Birthday Gift – $10.00 to Everyone Registers to my Newsletter.

November 20, 2011 by 8 Comments

Dear friends, fans, followers and everyone else,

This is my birthday. This is my BIG birthday, if you understand what I mean. Usually, birthdays are a happy occasions. We are happy to be alive, we are happy to celebrate this event with our family and friends, we are happy that we can forget about calories and enjoy our birthday cake and we are happy for the opportunity to do something special, other than the usual, every day activities.

Big birthdays are different. It is not that we are not happy, but we are also nostalgic; after all, we just completed ten years in our lives and are about to embark on the next one. In my situation I am more looking back and reviewing events that happened in the ten years; there were happy events, there were sad events, there were times of apprehension and times of elation, I welcomed two new family members, and said goodby to the dearest person in my life, my mother.

There are changes in my health (and it is not due to getting older) and there are changes in my outlook on life. I paid attention that I smile when it is nice and sunny outdoors with beautiful clear blue skies and when it is overcast, cloudy and dark, I close the curtains for not to affect me, because it does. Some of you my remember the song by the Carpenters: “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down”. They do, despite the fact that there were many great events  in my life that occurred on very rainy days.

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Filed Under: Special topics, Uncategorized

The Food Police Made Me Do It.

September 14, 2011 by 1 Comment

Who says that a blog that writes about food always need to have a new recipe, a new photograph of a cake, a new cookbook review and so on…? I did not see any recipe police checking all the food blogs and gives out summons to those having a recipe or a photograph more than three days old.  And GD forbid if your recipe is a week old – you must be slacking off and must pay for it.

You either will be asked to report to the nearest food police station where you will be fingerprinted and your prints will be analyzed for food residues; if none found you will be retained by the station and will be forced to bake something in an oven that has never seen an oven thermometer, its cleaning system did not work since WWII and the bake ware that are handed to you by the chief chef has not only seen better days but has not seen any pastry chef since the last cake that burned into the dish with a pretty nice design, I may add.

Alternatively, you may choose to start to write something on Friday and not move from the computer until Monday (except when certain body functions necessitate your interruption) at which time you should write one post after another that allow people to laugh, to cry, to curse, to praise, to visualize, to think, (with their brain, I may add and not other parts of their body), to love, to share, to obey and to cherish ….I guess you get my point. I selected the later.

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Filed Under: humorous, Science of Baking, Tutorials Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Top 100 Blogs for Chocolate Lovers, Part 1 (first 25)

June 6, 2011 by 2 Comments

Bon-bon heaven by Georgette

Last night I was tired to work, tired to write, I was even tired to watch anything on the TV, but not yet tired enough to call it a day.  I was relaxing on my best armchair and while staring at the ceiling, it hit me -  how about just surfing on the Internet with the help of Firefox and see where it takes me. At first I just stopped at sites randomly and if I found something interesting to read, I did. Most of the time, however, I gave up after the first paragraph. It is really tough to find well-written blogs, written with the readers in mind and not trying to please SEO.
I was almost ready to quit when I found this site http://www.exploratorium.edu with a post titled: “The Sweet Lure of Chocolate”. The main reasoned I stopped to check it because it was talking about my favorite topic: chocolate. The appearance of the site is uninspiring; it is nearly monochromatic with a fading-away color and the site lacks organization, yet the writing continued to draw me in deeper and deeper, seeking for more. That just shows you how a well-written post can overcome all other obstacles. In addition, I found some magnetic titles of articles, like: “Chocolate invades Europe” or “Is the effect of chocolate on our health a benefit or risk?”; is that a real question, I asked myself? I had to click on those, if for nothing else, just to satisfy my unabashed curiosity. To make the long story short, I started to read not only this blog but other blogs that have the word chocolate in their URL, or in the title of their top post and that is how I collected blogs and eventually organized them into groups of relevance and came up with my title:

The Top 100 Blogs for Chocolate Lovers.


