Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends

February, 2010 eNewsletter

by Sally Bernstein

In this Issue:
What's New | Sally's Place Specials | New Articles | Sally Recommends | February Is


Valentine’s Day is synonymous with chocolates.  We tasted bite after bite so that we could present the cream of the crop to you. But if you're looking for some more novel gift ideas as well, we have those too.  Also read on for special discounts for Sally's Place visitors only.  We're your one-stop shop for everything Valentine's Day...

Valentine Flowers Delivered to the Restaurant
Dining out this Valentine's Day? The ultimate romantic gesture is having flowers delivered to the restaurant. FlowerPetal.com specializes in this restaurant service.
Dave's Six Gourmet Salts
Handmade chocolates are the perfect gift for your Valentine. Enhance the subtle notes of your creations with a few grains of exotic salt from Dave's Six Gourmet Salts as a garnish. It's a flavor pairing made in heaven. Order online.

What's New


Romanicos Chocolate
This is, quite simply, the most delicious and artistically designed chocolate! My favorite, to get and to give, is the Mezzo Box, which is a selection of fifteen pieces of chocolate (each a different flavor) from the Romanicos Chocolate Art Collection with delightful colors and designs. It is definitely best of class! Visit their store in Miami, Florida, call to order 877-848-4857 or order online.

Fran's Chocolates
A Satin Heart box of Truffles & Caramels is the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Fran's fills a beautiful red satin heart with an assortment of their award-winning caramels and signature chocolate truffles. My favorites are the Gray Salt Caramels because of the perfect blend of sweet and salty.  Visit one of Fran's three Seattle area locations, call to order 800-422-FRAN or order online.

Trappistine Creamy Caramels
Situated on a farm on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, about seven miles from Dubuque, Iowa, the Trappistine nuns support themselves by making and selling delicious candies. This community of 22 Roman Catholic women work and pray.  They sell caramels (with or without chocolate), mints, meltaways, and truffles. Order online.

Split Bean Coffee

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows are made with hand crafted vanilla marshmallows and dipped in dark chocolate.  Their pound box holds over one pound of product for your enjoyment.

Chocolate Covered Dulce de Leche Alfajores cookies are handmade using a family cherished recipe. These Alfajores will make you think you are walking through the pebble stone towns of South America, where neighborhood bakeries create these heavenly treats using their own unique recipes.

Dark Chocolate Fudge is handmade using high quality chocolate in small batches and is available with or without nuts.


Crummy Brothers Cookies
New All-Natural Bite-Size chocolate chip cookies are coming our way. These are "mini" cookies, which contain the highest quality, all-natural ingredients (including real butter and premium dark chocolate) and are packaged in a 2.25 oz. resealable pouch.  Crummy Brothers Cookies are a decidedly grown-up delicacy, with depth and character. Watch store shelves for their arrival.

Sweet Tooth Candies
Some say owner Bob Schneider has chocolate running through his veins.  His handmade delicacies are a delight.  My favorites are the pecan nut balls. They are hand made one by one with 2 large pecan halves, almond paste, fondant and rich dark chocolate.  But his boxes of chocolates are his mainstay and he has plenty of Valentine choices. Visit his Newport, Kentucky, retail shop, call to order 877-581-5132 or order online.

Lillie Belle Farms Handmade Chocolates
Master Chocolatier and owner Jeff Shepherd makes artisan chocolates in his shop in Central Point, Oregon.  His Lavender Sea Salt Caramels are divine and Jeff has a Chocolate of Month Club for 3, 6 or 9 months. Visit his shop in Central Point (about 4 ½ hours south of Portland), call to order 541-664-2815 or order online.

La Tienda, The Best of Spain
Rabitos Royale Dark Chocolate Fig Bonbons
Raquel and Senador Valero conceived of this extraordinary treat while living among the fig trees of a small village in southwestern Spain. They select tender young figs from the neighboring groves and fill them with a mousse made of dark chocolate and a hint of brandy. Each one is then hand dipped in even more rich dark chocolate! Finally each individual Rabito Bonbon is sealed in a foil envelope so that it will always taste as fresh as the day it was made. Call to order 800.710.4304 or order online.

