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Hi! My name is Stephanie Zonis, and welcome to the April, 2004 edition
of For Chocolate Lovers Only! Each month, you’ll find
recipes, tips, and recommendations on great chocolate specialties.
So much is happening this month! Spring is in full bloom, and Easter,
Passover, and Beltane are all observed. Let’s get into the
kitchen and celebrate with something chocolate!
Chocolate Recommendation of the Month: I know what you’re
thinking. You’re sitting there complacently, thinking you
know brownies. You’ve been around the block once or twice,
you’ve tasted a lot of brownies in your life, and there just
ain’t much new under the sun out there. Innocent reader, prepare
to have your little snow-globe world of brownie truths vigorously
shaken. Bob’s Brownstone Brownies are generously proportioned,
bittersweet-fudgy-headrush creations with the density of a black
hole. We’re talking brownies so intense they ought to come
with warning labels (although if you eat an entire three-inch square,
you probably won’t be operating any heavy machinery immediately
afterward anyway). Very little flour or sugar is used in these brownies,
and the result is an edible epiphany. I haven’t been surprised
by a brownie in a very long time, but my first taste of one of these
was a genuine revelation.
Bob’s Brownstone Brownies, proudly produced in an
honest-to-goodness Brooklyn brownstone, come in many varieties.
I’m particularly fond of the cleverly-named Gelding (his nutless
brownie), but I can also recommend the Grand Marnier variety. If
you’re looking for something a tad more exotic, try the Rum
Raisin or the Cappuccino. There are a large number of flavors from
which to choose. This small company also offers sandwich cookies
(some chocolate dipped), custom gift boxes, and standard gift box
assortments; there is a plan afoot to introduce cheesecakes as well.
Bob understands that his brownies aren’t to everyone’s
taste; you must be a deeply committed bittersweet aficionado to
truly appreciate them. But if that phrase describes you, skip those
pantywaist supermarket so-called chocolate bunnies for Easter, and
head over to the Bob’s Brownstone Brownies website,
at www.bobsbrownies.com; you can also order by phone at (718) 369-BOBS
(2627). Remember these brownies, too, for Mother’s Day, Father’s
Day, and graduation celebrations.
Non-Chocolate Website of the Month: The internet can be
a great research tool and increase your productivity. But sometimes
you just want something a little less utilitarian. Enter Taquitos.net,
the site that’s “serious about snacks” with the
brilliant slogan “the web just got less useful”. The
folks here are snack reviewers and will go long distances to make
certain they have left no tortilla chip, pretzel, popcorn, potato
chip, or other snack food of that ilk untasted (my favorite category
is Things Shaped Like Cheese Puffs That Don’t Actually Have
Cheese). Although the site is light-hearted (see the article on
the Snacking Tour of the Southwest), these people are not kidding
about what they do. I love the fact that this site is both a frittering
away of time and a place where you can actually learn something.
I saw at least a dozen reviews of snack foods I’d never even
heard of before and naturally must now look up all of the products
online, thus engendering the squandering of more time as well as
genuine knowledge. There’s even a “Jobs” section;
as of this writing, the site is looking for a Pretzels Editor and
a Cheese Puffs Editor. Whether you’re pretending to be busy
at work or just want to read the latest reviews on food you probably
shouldn’t even be eating, surf on over to www.taquitos.net.
Do you have a comment, question, or suggestion? I’d like to
hear it. You can reach me at: .
Please specify that you’re writing about chocolate. Thank
you!
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