• HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
• CHOCO-QUOTE OF THE MONTH
• THREE CHOCOLATE ROUTES
• NATIONAL CHOCOLATE-COVERED NUTS DAY
• PARTNERS IN CHOCOLATE
• CHOCO-WORD OF THE MONTH
  
• CHOCOLATE & CHAI
• CHOCOLATE MEETUP
  

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Chocolate and romance seem to go hand in hand. May cupid's arrow and lots of chocolate find their way into your heart and stomach! If you have a sweetheart you'd like to pamper this holiday, consider our gift certificates. These popular items are good for any scheduled public Neighborhood Chocolate Walk and are valid a year from the date of purchase. Through Tuesday, February 15, they will be available at the lower 2010 price.

CHOCO-QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Always serve too much hot fudge sauce on hot fudge sundaes. It makes people overjoyed, and puts them in your debt."
~Judith Olney, author of The Joy of Chocolate

THREE CHOCOLATE ROUTES

You can now register for Chocolate Tasting and More's March Neighborhood Chocolate Walks here. We'll be exploring Lake Oswego's sweetest nooks and crannies on Saturday, March 19th. Join us on a special mid-week Spring Break Pearl Walk on Wednesday, March 23rd and a Downtown Portland chocolate search on Saturday, March 26th. If you have a private group of five or more that wants to go "chocolating," contact us to set up your sweet adventure.

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE-COVERED NUTS DAY

Here's a quick recipe to whip up and enjoy this February 25th. Try the Chocolate Covered Almond Acorns with other coatings, such as shredded coconut or nibs, for a variety in taste, color and texture. Can't think of a better way to get your daily doses of chocolate and protein!

PARTNERS IN CHOCOLATE

Why not peruse through our list of Participating Downtown, Pearl and Lake Oswego Businesses, and treat yourself to chocolate delicacies all month long! Let's think local and make this a great month of love for these wonderful merchants.

CHOCO-WORD OF THE MONTH

The process of tempering, which gives chocolate its shine and snap, can be very intimidating to many people. However, this need not be the case. By adjusting the temperature of melted chocolate in a very specific fashion, one can cause one of six crystals in the cocoa butter to predominate and align just right. This can be accomplished manually or through the help of a machine. Check this video to find out how to properly temper chocolate with master chocolatier Jacques Torres.

CHOCOLATE & CHAI

Check out our most recent blog post containing a recipe for this deliciously exotic hot beverage. It may become your winter favorite.

CHOCOLATE MEETUP

The Portland Chocolate Lovers' Meetup was started to gather chocolate lovers together and explore the world of our favorite food group. If you live in the Portland, Oregon area, love meeting fellow food enthusiasts, and want to discover new and exciting chocolate in all forms, then please join us. Get more information by clicking here. Hope to see you at our next Meetup!

Cacao In Crisis?

For the last several months experts have been forecasting a cacao shortage based on a number of complex issues. The Ivory Coast, which produces over 40% of the world's beans, is in a state of political unrest, causing many farmers to flee the country. Also, of the world's 5.5 million cocoa farmers, only 10 per cent have been trained and certified as sustainable fair-trade producers. Couple these facts with changing weather patterns and lack of agricultural incentives and you have a potential crisis in the making. We are already seeing some of the effect from all this- with a 10% increase last month alone cocoa prices are at their highest costs in over 30 years. Get more info here.

Michael D. Coe & The Maya

If you have read The True History of Chocolate, you may be interested to know that Michael D. Coe will be appearing at Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Thursday, March 10th at 7 pm. This is part of the 2010-11 Linus Pauling Memorial Lecture Series and is sponsored by the Institute for Science, Engineering & Public Policy. Dr. Coe will examine "Solving Mysteries of the Ancient Maya." For tickets, please contact The PCPA box office or Ticketmaster .

WE'RE ON FACEBOOK

"Like" us and keep abreast of even more chocolate info, events, and happenings in Portland, the Northwest, and beyond.

A Special Thank You

Chocolate Tasting & More! is grateful to all our wonderful participating Metro businesses and program participants! Ditto to all the newsletter subscribers, website visitors, friends and family who take the time to read through The Cacao Nibbler. We wouldn't be here without you.