February 5, 2008
When I was in elementary school, Valentine's Day was one of my favorite days of the year. It was a magical day — sanctioned by Mr. Valentine, I figured — when anything was possible. I loved decorating my Valentine's Day box and going to the drugstore with my mom to select my little box of cards to give away. I favored the Rainbow Brite and Little Mermaid collections for a couple years, carefully selecting the right cards for the right people and embellishing them with stickers, crayon designs and sometimes even a personal message.

Even though we were little, all of us kids knew the stakes were high this day. We believed that a well-played conversation heart or a carefully written name (we had just learned cursive!) in red pen could change the course of our relationships with each other. By the end of the day, when we got to take the last half hour of class to read our notes at our desks, the tension was palpable. During this happy window of time, displays of affection, appreciation and amity were OK. Even the shy kids were giving waves and smiles across the room. Why couldn't people be this sweet to each other everyday, I wondered?

I don't think much has changed since we were all little. I think many of us see Valentine's Day as a "safe" day to show and tell people how much we care about them. Even the relationships on the periphery of our lives can be honored on Valentine's Day with a note or... a piece of chocolate. And while I can't help you with the former, I can help you with the latter. I've arranged for several special chocolates and confections to arrive just in time for Valentine's Day and I'll be at the Deli pretty much all day on the Big Day — on hand to help you pick out something special for whoever is on your mind.

And did you think we forgot about the other 28 days of the month? Of course not! We're hosting two chocolate tastings, serving a warm chocolate breakfast sandwich in the Deli, and offering an extensive hot chocolate and cocoa menu in the Next Door. What's not to love about Zingerman's Deli this month?

New stuff Duff is excited about for Valentine's Day

Les Truffes
The one thing I really put my heart into in preparation for Valentine's Day this year was our truffle selection. I'm crazy about the truffle case right now.

Why? Well, we have seven different chocolatiers represented — more than ever before: Sweet Gem Confections (MI); Charles Chocolates (CA); Grocer's Daughter (MI); Chocolat Moderne (NY); Cluizel (France); Fran's (OR); and Chocolate in Chelsea (NY). Between these brands, there are more than thirty-five different types of truffles, pralinés, caramels and pâte de fruit for you to choose from! This is almost double the selection we had for Valentine's Day 2007 — and I think you will definitely notice the difference when you stop by to taste and build your custom ballotin this year.

I am particularly excited about three new truffles from Cathy Selin at Chocolate in Chelsea: Lime, Lemon Basil, and Ginger Carmelot. Reina and I met up with Cathy this summer in NYC to taste some of her chocolates and I'll be honest with you — we didn't have super high expectations. But we were pleasantly surprised to find that the truffles were excellent. Some of the best we'd ever tasted. In fact, in a rare, rare occurrence, Reina and I didn't just politely taste the samples and take notes, we actually devoured many of the truffles right there at the meeting. The Lime is tart and zesty (it'll make you pucker), the Lemon Basil has wonderful depth, and the Ginger Carmelot is rich and spicy. You'll see.

But that isn't all that is new and exciting — We've got Raspberry truffles from Grocer's Daughter, Aztec Hearts with chilies, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander from Sweet Gem Confections, Lemon Marzipan from Charles Chocolates, Madame X-Tasy Illy Espresso caramels from Chocolat Moderne, Palet au Miel chestnut honey truffles from Cluizel, salt caramels from Fran's — and more and more and more. So whether you're looking for two-pieces or forty-eight pieces — we're ready to build you the ballotin of your dreams.

Vosges Mini Lover Libraries
This is the naughty version of the mini libraries we had for sale over the holidays. A selection of miniature hot and spicy exotic Vosges bars intended to... well... spice up your Valentine's Day. The collection includes two Red Fire, two Naga, two Black Pearl, two Barcelona and one Oaxaca bar.

Askinosie Chalk-Late Box
Shawn brought one of these with him when he visited us last week and I thought it was the coolest. It's a wooden box filled with one each of Shawn's chocolate bars — Soconusco, Soconusco Nibble, San Jose del Tambo and San Jose del Tambo Nibble. The box has a sliding lid and the surface on the outer part of the lid is black chalkboard! The box comes with a piece of chalk for you to write a message, like, "Now you know how much I like you."

Fran's Caramel Heart
A dark chocolate heart filled with caramel that fits in the palm of your hand.

Hammond's All-Natural Heart Lollis
A beautiful, all-natural lollipop made by Hammond's in Denver, CO.

20-piece Chocolate Salt Caramels from Béquet
This is the newest in the line of magnificent caramels from Robin Béquet in Montana. This is basically Robin's Celtic salt caramel with unsweetened chocolate cooked into it. The chocolate doesn't detract from the texture of the caramel — it just adds flavor.

Le Chocolat en Rose Bundles
I made these up because sometimes you don't have a lot of time to think about what to get for someone. You just need to grab something great and go! Especially on Valentine's Day, when you've got to go to the florist, you've got dinner reservations... So I've made things easy for you. Le Chocolat en Rose is a sweet little bag containing: A Vosges Red Fire or Goji bar; A Bonajuto Cinnamon or Vanilla bar; A Pralus Venezuela or Papouasie bar; A five pack of Chipotle Caramels; and four Yummy Earth Pomegranate lollipops. Tied with a ribbon and a tag. All you've got to do is write "To____" and "From____"

What else...

Hot Chocolate and Cocoa Menu in the Next Door
Winter is for (Chocolate) lovers! We're steaming up five different, decadent hot chocolates/cocoas for you this month.
1. Mexican Hot Chocolate: Cinnamon-y Oaxacan chocolate chopped and steamed with water. Foamy and aromatic. So creamy, you'd think it's made with milk.
2. Vosges Aztec Elixir Cocoa: Cocoa and chocolate shavings with cinnamon, chilies and cornmeal.
3. Cluizel 72% Hot Chocolate: Silky, creamy, classic dark sipping chocolate.
4. Vintage Plantations Ecuadorian 65% Hot Chocolate: Rich yet mild with a distinct roasty flavor.
5. Scharffen Berger Hot Cocoa: Our classic hot cocoa — made with unsweetened cocoa powder and topped with your choice of whipped cream or a marshmallow!

Paris au Chocolat: Chocolate Breakfast Sandwich
Our sandwich of the month this month is a classic pain au chocolat! Available at breakfast everyday (7-11 am), we make it by tucking a thick slab of Paris Flyer's Costa Rican 75% chocolate between slices of french baguette. We grill it until the outside is crunchy and the inside is melty, gooey and chocolate-y. Then we slice it into dunkable pieces (maybe you want to dip it in your latte?) and rush it to you while it is still warm. $3.99/ea or 3 for $9.99.

Got any questions about our chocolates or tastings? Email me (eanderson@zingermans.com) or call 734-663-JAVA anytime.

Happy Heart Day,
Chocolate Lady Duff