Chocolate Recommendation of the Month: "Any occasion, any excuse". These words for chocolate-lovers to live by are the motto of Rogers' Chocolates, in Victoria, British Columbia. Started in the late 1800's by Charles "Candy" Rogers, their candy remains distinctly old-fashioned. These are "American-style" chocolates--larger and a bit sweeter than their European counterparts. You won't find many trend-setting flavors here, but you'll see lots of favorites--twenty varieties of cream centers (called "Victoria creams"--including peppermint, maple nut, and raspberry), chocolate-dipped candied ginger, and almond brittle covered in milk chocolate, for starters. If you are a caramel lover, look for "Empress Squares": soft caramel combined with roasted almonds and dipped into semisweet chocolate.

Rogers' Chocolates uses no preservatives or artificial colorings in their confections, a philosophy more companies need to adopt. Although I find their "regular" boxes rather elegant in appearance, they do have more ornate boxes and some fancy tins from which to choose. If you're going to be in British Columbia, you can visit them; there are three stores in Victoria and one each in Banff and Whistler. If not, request a catalog or place an order by calling them at (800) 663-2220 or faxing them (250) 384-5750. Of course, you can also visit their website, at www.rogerschocolates.com. Celebrate the moments of your life (big or small) with Rogers' Chocolates!

Do you have a comment, question or suggestion? I'd like your input into this column. You can reach me at: sdziadwm@nac.net; please specify that you're writing regarding "For Chocolate Lovers Only." Thank you!