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Rococo Chocolates is one of our favorite shops in London. Their handmade chocolate is absolutely exquisite, some of which is organic and fair trade originating from their own cocoa farm in Grenada — Grococo. Rococo’s confections range from truffles to drinking chocolate, Italian nougat to crystalized flower petals, and on and on. Our personal weaknesses, however, are the artisan bars and bee bars — in such flavors as Basil and Persian Lime Dark Chocolate, Orange and Geranium Dark Chocolate and seasonal offerings like Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Dark Chocolate. Almost too lovely to imagine. And then there is the packaging! Rococo’s owner, Chantal Coady, studied and trained in textile design. The motifs on her packaging come from antique chocolate mold catalogs and are artfully combined with gorgeous calligraphy and printed on beautiful, heavy paper. Her shops are just as delightful. Rococo Chocolates does not ship outside the UK but take a look at their website for a taste of this old world yet distinctly modern vibe and for planning a visit on your next trip to London.
Rococo Chocolates www.rococochocolates.com
Masala Farm by Suvir Saran — think Dévi in Manhattan — is one of the best cookbook reads we have had this year. And we really mean READ. Full of wonderful, seasonally and locally inspired recipes, Masala Farm is also a chronicle of Saran’s life on the upstate New York organic and sustainable farm he shares with his partner Charlie Burd — American Masala Farm. Rightly presented within the context of the four seasons, it is peppered with stories about the farm and its inhabitants (both two and four-legged), Saran and Burd’s upstate community rich in fellow farmers and makers of some of the best food in the state if not the United States, and the joys of country life for these long-time city dwellers. Ben Fink’s photographs are gorgeous, Saran’s words are captivating and personal and remind us that food is about so much more than just sustenance. Masala Farm is a feast for the eyes, the stomach and the soul — its such a pleasure to have this peek into their world.
Masala Farm (Chronicle Books, 2011) www.masalafarm.com
We’ve discovered CHOBANI SOHO at the corner of Prince Street and West Broadway. Each of the dishes come in a beautifully presented glass cup with a cheese cloth printed top secured with a red string. This will make a delicious ‘breakfast on us’ to send guests home with at the end of a wedding!
Chobani has mastered the art of presenting and serving the most prefect dish of Greek yogurt! You begin by selecting one of the drool worthy menu combinations – we chose to try the Pistachio + Chocolate (pistachios, dark chocolate, honey, oranges, and mint leaves) and the Blueberry + Power (blueberries, chia seeds, hemp, walnuts & light agave). It was in a word – AMAZING!
www.chobani.com
