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The Secret Chocolatier Drinking Chocolate
Hot Chocolate & Drinking Chocolate, a Seasonal Favorite
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
We’ve been drinking a lot of chocolate lately. When I mean a lot I mean pounds. Not only is it a favorite creation in the house, we’ve been trying to... Read more
What is Holiday Chocolate?
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
When you close your eyes and let your taste buds and memories swim around, what gets conjured when you think of holiday chocolate? In the northern hemisphere it has become much cooler and with the stack of holiday’s around the corner we’re getting pretty festive around here. One question that we really wanted to research was what taste evocations does the holiday season mean to you? Cool Mints, Alpine Peaks Is it the peppermint fantasia’s, something I used to get as a child at a local cafe. A hot chocolate... Read more
Make Halloween Safer with Homemade Chocolate
On By Robin Ciordia / 0 comments
Homemade chocolate treats? That used to be what mom made you throw away from the halloween bag. Now you are safer with the homemade goodies from the chocolatier you know and trust. The recent scare of melamine in chocolate from China begs the question. Do you know where your chocolate came from? At least you know where your neighbor lives, and what home that chocolate is made in. I would trust the homemade chocolate gifts for this halloween and holiday season. Here’s a quick and delicious chocolate recipe for you,... Read more
Homemade Chocolates Take Time
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
To create homemade chocolate recipes can take anywhere from simple combinations to elaborate dances of solids, semi-solids, liquids, and bouncing between the two. Chef Bill Dietz does this dance very meticulously and quicker than myself. Time, practice, and passion give you a deftness that impresses. Playing to Strengths My work for our project has been centered around the creation of my own chocolate tools. Design, information, and elaborate numerology (aka finances). They all take time too. One thing we have been working on since the beginning of our expansion is... Read more
Hot Tea's and Homemade Chocolate
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
On Thursday, September 18th, 2008, the Secret Chocolatier unveiled to the willing (and boy were they willing) public some of his new homemade chocolate recipes. Summer Plum of Felicitea had worked with us to build a tea and chocolate pairing with funds to help Robin and I to Terra Madre 2008. The Secret Chocolatier and Felicitea Homemade Chocolate and Felicitea Tea Tasting, photos by Andy Ciordia The event was great! With a last minute altercation we met at The Perk on South and catered to a small crowd of loyal... Read more
The Epic of Homemade Chocolates
On By Andy Ciordia / 0 comments
Where do we begin on this epic tale of homemade chocolate insanity. Do we start at the very beginning where Bill Dietz learned his skills, or later raising his family on the greatest vats of chocolate mousse and truffles. No let’s continue on through the hotels, through his own bakery, and executive pastry chef duties…..closer to present time where we find him at markets and surrounded by people fascinated by his chocolate gifts. You see Bill has been working hard to make something of his own. It started by bringing... Read more