CHOCOLATE STORE: 2 Beans, A Chocolate Paradise

[1] Enter the emporium: coffee to the right, chocolate to the left (photo courtesy 2 Beans). [2] The first chocolate made with camel’s milk, from Dubai (photo courtesy Al Nassma). [3] Another winner: the matcha white chocolate bar from Marie Belle (photo courtesy Marie Belle).   Depending on where you live, there may be a…
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VALENTINE’S DAY: Three Wonderful Food Gifts

[1] [2] [3] The Valentine gift box from VineBox, with artisan chocolate bars from Ritual Chocolate.   You could search all over town without finding wonderful Valentine’s Day gifts like these—one with zero calories! There’s no need leave home to get them. Just click below to order these online. 1. FOR THE WINE DRINKER: A…
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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Casa Noble Tequila & A Tequila-Cheese-Chocolate Tasting

[1] Casa Noble Crystal Tequila: the best blanco/silver tequila we’ve ever had. [2] Add a bit of age and you get a reposado tequila. [3] The special edition named for company director Carlos Santana: Casa Noble Santana Reserve 5 Years Anejo. [4] The top of the line, Casa Noble Alta Bellezza, is as great as…
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GLUTEN FREE: Cheryl’s Cookies

You can’t tell that these gluten-free cookies are gluten free! Photo courtesy Cheryl’s.   We have dear friends and readers with gluten sensitivity, so we keep an eye out for anything above the ordinary that they might enjoy. When Cheryl’s offered us a taste test of their conventional versus gluten-free cookies in advance of National…
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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Mochidoki, Ice Cream-Stuffed Mochi

Like ice cream? Get ready for a [relatively] new variation: ice cream mochi (MO-chee). Mochidoki is a delightful ice cream treat—a sophisticated re-envisioning of a classic Japanese sweet made from rice dough: a dough of pounded, glutinous (but gluten-free) sweet rice flour that is steamed and kneaded until it becomes delightfully chewy and supple, with…
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