favorite criminal defense lawyer turned chocolate maker and we welcome him back to the Deli with open arms for what forecasts to be the best Askinosie Tasting to date! Shawn is a leader in the industry for his chocolate, his packaging, and his business model which includes directly sourcing cocoa beans & gainsharing with the farmers. Shawn will share his story, as we taste sweet, savory, and drinkable treats made from his chocolate, cocoa, and nibs, and guide us in a tasting of his bean-to-bar chocolates. Sign up early – this tasting always sells out!

For more information and to reserve your seat,
visit the Deli website!

El Rustico Gelato!
The debut of El Rustico gelato coincides with the month of Shawn’s visit to the Deli; I’d love to pretend this was great planning on my end – but it wasn’t, so cheers to serendipity! Many thanks to Josh over at Zingerman’s Creamery for whipping up what I describe as a “sweet cream” base, with a hint of vanilla, in which crushed up El Rustico bar happily sits. This flavor – akin to chocolate chip, but wilder – is sure to please all ages. We’re making our way through the last of the peanut butter gelato, at which point we’ll introduce the El Rustico gelato to the case! (Peanut butter fanatics – hurry in soon to catch a last scoop of this flavor!)

PBJ OMG!
Speaking of peanut butter, this seasonal favorite from Patric Chocolate in Columbia, MO is back on the shelves. Alan “Patric” McClure takes his Malagasy chocolate (full of jammy, red berry notes!) and combines it with peanut butter, refining the mixture until it’s unbelievably smooth. This is a bar that’s hard to put down once you’ve started eating it and has staff frequently exclaiming “OMG!”

(Peanut butter not your thing? We also have a couple of coffee-minded OMG bars from Alan. Mocha OMG features dark chocolate and espresso beans, ground and refined until the bar is bewilderingly smooth! Cappuccino OMG is a white chocolate bar that incorporates espresso. This one will wake you right up.)

Mendiants!
In this month of resolutions fresh on the brain, let me introduce you to what is undeniably a sweet – but one that might be classified as ‘sensible.’

Mendiants are a traditional French confection which feature dried fruits and nuts atop a chocolate disk. Historically, the topping upon a mendiant represented one of the four monastic orders; Louis XIII caused quite a stir when he purportedly remarked that the shriveled fruits and nuts resembled mendicant priests living on charity! Avoid a similar, hungry fate by indulging in our mendiants. These make a wonderful afternoon pick-me-up – and are often just what I require to make a sweets craving disappear!

From Flora Confections (Chicago), we have a mendiant featuring candied pistachios and raspberry pate de fruit. (If you’re a pate de fruit purist, you’re in luck! We also carry Flora’s jewel toned pate de fruit by the piece, as well as in larger boxes.) And from right down the road in Dexter, Mindo Chocolate Makers brings us mendiants featuring cherries & almonds, blueberries & hazelnuts, and cherries & blueberries.

I’ll leave you now to digest all this sweet news – but don’t go soft on me. February is just around the corner – and that’s not just any month in the world of chocolate! Chocolate gelato month, Chocolate in Chelsea truffles, Italian drinking chocolates… stay tuned!

Yours in chocolate,

Howdy!

For the last couple of months, I’ve been hoarding special sweets & treats underground like a duteous squirrel. (All credit for that simile of perfection is due to former Chocolate Lady Duff!) At any moment, while in the basement, trying to fit one more case on my chocolate shelves, I expect the Russian folk tune “Korobeiniki” to start playing; perhaps you know it by its more common name, “Music A” from Tetris. Hoarding is only half the fun, however. The other half – the more fun half – is sharing all that’s been hoarded.

Below you will find ten of my favorites this holiday season – but I cannot emphasize enough that this list is only a teensy percentage of everything we have to offer! Let the list whet your appetite and get those wheels in your head turning. Come on in to the Next Door to find these items, as well as others that have excited staff, instigating choral-like “oohs” and “ahhhs.” We’re eager and prepared to help you find something to delight everyone on your lists.

1. Chocolat Moderne’s Cocoa Casbah
The Deli staff has heard me murmuring about this cocoa line for a few months now and I am ecstatic to finally have it on the shelves. The entire suite features Valrhona chocolate, with cacao contents in excess of 70%, and with a bit of milk, you’ve got a silky smooth potion on your hands. For the Purists, look no further than Midnight Oasis. For the Explorers, we have Snake Charmer (my favorite! cocoa with cinnamon & anise; try it with a shot of ouzo for an “after hours” delight), as well as a flavor Joan formulated especially for Zingerman’s called Mayan Eyes (smokey chiles & warm spices with a spicy kick that will heat you up from head to toe!). Mayan Eyes will be in house very soon! Please email me (mmillerzingermanscom  (mmillerzingermanscom)  ) to be notified when it arrives.

2. Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory Zzang! Bars
The quintessential stocking stuffer for the candy bar muncher in your life. Charlie Frank takes us back 100 years with his made-to-order combination bars, featuring handmade caramels, nougats, and butter-toasted nuts produced from the best ingredients available. My favorite is the crunchy, salty, sweet Ca$hew Cow. Want to go big this holiday season? In addition to the individual bars and mini-Zzang! bags, we’ll have festively-packaged Giant Original Zzangs! 13 glorious inches of peanuts, peanut butter nougat, and caramel dipped in dark chocolate. A guaranteed smile generator.

