· Ten ways to treat yourself @ the Deli in March

— March, 2009 —

One of my Zingerman's colleagues — the amazing Emily Hiber — had a great insight last week. Maybe we were talking about how much we both look forward to that first coffee of the day, or maybe we were admiring a particularly well-browned batch of croissants. Whatever the reason, Emily suddenly said, "You know, I think people need to re-learn the great art of treating oneself." A few minutes, and a couple of perfect cappuccinos later, Emily added, "Life is always going to be hard. Just reward yourself through it and you'll be OK."

Now, I understand that most of you, as readers of a newsletter devoted to chocolate and sweets, are probably pretty comfortable with the idea of self-rewarding. And I, as the author of said newsletter, am — you guessed it — 100% A-OK with self-indulgence, especially when it comes to good food.

But what Emily said made me think about a couple things. First, that self-rewarding — a.k.a "treating" — truly it is an art. A well-timed take-out dinner, haircut or nap can — as you all know — be the difference between making it through a tough week or landing flat on your face in the middle of it. Knowing when, and how, to treat yourself is like knowing when to play your best card. It can be a game changer.

I also appreciated that Emily talked about rewarding oneself through challenges. We're all familiar with the idea of rewarding oneself at the end of a big project, or a long week (à la TGIF). But we're not as good at remembering to nourish and sustain ourselves emotionally through the beginning and middle of life's major efforts. We've got to refuel as we run through the day, the week, and the (long!) winter season.

And so I think that we should all take Emily's advice to heart this month, working to refine the art of treating ourselves. Let's see if we can't happily coax ourselves through this 5th month of winter, rewarding ourselves in advance for the progress we are making towards spring! I've got a few ideas for us below.

Best,
Chocolate Lady Duff

— Ten ways to treat yourself @ the Deli in March —
1. Go to a chocolate tasting.
Not only will you have fun, learn a lot, and taste great chocolates, but you will also get a 20% off coupon at the end of the tasting to use at the Deli the rest of the evening. And so one treat begets another treat. Here's what's coming up.

Pralus Rendez-Vous
March 11th, 7-8 PM
A small bean-to-bar chocolate company in France, Pralus is one of those brands you should be able to recognize with your eyes closed — and after this tasting, you'll be able to! After visiting Pralus this summer, Sarah will be able to tell you a little about the company and together you'll taste a range of bars from the lightest, a 45% milk chocolate, to the darkest, a 100% bar, and a variety of the 75% bars in between. This tasting will be a great opportunity to learn about this wonderful French chocolate company.

Truffle Tasting
March 31st, 7-9 PM
At Zingerman's we love chocolate, but we also love chocolates — those fresh, beautiful bonbons known to make many a heart flutter on Valentine's Day. We work with chocolatiers and confectioners from around the world to stock an excellent selection of fresh chocolates at the Deli. In this tasting, we'll learn about the different types of bonbons — from classic truffes to nutty pralinés, we'll sample pieces from several chocolatiers, and we'll show you how to make a batch of velvety rolled truffles at home.

2. Sample a different chocolate and candy every time you visit the Deli.
It's free, it's fun, and it takes one minute. Why not make it a private goal to taste everything in the department? It's totally do-able, but to my amazement I don't think anyone has attempted to do it since I've been here. Hmmm, maybe there should be a prize for the first person who tastes everything? Would you all (readers) be interested in some kind of chocolate tasting passport? Let me know what you think. Formalized or not, I still think you should taste a new chocolate each time you come to the Deli.

3. Try a chocolate gelato.
Why? Because who cares that it's winter! Where is it written that we can't treat ourselves to cold food in winter? And because the chocolate gelato flavors — Chocolate Balsamic Strawberry, Chocolate Heat, etc. — aren't around much longer. I give them a few more weeks, tops. Then it's on to Brown Bread and Guinness!

4. Stop in after work and get a slice of chocolate cake to take home.
The Hunka Burnin' Love Chocolate Cake is the cake of the month, which means it's 20% off all of March! And March has 31 days! Woo-hoo!

5. Get a piece of mandelbread to go with your coffee.
This will definitely take your afternoon coffee experience from "routine" to "treat". Our mandelbread is incredible — more like shortbread than biscotti, with lots of almonds and a bit of orange zest.

6. Let the Zingerman's + Askinosie Chocolate El Rústico bar please your palate.
We sold out of our first batch of this chocolate in February and our second batch just hit the shelves a few days ago. If you set foot inside the Deli in February, you probably got a taste of it — to say we were excited about its debut around here would be a huge understatement. We were sampling it like mad! I've been sending it to my family around the country — even the ones who tell me they don't really like chocolate — because I think it is a crowd-pleaser. Not in a lowest common denominator kind of way, but in the same way that really good cheddar cheese seems to make just about everyone happy. Some flavors just seem to have universal appeal to all kinds of palates, and I think that the combination of vanilla and chocolate is one of those flavors. The fact that we've combined vanilla and chocolate in a totally new way — using morsels of whole vanilla bean to add texture and flavor to the bar — makes El Rústico especially exciting.

7. Toast the end of winter with a drinking chocolate.
We've got several different sip-able chocolates, and they are all divine. We'll be happy to top yours with our homemade whipped cream or a marshmallow. Or both!

8. Come and celebrate the Deli's 27th birthday with us.
On Sunday, March 15th, Zingerman's Deli celebrates 27 years as an independent food-seller. We will be celebrating with special discounts throughout the store, as well as a 27th Anniversary Tasting with our founding fathers, Ari and Paul. This is going to be the first time that Ari and Paul have ever done a tasting together — if I were you, I'd be on-hand for this historic moment! It promises to be really, really informative as well as (I'm betting) hilarious.

9. Indulge in a fresh chocolate bonbon or truffle.
We stock fabulously good, fresh chocolates year-round. Our chocolates are proof that big, bold flavors can come in small, dainty packages. Have you ever tried one? The next time you step through the front door of the Next Door, as you round the chocolate corner on your way to the counter, slow the pace a bit and as you pass the truffle case. I promise it will be bountiful and fun to look at. I promise there will be at least a couple of pieces that will make you think, "Are they crazy? Putting those flavors together?" I hope you will be inspired to ask for a sample when you make it up to the counter to order your coffee.

10. Get some candy for your pockets.
I can't tell you how tired I am of wearing my winter coat — I'm sure you feel the same way about your winter gear. My coat is very sensible and very warm, but when it comes to fashion and fun I'd give it a -1 on a scale of 1-10. Oh, and I've been wearing it for (let me count) almost 120 days in a row. I can't wait to shed it soon in favor of more stylish, colorful garments and billowing, gauzy scarves. But, alas, it looks like I'll be bundled in it a little longer and so I've devised a way to make wearing it more tolerable. I'm going to fill it with candy. That's right, I'm going to fill the pockets of my winter coat with candy. You are thinking, "Is she five years old? What is this crazy idea?" Nope, nope... I'm just getting a little desperate. Luckily, the bulk candy and chocolate jars are back out on top of the truffle case — filled with caramels, lollipops, hazelnut fudge, and more — and I intend to stock up for my walk home everyday before I leave work!