Great Taste

The Upper Midwest and chocolate: Let's go crazy

News and views about "healthy" chocolate seem to only get better (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/chocolates-startling-heal_b_825978.html) and what's more, some of the best chocolatiers are right in our midst--in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and (just a tad south) Chicago. 

Let's start local with B.T. McElrath, out of Minneapolis: https://www.btmcelrath.com/index.asp. Offered by a number of Minnesota retailers, its shiny-as-if-buffed, refined candies can be discovered south of the metro Cities at ZZest Market & Wine Cafe, Rochester, Slant Avenue Mercantile, Laneboro, and Present Perfect, Northfield.   

Fresh from Duluth, 185 Chocolat (http://185chocolat.com/links.html) is featured in Rochester at Sopra Sotto.  

Our next door neighbor, Wisconsin, claims greatness with artisan dairy products and now can also pride itself on Candinas Chocolatier, made and sold only in the Madison area. (http://www.candinas.com/) 

Traveling via the northern route around Lake Michigan, GG arrives in Fudge Country--but that's for another blog post. Here is Grocer's Daughter Chocolate, in Empire, Michigan. /http://www.grocersdaughter.com/ Then its on to truffle specialist The Chocolate Garden, Coloma: http://www.chocolategarden.com/

Last stop, all off, Chi-Town USA. Vosges Haut-Chocolat, popular for its bar chocolates, offers bittersweet-and-salty selections, among numerous concoctions that give tastebuds a sensory high:  http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/?gclid=CIL02sW4nqcCFQgHbAodtXSQcQ Vosges is sold in Rochester at Zzest Market & Wine Cafe.

Ah, this was such a hard blog to post....The agony. GG indeed has tried candies from all of the makers listed here and can confidently state they are right up there (or close) with fine Belgian chocolates, yet they stand on their own in mix-it-up, witty American style. GG is undoubtedly missing some other splendid makers; please comment on your faves. 

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day

Hmmmm. You didn't know?

Now you do. There's always Frango Mints from Macy's, should you have the urge to splurge for today's event.

Do certain foods and drinks really deserve coast-to-coast celebration?  Like sticky buns (Feb. 21), clam chowder (Feb. 25), and Kahlua (Feb. 27)?

GG hasn't decided. She's still perusing The Nibble's guide: http://www.thenibble.com/fun/more/facts/holidays-february.asp

Fellow Great Taste poster Jay will want to look ahead to National Absinthe Day, March 5.

Thinking about...chocolate?

Le Cordon Bleu Chef's Series presents "Valentine's Day Chocolates; Truffles and More," 10 am to 1 pm on February 12 at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul, 1315 Mendota Heights Road, Mendota Heights. 

The class is described as a "hands-on session" in which participants create hand-dipped candies, chocolate truffles, and molded holiday confections. "Aspects of how chocolate is made, how to temper and theoretical application will also be discussed."