3. Barbero Blowout! – Traditional Italian Nougat

This not-too-sweet treat comes to us from Asti, which sits in the Piedmont (hazelnuts, hazelnuts!) region of Northern Italy. Perfectly roasted nuts suspended in an ethereal, exquisitely crisp, egg white and honey pillow, packaged in graphically stunning metal tins. Forget visions of sugarplums, this is what dances in my head. We’re stocking large, white tins of traditional torrone, as well as miniature tins of individually wrapped pieces – in pink (traditional torrone) & green (chocolate covered torrone). Available this holiday season at “offer you can’t refuse” prices!

4. Taza Mexicano Collection (arriving very, very soon!)
In a pinch? This item makes a great “right-off-the-shelf” gift! Inside each box, you’ll find one of each of the stone-ground, direct trade Mexicanos (“hockey puck-esque” chocolate bars) we sell – cinnamon, vanilla, and guajillo chili. This chocolate’s minimal processing makes for a highly aromatic treat and fun texture full of crunchy sugar crystals. Eat ‘em as is or chop them up and melt into hot milk for a yummy cocoa.

5. Askinosie Chocolate’s Peppermint Bark

We have 25 pounds of this artisanal, “bean to (peppermint) bar(k),” handmade in Springfield, Missouri, ready to find a final resting place in someone’s tummy! We’re bagging it ourselves this year, to ensure even more people get to enjoy such a fantastic product. The slabs of single-origin dark chocolate, buttery white chocolate, and all-natural, crushed peppermint from Denver’s Hammond’s Candies* look like a fantasy winter landscape, begging to be nibbled at alongside a cup of soul-warming hot cocoa. *Double up on your peppermint kick with a Hammond’s Candy Cane!

6. Custom Truffle Boxes
The Next Door truffle case is happily bursting at its seams! Surprise a loved one with a unique box of truffles, bon bons, and caramels selected from our diverse offerings from near and far, from traditional to wild. You’ll find Next Door staff at the ready to help you craft the perfect box of treats (Psst! This is one of our favorite tasks!). Here’s the tip of the iceberg: Chocolate Covered Amarena Cherries from Chocolat Moderne; Costa Rican Peppercorn from Sweet Gem Confections; Lemon Basil from Chocolate in Chelsea; Mayan Caramels from Grocer’s Daughter. Now come in and see the rest!

7. Pralus Chocolate Covered Nuts

In Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1, Ari writes about the problem with designing a business from the outside-in; I find that the same is often true for products where energy goes into the packaging before it goes into the actual product. That in mind, imagine my glee upon sighting cubes, sporting Pralus’ stunning signature stripes, filled with delicious chocolate covered nuts at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Perfectly crunchy nuts, dipped in chocolate & dusted with cocoa powder. This is candy for the eyes and the tummy!

8. Guido Gobino Gianduja Spread
Nutella fiend in your life? Look no further than this chocolate-hazelnut spread from Turin, Italy – a hotbed of Piedmont hazelnuts! The company, which grew out of a Bon Bon & Chocolate Production Laboratory established in the 1940s, hand-selects and roasts only the best of the best nuts, which make up a whopping 35% of the gianduja’s weight. Silky smooth on the tongue, creamy (yet not cloying) milk chocolate, and a long nutty finish.

9. Pralus Chocolate Pyramids

These stacks of chocolate from Francois Pralus in Roanne, France are a fantastic way to showcase the variety of flavors and aromas offered by the wide world of chocolate. Because each bar is a consistent 75% cacao, the collections illustrate how bean variety and origin, not just the percentage of cacao, play a huge role in our experience of chocolate. Taste your way from Ecuador (espresso! toast!) to Madagascar (red berries! jam!). The Mini Pyramids make perfect stocking stuffers, while the Organic Short Stacks are a veritable chocolate force to be reckoned with!

10. Chocolate Connoisseur Bundle
Shopping for the chocoholic on your list? Here’s a fun holiday bundle: buy any two chocolate bars and for $1, we’ll include a copy of Chloe Doutre-Roussel’s The Chocolate Connoisseur. Part memoir, part guide – this easy read is sure to charm the chocolate minded. Some of my suggested bar bundles:

• Coffee Buzz! Patric Chocolate’s Mocha OMG & Cappuccino OMG bars;
• Tex-Mex Dreams! Chocolat Moderne’s Chipotle Moderne & Lime Moderne bars;
• Milk Madness! Michel Cluizel’s 45% Lait & Pralus’ Melissa bars.

Thanks so much for reading! Stay tuned for one more Chocolate News & Notes in 2011; I’ll be highlighting a few more treats including my personal favorites as well as some exciting imports!

Also, hurry in to the Deli to take advantage of the Bonajuto Sicilian Stone-Ground Chocolate (2 for $15.99 [reg. $9.99 ea.]) & Ravera Chocolate Torrone ($15.99 [reg. $17.99 ea]) deals while they’re still available!

Yours in Chocolate,

Howdy y’all!

