[1] Beautiful chocolates for any occasion (all photos © Dallmann Fine Chocolates).

[2] Memorable chocolates for Mother’s Day in a choice of box designs. Mother’s Day box designs are also available for vegan chocolates.

[3] The most delicious vegan gift.

[4] Mozartkugeln, the classic Austrian bonbon created in Vienna in 1890 and given a modern update by Dallmann.

[5] Sweet and spicy Triple Chili chocolate bars.

[6] The Provence chocolate bar infuses fresh lavender and a hint of fleur de sel.

[7] When it’s time for trick-or-treat, we’re ordering these charmers.

[8] You deserve a special treat.

It’s always a pleasure to discover an exciting producer of artisan foods. In the case of our Top Pick Of The Week, Dallmann Fine Chocolates of California, in the lovely town of San Marcos in San Diego County*.
 
 
A GREAT HERITAGE

Dallmann founder Isabella Knack is a third-generation confectioner. She grew up in a small town outside of Salzburg, Austria. Her family’s business was a pastry shop, begun in 1954 by her grandfather, Guenther Dallmann.

The shop was extremely popular among the locals. Guenther’s daughter Sylvia and her husband Franz continued his efforts, turning Dallmann’s into a world-renowned business.

One of her parents’ specialties was Mozartkugel, an irresistible nougat ball covered in chocolate, that was born in 1890 in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart. (Readers who enjoy name disputes and copyright law will enjoy the details here.)

There’s more about the MozartKugel below.

Sylvia and Franz’s daughter Isabella grew up in her family’s pastry shop, learning the trade. When she had the opportunity to move to San Diego, she “jumped on it with the vision of keeping the family traditions and business alive.”

She headed to the West Coast, bringing the family’s artisan version of Mozartkugel to America in 2006. And from there, an exquisite chocolate shop was born, opening in 2011.

Isabella follows her grandfather’s practice of using only the finest ingredients and craftsmanship while adding modern flavor and artistic touches to her beautiful chocolate bonbons and bars.

And she says that her children are already getting involved with chocolate making. Welcome the fourth generation of chocolatiers!

> The history of chocolate.

> Chocolate terminology: a glossary.

> The origin of chocolate truffles.

> “Chocolate” vs. “chocolates.”

> Truffles vs. pralines.

> Pralines vs. bonbons.
 
 
THE TRUFFLES

What makes a great piece of chocolate? To start with, the couverture. Dallmann uses the best Swiss brand, Felchlin, a brand not well-known among American consumers but highly regarded by artisan chocolatiers.

Then, the centers: caramels, fruits, ganache, nuts, and seasonings (herbs, spices, spirits). The best of everything—no skimping.

Finally, the artisan touches that make each piece of chocolate so alluring, like the beautiful hand-painting.

The truffles (i.e., individual pieces of chocolate—we call them bonbons) are the main event.

There are pre-set and custom boxes of chocolate. Pre-set boxes include Bella’s Favorites, Vegan Chocolates, Exotic Chocolates, Wine Pairing Chocolates, Sugar-Free Chocolates (the latter are all dark chocolate ganache).

If you have a passion for some flavors over others, you can build a box with whatever you like!

Most flavors are available year-round, some flavors are seasonal. Currently, the flavors include:

 
Vegan Flavors

 
 
MOZARTKUGELN

If you like marzipan, you must! must! must! order Dallmann’s Mozartkugeln. They are the best!

The original recipe for Mozartkugel (meaning “Mozart ball,” plural -kugeln) starts with a ball of pistachio marzipan covered in a layer of nougat and coated in dark chocolate. It was wrapped in silver foil with an image of Mozart.

The originals were made by Paul Fürst, a Salzburg confectioner. They shot to popularity and were awarded a gold medal at a world trade fair in Paris in 1905.

Over time, copycat versions appeared, some with slight variations, some also claiming to be the “original.”

In 1996, the Austrian Supreme Court ruled that only Furst had the right to the name “original” Mozartkugel. If someone else makes a similar product, they may call it Mozartkugeln, but not “original.”

Americans may be most familiar with mass-produced versions like Victor Schmidt’s, which are often found in piled into containers next to the cash register at sweet shops, wrapped in four-color gold foil with Mozart’s image.

Dallmann’s Mozartkugeln is a ball of the most delectable pistachio marzipan under a layer of nougat made with pistachios, hazelnuts, and almonds and dipped in dark chocolate. The end result is so wonderful, we had to restrain ourselves from eating the whole box at once.
 