For those of you who need diabetic friendly and caffeine-free chocolates, read on to learn about Healthy Chocolates...

XOCAI
XOCAI is cold-processed, which maintains more antioxidants in the finished products, and is infused with blueberry and acai for even more antioxidant benefits. To order, contact Rita Szczotka at 858-558-0103 or email: rita@san.rr.com.
The Chocolate Therapist
The Chocolate Therapist specializes in all-natural chocolate bars with healthy ingredients such as nuts, berries, spices and organic flavoring oils.  Bars are also labeled with fun names like Berried in Chocolate (60% dark with berries), Blue Suede Shews (72% dark with blueberries & cashews), Extreme Therapy (72% dark with cocoa nibs) and even Going to the Dark Side, a bar of half dark and half milk the shop calls "dark chocolate training wheels."  And new for Valentine's Day--an assorted heart box with no artificial dyes.  Call 303-795-7913 or order online.

Sally's Place Specials


Schramsberg Vineyards
Schramsberg Vineyards is offering Sally's Place visitors a 10% discount on all wine orders through March 31st, 2010. Use Code "Sally" to receive 10% off your entire order. Schramsberg's sparkling wines can't be beat for quality!

Schramsberg has a Spring Blending Camp, March 14-16, 2010. It is the ultimate experience for wine and sparkling wine lovers! For more information, call 800-877-3623. This camp is geared for both consumers and professionals. $1,200 per person does not include travel to/from Napa or lodging. Great experience!
Culinary Getaways
Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways has a Napa Valley Getaway at the end of February (26th-28th). This Getaway includes a class on chocolate (from the cacao bean to the bar) and a tasting of chocolate (different origins of beans, different levels of cacao, different roasters, etc.).  Sherry is offering Sally's Place visitors a $100 discount. When you register, mention "Sally's Place" to get the reduced rate.
GourmetSardinia.com and using the code "Sallys15" during February to receive a 15% discount off your order.  Gourmet Sardinia has just received the 2009-2010 Novello organic olive oil. It is raw, unfiltered, luscious, and green. It is in limited quantity and the bottles are numbered: $28.50.  Call to order 713-621-6858 or order online.

New Articles


Food

Wine

Chocolate

  • Chocolate Rises Up. Stephanie Zonis covers Chocolate Souffles, a dessert that makes people feel special because there's something almost magical about them.

Sally Recommends


Valentine's Weekend Trip
The just unveiled, newly renovated Hyatt Regency Suites Palm Springs on Downtown’s Palm Canyon Drive, has announced its debut Valentine’s Day romantic escape package “Love in the Sun” applicable February 12 -14, 2010 and offering more than 25 percent savings off regular room rates. Call 800-233-1234 or visit their website and click on "Special Offers."
Plan Ahead for 2010
The International Association of Culinary Professionals 32nd Annual Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon, April 21-24.
Spanish Cookbook
Written by the owners of the award-winning Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurants, the largest Spanish restaurant group in the United States, The Barcelona Cookbook is a gorgeous collection of 115 signature recipes for an array of dishes including hot and cold tapas, entrees, party food, desserts and even cocktails. Order online.
Chicago Chocolate Gala
February 6th is the 5th Annual "For the Love of Chocolate" Gala at The French Pastry School in Chicago.  Enjoy the all new chocolate extravaganza, introducing the Voodoo Lounge and The Chocolate Bar! See what new surprises and exciting entertainment await you in the sensuous Cocoa Sutra room. Order tickets online

Sally's Place also has complete chocolate sections where you can enjoy hundreds of recipes:


Unique Cooking and Baking Supplies Special for Valentine's Day:

