Archive for the ‘People’ Category
Monday, January 14th, 2013
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
Huell Burnley Howser
(October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013)
 Joan and I worked with Huell Howser on the third hour of the Ken and Barkley Saturday Morning Show on KABC. This was soon after Huell arrived in Los Angeles. Hour three, considered the lifestyle segment, featured Huell who introduced us to places in our own backyard that many of us weren’t familiar with; Chuck Walsh reviewed the latest movies and Joan and I featured restaurants by bringing in food from the establishments being discussed. Somehow Ken Minyard held the whole thing together with his fun banter with Roger Barkley. It was a fast, fun-filled hour (pre-taped on Wednesday mornings) which hit the airwaves at 9am. Huell was the first one to notice that when we were plying them with mouthfuls of food, it made it possible for us to get a word in edgewise.
Around this time, Huell had just taped the first segments of California’s Gold, his travel show, based in Los Angeles at KCET for California PBS stations. The series was a video chronicle and celebration of the history, culture and people of California. This was to become a tradition on television for the next 20 years.
Huell was born in Gallatin, Tennessee. He received a Bachelors degree in history from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he also served as student body president. After serving in the United States Marines and later on the staff of Senator Howard Baker, Huell began his television career at WSM-TV in Nashville with a series of “human interest” stories.
Huell worked in New York as the host of WCBS-TV’s “Real Life” show and then moved to Los Angeles in 1981 as a reporter for KCBS-TV and as weekend host on Entertainment Tonight. In 1985 he joined Los Angeles television station KCET, then a PBS affiliate.
Huell was always excited about everything. California’s Gold highlighted small towns, landmarks, events or places of interest throughout California which are not well known to the general public, with Huell conducting informal interviews with the locals. He also produced derived shows including California’s Golden Parks, California’s Water, Visiting… with Huell Howser, Our Neighborhoods, The Bench, Road Trip, California’s Golden Fairs, and various specials.
Huell was a generous man donating his entire videotaped collection of California’s Gold to Chapman University. He also donated his personal papers, and a large collection of books on California history to the university. The school established the Huell Howser Archive, which, when completed, will offer the public free access to the entire digitized collection of episodes of California’s Gold. He also gave his extensive art collection to the university and endowed the California’s Gold Scholarship Fund.
 The last time we met up with Huell he was standing behind the host stand at El Coyote restaurant on Beverly Boulevard speaking with one of the owners. I was there with my visiting London nephew and giving him my full attention when I heard Huell’s smooth, southern accented voice, “Mr. Engoron, will that be a table for four?” We laughed and talked for about an hour about his series, our futures and Huell wanted to know all about Choclatique. We promised to get together soon at the Chocolate Studio but Huell was not able to visit because of his progressing illness.
Huell Howser’s death made us very sad, but then we can just tune to an old episode of California’s Gold and see him still very much alive and feel happy when watching his show. Goodbye Huell—rest in peace.
  Chocolate Doctor
Tags: California's Gold, Huell Howser, PBS
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Friday, August 31st, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 While not actually a member of the original See’s family, Charles N. Huggins, the retired president and CEO of See’s Candies, might have been known as “Papa” See’s. He served as president and CEO of the California-based company from 1972 to 2005 and had been with the company for more than 55 years.
I grew up on See’s chocolate living in Southern California and, as a Cub Scout, had visited the factory on La Cienega Boulevard which turned out to be one of the inspirations that enticed me to start Choclatique.
 See’s Candies was founded in 1921. They are known for their sparkling clean black and white shops where candies are packed to order. See’s has reputation for having quality chocolate and has been a great brand with which to compete.
Mr. Huggins died on August 19th at the age of 87. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family. Mr. Huggins is survived by his wife of 12 years, Donna; sons Peter and Charles; daughters Anne and Shelley; sister, Ruth Slack; and nine grandchildren.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Charles N. Huggins, See's Candies
Posted in Chocolate, Confections, Food, People | Comments Off
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
Let me take a moment to break away from our wonderful topics—CHOCOLATE and CHOCLATIQUE—and talk about the loss of a friend and one of the stalwarts of the entertainment and music industries.
 I first met Dick Clark when I was hanging out at the old ABC Television Studios on Prospect and Talmage on the fringe of Hollywood. That was before the days of high security, pass codes and pictured identification cards. I was around so often that someone finally offered me a job in the art department and very soon thereafter became an art director. Art directors are those guys and gals who design the scenery and sets for television show and movies. I was only in my late teens, (lied about my age; pushing 17 up to 26), but thankfully I had enough talent to convince people I knew what I was doing.