 
THE CHOCOLATE BARS

These wonderfully luxurious chocolate bars complete the “menu” at Dallmann:

 
 
________________
 
*The shop is located in San Marcos, a suburb of San Diego bounded by Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, and Vista. San Marcos has been cited as one of the best places to live in California, with good public schools, a university, and many restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. More about San Marcos.
 

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Here’s a delicious mashup of pasta salad and potato salad, that you can enjoy warm or chilled.

It was created by Priscilla Willis of She’s Cookin’, for Idaho Potato.

Priscilla shares that the pairing of pasta and potatoes is popular in the coastal region of Liguria in northwestern Italy, bordering France.

That’s not all: There are 30 more potato salad recipes below.

> The different types of pasta.

> The history of pasta.

> The different types of potatoes: a glossary.

> The history of potatoes.

> The history of potato salad.
 
 
RECIPE: PENNE & POTATO SALAD WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Prep time is 10 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes. Enjoy warm or chilled.
 
Ingredients

 
For The Arugula Pesto

 
Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Blanche the asparagus for 2 minutes, then use tongs to remove to an ice bath.

2. ADD the sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a colander.

3. ADD additional water to the pot if necessary and bring the water to a boil; then add the pasta and potatoes. Cook according to package directions, usually 9-11 minutes which is sufficient time to cook the potatoes al dente as well.

4. DRAIN, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove the potatoes and set them aside to cool; they should be firm and will continue to cook. You do not want them to be soft or you won’t be able to slice them.

Do not rinse the pasta, so the sauce will coat the pasta instead of sliding off. Meanwhile…

5. ADD all of the pesto ingredients and half of the olive oil to a mini food processor. Pulse several times, stopping to scrape the mixture from the sides once or twice; then add the remaining olive oil. Pulse until fully incorporated.

6. LEAVING the skin on, slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices using a sharp knife or mandolin. (You may peel the potatoes if you prefer, but the skins add a nice color to the dish.

7. HEAT the pot with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Transfer the pasta to the pot, and stir to break up clumps and coat the pasta with olive oil. Add the half cup of cooking liquid and mix in the pesto.

8. GENTLY FOLD in the asparagus and snap peas and reheat for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice to heat evenly. Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with a few shelled peas and toasted pine nuts.
 
 
30 MORE POTATO SALAD RECIPES

[1] Penne and potato salad with spring vegetables (photos #1 and #7 © Priscilla Willis Idaho Potato).

[2] Red jacket potatoes. Leaving the skin on adds color to the salad (photos #2, #4, and #5 © Good Eggs).

[3] Penne rigate—ridged penne, a popular cut (photo © Webstaurant Store).

[4] Sugar snap peas are some of the spring vegetables in the recipe.

[5] Asparagus joins the sugar snap peas in the penne-potato salad.

[6] It’s easy to turn fresh arugula into pesto (photo © Baldor Specialty Foods | Facebook).

[7] Arugula pesto is easy to make in a food processor.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Hot dog with ketchup and mustard (photo © Milan | Pexels).

[2] Brownwood Farms Dill Pickle Mustard, adding more tang and texture to whole-grain mustards (photos #2 and #3 © iGourmet).

[3] Dill pickle ketchup.

We’re not far away from barbecue season. One way to add pizzazz to conventional burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches is to serve them with special condiments. Our choices today are Dill Pickle Ketchup and Dill Pickle Mustard from Brownwood Farms.

Whether or not you’re already planning to have pickles on or with your fare, these condiments add dill pickle tang and texture to whole-grain mustard and ketchup with a mild note of Bourbon, both featuring tangy dill pickles. It will be the talk of the meal.

You can also serve them with fries and burgers.

 
We’re fans of Brownwood Farms, having featured their:

 
We like to give the bottles as party favors and stocking stuffers.
 
 
GET YOUR PICKLE KETCHUP & MUSTARD

The products are also carried by other fine retailers including iGourmet:

 
 
ABOUT BROWNWOOD FARMS

Ohio-based Brownwood Farms uses fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients grown in the Midwest to make its products. Their Cherry Barbeque Sauce and Famous Kream® Mustard put the company on the map

The brand says that “the level of pride, freshness, and commitment to quality that goes into every product is just like that found at roadside stands throughout the Great Lakes region.

“Brownwood Farms products are ones you will be happy serving to your family and friends,” they say, and we agree.

The brand’s parent company, Milo’s Whole World Gourmet, has been a Nibble favorite since the early days of The Nibble (which was founded in 2004).
 
 
> The history of ketchup.

> The history of mustard.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.