TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Valentine Food Gifts

One of five alternatives to Valentine chocolate. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.   Situation: You need a great gift for Valentine’s Day. The recipient doesn’t want chocolate candy. Solution: five recommendations for delicious food items that aren’t chocolates. Our Valentine Top Picks include: 1. Godiva Chocolate Vodkas & Chocolate Liqueurs 2. Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, a…
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PRODUCT: Tasty Pastry, Kouign Aman

This buttery Breton pastry makes an addictive addition to your morning coffee. Photo by Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE.   Seldom found in French bakeries in America, kouign amann (pronounced (kween ah-MAHN) is a Breton pastry (from Brittany, a region in France). This laminated pastry is time consuming to make, but the payoff is something…
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PRODUCT REVIEW: Scharffen Berger Chocolate

The Scharffen Berger logo features an ibex mountain goat and three stars. In 1996, winemaker John Scharffenberger and physician Robert Steinberg made a mark in the history of chocolate, shaping the current trend of “micro” (small-batch) chocolate bar production in the U.S. and, as a result, decentralizing the production of fine chocolate bars in Europe.…
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New Product: Can Chocolate Predict The New President?

Some people look to the Gallup, Zogby and Harris polls to gauge the presidential preference of the American public. But chocolatier B.T. McElrath is measuring public opinion on a “gut” level: chocolate sales. “Campaign Buttons,” round dark chocolate melt-a-ways that have been selling like—hotcakes?—since early June. They feature cocoa butter images of Democrat or Republican…
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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Dough Ray Me Artisan Cookies

We’re always on the lookout for “special” cookies, to bring (or send) as gifts or to serve as a light dessert at the end of a fine dinner. And when we invite friends and neighbors for tea or coffee, we like to set out something noteworthy yet effortless: impressive cookies. Alas, with the expense of…
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