 One of the shows I was to work on was American Bandstand. It’s kind of funny looking back today; I was just about the same age as the dancers on the show. I got to know Mr. Clark as each week I tried to design something a little bit better which seemed to impress him. Now, this was no easy feat. In the mid-60’s the budget for a show like this was only in the hundreds and you had to really stretch a dollar to get any production values at all.
 The one thing I did learn about Mr. Clark was that he was one of the kindest men on the lot. He always took the time to talk to everyone on the set. He was very protective of the young unpaid kids who danced on the show, and was always showcasing new talent. I was there on Stage A for the first TV appearance of Sonny and Cher (I Got You, Babe), Chubby (The Twist) Checkers and many others.
 One afternoon our director, Hal Galley, became ill with food poisoning (no, I didn’t do it). There were no other directors on the lot. Mr. Clark came over to me and asked if I would fill in for Hal. At the moment, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Mr. Clark took me aside to assure me that I had been in the control booth long enough that he was sure I could handle a 30-minute show. Let the truth be known we had such a well-oiled group of professionals who had worked on the show for several years that no one could have failed at the task.
 My first words were, “Cue the music!” and as I heard that famous theme score start, I began calling the shots. What a thrill to be asked by Dick Clark himself to fill in as a director. At the commercial breaks, Mr. Clark rushed up the stairs to compliment me on a job well done. I finished out the week for Hal and then went back to my normal duties of designing sets for Day in Court, Queen for a Day and Shivaree.
 Several years later I got a call from Dick who asked me to draw some sketches for a new sitcom he was pitching. It was to be a comedy based on the life of a cave man that started out with a brute hitting his wife with a club and dragging her back to the cave. This was to be a kind of non-animated (totally polically incorrect) take-off on the Flintstones. Thankfully, nothing ever came of it.
 I left the entertainment industry to open the first of many restaurants and later Choclatique. Over the years, Dick would be a guest at one of them. He always remembered me as “the kid” he gave the first shot to direct and I will always remember him as one of the the most generous gentlemen in Hollywood. So long, Dick, and rest in peace.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: ABC Television Network, American Bandstand, Dick Clark, Entertainment Industry
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Thursday, November 17th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
One of the people who make a difference at Choclatique
Karen is our senior chocolatier. She’s been with Choclatique from the very beginning and worked on the creation during the very long research and development years when we first got started. She started as an assistant, but soon showed she had much more artistic talent than she even realized. I remember we were working in the lab when she showed me how she would decorate one of our beautiful confections. It was so beautiful I was surprised to hear that she had never worked with chocolate before and had never done much in the way of conventional art work.
 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.
Karen played an important part in testing the recipes in Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. If you’re interested in learning more about chocolate, its affects on the human body and improving your disposition, buy Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. It is a great holiday gift and most importantly, the recipes make luscious tasting desserts perfectly the first time and every time thereafter. It is a foolproof guide to making all of your favorite desserts and improving your sweet disposition and those all around you.
 CHOCLATIQUE by Ed Engoron
Full-Color Throughout 256 pages • 8 x 10 $27.00 /$31.50 CAN /£14.99 UK ISBN 978-0-7624-3964-5 • hc Available on the Choclatique Website and Book Stores, September, 2011 Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Chocolate Cookbook, Chocolate Decorating, Chocolate Desserts, Chocolate Holiday Gifts, Chocolate Making, Chocolatier
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Thursday, November 10th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
Now he says, “High-Fructose Corn Syrup Is Not Necessarily Worse Than Sugar.”
 In the past, when Michael Pollan talked about the food industry, people listened. You might know him as the author of In Defense of Food. Pollan used to wield a lot of influence among those who care about mindful eating, both in terms of health and sustainability, but as with all food terrorists he so exaggerated his unscientific and repeated condemnation of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as particularly harmful has he lost his creditability. He had done great harm to the sweetener’s reputation over the past few years with his damaging remarks.
But now Pollan is changing his public stance on HFCS. He was asked about the dangers of HFCS in a recent interview with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and he flip-flopped on his past opinion.
 “I’ve done a lot to demonize it (HFCS),” he says. “And people took away the message that there was something intrinsically wrong with it. A lot of research says this isn’t the case. But there is a problem with how much total sugar we consume.” High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than sugar, so it traditionally was pumped into a lot of foods, including savory items.
“It shows the brilliance of the industry, which is always a couple of steps ahead of me,” Pollan says. “They started giving products made of real sugar health claims and [are] trying to make sugar look good.” And that is a problem.
In the same interview, he cites both the demonization of high-fructose corn syrup and the craze for gluten-free products as examples of the faddishness of nutritional thinking.
As with all of these self-proclaimed experts, this guy doesn’t know which end is up. Both sugar and corn products are natural and sustainable and are easily grown right here in the United States keeping a lot of our farmers in business. Quite frankly, I think Pollan just likes to hear the sound of his own voice and the cash register ring when he sells his over-priced books.
