Gourmet Chocolates--! X)

Top 10 Gourmet Chocolate Makers

By Brett Moore, About.com

Chocolate is the voice of passion and love, whether it is the love of chocolate itself or as an expression of love for another human being. Valentine's Day or Saturday, chocolate is the perfect gift for those we care about or just want to impress. Here are some online chocolate shops with some truly extraordinary products.

1. L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

"We don't use extracts, concentrates or flavorings. Our complementing flavors come directly from their sources. We brew coffees and teas, cook fruits, squeeze and zest oranges and lemons. Herbs and spices are used as needed. No two batches of the same recipe are exactly the same. We use local honey, Mexican vanilla beans and a variety of nuts and dried fruits from California and Turkey; the best we can find!"

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2. Christopher Norman Chocolates

"Distinctive boxed collections, hand painted & sculptural truffles, and innovative flavors are all essential elements in Christopher Norman Chocolates. It is our mission to create extraordinarily luscious and sensory-provoking confections that encompass the quintessentially classic flavors, as well as unique and fresh taste experiences. Only the finest all-natural ingredients are used in our truffles and chocolates. Each piece is made by hand, here at our New York City factory."

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3. MarieBelle New York

"MarieBelle's signature line of chocolates combine the finest chocolate, eclectic ingredients and artisinal techniques, creating nothing less than works of art. Named after Maribel Lieberman, designer and founder, the chocolates resemble semiprecious jewels as displayed in their beautiful Italian boxes. Everything about MarieBelle New York is haute couture, with a timeless style that feels classic and contemporary." Wonderful handpainted chocolates in exotic flavors.

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4. Lake Champlain Chocolates

This Vermont native produces some truly delicious gourmet chocolates. "The union of the rich history of making fine chocolate, the heritage of craftsmanship, and the wonderful flavors of Vermont is accomplished every day at our factory, producing sweet indulgences with pride that goes into each bite. Perhaps that's why The New York Times reveres it as "some of the best chocolate in the country."

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5. Romanicos Chocolate

My favorite truffles! Owner Alejandra Bigai presents chocolate the way it was meant to be; luxurious, sexy, and, above all, delicious. Hand rolled chocolate truffles with delectable flavors like wild coconut, holy berry, passion caramel, heavenly vanilla, and more. The Piccolo Art Collection features hand painted chocolates filled with almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, or dulce de leche (caramel from Argentina). Beautifully packaged. Custom gifts available for businesses.

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6. La Maison du Chocolat

An exquisite collection of fine chocolates made in the French tradition. Glazed chestnuts are the perfect wintertime treat.

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7. Vosges Chocolates

Owner/chocolatier Katrina Markoff has created some truly extraordinary chocolates. French trained, Katrina combines classic chocolate techniques with her love of world cuisines. You can find flavors of blood orange, Mexican chili, pumpkin, Hawaiian sea salt, and other exotics as well as classic hazelnut, fine honey, rich caramel, and more.

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8. Richart Paris

This wonderful French company was started in 1925. "Two generations later, we consider it our daily mission to seek out both an inexhaustible supply of the finest cocoa the world has to offer and, along with it, an equally endless amount of the happiness and pleasure that chocolate has to offer." - Michel Richart. Be sure to check out the Little Gourmet collection.

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9. Recchiuti Confections

Recchiuti Confections, an artisan company in San Francisco, is on a mission to introduce people to real chocolate and to share with them what it is meant to be. "One bite of these handcrafted morsels will change the way you think about chocolate forever." Classic fine choclates along with some unexpected twists like the signature burnt caramel chocolates or tarragon grapefruit. The Paul Madonna collection features chocolates painted with San Francisco life by the acclaimed artist.

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This article is from About.com; see the original article here: http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/wheretobuygourmetfoods/tp/chocolateshops.htm

More On Health

The last post I put up started the ball rolling. Health isn't only important when it comes to kids.. (duh!) and obviously, the people that would usually opt for food deliveries would in fact be adults, or teenagers like myself.

And if the kind of people coming to this site are anything like me, indulging in the guilty pleasure of conveniently delicious morsel doesnt immediately mean that we dont secretly (or not so secretly ^_^) want to be healthy (read: hot) too. Me being the self-consious person that I am, went to this site quite some time back; remembered it, figured it might be relevant to THIS bloggie, and went back there to look it up.

It's mainly a method to reducing cholesterol, but more importantly, it covers nearly everything you need to know about properly understanding exactly what cholesterol is, why it's important and what you can do about lowering it quickly and effectively at the same time as doing a heckuvalotta good for your health.

Lower Your Cholesterol

Now I'm not guilting you into anything, but I'm just saying.. that cheesy Italian slice of heaven does cost more than what you paid the pizza guy. Balance, I always say, is the key. LoL. >=D

Mom Convinced Me the Little Broccolis Looked Like Trees. Somehow, They Then Tasted Better.. =/

I found something pretty cool the other day and it just occured to me to follow it up.

After watching movies like Supersize Me, and hearing about the gross obesity of the current generation, it seems to me like more should be done so children have better eating habits. Because really, kids dont really put much thought into what they eat. They'll pretty much eat anything that has a hint of promise of tasting good, which depends on whats given to them. So why aren't parents giving their kids greener healthier things..?

And it occured to me that the immense popularity and interest of food deliveries is somewhat a symptom to this situation. People are busy. People dont have time to go out and sometimes its just more convenient to have the food come over. But why must this convenience necessarily be an unhealthy one?

Anyway, my moral aptitude led me to this site that turns out to have some pretty good ideas on how to get children develop healthy eating habits by helping moms cook meals and prepare snacks from fruits and vegetables that kids will actually love. Its got all kinds of tips and tricks, trade secrets of successful moms who are able to feed their kids fruits and veggies without the constant frustration of making threats and childish deals and dealing with sulking and untouched plates.

Sounded pretty cool to me. ^_^

The Yummy Healthy Tummy