Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
What do incandescent light bulbs and cupcakes have in common? 
The state Cupcake Police are about to take away your right to eat a Twinkie. I first heard about this from Rich Lowry who wrote an article for the National Review, Introducing the Cupcake Cops. These are the same food terrorists who want to take away your rights to drink a bottle of pop or eat a doughnut. This time it’s a college professor from University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Robert Lustig. I would call them all morons, but that would give morons a bad name.
It’s the same old story—publicity seeking exaggerators trying to make headlines in the journals of medicine with bogus or incomplete research. You know the story, first they come for your Ramos Fizz, then your soda, and now they want to take away your donuts and cupcakes. If they had their choice they would launch Occupy C&H and camp out at a sugar plantation in Hawaii.
Lowry warns that the day will arrive when you have to undergo a background check and endure a three-day waiting period to enter a Dunkin’ Donuts. You can trace the loss of your unrestricted access to a Boston Kreme or French Cruller to this very moment… namely the publication in the journal Nature of an article calling for complete regulation of sugar as a deadly health hazard.
Lustig stops just short of calling for an all-out prohibition of sugar—that might be taking it a little too far (at first), but he does compare the consumption of sugary beverages and foods to the slave trade. As you can guess like most people of his ilk Lustig is not given to understatement. In a video discussion with his cohorts, he says that thanks to sugar and its contribution to chronic noncommunicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes, “we are in the midst of the biggest public health crisis in the history of the world.”
My goodness, could this be bigger than the bubonic plague that killed nearly half the population of Europe in the 14th century? Is it bigger than the 1918 flu pandemic that killed as many as 50 million people? Is a can of Coke so toxic that it nearly instantaneously wipes out a large proportion of the world’s population and influences the course of human civilization? If so, maybe we should consider sending a case or two of A&W Root Beer to Iran and forget all of the bombs and missiles that our government is thinking of unleashing.
The debate is still on among researchers about the harmful effects sugar has on our “ignorant” population. As you might imagine Dr. Lustig has already made his mind up and it is a dire view that could fuel his push for “gentle ‘supply side’ control strategies” to limit the intake of sugar, including “taxation, distribution controls, age limits.” He and his cronies dream of tighter “licensing requirements on vending machines and snack bars.” They must muse of “zoning ordinances to control the number of fast-food outlets and convenience stores in low-income communities, and especially around schools.”
Under this regime, we will go from gun-free school zones to chocolate-free school zones and where it might be sold he wants to double the price of a soda by taxation. They seriously propose starting to card young people who try to buy a bottle of pop, with an age cutoff of 17. We used to think if you were old enough to vote at 18 you were also old enough to have a cocktail. In Lustig’s warped view of the world you would have to have parental consent to both join the military and consume a glass of chocolate milk.
I’ve always known that too much of anything isn’t good for you. That’s what mom always taught us, not from any research or data, just common sense. Moms around the world are like that. Mom settled the issues rather directly without the need for new taxes taxes, new zoning ordinances or the need to carry national ID cards. Heck, you don’t even have to show a card to vote!
I’d like to see government leave it up to one’s parents. As it turns out, research shows the power of engaged parenting found that if children ate dinner with their families, got about 10 hours of sleep per night, and watched two hours or less of TV on weeknights, they had a lower risk of obesity. Of course it wouldn’t hurt if they also engaged in a little physical activity… you know, PLAY.
But Dr. Lustig apparently wouldn’t trust parents or individuals to make sound choices on their own. It’s not about public health, it’s about personal responsibility. What you choose to eat and drink is your business and should not be considered the province of government to mandate eating behavior?
Lowry sees it this way, “If this all seems good for laughs, just wait ten years. Before it’s over, the offending food and beverage companies—the “sugar merchants” [the purveyors of death], as a journalist sympathetic to Lustig’s case puts it—could well be as beaten-down as the tobacco companies. One of Lustig’s co-authors refers to sugar as “the substance.” The article cites “the dependence-producing properties of sugar in humans.” The predicate is there for making Little Debbie, despite her wholesome red curls and cheery slogan (“Unwrap a Smile”), into the moral equivalent of a drug pusher.”