 Lekue Silicone Heart Pan, Red: $19.99
SiliconeZone Heart Pancake/Egg Mold, Red: $5.75 
 Kaiser Bakeware Heart Cookie Cutter, Set of 6: $6.99
Martha Stewart 2-Piece Heart Apron and Oven Mitt Set: $19.99 

Chocolate Cookbooks:

Chocolate for Breakfast: Entertaining Menus to Start the Day with a Celebration, from Napa Valley's Oak Knoll Inn, by owner and chocolate connoisseur Barbara Passino. Menus with a chocolate twist inspired from cultures around the world are presented, including Italian, French, Asian, Moroccan, Spanish and American, as well as some fun surprises such as breakfast ideas for Valentine's Day, the secret to making a perfect bed (who says breakfast has to be at the table?), a Chocolate-y proposal and a lot more.

Bite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats, from Cupcakes and Cobblers to Custards and Cookies, by Carole Bloom, showcases 87 recipes created for home bakers who want small desserts with big flavors. The color photos will make your mouth water! Think cakes, cupcakes, scones, shortcakes, muffins, pastries, tartlets, turnovers, galettes, cobblers, crisps, custards, mousses, puddings, cookies, ice creams, and sorbets.

The Chocolate Therapist, a delicious book by Julie Pech, is a user's guide to the extraordinary health benefits of chocolate. The book is entertaining and also offers remedies for a world of ailments. Contact Julie through her website: thechocolatetherapist.com

Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate, by Robert Steinberg & John Scharffenberger, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's founders and food writer Susie Heller, offers more than 100 recipes for a broad selection of delights.  Recipes include Chocolate Pudding Cakes, Chocolate Marbled Gingerbread, Cocoa Caramel Panna Cotta, and Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake, as well as savory edibles made with chocolate like Tortilla Soup and Chile-Marinated Flank Steak. This team is passionate about their chocolate and it shows!

Chocolate Obsession: Confections and Treats to Create and Savor, by Michael Recchiuti & Fran Gage, is a must-have for chocolate lovers. Opening with a complete discussion of chocolate from bean to bar, the book goes on to offer detailed instructions for dipped chocolates, truffles, and molded chocolates, including Recchiuti's signature ganache flavors: Earl Grey tea, burnt caramel, tarragon with grapefruit. Also featured are over 60 recipes for such sinfully delicious treats as Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Truffle Cream Filling, Double Dark Chocolate Soufflés, and Rocky Recchiuti Brownies.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Recipes and History from America's Premier Chocolate Maker, by Ghiradelli Chocolate Company and Leigh Beisch, is a stylish revision of the classic cookbook from America's longest continually operating chocolate manufacturer.  This book includes more than 80 recipes, a primer on chocolate varieties and uses, and more than 25 full-color photographs.

Pure Dessert, by Alice Medrich, a three-time winner of the Best Cookbook of the Year award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, offers true flavors, inspiring ingredients and simple recipes. If you like eating seasonally and locally, you'll find plenty to enjoy in this delightful volume.

February Is


Canned Food Month; Great American Pie Month; National Cherry Month; National Grapefruit Month; Bake for Family Fun Month; Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month; Potato Lovers Month, Candy Month; and Chocolate Month.

February 2: Ground Hog Day; Bottle Cap Patented in 1892
February 5: World Nutella Day; Bubble Gum Day
February 7: Super Bowl XLIV
February 9: Hershey's Chocolate founded in 1894
February 11: Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
February 12: Plum Pudding Day
February 14: Happy Valentine's Day; Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger)
February 15: National Gumdrop Day
February 16: Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday); Pancake Day
February 19: National Chocolate Mint Day
February 20: Cherry Pie Day; Toothpick Patented in 1872; Clam Chowder Day
February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day
February 25: National Chili Day
February 26: National Pistachio Day; National Personal Chef's Day
February 29: National Surf & Turf Day



Happy February,

Sally Bernstein
Editor in Chief
sallybernstein.com
sally@sallybernstein.com


Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

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