I. Blogs by Chocolatiers - I selected these sites because, first I already wrote about the top 10 chocolatiers in the US and I believe it was helpful in our selection of gifts, or treating ourself for a change. I thought, perhaps I may find new artists that create interesting confections; or my old favorite artists created something new, worth to mention in my next review.
1. Recchiuti Confections – Michael’s’ new creations include boxes of confections that specifically match with beer, wine or whisky; great timing for Father’s Day. The packaging is very creative, as well. Each box has an opening in the shape of the correct serving glass for beer, wine or whisky.
2. Richart Chocolates – No change here since our last report, but this is exactly what we were hoping to see. How or why would you change something that is already perfect. A father that receives a box of chocolate created by Richart for Father’s Day will realize the extent of care and love his family has for him; they gave him the best.
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Filed Under: food blogs, Special topics, Tops Tagged With: , , , ,

Find the Best Desserts – Top 10 Dessert Blogs (Part 2)

May 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of my favorite foods - the berries, loaded with antioxidants

And here are the other five blogs that did not fit space-wise in part 1 of this post.   Just to refresh your memory, one of the important criteria in the selection process was to find bloggers that are providing us with great baking ideas, recipes, stories, etc. but not listed on every blogger’s site as a fav, or enjoy 100 plus comments per post. Of course educational, visual and entertaining aspects were not overlooked.

not without salt

The first thing that attracted me to Ashley’s blog is the word poppy-seed on top of the home page. If you have visited my site previously you know that one of my weaknesses in baking is “poppy-seed”. In Hungary, you are thriving on poppy-seed from the moment you born. I think my mother was preparing all her meals with poppy-seed while breast-feeding me.

But seriously, Ashley’s blog is everything a successful baking blog should be – educational, informational, stimulating (all your senses) and entertaining. When selecting blogs as “top” among the so many, I am very much aware of the readers’ need. When you are deciding to prepare a sweet treat, whether for a nice quiet evening with the family or for a celebration of some sort, you want the dessert to be special, but easy to prepare; not time-consuming, but when presenting it to a crowd, you want it to look as if you have labored for hours to create it just for them.

Ashley’s blog, not without salt, fits all the requirements of a leading blogger, with a quest to teach, share and cook everything with love and salt. It also reminded me the story I wrote about a while ago about the importance of salt in our existence; so go ahead and read it, I am sure you will enjoy it.

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Ten Tips to Become a Better Baker

April 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 

Rigo Jancsi: The cake is named after Rigo Jancsi, a Hungarian gypsy violinist, who helped create it for the woman he loved!

There are so many books about baking, bakers, cakes, desserts, chocolates, etc., that it made me wonder how all these books are doing so well in a crowded market? How a publisher can accept to publish another baking book, unless the author accepts a sure failure?

But here we are in 2011 with more food bloggers getting ready to publish their book (e.g. Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, in 2012), celebrities are having more fun writing cookbooks then acting (Suzanne Somers, Gwyneth Paltrow), and Joanne Chang, the owner of Flour Bakery in Boston, sold 20,000 copies of her new book before she could even start her book signing tour.

How can it be? Well, for one, there are so many of us baking enthusiasts who rather buy more bookshelves than miss a new book about baking. The truth of the matter is that it is one of the better ways to enhance our knowledge and understanding in baking and learn new techniques and creative recipes.

Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Another great source to satisfy our thirst for understanding the culture of baking is the Internet, particularly the many blogs that appear to cover foods from appetizers to after dinner drinks and more. Chocolates & Figs is one these blogs, where we aspire  to be your resource  with problem solving and making sure that you are up-to-date in the baking world.  Our goal is assisting you to cut the events when your baking product is less than perfect. We are aiming to reinforce your confidence in baking (and in creating confections) and provide you with the necessary tools to be successful all the time, not only some of the time.

Dark and White Chocolate-dipped Strawberries

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Filed Under: cookbook reviews, food blogs, Special topics, Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

An Open Letter To David Lebovitz

February 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

Dear David,

The first thing I said upon finishing to read the entire 9,238 words-length post, titled “Food Blogging”, is: WOW! (Sorry David, but it calls for an exclamation mark and I am not laughing).   The second thing I said: “I can’t believe I read the entire article”.  Then I added:  “Yes I can”. It is always a pleasure to read your post, but this time it affected me emotionally, so much so, that it took me some time until I was able to write a comment on your site.  That someone with your experience and know-how would be willing to share his knowledge with the entire food blogging community magnanimously, and without ever considering the fact that these people are your competitors, is just astonishing.  I’d like to thank you on behalf of all the newbies (including myself),  for all those considering to join the food blogging community and  everyone else that is inspired by your achievements.  We truly appreciate your support and leadership.

