Chocolate University Online Blog
The Union County Literacy Council is throwing its first fundraiser called Chocoholic Frolic which will be held at Dale Jarrett Ford on Hwy 74 in Indian Trail, NC from 6 to 8 pm on February 9, just a few days before Valentine’s Day.
Chocoholic Frolic is a chocolate sampling event that will feature delectable bite-size tastings of foodstuff from participating restaurateurs, caterers, private chefs, bakers, and wine merchants coming from Union and nearby counties. Such food items include luscious desserts, sumptuous dishes made better with chocolate and chocolate beverages.
An estimated 20 to 30 vendors and about 400 guests are arriving who will get to listen to live instrumental music by My Gentle Harp and support the Council’s mission to teach adults to read, write, and understand English constructively. The beneficial programs involve one-on-one tutoring, group instructions, books, and working around computers. “Our goal is for adults to read with confidence the most basic daily information, such as a street sign, their child’s report card, a medicine bottle, and a job application,” said Kelly Norton, Executive Director.
Norton said: “The response has been really good. People are really intrigued by having a chocolate party, and vendors are really interested and excited about it. Some of the smaller vendors see it as a great way to get out in the community and let people hear about them.”
“Gallery Restaurant is looking forward to creating a delectable dish for Chocoholic Frolic,” said Heather Tapper, the Assistant Food & Beverage Director at The Ballantyne Hotel which was among the first ones to sign up for the said event, followed by Crossroads Grill , Dolce Paradiso, Gimme A Cupcake, Lone Buddy Boy Candy, Cone Toffee, Barking Dog Bakery, and Macaroni Grill, among many others.
And don’t worry about the drinks, they got it all covered. Bottled water, as well as coffee, will be served. Beer and wine will be put up for sale and you know how they go perfectly with chocolate-flavored dishes. The Council reportedly chose February as the date for the particular festive and playful affair since they thought it screams fun especially when Valentine’s Day is nearing.
You can get tickets beforehand for $25 online (www.literacyunion.org) and at the Literacy Council’s office, 105-A E. Jefferson St. in Monroe. But you can get your general ticket on the spot for $30. Or, for $50, you can get a Patron ticket which will enable you to come in an hour earlier (for 3 hours of tasting) and get one free beer or a glass of wine.
Categories: chocolate in the news
Tags: chocolate celebrations, chocolate dessert, chocolate destinations, chocolate party
Eighty students of Royal Oak, Michigan, had a field trip downtown last October 12 and turned a pedestrian plaza on Washington Avenue into a work of art which will be used for the Chalk & Chocolate Art Tour scheduled this weekend. There will be a tent set up at Fifth Street just in case it rains.
Shop curators and restaurant owners downtown will be hanging chalk art masterpieces done by 100 elementary school students in their windows. Also, they will be offering their confectionaries for the first-time affair in Royal Oak.
An opening night party starts at 6 p.m. Friday with a benefit at Fifth Avenue for the Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools art curriculum. The door charge is $40 which includes live entertainment and food from six restaurants and all sales incurred go directly to district art programs.
The free tour runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday followed by specially priced items for “chocolate happy hours” at restaurants who will be taking part in the event from 4-7 p.m. Children will get to eat all weekend at Andiamo and Rock on Third without spending a single dime.
Gayle’s Chocolates will also be participating by making a special box of chalk-shaped chocolates which will cost $5 which will be donated to student art projects.
Anne Kuffler, Ariana Gallery owner, said: “I like the fact that it’s a cultural event raising money for school art programs,” She will be providing chocolate brownies and chocolate-covered strawberries for visitors in her gallery this weekend. “It will bring out people to look at and appreciate art that isn’t necessarily on canvas or permanent. Some of the high school students are unbelievably good and inspiring. They don’t get enough pats on the back — even from their family. I remember my grandfather telling me don’t be an artist.” she added.