At the end of last year I bought a whole case of old fashioned incandescent light bulbs so I could still use the dimmers on my lights at home. Okay laugh, but I’m already making plans to stockpile chocolate, cookie dough and a case of Pepsi, just in case.
There is so much more to learn about the food of the gods—CHOCOLATE. Some of the largest chocolate companies (Mars, Hershey, Nestle, Kraft) are working with independent researchers, private laboratories, universities and the USDA to unlock even more of the secrets of cacao. 
According to Mars, Inc.’s recent study of the health benefits of cocoa, we have now learned that cocoa flavanols’ cardiovascular benefits might be independent of any antioxidant properties. Absorption and metabolism play a significant role in how flavanols provide circulatory and cardiovascular benefits, while earlier research suggested flavanols exerted their benefits through an antioxidant mechanism.
1This chocolate supplier’s study shows the extensive metabolism of epicatechin following consumption of a flavanol-containing cocoa drink. The company says that because in vitro studies using un-metabolized cocoa flavanols do not consider metabolism, they are not able to accurately reflect what is happening in the body.
This week a couple of recipes from 
Martha Stewart also had great things to say about Choclatique—the chocolate on her 
Chocolate tables can be as simple as layers and layers of small traditional or personalized truffles, giant centerpieces or even a chocolate fountain that brings 
Here are a few new things to ponder from Choclatique; they won’t disappoint even the most jaded chocolate aficionado. Think about these for both your betrothed and your future wedding guests. You can use our “
Have you ever wondered who was the first cave person to ever consider eating an egg? “Hey Ferd, that funny looking bird just dropped something from his butt—let’s eat it!” Or the first person to try eating what they what they thought was bee poo and it tuned out to taste like honey. Ummmm!
New Orleans based Theodent has launched a toothpaste that uses compounds found in chocolate to strengthen teeth. The toothpaste uses a propriety blend, Rennou, which contains an extract of chocolate plus other minerals that work together to strengthen teeth. Rennou is used as a substitute for fluoride in Theodent’s toothpaste.
Theodent Classic is available for sale in some Whole Foods Markets in the US as well as in Canada and eventually will be available at other retailers at a suggested retail price of $9.99. In addition, Theodent 300, an extra strength version, will be marketed to select cosmetic dentists and medical professionals.
If you want to make your heart smile as wide as your teeth then also consider Choclatique’s 
The health benefits of high antioxidant foods have taken the scientific world—and the media—by storm. Recent studies suggest that the plant compounds, which act as antioxidants in foods, may reduce the risk of many kinds of illness, from heart disease to cancer. Antioxidants like those found in dark chocolate and cocoa, called flavanols have also been linked to some of the hallmarks of good cardiovascular health such as enhanced blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels and, in some cases, reduced blood pressure.
All of us at Choclatique wish you a very Happy New Year. We would like to thank you for making our fourth holiday selling season such a fantastic success. This year we increased our shipments by a whopping 45%. That might be expected in a booming economy, but during these troubled economic times, it is a ringing endorsement on the quality of our Choclatique artisan chocolate and companion products. We thank all of our loyal return customers and our new supporters who tried us for the first time this year.
None of this could have been achieved without the help of our wonderful artisans and support staff. A big “hats-off” to our chocolate team, logistics managers, packers and shippers who worked late into the night and on weekends to get our orders shipped. Also, kudos to UPS who didn’t miss a single delivery. A few may have been a little late due to the unpredictable weather we experienced, but they did a great job of delivering everything.
Here are a few things to look forward to in 2012. Once again we are hearing those famous words, “It’s cocktail time.” During the 1900s, a “cocktail” was a normal part of the social fabric of life. It wasn’t just a glass of cheap gin splashed over ice. It was an artistic achievement—satiny-smooth, fire and ice; Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in a glass; surgical cleanliness; insight and comfort; redemption and absolution. It was the Martini, the Old Fashioned and the Gin Fizz.
We start with the Martini—not just any Martini, but a Chocolate Martini—smooth and delicious. Also included in the Choclatique collected works of chocolate Retro Cocktails is a Champagne Cocktail, Orange Frappé, Daiquiri, Gin Fizz, Old Fashioned, Piña Colada, Planter’s Punch, Tropical Punch, Grasshopper, Singapore Sling, Rum & Coke, Zombie and the famous Screwdriver. You can now safely enjoy and savor your Choclatique cocktail hour and not worry about driving home. Happy hour just got happier!