It’s been awhile since we last conversed. Have you seen the new TV show, Pan Am? (Don’t do it. I mean, do it for the art direction, but don’t come seeking well-written plot lines.) I briefly joined the fabulous world of the jet set, venturing to Southern Italy as well as to my native home of Austin, Texas. That was all nice and good, but I am glad to be back to a routine (not to mention, a more manageable level of food consumption).

For the last month or so, I’ve felt the small pitter patter of footsteps behind me; the holiday season is nipping at my heels and will soon overtake me! I have lots in store for you this season, including a Very Big Surprise. Read on for more details.

Halloween Treats!
Surprise your favorite Trick or Treater(s) with some extra special sweets. In addition to our usual suspects on the shelves and in our candy jars (fruit gellies! caramels! ginger chews!), I have some festive Halloween-themed goodies for you!

• Skull-shaped chocolate “lollipops” from Vosges, packaged in wrappers drawing inspiration from Mexican sugar skulls
• Spooky Seitenbacher gummies — Vampire’s Lunch (currant & black pepper); Elderberry Witches; and Blackberry Cats
• Pumpkin-Hazelnut truffles (from Ann Arbor’s own Sweet Gem Confections) decorated with white ghosts and orange pumpkins!
• And while not explicitly packaged for Halloween, Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory Zzangs! make a great Halloween surprise; on a day that condones gratuitous consumption of candy bars, why not opt for the tastiest one out there?

Trick or Treating at the Next Door
Monday October 31st, 4:30-7:30pm, Zingerman’s Next Door Coffeehouse
Due to construction, we will not be having the Halloween Hootenanny this year. We will have it again next year. Instead we are inviting parents and kids to begin or end their trick or treating at the Deli on Halloween. We will have treats for the kids (and some for the adults too).

Very Big Surprise
If you kept up with my Chocolate News & Notes last winter, you rode with me on the Imports Rollercoaster, which, while it offered some soaring ups, had an awful lot of down down downs. This time around, we’ve found ourselves in quite the opposite spot; just last week an incredible opportunity fell at the Deli doorstep and after a bit of requisite hemming & hawing, weighing pros & cons, we snatched it right up!

If you’re a fan of traditional Italian torrone, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.

If you’re unfamiliar with D. Barbero Torrone, allow me to introduce the two of you. Barbero is a family-run torroneria located in Asti, a city seated in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy.

When I say “Piedmont,” you should hear “Hazelnuts,” specifically IGP Hazelnuts (in English, PGI – Protected Geographical Indication). This designation by the European Union highlights the “quality, goodwill, or other characteristic property, attributable to [an agricultural product's] geographical origin.” In layman’s: there’s something about the Piedmont that makes for excellent (dare I say, the best) hazelnuts.

For five generations, the Barbero family has produced incredible, artisanal crumbly torrone, featuring these delicious hazelnuts (as well as a particular Piedmontese honey blend, known as Millefiori), and, for five generations, Barbero has crafted their ethereal nougat by hand.

Production by hand is essential to the texture of the nougat; hard and crumbly without being tough. In the words of David Barbero, “We don’t kill the torrone!” The end result is a light and delicate honey and egg white structure cradling crunchy, perfectly-roasted hazelnuts.

So now, that offer you can’t refuse.

Due to an excess of torrone that ended up on one of our boats from Italy by mistake and the difficulty of returning imported product, we were able to strike a very handsome deal, the spoils of which we would love to share with you.

Throughout the winter holiday season and exclusively at the Deli, we will be selling mini tins of Barbero Torrone and Chocolate-Covered Torrone for $9.99 each (normally $14.99) and large (500 gram) tins of Torrone for $34.99 each (normally $45).

The pink mini tins containing the Torrone are available right now; the rest of the aforementioned items will be in house within the next week or two. (Want me to email you when they arrive? Let me know. mmillerzingermanscom  (mmillerzingermanscom)  )

These make excellent gifts due to their striking graphic design, and at $9.99 a pop for the mini tins, they’d be the perfect item to stock up on for use as instant host/hostess gifts as you make the holiday party rounds.

Béquet Caramel Sauce!
The Very Big Torrone Surprise could be seen as a tough act to follow in terms of excitement-generation, but this is some great news as well! A few short weeks ago in the Next Door we switched to a caramel sauce from Caramel Queen Robin Béquet for use in our espresso drinks. While our previous ingredient was nothing to be ashamed about, the Béquet sauce absolutely shines. The aroma, wafting up from your mug, invites you to a sweet, buttery, cozy world of caramel. Drink up! (Want to partake at home? Pick up a few chewy Béquet caramels from our candy jar; melt over low heat on the stove or in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds; stir into your hot coffee. Bliss.)

Have you gotten this far?

My storage space is quickly filling up with holiday inventory and will soon be the recipient of more imports, so I need to make a bit of room. Help me out! Stop in the Next Door for some special deals on Ravera Chocolate Torrone and Antica Dolceria Bonajuto bars!

Yours in Chocolate,

Howdy y’all!

Shocking to think it’s August already! As if this reality isn’t enough, my mind is already beginning to slip far into the future as I start planning for winter holiday chocolate orders. I can thank July’s NASFT Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. for that! After three days wandering the jam-packed aisles of salty, sweet, briny, piquant, creamy, crunchy, as well as bizarre edibles, my mind is doing somersaults.