The Chalk & Chocolate Art Tour is sponsored by Our Credit Union, Absopure Water, Mediation Center of Southeast Michigan, Fifth Avenue, Andiamo, Rock on Third, WOW High Speed Internet; Hour Detroit and d Business; Groupon; Piece of Cake; Gayle’s Chocolates; Five 15 Media Mojo & More; Peggy Goodwin of The Goodwin Co.; Fox 2 News; and Metro Times
Categories: chocolate in the news
Tags: chocolate art, chocolate celebrations, chocolate exhibit, chocolate party
It’s not very often that you get to devote one whole week just for a particular food. Suffice it to say, if the subject is chocolate, we get all the more devoted, and craving, so to speak.
Chocolate Week, UK’s favorite themed week, or should I say, favorite week, is here again for its seventh consecutive year to celebrate the foodstuff that has its origins in ancient Aztec and Mayan culture. Even though we know we can enjoy it any time of day and any day of the year, it’s the time of year when we can ultimately celebrate chocolate… for a week! Imagine that.
Chocolate week 2011, starting October 10, has a plethora of events lined up for everyone, over 350 events happening across the whole of Britain, from chocolate art workshops and tasting to hot chocolate sampling and dessert-making demonstrations, indulge yourself in chocolate madness.
The UK’s renowned chocolatiers and chocolate companies celebrate Chocolate Week by hosting the said events, as well as producing exclusive products, new launches, offers, chocolate meals, cocktails and recipes.
The events include:
- Chocolate Unwrapped – a chocolate exhibition in London on the 15th & 16th October. Over 4000 visitors and 40 exhibitors are expected to come. It showcases top British chocolatiers and chocolate companies along with chocolate makers from France, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Holland and Germany. Patrons get a shot at viewing chocolate art, meeting the chocolatiers, taste the top-of-the-line chocolate, watching chocolate being made in the tiniest chocolate factory in the world, and the list goes on.
- The Great Chocolate Cake-Off – a hunt for the best-tasting amateur chocolate cake.
- William Curley’s pop up shop on St Martin’s Lane, London
- Hotel Chocolat initiates its tasting adventures pack so visitors would be encouraged to do chocolate tastings at home.
- Paul A Young, one of the most popular chocolatiers in UK, teams up with another popular fusion chef Peter Gordon to make a 6-course chocolate dinner at Providores, don’t fret if you missed it yesterday, there will be another one on Friday, the 14th of October.
- Thorntons continues its 100th birthday celebrations by giving away a chocolate smile to their visitors.
Chocolate Week was intended to promote the world of fine chocolate, the independent artisan chocolatiers and the chocolate companies who work in direct partnership with the cocoa farmers. This is to encourage chocolate buyers to pay a fairer price for their chocolate.
For more details on the week and participants, visit chocolate week.
Categories: chocolate in the news
Tags: chocolate art, chocolate celebrations, chocolate companies, chocolate exhibit, chocolate party, chocolate week
People who come to pay a visit at the Bruge’s Choco-Laté Festival, held in the Belfort bell tower, can relish their much loved dessert in whatever shapes & forms possible! So all you chocoholics, listen up and unite. Succumb to your every chocolate craving and indulge in your favorite sweet treat!
Choco-Laté is the annual festival of our favorite guilty pleasure. The vibes that chocolatiers give off at several stands lure the customers and magically bring them to a chocolate haven.
The festival will be hosting an array of activities to make visitors drool with tons of interesting and fun interactive programs such as body painting, chocolate recipe exhibitions, creations such as sculpture by chocolate artists and sculptors, a chocolate village for the little ones, and a “chocolate walk” through the town of Bruges, among many others.
The patrons are given a chance to learn about chocolate creations and recipes that are easy enough to do by themselves during live demonstrations by top chefs, bakers and chocolatiers.