This year we will also introduce Choclatique’s Tea Garden Chocolates. These solid chocolate wafers are chocolate already laden with antioxidants and further enhanced with the essence of exotic teas. Now you can experience the teas of the world in chocolate:
Usually when thinking about social media the first tools that come to mind are 
And lastly, just in time to enjoy for the summer are our new Choclatique Ganache Sauces which will be available in May. Our Dark, Milk, White, Azteca, Fudge and Burnt Caramel sauces are perfect over ice cream or to use in any of the recipes in 
Ringing in the New Year has always been a time for reflection—looking back to the past, and more importantly, looking toward the coming year. Once again it’s time to reflect on the changes we want to make in our lives and resolve to follow through on those ideals.
It is interesting to note that the evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better and younger. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape?
Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.
New Year’s Eve is always a great incentive to finally stop drinking or reduce the amount of liquor you consume. Going cold turkey is very difficult for the heavy drinker as most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once; they do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking.
Stress kills; it’s as simple as that. Reduce your conflicts; restrict your debates to those that count. Not everything has to be a win-all situation. Get a massage, relax a little! You’ll feel so much better and so will the people around you.
So you’re not in the 1% like you planned to be and you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders along with the majority of the nearly 300,000,000. It’s tough out there and we all know it. Take the time to say good morning, don’t forget to kiss your spouse each night and let your kids and coworkers know when they have done something right. Go out of your way to find someone in the act of doing the right thing. Put on that smile and be less grumpy.
Make this the year that counts. If you’re considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Community Colleges offer a wide variety of “lifelong learning” courses, and local YMCA’s offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. Or if the arts are more your thing, community museums and playhouses offer many adult studio classes.
As if anyone really needs more excuses to eat chocolate, the latest research indicates in even stronger terms that the long-term consumption of 
This is the first study to show the benefits of cocoa in dark chocolate over the long-term. Previous short-term studies have looked at the effects of cocoa on blood pressure, with encouraging results. However, there have been questions whether or not increasing chocolate intake over a long period of time would actually negate the blood pressure effects due to an increase in calories and fat. We suggest one of our new special squares of 
Don’t be tempted overindulge in dark chocolate. Regardless of the heart-healthy benefits of dark chocolate, experts still caution that you don’t overindulge. One, pre-measured, individually-wrapped square of 
Happy birthday, Vic! Victor is our utility infield chocolatier. He’s worked with Choclatique for two years. He started as an assistant, but soon took over the making of all our sugared products like brittles and 
But Vic’s talent doesn’t stop there. He is responsible for giving all of our Chicks their unique personalities. Each Chick is hand-decorated and Vic has the steady hand to add the eyes and beaks to each bird. Every Chick is a miniature masterpiece. Decorating a molded piece of Choclatique chocolate starts by painting molds with the desired design inside-out and up-side down. It takes a steady hand and a lot of patience. When you look at the detail, you have to admire how much goes into just a single Chocolate Chick.
Fall brings nature’s show of colors to California fig orchards, crispness to the air, and warm thoughts for the holidays. Each year at Choclatique we make a limited edition of our 
There are several great choices of figs this time of year—golden Calimyrna and dark purple Mission figs which bring elegance and unequalled flavor to your holiday gifts or table. Whether you’re going big this year and buying a bulk box of Missions or Calimyrnas to bake up a storm (and get the best price), or you’re putting together gift baskets featuring beautifully packaged, hand-packed figs, you should be able to find whatever you need.
When working at Choclatique, every piece has to be a miniature masterpiece. Decorating a molded piece of Choclatique chocolate starts by paint molds with the desired design inside-out and up-side down. It takes a steady hand and a lot of patience. When you look at the detail, you have to admire how much goes into just a single piece of chocolate. Karen is responsible for chocolate production and training all of our decorators.
One of the things that I particularly love about Karen is her up-beat personality and wicked sense of humor. She comes to work every day with a big smile on her face. She keeps everyone laughing in the Chocolate Studio every single day no matter how busy we are. I think it may be the euphoria she feels when she eats our chocolate.