Perhaps my favorite part of the show this year was getting to speak face to face with those vendors who provide our European imports, as well as viewing and tasting their new offerings. As you can imagine, it’s hard enough getting our import orders stateside, which oftentimes means that a seemingly simple task of obtaining a sample can transform into quite the ordeal!

Gioacchino and Marta of Attavola, our source for delicacies from Sicily and surrounding regions of Italy, charmingly walked us through their new products (including a very small-batch olive oil made from 500 year old trees!). A producer that caught my attention was Cascina Rosa; this Cuneo-based company is run by a husband-wife team dedicated to organic farming and raising 50 families of honeybees. While they press delicious apple and pear juices, my taste buds were drawn to a traditional Ligurian treat called copete. A caramel popcorn lookalike, copete is actually a disk of roasted hazelnuts, gently held together by a not-too-sweet caramelized glaze of honey, brown sugar, and a touch of lemon. My fingers are crossed that this item will join our shelves this holiday season!

Copete was just one of several exciting things at the show; I’ll share more as the coming months unfold. Right now, I’d love to tell you about the delicious Italian imports already gracing our chocolate shelves, as we celebrate all things Italian at the Deli!

Amedei Chocolate
Amedei Chocolate! Your eyes do not deceive you! After losing US distribution over a year ago, Amedei finds itself on our shelves once more. For their initial “re-debut,” I’ve brought in four bars from their Toscano line: Black 66%, Black 70%, Milk, and White. This line of blends offers well-rounded, creamy chocolate that’s less about being “interesting” or “wild” and more about tapping into simple, chocolate pleasures. As soon as temperatures in Texas drop below ridiculously scorching, I’ll be dropping a number of these bars in the mail to my Dad.

Cuba Venchi Classic Cubigusto Chocolates
Chocolatey indulgence in a petite one-inch cube! Unwrap the shiny foil to unveil three strata of smooth cremino (chocolate cream). Available in three flavors: Piemonte (Hazelnut); Pistacchio; and Sugar-Free Piemonte (sweetened with maltitol). A perfect afternoon pick-me-up with your coffee!

Guido Gobino Gianduja Spread
From Turin, a veritable hotbed of Piedmont hazelnuts, comes our favorite Gianduja spread produced by Guido Gobino. The company, which grew out of a Bon Bon & Chocolate Production Laboratory established in the late 1940s, hand-selects and roasts only the best of the best Piedemontese hazelnuts. They make up 35% of the product’s weight – a claim that one taste confirms instantly! Silky smooth on the tongue, creamy (yet not cloying!) milk chocolate, and a long, nutty finish.

D. Barbero Torrone & Crema Torroncino
Hard Italian torrone, for me, feels particularly well-suited to the warmer weather we’ve been experiencing. It satisfies sweet-tooth cravings without leaving you feeling stuffed; I love the delicateness of the nougat paired with crunchy, roasted hazelnuts. If you’re familiar with Barbero’s hard torrone and are looking for a new treat, take a look at their Crema Torroncino. These small jars contain the company’s torrone “scraps” blended into a spreadable frenzy of honey, hazelnuts, sugar, and egg white. I envision this spread on toast, tucked into crepes, and ribboned through gelato. (But how will you more often find me eating it? Right off a spoon.) We’ve got just a handful of jars left, so come in for a taste soon!

Ravera Chocolate Torrone
I’m increasingly convinced there is a growing fan base for this product in and around Ann Arbor; the pace of its disappearance from our shelves is noticeably accelerating! A thin “brick” of chocolate, resembling a light fudge, holds whole and ground Piedemontese hazelnuts alike. I’m almost convinced this would be a perfect post-cycling recharge. (Much in the way I feel our 24-Carrot Cake is almost a vegetable in the food pyramid.)

Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Bars
This was a highly anticipated and long-awaited product aboard our import boats from Italy; my call-back log was lengthy! Produced in Modica in eastern Sicily, these bars mimic the early stone-ground chocolate of the New World, encountered by European explorers. By skipping the step of conching, a refining process that gives chocolate its characteristically creamy & smooth texture, the sugar is left intact and unmelted, lending Bonajuto bars their traditionally sandy texture. A fun find for anyone seeking something new and different in the chocolate world!

Agrimontana Fruit Gellies
From Borgo San Dalmazzo, a commune in Cuneo, come these plump and full-flavored fruit gellies; Agrimontana has 30 years under its belt as a company in the forefront of fruit conservation and candying techniques and it shows. The brightness offered by these confections make them a perfect after-dinner palette cleanser.

I hope at least one of these Italian treats has tickled your fancy! Come find an old favorite or taste something new with us in the Next Door. Also, don’t forget to join us on Saturday and Sunday, August 20th and 21st , from 11am to 3pm for Piazza Zingermanza – our free street fair celebration of all things Italy at Zingerman’s Deli. Proscuitto, gelato, parmesan, gianduja… it’d be hard to go wrong.