Today, chocolate is used as a health aid and also for aesthetic purposes, not just to curb our sweet tooth cravings. Some of the innovative means of using chocolate are through treatments such as chocolate massages, chocolate packs or cocoa therapies.
Practically any chocolate is tempting, but as with what was stated on yesterday’s blog post, pairing it with a nice glass of wine will surely kick the chocolate delight up a notch. Choco-Laté will be revealing the art of delectably combining chocolate with other delicacies. Case in point: fruits dipped in chocolate fondue, and that is just one of the basics.
And finally, for the true blue chocolate lovers, the festival presents a Choco-Laté junior – a creative corner for kids where they can nourish their imagination in chocolate through fun body painting, sculpting and decorating, and many more.
When: 11 – 13 Nov 2011
Where: Belfort, Belgium,
Cost: €10; under 12s €6; under 6s free
Opening Hours: 10am-6pm
For more details, visit www.choco-late.be/en.
Categories: chocolate in the news, fine foods & beverages
Tags: Belgian chocolate, Choco-Laté Festival, chocolate art, chocolate celebrations, chocolate destinations, chocolate exhibit, chocolate games, chocolate pairings, chocolate party
Chocolate and celebrations go back as early as the ancient Maya, maybe even earlier. The Maya served a frothy chocolate beverage made from crushed cacao beans. Perhaps it was used for the first toast by the best man!
Today, the tradition of serving chocolate at weddings continues. Receptions serve guests chocolate wedding cake, the bride and groom thank their guests with chocolate wedding favors and, the pièce de résistance, a chocolate fountain for dipping!
Let’s talk about the creative ways you can present chocolate at your wedding celebration.
At the head table, where the bride and groom and attendants usually sit, place a vase of chocolate roses and present them as gifts to those special people in your lives.
Instead of napkins with the name of the happy couple, make personalized chocolate candy bar wrappers. Wouldn’t you rather have your guests eat a memento of your special day and not wipe their mouth with one?
Chocolate covered strawberries, one dressed in a tuxedo and one in a wedding dress, would “wow” any crowd.
 Sometimes I imagine going back in time and adding more chocolate to my wedding day. For starters, I would switch out the overly sweet, fluffy white frosting on the wedding cake (much to the groom’s dismay) and wrap it in a rich, dark chocolate fondant. Then I would arrange for sharply dressed wait-staff to walk around with platters of chocolate hors d’oeuvres that include hand-rolled truffles and assorted chocolates.
Good thing my children like chocolate. Maybe I could help them with their chocolate wedding fantasies!
Categories: fun chocolate facts
Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate celebrations, chocolate party
Generally speaking, I think parties with a theme are easier to plan and more fun to attend.
Using chocolate as the star of your party appeals to all ages, genders, and budgets. And it works great for the party–poopers, too. Ever had the pleasure (or obligation) of trying to throw a party for the person who says “Don’t throw me a party, I hate parties!”?
I bet they won’t turn down a party in which chocolate is the center of attention.
If you are planning a kid’s birthday party, what could better than making it a chocolate party?
Invitations could include a candy bar. Many popular chocolates are made in a miniature size which fits perfectly in an envelope. Just watch the weather. If it’s too hot you could be sending chocolate mush along with that invitation.
Chocolate is kid friendly on so many levels: safe and non-toxic, attention grabbing, fun, educational, edible, and – most importantly – cleans up with a little hot water!
The number of activities and ideas are practically endless…
You can dip stuff in chocolate like pretzels, fruits, and cookies. You can mold it, make chocolate lollipops, make “chocolate play dough,” bake and frost cupcakes. Throw the girly-girls a chocolate spa party with items like hot fudge smelling bubble bath and cocoa butter body lotion.
For the more grown-up chocolate party, don’t forget about the Chocolate Tasting, or Chocolate and Wine pairing parties. Invite me if you have one of those! I’ll be the one wearing chocolate scented nail polish. 
Categories: chocolate gifts
Tags: chocolate party
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