Now, at Choclatique we don’t use a lot of corn syrups. We probably use as much rice syrup as the alternative. We do use Hawaiian-grown cane sugar as we like the taste and the functionality of what it does for our confections. I don’t own stock in Archer-Daniels-Midland, the largest provider of corn syrups. I don’t work for them nor consult with them so I have no ax to grind unless it’s with people of influence who, quite frankly, don’t really know what the hell they’re talking about.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: HFCS, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Michael Pollan, Self-proclaimed Experts
Posted in Food, Health, People | Comments Off
Friday, November 4th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
One of the people who make a difference at Choclatique
 Dave makes sure that Choclatique chocolate looks as great when you get it as it did when it left the Chocolate Studio. Sometimes that can be hundreds of boxes a day to keep track of. He keeps his steady hand on the pulse of the shipping department to make sure we never disappoint anyone. After all, we are doing more than just selling chocolate, we are providing memories. Dave knows we can never be late delivering a birthday, anniversary or Valentine’s Day box of chocolate.
As an avid record collector and deejay, one of Dave’s other interests is music. He’s also something of a pop culture historian by virtue of the fact that he spent much of his formative years watching television and films. These days, he plans on spending more time hiking and trying to work off some of the extra calories he’s taken on as one of Choclatique’s taste testers (all in the name of Quality Assurance, of course).
 Dave was one of our proofreaders for Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. I don’t know how many times he read the manuscript, but I’m sure he must have been dreaming about recipes for weeks. If you’re interested in learning more about chocolate, its affects on the human body and improving your disposition, buy Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts. It is a great holiday gift and most importantly, the recipes make luscious tasting desserts perfectly the first time and every time thereafter. It is a foolproof guide to making all of your favorite desserts and improving your sweet disposition and those all around you.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Chocolate Cookbook, Chocolate Desserts, Chocolate Holiday Gifts
Posted in Chocolate, People | Comments Off
Monday, October 10th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
Steven Paul Jobs (born February 24, 1955) was an American business magnate and inventor. He was the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs previously served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney. He was credited in the 1995 movie Toy Story as an executive producer. Jobs believed in being the best.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Apple CEO, Choclatique, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, MAC, Steve Jobs
Posted in People, Technology | Comments Off
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 One of the best things about working in the food and confection world is all of the wonderful people that cross your path. I love their personalities and their sense of humor. Some stay a little longer than others, but with few exceptions they all leave a positive imprint on our company and on our lives. Now I’ve been a part of this industry for more years than I care to admit. We have owned our own restaurants, been consultants to the Fortune 500 of food companies, and for the last 7 years we have been totally immersed in chocolate. I’m sure those conjure up some vivid images. People come and go and many come back again. We always try to leave our special imprint by way of establishing an honest work ethic and teaching our co-workers many tricks of the trade.
Last week one of our long distance co-workers showed up on our door step. Spencer Kells was our Executive Chef From 2001 through 2003 just when we began the research and development phase of Choclatique.
 Spencer was plucked from the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok and transported to Los Angeles. As the number #2 there, he worked 100 to 120 hours a week cooking some of the best food in Thailand. I loved his food and his great personality and thought he would be perfect for our company. And he was looking for an improved quality of life. We worked on a variety of sweet and savory solutions that are still being served in our clients’ restaurants. He left for more excitement to go to the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC.
 You see when you’re on the cooking line in a restaurant in the heat of the night, the adrenalin pulses through your veins and you get a tremendous rush. After two years, Spencer was missing that thrill. Spencer left us to cook for the glitterati of DC including current and past Presidents, Senators, Representatives, Supreme Court Judges and the Who’s Who of Washington. In fact, his first month there he cooked for George W’s second inauguration party.
 Spencer moved back to Thailand to marry a wonderful lady, Katya, and they now have two beautiful little girls, Zoe and Chloe. For me and the girls, it was love at first bite. Little girls seem to really like me… or maybe it’s the chocolate.
 I have found that chocolate is a conversation opener for women of all ages. I make friends on planes with just the mere wave of a Choclatique Chocolate Bar. I get upgraded to first class, escorted through customs, breeze by security and treated to VIP star service with most airlines.  I found that a well-placed piece of chocolate at the front desk of my hotel brings all sorts of amenities to my room. Chocolate is not only good for you physically, but fantastic for one’s ego. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to say I own the company. But even when not said, chocolate seems to forgive all sins.
 I have one word of advice to all you guys out there—Chocolate. If you want to make friends, be forgiven for some unthinkable transgression or be the life of the party, give a little chocolate. And for you ladies… remember, guys like chocolate, too.
Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Chocolate Bars, Chocolate Gifts, Co-Workers, Friends
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Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
— Ed Engoron, Co-Founder of Choclatique
Author of Ed Engoron’s Choclatique, Running Press, 2011
 I always really liked Barbara Fairchild even before I met her. When Joan and I moved The Food Show over to ABC, she was one of the first to call us to wish us good luck. As the Editor-in-Chief of Bon Appétit, Barbara kept the magazine relevant and presided over at least two redesigns of this classic food magazine. I can’t remember a single issue of the magazine where there was not at least one chocolate recipe.
During Barbara’s time at Bon Appétit, she was honored with three James Beard Awards, and oversaw the highly successful The Bon Appétit Cookbook, released in the fall of 2006 and was named one of the top books of the year.
In more recent years she became a bi-coastal traveler having management and creative responsibilities in both Los Angeles and New York. I can attest to the fact that traveling back and forth can take its toll. December was Barbara’s last issue of Bon Appétit with her at the helm. I am sure she will be on to bigger and better things. So, thank you, Barbara, for all your contributions to our industry.
 When I received my February issue of Bon Appétit I was curious to see if the magazine had changed and what kind of attention the new editorial team would give to chocolate. I didn’t even have to open the magazine to see that chocolate is still an important part of their attention. Thank you Victoria, Katie, Hugh and Sarah. Beginning on page 86 is a section all about cocoa power. The article written by Alice Medrich and beautifully photographed by Christopher Griffith is up to the standards we have all learned to appreciate.
 The recipes include Crisp Cocoa Pecan Cookies, Chocolate Stout Float, Bittersweet Cocoa Soufflés, Cocoa Layer Cake (that I felt I could have eaten right off the page), and of course, the cover shot of Cocoa Brownies with Brown Butter and Walnuts. These brownies look like those wonderfully fudgy-in-the-middle and chewy-on-the-outside, made-from-scratch, shiny, crackly top home made goodies with results that you can never get from a store-bought brownie or a mix (except ours, of course).
 I always like using browned butter with chocolate. It adds a rich, nutty flavor that can’t be duplicated with any other shortening. When I am making a recipe that calls for creaming the butter with sugar, I will brown the butter and then cool it so that it creams just like fresh butter that hasn’t been browned. Give it a try, you’ll love the results.
And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of this month’s issue of Bon Appétit. I promise you will love the chocolaty recipes you’ll find inside.
 Chocolate Doctor
Tags: Barbara Fairchild, Bon Appétit, Chocolate Recipes
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Friday, May 28th, 2010
— Joan Vieweger, Co-Founder of Choclatique
This weekend our nation “celebrates” Memorial Day… you know, the 3-day weekend that marks the unofficial start of summer. The weekend of baseball, barbecues and blockbuster movie debuts. The weekend of legendary mattress, car and stereo sales for those who venture out and Law & Order, and NCIS marathons for all you couch potatoes.
 What seems to get lost in all of the eating, watching and shopping is the real significance of the holiday… a day of remembrance and respect for those who died in service to our country. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic; it was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1971, as part of the National Holiday Act, Congress made the holiday a three-day weekend, a move the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) believes has “contributed greatly to the general public’s nonchalant observance of Memorial Day.”
This spring, I re-watched HBO’s excellent Band of Brothers series as the lead-up to the new series The Pacific. Though the docudrama was very compelling on its own, the video vignette interviews of the actual servicemen from World War I and World War II were moving beyond words. Even all these decades later, the pain of their experiences was evident on their faces, yet they were proud of their service of their fellow soldiers so many of whom never made the trip back home.
 Those of us who have never served in the military can never begin to fathom what thousands and thousands of brave soldiers have endured—and are enduring—to protect us and our allies in conflicts. We owe these brave men and women—and their families—a debt we can never repay.
In December 2000, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed in hopes of re-educating and reminding Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day. The resolution asks that at 3:00 PM local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.’” It would seem that this is the very least we can do to pay deep respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom.
 At Choclatique, we proudly support the men and women of the military—past, present and future—who defend our country. We have been very fortunate to become acquainted with many troops currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They and their families inspire us and help us put life’s little inconveniences into proper perspective.
If you find yourself compelled to watch a marathon this weekend, at least tune in to the AMC channel. Beginning at 9:00 AM, you can view 7 classic war films, including The Devil’s Brigade, The Enemy Below and To Hell and Back. But please… don’t forget to take a moment to stop and remember those who gave their lives defending ours.
Tags: AMC, Armed Services, Heroes, Memorial Day, Sacrifice, Servicemen, Veterans, VFW
Posted in Historic Events, Holidays, People | Comments Off
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