Yours in Chocolate,

The recent heat wave has had me totally beat in the late afternoons! I’ve been giving in to catnaps with an oscillating fan nearby. When I awake, there’s nothing like a little punch from a cool square of chocolate, which has lately been taking up residence in my fridge. While at work, I cool off with iced drink after iced drink; most recently, I’ve been quite taken by our Café de Olla – iced! This drink features an all-natural, artisan syrup of molasses and brown sugar, spiced with cinnamon and cloves, from Jo Snow Syrups – a very young company based in Chicago with which we are very excited to be working.

Father’s Day is just around the corner (this coming Sunday, June 19th) and having grown up with a chocoholic father, there’s absolutely no convincing me that Dads want nothing to do with sweets. My dad always ends his dinner with a little treat, and while that usually means a couple of Oreos, I like to spoil him when possible! Read on for my Father’s Day picks – and a few other highlights from the Next Door’s Chocolate Corner.

**FATHER’S DAY PICKS**

Whiskey! Bourbon! Brandy!
In chocolate confections, that is! Hook your pops up with the perfect nightcap accompaniment. Grocer’s Daughter’s Whiskey Figs from Empire, Michigan feature plump dried black figs, cut in half and “glued” back together with a whiskey and dark chocolate ganache. Chocolat Moderne Baby Truffles are one of my favorite finds from last summer’s Fancy Food Show; Joan pairs milk chocolate with bourbon from the Hudson Valley’s Tuthilltown Spirits (New York’s first whiskey distillery since Prohibition!). Rabitos Fig Bonbons hail from Spain where producers seek out tender little figs and fill them up with a boozy brandy ganache before dipping them in chocolate.

Fran’s Chocolates Coconut Gold Bar
One of my earliest chocolate-related memories includes my Dad. One Halloween, we realized a mutual appreciation for Peter Paul Almond Joys, so naturally he taught me their jingle from the 1970s (“sometimes you feel like a nut…”). Whether or not he appreciated his very talkative young daughter repeatedly singing this jingle thereafter, I’m not sure. Point is, I’ve got something even better than our old favorite. Fran’s Coconut Gold Bars! Soft shredded coconut, held together with a bit of white chocolate and spiked with a tiny touch of rum, topped with almonds, all enrobed in dark chocolate. Mercy.

Vosges Bacon Bars
I don’t think this requires too much explanation. Bacon + chocolate. Don’t overthink it. Dad won’t. Available in either dark or milk chocolate versions, these bars feature smoked salt and savory Applewood bacon crumbles. Go the extra mile and treat Dad to breakfast in bed with a bacon bar sandwich! Sandwich a bar between two fluffy pieces of challah and grill in your favorite sauté pan till the chocolate’s gooey and the challah golden.

Kakawa Cocoa Beans
In my mind, these are right up there with Dos Cafeteras Café au Lait Candies when it comes to finding the perfect desk drawer treat for mid-day pick-me-up emergencies! Help Dad trudge through that last hour or so at the office with these roasted cocoa beans triple-dipped in milk, dark, and white chocolates. Admittedly addictive, I might advise purchasing a second bag; Dad would no doubt approve of your proactive thinking.

RJ’s Licorice from New Zealand
My Grandpa’s nickname in high school was Dark Horse (!!!) and I think he’d approve of me applying such a word to this soft licorice. This chewy confection features a clean and true licorice root-flavor and, much to my surprise, it is day in and day out, one of our best sellers. My Grandpa always noted an affinity for licorice, and while I don’t think he consumed too much in his old age, if he were still around I’d be surprising him with a bag of this black gold in a heartbeat.

**CHOCOLATE CORNER NEWS**

I had the pleasure of spending this past weekend up in Empire, Michigan – a much needed getaway and my introduction to Northern Michigan. I polished up on my mini-golf game, took in the scenery, and froze my toes in the lake. The cherry on top was the opportunity to visit with Mimi of Grocer’s Daughter! She’s got quite the chocolate outpost on Leelanau Highway, featuring her own confections as well as the medley of local products she champions in her sweets. While I find all of her bonbons to be a real treat, I was absolutely floored by a newer one she let me try. It’s made with Guinness (which last I heard makes you stronger). Forget mildly boozy truffles that fall flat. With this treat, we’re talking rich chocolate, near-bubbling with the taste of a freshly tapped stout. Dad might need a Father’s Day IOU for this one. Keep your eyes peeled for their debut in the first week of July.

In the truffle case this week is your Sweet Gem Confections “Made in Michigan” pick – Balsamic Vinegar & Milk Chocolate. Thanks for those of you who made it to the demo to taste and vote!

The month of May welcomed a number of European imports, some of which were very long awaited! Say hello to Guido Gobino’s Gianduja Spread and Sicilian Pistachio Pate.

Don’t be fooled by the gianduja’s new packaging; the squat jar with the orange label features the same delicious product jam-packed with Piedmont hazelnuts and silky, rich chocolate. (Did I mention the jar is 20% bigger?)

