Most of you have heard of Jacque Torres the famous chocolatier now based out of New York.  Take a look at what he’s up to.  Wouldn’t it be nice to walk past his shop and just breathe deep?

June is finally here, and with the nice weather you may be stepping up your exercise regimen. There’s still a little time left to get in better shape, to work on your “buffness” before hitting the beach, so go for it!

And since you’re a chocolate, um… aficionado, you might be interested in knowing that researchers at James Madison University in Virginia have discovered that football players who drank chocolate milk after training had less muscle damage than players who drank sports drinks.

I kid you not!  Check it out for yourself in this telegragh.co.uk article.

The article also supplies a clear definition for determining whether you’re a chocolate addict: 1) strong daily cravings and 2) eating more than 12 bars a week.  Are you courageous enough to make that self evaluation?

Image via Wikipedia

Forget about instant messaging folks, because chocolate messaging is here!  Sweets for your sweetheart are taking on a whole new, personal, dimension.

Our hats are off to you, Sandie Stanley, for persuing your dream and securing for yourself the exclusive rights to chocolography for all of Ireland.

Image by dotcompals via Flickr

Of course there’s chocolate festivals!  You don’t have to be in a Willy Wonka movie to experience more varieties of chocolate than you ever dreamed.  Hmm… okay, that’s a stretch with you guys.  I know you dream big about chocolate.

This past Sunday Vista, CA hosted the annual Vista Village Chocolate Festival.  If there’s chocolate in Heaven, and you’re thinking why wouldn’t there be, you’ll want check out a chocolate festival near you for a taste of what’s to come.

Mo’s Bacon Chocolate Bar

It gives that sweet and salty taste that extra POW and another reason for your arteries to cry “uncle”

I went on a chocolate cupcake tasting tour last month and my findings were surprising.  One chocolate cupcake I bought had a chocolate butterfly adorning the top in orange and chocolate brown.  I put that aside to get to the tasting of the cupcake.

To my disappointment the cake was dry and unremarkable.  Bakeries shouldn’t serve dry cupcakes.  It’s not just a tiny disappointment but a gigantic disappointment.  Here you are on a quest for the perfect little sinful bite that will suppress what you’re really after, an enormous slice of chocolate cake or for that matter the whole chocolate cake!  You plan for this drive out of your way for it and to your disappointment it’s too dry!

Same day quest, on to another bakery to sample their cupcakes.  This is research after all.  I’m looking for the perfect blend of a light and moist chocolate cupcake with a “not to sweet” butter cream icing.  I almost didn’t stop because of my disappointment with the first attempt.   My patience was rewarded this time.  It was moist, airy, and the icing was perfect, not like any grocery store icing but better.

Chocolate Cupcakes Rock!

Did you know that if you grind up cocoa nibs you have one of the most impactful chocolate ingredients out there?  This ingredient is also called chocolate liquor and also Unsweetened baking chocolate.

If you don’t mind additional chemical-sounding ingredients try a Nestles product called Choco Bake which is pre melted.  It’ll give you a true chocolate flavor and comes in liquid form.

The new year has arrived.  Not only does the new year 2009 bring an endless supply of frustration every time you write the date on a check and continue to write 2008.  But a new year also brings an endless stream of resolutions, many of which are frustrating to fulfill.

One of the most common resolution is to diet or lose weight.  Unfortunately, chocolate and losing weight go together as well as rats and restaurants.  But can you still incorporate chocolate in your diet and still “diet”?  I think you can.  Here are a few suggestions:

Everything in moderation. The more you deny yourself something, the more you’ll crave it.  And the more you crave it, the more you will be tempted to overindulge.  Eat chocolate, but do so occasionally.  Give yourself permission to have a modest portion of chocolate during your diet.

Eat dark chocolate. Eating good dark chocolate at least provides a measure of healthy benefits.  Dark chocolate is filled with health giving antioxidants and can help lower blood pressure.  Therefore at least when you take a bite of that dark chocolate, you can feel at least a small measure that you are doing something good for your body.

Remember, losing weight is ultimately an issue of mathematics and accounting. You must burn more calories than you take in, in order for your body to burn your stored fat.  Therefore fundamentally there are really no bad foods, just bad diets. So therefore when you eat chocolate, remember, it must be done in the context of watching your caloric intake and exercise.