Double Chocolate Eruption!

Last Saturday, I had the distinct privilege of attending the 13th annual New York Chocolate Show, and all I can say is WOW. I haven't seen that much chocolate in one place since the Fancy Food Show, and this show skips all the cheese, olive oil and wine and heads straight for dessert!

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First I had to pick the right outfit for the show.

"Does this chocolate dress make me look fat?"

Then I hopped on a train to the city.

Forget the new M-8s; Metro-North should buy chocolate train cars!

Then was on to chocoholic heaven!

There were works of art like these, from William Dean Chocolates...


...and these by Håkan Mårtensson of FIKA Choklad:

Mmm...chocolate hyena...

I guess babies are the next big chocolate market now; who wouldn't want their baby to be up all night, wired on caffeine and sugar?


Here's a sampling of some of the other chocolately exhibitors:


Around noon, I started to get hungry, so I headed over to the Peanut Butter & Co. booth for a lunchbox full of peanut butter.


After lunch, I had a blast talking with Elyissia Wassung, owner of 2 Chicks with Chocolate.

L to R: Jennie Spencer, Chicklet; Elyissia Wassung, 2 Chicks' Chick-in-Charge;
Stephanie Vazquez, 2 Chicks' Lead Chocolatier.

Elyissia told me about how she started selling her mom's homemade chocolate door-to-door in Queens when she was just nine! After venturing into the business world, she fell back under chocolate's siren song and decided to make the sweet stuff her full-time job. Judging by the popularity of the 2 Chicks with Chocolate booth and the funky/hip/cool treats they create, it seems to me like it was a wise move! (If only there were a way to turn my expertise in eating chocolate into a career...)

Rock-N-Pop - chocolate-covered popcorn with popping candy! (Yes, popping candy is what you think it is.)

Fire & Ice chocolate martini mixers - the fire is the mild spiciness, and the ice is, well,
the ice that you use to make chocolate martinis!

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It may sound like heresy to some people, but after all that tasting and tasting, I had had enough (I won't even get into the 100% cacao bar that was waay to strong for me). I decided to head home on the delicoius chocolate train, but on the way out, I picked up some Jacques Torres gifts...

Yes, they're all made of chocolate.

...to put under our new toffee bark Christmas tree!