Pistachio Pate! So glad to have this gem back on the shelves. Getting it here from Italy was the easy part; finding it amongst our own warehouses – now that was tough! A huge thank you to Mara, product detective extraordinaire! Freshly ground pistachios make up 70% of this product; the other 30% is olive oil and sea salt. Toss with fresh pasta, spread on your toast in place of peanut butter, ribbon through some vanilla gelato. You can’t go wrong with this product… toss it … spread it … ribbon it …

Also returning, after a long, long delay (almost two years!) is Enric Rovira’s Spanish Drinking Chocolate. We serve the ‘amargo’ (bitter) version in the Next Door. Prepared traditionally, this drinking chocolate must be spooned into the cup after heating because it’s so thick! On our shelves, we’re selling boxes of the ‘amargo’ as well as the ‘tradicional’ version (a little bit sweeter). Don’t take my word for how wonderful this product is; instead, allow me to share the following call-back log experience. I phoned a guest who had put in a product request for this drinking chocolate in November of 2009.

Matt: “Hello?”
Me: “Hi! Is this Matt?”
Matt: “Yes.”
Me: “Great! Matt, this is Margot from Zingerman’s Deli.”
Matt: “YOU’VE GOT THE CHOCOLATE!”

Yes. Yes, we do.

Yours in Chocolate,

I’m bouncing in my seat as I write this because I get to go home to Texas to see friends and family for a few short days this weekend. Most coincidentally, my trip overlaps perfectly with Mother’s Day (this Sunday, May 8th) – a holiday that I’ve not gotten to spend with my Mom for several years. She was a little bit giddy with excitement upon that realization and I did my best to make it out as if I had planned things this way all along. What am I getting her? Admittedly, she’s not much of a sweets person but I know the way to her heart: a half-pound of Zingerman’s Housemade Pimento Cheese which I will defend against hungry TSA employees at DTW.

In the name of my own job security, I’ve decided to let my Dad and Sister (the true sweet tooths of the family) in on the fun as well and will be surprising them with
Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory Peanut Brittle (if you haven’t tried this, you’re cheating yourself) and a jar of Askinosie’s Hey Hey Hazelnut spread, respectively.

In addition to being your source for delicious treats for Mom this month, the Next Door (along with the Deli) is celebrating products Made in Michigan. Join us in the ND every Friday this month from 11am to 2pm for product demos highlighting our Michigan Sweets Producers! To sweeten the deal, we’re offering 10% off the featured vendor that day. I’m still finalizing the schedule – so keep an eye on zingermansdeli.com or our page on Facebook for the latest details.

Dovetailing with our focus on Michigan producers is the Food Network’s “Kid in a Candy Store” show featuring our very own Charlie Frank and the Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory! Show host Adam Gertler characterizes Charlie’s Zzang! Bars as “sensationally decadent.” How can you say no to that? The episode will premiere Monday, May 23rd at 8:30pm EST. Pick up a couple of Zzangs! to nosh on while you watch; my personal favorite is the crunchy Ca$hew Cow.

I’ve off to pack my bags, but read on for some of my top picks for Mom (or anyone you’d like to treat!) this month.

Margot’s Top Picks for Mom

Chocolat Moderne’s
Spring Eggs
I’ve got a few of these beautiful chocolate eggs left; pretty to look at and tastier to eat! Already packaged in a clear box with ribbon, these are super easy way to wow Mom.
Green Roses: White chocolate ganache with coconut milk, shredded coconut and a drop of dark Haitian rum.
Purple Roses: Sea Salted Caramel with Halen Môn Sea Salt from the pure ocean currents of the Welsh Coast.
Blue Egg: Sublime pistachio paste blended with white chocolate and rice crisps.

Moderne Bars
Joan of Chocolat Moderne elevates dark and milk chocolate bars with the addition of buttery toffee shavings and spices; the combination of textures and flavors is hard to beat and sure to please.

Charles Chocolates’ Chocolate Covered Almond Tins
The pairing of nuts and chocolate is an oft-heard request; look no further than these triple-dipped almonds; fresh and full in flavor these treats come packaged in a metal tin that Mom can safely hide away.

Valrhona’s Grand Cru “Alpaco”
A perfect introduction to fine dark chocolate for Moms everywhere! Fruity nose with a hint of vanilla, creamy mouthfeel, green/floral flavor with the littlest touch of pepper for balance.

French Honey Nougat (Nougat de Montelimar)
Lavender honey sets apart this soft and pliable nougat with crunchy almonds & pistachios, making it the perfect not-too-sweet sweet.

A Custom Box of Truffles
The Next Door’s truffle case is stuffed to the gills with eye candy that tastes as good as it looks (if not better!) With a variety of flavors and textures, dark and milk, we’re sure to find something that will make Mom swoon.

Some of my favorites:

• Chocolate in Chelsea’s “Provence” (thyme, rosemary, and lavender)
• Sweet Gem Confections’ “Leapin’ Lemon” (lemon curd & milk chocolate)
• Grocer’s Daughter’s Ginger-Pear Caramel (vegan!)
• Chocolat Moderne’s “Parlez Pistache” (crunchy pistachio praline)
• Flora’s Blueberry-Jalapeno Pate de Fruit

I’m typing this as I sit on my porch, pretending that it’s a few degrees warmer than it actually is, but between my shearling lined houseshoes and hot cup of coffee (pourover brew method – try it next time you’re in the Next Door!) I think I’ll manage just fine. Wintery chocolate holidays are crossed off my list and spring is upon us! I’ve got a mad fever for some different styles of sweets to accompany my lust for sunshine, birdsong, long hours of daylight, and open windows catching soft breezes, as well as some chocolate corner news to share – read on!

