What exactly happened to February is a bit of a mystery.  It somehow passed by in the blink of an eye, lost in a flurry of deadlines, diapers and a whole lot of chocolate.  (Not complaining at all.)  And now here we are in March, which in Zürich is a confusing ping pong game of long gray wintery days and rejuvenating sunny spring ones.  Whatever the weather, March is a time to indulge.  In chocolate, that is.  It’s time for Zürich’s second annual Salon du Chocolat, March 22-24 at the Messe in Oerlikon.  Who’s ready ?!

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I’m still smiling from all the excitement of Switzerland’s first Salon du Chocolat (could also be the sugar).  Well over 15,000 people visited this chocolate extravaganza in Zürich during the last weekend in March.  They gazed with open mouths and cameras in hand at dresses made of real chocolate; they tasted exotic flavored ganaches and strawberries dipped in a chocolate fountain; they watched pastry chefs plate sophisticated desserts before their eyes – that ended up in their stomachs thereafter; they listened to experts explain the subtleties of pairing chocolate with wine, whisky or even just water; and they discovered chocolate companies from around the country that they may not have heard of before.  For three days, it was a treat for all the senses.

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I announced the exciting sweet news back in November of last year, when I began working with the Salon du Chocolat team in Paris to bring the world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate to Switzerland for the first time.  And now, the big moment is nearly upon us !  Chocolatiers, pastry chefs and industry professionals are all fine tuning the details of their chocolate assortments, boxes, bunnies, recipes, conferences and more.  And as promised, a little preview of who and what you’ll see at the show this coming weekend, from March 30th to April 1st.

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It’s all just too exciting, so I’ll simply come out and say it: the Salon du Chocolat, the world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate, will be taking place in Switzerland for the first time !  Better yet, it will be here in Zürich (at Messe Zürich) from March 30 to April 1, 2012.  Mark your calendars for a sweet event not to be missed !

And guess what else… I’m helping organize it !!  I’m thrilled to be working again with Salon du Chocolat founders Sylvie Douce and François Jeantet and their team in Paris.  (I worked with them on the New York Chocolate Show when living there several years ago.)  Read the rest of this story >>

When October rolls around, you may be thinking Halloween and candy corn, pumpkins, falling leaves or a colorful Indian summer.  Me ?  I’m thinking chocolate. Nothing out of the ordinary, but this time, chocolate in Paris. It was my annual pilgrimage to the Salon du Chocolat, a chocolate fair like no other, in its 17th year. Time for a round-up of my favorite tastes at the show… If you were there, be sure to share yours too !

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Twas that time of year, when I found myself back on the TGV (high speed train) from Zürich to Paris with sweets on my mind.  You might think that after a few days of nonstop visits to pâtisseries, boulangeries and chocolate and sweet shops, I might be all sugared out. Not at all; I was just getting warmed up for the Salon du Chocolat, now in its 16th year, and with shows all around the world, even Cairo and Moscow.

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With family and friends living in and around Paris, I visit the City of Lights several times a year. But there is one trip that stands out from the rest. My annual pilgrimage in the fall for the Salon du Chocolat. Yes, I take an almost 5 hour train ride to visit this show. But then again, it’s no ordinary food show. We’re talking almost 14,000 square meters (150,000 square feet!) of floor, one stand after another, showing their finest products – the very best in the chocolate world today. Free samples abound.

On my train ride to Paris, after going through my endless lists of patisseries and boulangeries that I would visit during the few days leading up to the salon (that I’ll share soon too), I also went through my notes from last year’s Salon du Chocolat. It felt like it was just yesterday – I could still taste the masterful pairing of buckwheat flour and salted butter by Henri Le Roux.  I could picture the hot pink candied nuts of François Pralus’ signature Praluline and wondered if they would be baking at the show once again (oui !). I pictured my favorite discovery last year – Les Gayettes du Pays Noir from Belgium, as well as the meringues as big as rugby balls from Le Grenier à Pain, hoping they would both return to the show this year (unfortunately not, 0 for 2).

For the 15th year, the show was just as grand and impressive as previous years. Read the rest of this story >>

When I had asked the ladies in Paris’ Pralus shop about their signature pink praline brioche – why pink? – they simply said that blue or green wouldn’t have been the most appetizing.  They do make a fine point.  That said, blue M&M’s seem totally normal to me.  As do purple frosting and bright green lollipops.  But I was still quite surprised to see a blue chocolate bar the other day, on the road somewhere between Zürich and Lyon.

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If you’ve read my last few posts, you might be thinking – obsessed with macarons?! You’ve read about macarons in New York City, and you’ve read about macarons in Paris.  So yes, maybe a little obsessed.  But there are other things in life too.  I agree. Like chocolate. So thank goodness that my trip to Paris coincided with the 14th annual Salon du Chocolat. Ok, so maybe it wasn?t a coincidence. I have a long relationship with the Salon, having visited it in Paris many years back when it was a very high-end event on a smaller scale, held at the Carrousel du Louvre. I also helped run the media relations for the Chocolate Show in New York for several years. As the liaison between every exhibitor and the press, I had to know (and taste!) every product at the show.  Not a bad job!