I started my blog about 3 months ago and as you can imagine I downloaded many e-books, reports and articles about how to develop an effective blog that is interesting to read to an extent that people will come back for more. None can be compared to your post. It is inspirational, illuminating and the best “how to” tutorial. If I never thought about writing a blog about food, following reading your post, I would get myself next to my computer and start to write.

I am not at all surprised about the tremendous interest in this and other posts you write; the first time I encountered your site, it was love at first site or bite? Although you are trying to convey to us in this post the importance of hiring a designer for creating an attractive blog site (and I am not saying that it is not important), but the main reason people come back to your site repeatedly is because of the style and tone of your writing, as well as the topics you chose to write about. It has a “relaxed” conversational style (at times almost hypnotic) that one can actually imagine as if you are sitting on the couch in the living room next to him/her and explaining the how’s and why’s of blogging. Only after reading a couple of your posts that I started to understand what these so-called “experts” mean, when they emphasize the importance of great content.

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SAY GOODBY TO MISMATCHED LIBIDO THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

February 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Premium Chocolate Mousse for Two

People say “Forget Love. I’d rather fall in chocolate.” I say, why choose?? With legend, lore, and even science suggesting that chocolate may have aphrodisiac properties, love and chocolate seems like a match made in heaven. There is nothing more stimulating than sharing a great chocolate dessert (in many different ways) with your lover in a lively surroundings.

CHOCOLATE – THE FOOD OF LOVE

As you know, aphrodisiacs are substances that enhance our libido.  Modern science has confirmed that eating chocolate causes the brain to release certain neurotransmitters (i.e. endorphins, serotonin, and phenylethylamine) that enhances our “happy” moods. Endorphins cause feelings of euphoria and trigger the release of sex hormones. Serotonin is a “necessary” chemical in our brain if we want to be in a “happy” mood and wish to be aroused. If we have low serotonin levels in our brain it is nearly impossible to feel aroused or get into the feeling of sexual pleasure. Phenylethylamine (PEA) increases the pulse rate and feelings of excitement, resulting in sensations similar to those experienced when one is in love.  As you can see these are real desirable ingredients (that is why I make sure that I eat at least three times a day about 2-3 ounces of dark chocolate with 66% or higher cacao content) I guess your next question is: “And how is your sex life?”; Well, I will let your imagination run wild with that one. The only secret I will let you on is that my grandchildren cannot visit me unannounced.

Chocolate’s reputation as an aphrodisiac extends as far back as our knowledge of chocolate itself. Aztecs believed that chocolate aroused men and made women less inhibited; reportedly, the Aztec emperor Montezuma drank 50 goblets of chocolate each day to enhance his sexual performance ( I wonder what 50 goblets equals to today’s measurements? Am I near with 6-9 ounces/day?) Naturally, when the Spanish explorers carried this exotic food back to Europe, its reputation went along for the ride. Chocolate has been a traditional gift for lovers ever since.

So, how should you prepare to make this the most memorable Valentine’s Day?  Whether you’re planning an unforgettable breakfast in bed, a romantic getaway on a Greek Island, or a secret “love in the afternoon” with that special someone, chocolate has to be on the menu.

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Filed Under: chocolates, humorous, Valentine's Day Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MY TOP FIVE RESOLUTIONS FOR 2011 THAT I REALLY PLAN TO KEEP

January 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The title of this should come as no surprise. We all go through the resolutions process each year and never learn. However, this year I am empowered by a Wall Street Journal article that advised me how to keep my resolutions – START EARLY.

Well, I started just before Christmas, but due to a family event, I am just posting about it now.

What about you? Did you start early? If yes, I would like to hear from you – what are your resolutions? Perhaps we should monitor each other and see who can follow their resolutions the longest. Is that a deal?

Send me the list of your resolutions and whomever keeps them for the longest period, (verifiably, of course),  will receive a nice gift.  I have quite a few cute items (from a previous business) that can be arranged into a gift basket (i.e. mugs with funny messages, heart-shaped glass containers with red ribbons, small picture frames and more) and I may even include a box of my fabulous chocolate truffles.

There is one last qualifier for this challenge – let me in on your secret as to how you managed to keep your resolution. This accountability project starts now and is even for the resolution procrastinators. Here are my top five resolutions for this year.

Resolution No. 1 – Make this blog a priority.