Toodles!

Spring Treats

Agrimontana Fruit Gellies
These individually wrapped fruit gellies come from Borgo San Dalmazzo, a commune in the province of Cuneo, Italy, sited in the gentle foothills of the Maritime Alps. Agrimontana is essentially synonymous with flavorful fruit-derived confections be it preserves, marrons glacés, or candies. The company has over 30 years under its belt, seeking out the best cultivars and employing the foremost conservation techniques. I love these gellies for their brightness of flavor, the touch of resistance when you bite into them, and their restrained sweetness. In my mind, these are the perfect treat at the end of a small dinner party, passed around and shared as you linger, let your food settle and watch the daylight slowly fade away.

Chocolat Moderne Easter Eggs
Those of you who follow us on Facebook no doubt saw the eye-candy we posted about these lovely and festive eggs from Chocolat Moderne in New York City. While the deadline for pre-orders have passed, I will have a limited number in house during the week leading up to Easter (Sunday, April 24th), ready to grace your Easter baskets!

Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory’s
Peanut Brittle
The newest confection from Charlie & the Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory. Full-flavored jumbo runner peanuts suspended in deep golden shades of caramelized cane sugar hand-pulled at just the right moment. Earth-shatteringly good! Sold in half-pound bags that you would be well advised to mark with your name and stow away in a safe place, away from sweet-prowling friends and family.

Flora Nougat
No need to extol Flora anymore than I already have – rather, let’s get to the point. Her French-style soft nougat, after a short winter vacation, is back in stock! Available in Traditional (pistachio & almond) as well as Locavore (pecans & cherries).

D. Barbero Italian Torrone

What can I say, spring time and nougat seem like peas in a pod to me. Must be something about the delicate flavor imparted by high quality honey and fresh nuts seated in an ethereal egg white pillow. Barbero is traditional Italian nougat, or torrone, and is characteristically harder in texture than French nougat. It comes to us from Asti, Italy; the product of a five-generation-old family business. Click here for some fantastic footage of its production!

Fran’s Hazelnut Diamonds
A big round of applause to former Zingerman’s employee, Kathleen E., for her generosity of spirit and knowledge when she visited from Seattle and now-employer Fran’s Chocolates! Staff and guests alike learned a lot about the company and I am even more enthused to be selling their wares. If you didn’t get the opportunity to try their new Hazelnut Diamonds during the public demos, please ask to do so next time you’re in the neighborhood. These gems feature freshly ground Oregonian hazelnuts & creamy milk chocolate. The perfect companion to your double espresso.

Chocolate Corner News

Chocolate in the Deli
If you’ve been to the Deli in the last few weeks, I’m sure you’ve noticed some dramatic changes! (For more general information on the Deli Build-Out, I’ll direct you to our official Build-Out website which can best answer most questions.) Some of the adjustments we’ve made to accommodate construction have affected where you can find chocolate at the Deli. We have some small shelves in the Deli proper, but have had to trim our space to make room for increased traffic out the front door. Do not despair! You can still find our entire chocolate selection in the Next Door and many a staff member to help you find the perfect sweet treat.

World Cacao Prices
As some of y’all may have read in the press, cacao trading prices are reaching record highs. A large part of this is tied to the Ivory Coast’s recent ban on exports. To give you some idea of what this means for chocolate, consider this: in one year alone, the Ivory Coast exports 2.5 billion dollars worth of cacao. Insane! With such a large supply being cut off and no decrease in demand, it is inevitable that prices for cacao elsewhere are driven upward. Chocolate makers and confectioners across the US are finding that they are unable to continue absorbing the cost increases – and as a result, I have been informed by a number of my vendors of price increases. Cacao has a history of volatility in the market, so I’m crossing my fingers for a little relief.

New Askinosie Bar
Shawn Askinosie has produced yet another delicious chocolate bar – 70% Cortés. This one features beans from Cortés, Honduras – a geographical area with a long history of cacao farming, dating back to Mayan civilizations. The bar is full of bright berry notes and mouthwatering acidity, balanced by a tannic, slightly savory finish. I just ate a quarter of a bar writing this.

New Truffle Vendor in the Case
A warm welcome to The Velvet Chocolatier, our newest confectioner. Based in Baltimore, Ruthie specializes in what I consider bon-bons with a capital B! “Velvety” is truly the only way to describe her ganaches which are thick and rich with full-fat cream and flavorful chocolate. Find a plush robe and a big featherbed to sink into while you sink your teeth in these chocolates.

That’s all I’ve got from my chocolatey corner of the world. As always, I love hearing from y’all, so please feel free to email me (mmillerzingermanscom)  (mmillerzingermanscom)   with any and every chocolate inquiry!

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  (mmillerzingermanscom)  ! 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.

Now, the New Year often brings talk of resolutions, many of which center on eating more healthily and exercising. That’s great. Kudos! But it’s not going to stop me from sharing some sweet things I am excited about this month. To echo my mom, “everything in moderation!”

