I Love Chocolate: Cookies

by Stephanie Zonis

Cookies

Hi! and welcome to the September '98 (Cookie) edition of "I Love Chocolate."

September is a great time for baking; people have returned from summer vacations, kids have returned to school, and many of us are returning to our kitchens after the summer heat. Everyone loves cookies, and they come in so many varieties. Included here are two easy cookies and several that are fancier and a bit more complex.

Coming soon!

The famous restaurateur Charlie Trotter, of Chicago, is coming out with his own line of dessert sauces. There are three varieties: cinnamon-butterscotch, pear caramel, and bittersweet chocolate-kona coffee. I had the opportunity to taste the latter recently, and it was so good that it was all I could do to keep from diving headlong into the jar. If you live in or near Seattle, go to a Bon Marche store; they should have the sauces by now.

Otherwise, you'll have to wait a while unless you're ordering wholesale or for food service. If that's the case, and ONLY if that's the case, call 1-800-919-1888 (the phone number for Wolferman's, who's handling the distribution), and ask for Tina in customer service. Sorry, no retail orders can be taken yet, but do keep your eyes open for these toppings.

Chocolate Find of the Month:

September's Chocolate Find is the Endangered Species Chocolate Company, at 809 South Pacific Highway in Talent, OR 97540. Don't look at me like that; I intially thought they were just another company using the environment as a gimmick, too. But I was wrong. The owner, Jon Stocking, is involved with American Forests, an organization dedicated to planting trees everywhere.

He also travels worldwide to help educate children about the Earth and all of her denizens. And a percentage of the company's profits are donated to groups that preserve and protect animals and their habitats.

Endangered Species markets sixteen different chocolate bars, each type named after an endangered species whose picture is on the label. The bars range from The Black Rhino (Belgian Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Toffee) to The Harp Seal (Belgian White Chocolate and Organic Coffee Crystals). Recently, I tried several of these bars at a food show; all were excellent. All of the chocolate is Belgian, which gives these bars a head start on quality. Also, the animal pictures on the labels are irresistible to many people.

You can sometimes find these bars in health food stores, or you can order directly from the company. Check out their great and informative website at: www.chocolatebar.com. As of this writing, you cannot order electronically yet, but that may have changed by the time you read this.

You can definitely order by phone, though; call 1-800-293-0160 or fax them at 1-541-535-4270. Definitely worth a try!

The Chocolate Show is coming to New York City!!

The five-day show will feature demonstrations by top pastry chefs and chocolate makers, seminars for adults and kids, interactive exhibits, music, tasting booths, and more. Yes, you'll be able to purchase chocolates (or place orders for them) for the holidays.

Participating chefs will include Jacques Torres, Nick Malgieri, and Francois Payard; Valrhona and Perugina are just two of the chocolate manufacturers already on board.

The show runs November 27 through December 1; hours are 11 am to 8 pm daily (except 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday, November 28). Admission price is $10.00 per adult, $5.00 for children under 12 and for culinary students with I.D. The show will be held at the Puck Building, 293 Lafayette Street (corner of Houston St.). Be there--I know I will! "

'Til next month,
Yours in chocolate,

Stephanie

I Love Chocolate

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