I will work hard to develop this blog to be a reliable resource for my fellow chocolate appreciators – by offering posts that are fun to read, yet educational and most of all, supporting  our passion for chocolates. It seems easy – I like to write, I  am passionate about chocolates (particularly the dark ones) and I’d like to consider myself a “foodie.”

This should be easy to keep, right? Unless, I will be broke and will need to do some “real work” that pays some “real money” that will assist me in paying my “real” rent. Better yet, I will be following my mentor’s advice – write between 10 p.m. and
1 a.m., about my passion – chocolate – and work hard at my j-o-b during the day to pay the bills.

Resolution No.2.  I will stop eating meat  – I will go GREEN.

This year I plan to stop eating meat. This resolution should be easy enough. I do not even like meat all that much, except for a nice rare beef wellington or rack of lambs roasted to perfection. However, I guess a succulent lobster can take the place of these favorites (Is that allowed if I am a vegetarian?). Moreover, I am a “dessert” person with hopelessly sweet tooth.

Per the WSJ, all I have to do is train the part of my brain responsible for linking positive emotions to new habits – no meat – and I will be on my way to victory.

I could switch a three-course steak dinner for a three-course dessert dinner. Picture it. A great floating island as the first course followed by a citrus sherbet to cleanse the palate and topped off with a  Valrhona Manjari chocolate mousse. This one might be a winner, unless my brain will need positive rewards for milestones reached, which may include a nice rare beef wellington or rack of lambs roasted to perfection. Oy-Wey!

Resolution No. 3 – I will lose weight.

I definitely want to lose weight – it is a tradition for me every year. However, this time it will happen. I am going vegetarian, after all.

It usually works for a while. I will locate an appealing program, evaluate if it is doable and follow it for 2-3 months. I usually lose the tire around my waist and the bulges in all the wrong places. I will stand in front of the bathroom mirror every morning, making sure this is real. Then, I’ll go shopping every day to reward myself – I’m all about the positive rewards.

Then, hunger strikes while I’m shopping for my new skinny clothes. I have a sensible dinner waiting to be warmed at home. However, I’m not finished shopping. So, I’ll just have a coffee and cheesecake (the Cheesecake Factory is right next door to where I live and shop). Tomorrow, while shopping for my new slimmer wardrobe, I’ll repeat this shop and eat cycle, except the dessert will be different – as there are two ice cream shops, two bakeries, a chocolate salon and a cupcake boutique. My choices are endless – pistachio gelato, German chocolate cake, peanut butter chocolate cupcakes…You get the idea.

Unfortunately, by the time I finish my shopping, nothing fits, including my old clothing because now I am two sizes larger than before. So back it goes. This one may be tougher than it appears.

Resolution No.4 – I must check a cosmetic procedure off my list.

I have been dreaming about this resolution for years, while my wrinkles are getting deeper and more pronounced. My main reason for postponing this wish is that I am scared to go under the knife. Particularly, since I have seen many “botched jobs.” So, I always talk myself out of it.

However, today, many procedures do not require the  use of a knife or scalpel. I can get local Botox injections between my eyebrows, around my eyes and in the smiling line. Who wouldn’t want botulism toxins injected into her face to invoke temporary paralysis? So what if I sleep with my eyes half open and scare some people; I didn’t ask them to watch me sleep.

It’s actually a win-win situation. because I will not only lose my wrinkles, I will be the first to know if someone breaks into my home and plans to attack me.  And, I’ll have the advantage of scaring the intruder. This sounds promising.

Perhaps I should have a chemical peel instead. Sure, I’ll walk around looking like a towering inferno for a few weeks and give people chills. But, then I’ll be young and beautiful after it heals, unless I’m one of those people whose skin is susceptible to uneven pigment changes. Then, my son’s science teacher will ask me to come to show and tell and demonstrate how a rainbow is made.

Resolution No. 5 – I will spend more money in an effort to reduce my debt.

This year I want to get into debt – deep debt, by spending most of the money I don’t have. I just need to copy our government’s method and I will be on my way to keeping at least one resolution.

Probably the most popular resolution behind weight loss, people vow to “get out of debt,” even it means giving up the things they enjoy. Why go this route?

It’s much easier to enhance our lives with items we cannot afford but feel we must have, than to give up the conveniences we built up over the years. And why should we? Life is too short not to enjoy it. That’s what the credit card companies tell me. They send me cards with all kind of offers I simply cannot refuse. And remember, the more you shop, the more points you get. I just love rewards.

Filed Under: humorous, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,