Yours in Chocolate,

Zzang! Bars Promo!
All month long, when you buy two Zzang! bars,
you get a third one F-R-E-E!

Why not make a resolution to try a Zzang! for the very first time or to branch out and try a different kind? Charlie over at the Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory has devised four distinct and ever-so-delicious – FRESH – candy bars. Yes, fresh! With a maximum shelf life of 60 days (although they rarely, if ever, last that long at the Deli), this is not your run of the mill, gas station candy bar. The nuts in the Ca$hew Cow and Original actually taste nutty! The nougat inside the Wowza is a sweet raspberry cloud! The muscovado brown sugar caramel in the What the Fudge? has you asking where it’s been all your life.

I can’t emphasize it enough; January is the month to stock up on Zzangs! You can hide that free third one in your desk drawer, and come late February, when your resolutions about eating fewer sweets start creeping toward the back burner how amazing will it be to find a Zzang! chummin’ around with your pens and pencils?

For more on Charlie and his candy bars, pick up one of the January/February newsletters floating around at any one of the Zingerman’s businesses.

Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory’s Freddy R. will be demoing Zzang! bars at the Deli on Monday (MLK Day) from 11am to 1pm

Askinosie & Tanzania

Askinosie Chocolate recently accomplished a remarkable feat, the evidence of which quietly snuck onto Deli and Next Door shelves during the holiday rush in December. I’d love to take the opportunity to formally introduce it to y’all!

You may remember way back in July, I mentioned, in passing, what Shawn was up to. He was just about to embark on a voyage to Tenende, Tanzania with about a dozen high school students who, since the Fall of 2009 via Chocolate University’s “Cocoa Honors Program,” had been under his tutelage as he guided them through the process of selecting and sourcing cacao. Everyone made it back to Springfield, Missouri with a pretty remarkable experience under their belt. (Check out the Chocolate University website for photographs, more information, and fantastic first-hand accounts from students!) In addition to sourcing a new single-origin cacao, the project, through the fundraising efforts of its participants, also financed a deep water well to provide the residents of Tenede with clean water. Previously, the village had relied on either a contaminated well within village-limits or trekked hours to a neighboring well (which, cruelly, was often contaminated as well).

Please stop in an ask for a taste of the new bar – 72% Tanzania; it’s unquestionably my favorite Askinosie bar on the shelf. I recorded the following tasting notes in my journal: ‘Espresso, dried cherry, touch of smoke. Great balance of acidity and astringency with a very pleasant, slightly creamy mouthfeel.’ While nibbling on some the other day, mushrooms sautéed in sherry came to mind – yum!

In addition to the Tanzania bar, we’re also stocking Tanazanian nibs. Nibs are fermented, roasted, and crushed cacao beans. Roasty and nutty in flavor, nibs prove extremely versatile. While great on their own (perhaps you saw Ari sitting at his table in the Deli with a whole pound of them in a Ziploc bag?), they make a great addition to baked goods (Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace cookies; cornbread muffins; pecan pies…), grilling (grind ‘em up and use them in a spice rub), and on top of salads and gelato. Nibs are also the recent darling of the microbrewery world; I geeked out when I sat down to dine and noticed that Jolly Pumpkin’s Tortuga Ale Company Chocolate Stout is brewed with Patric Chocolates’ nibs from Madagascar. Similarly, brewers are jumping at the opportunity to use cacao husks/shells as well as cocoa powder to ramp up flavor in their chocolatey beers. Corner Brewery in Ypsi has been brewing their Mackinac Island Fudge with Mindo Chocolate Makers’ cocoa powder. Dreamy!

Last, but not least, I want to close my Chocolate News & Notes with a reminder that the Chocolate Gelato Tasting is fast approaching! Josh Miner, Don of Gelato at Zingerman’s Creamery, will be joining Em Hiber, beloved barista & Deli Gelato Maiden, to take us through the chocolatey goodness that will overtake the gelato case in February. Don’t miss out!

Chocolate Gelato Tasting with a real live gelato maker – Josh Miner from Zingerman’s Creamery

Tuesday, January 25th, 2010, 7-9 PM
There are few things in the world as delicious as Zingerman’s chocolate gelato! We wait with anticipation all year for the best month fo the year: Chocolate gelato month! Join our expert gelatier, Josh Miner and Deli Gelato Maiden Emily Hiber for a preview of this year’s selection. You’ll taste no-less-than seven different chocolate gelati, including dark chocolate, straberry balsamic, rocky ride and chocolate heat.
$25 reg. price / Save $5 by paying 2 days in advance, Call 734-663-3400 to save a seat!

Did you make it this far? That’s so sweet of you!
Here’s a special treat! I’ve got a wee surplus of Valrhona’s Ampamakia single-plantation chocolate. I can’t purchase any of the new 2010 harvest till my 2009 stock is gone. Allow me to help you help me. I’ve already put the bar on special, knocking $2 off the price. Bring in the coupon below for an additional $1 off! Tough to beat!

My Ampamakia tasting notes: ‘spicy aroma with a touch of fruit; creamy, round/full mouthfeel; cocoa powder, savory, vanilla really pops, dark roast, dried fruit (raisins?) in the finish.’