Hi! My name is Stephanie Zonis, and welcome to the November (Thanksgiving) edition of "For Chocolate Lovers Only". Each month you'll find great recipes, tips, and recommendations on where to find chocolate specialties.

Chocolate Recommendation of the Month: If you are looking for excellence this holiday season, you need to check out Martine's Chocolates. If you live in or near New York City, you simply go to Bloomingdale's, at 1000 Third Avenue, and head for The Main Course on the 6th Floor. Martine's is a small boutique with a modest selection of pralines and truffles in pretty shapes, but what really sets these chocolates apart is their freshness. They aren't shipped in from anywhere; they're made right on the premises, every day. The ingredients used are obviously first-class, and the combination of appearance, taste, and freshness is exquisite. I can recommend the Palette (a filling of double chocolate truffle and whipped cream) and the Shell (a chocolate mousse filling) without reservation. In addition, Martine's produces an astonishing array of molded chocolates. How about a chocolate turkey with a red head for Thanksgiving, a chocolate star box with a menorah on top, a chocolate angel, or (my personal favorite) a chocolate frog? Molded chocolates made here include those appropriate for Christmas and Hanukah, other holidays, and weddings--and all are made of the same high-quality chocolate used in the pralines and truffles. This chocolate is expensive, but it is unquestionably worth buying. Martine's Chocolates ships world-wide, too. Give them a call at (212) 705-2347. Don't forget that it's wise to order in advance during the holiday season!

The Chocolate Show is coming!!! From Friday, 27 November through Tuesday, 1 December, The Puck Building, at 293 Lafayette St. (corner of Houston St.), in New York City, will be the site of The Chocolate Show. Hours: Friday, 27 November, 2 pm to 7 pm; Saturday, 28 November, 11 am to 10 pm; Sunday through Tuesday, 29 November through 1 December, 11 am to 7 pm. The Show will include music, tasting booths, interactive exhibits, demonstrations, seminars, and cookbook purchasing/signing sessions. Chocolate makers already signed on include Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Godiva, Ethel M, Neuchatel, Martine's (this month's Chocolate Recommendation!), and others; there will even be two or three companies new to the United States. Among the many chefs and cookbook authors scheduled to appear are Jacques Torres, Rose Levy Berenbaum, Francois Payard, Carole Bloom, Gaston Lenotre, and Nick Malgieri. Admission prices are ten dollars per person, eight dollars for senior citizens or culinary students with ID's, and five dollars for children under 12. For more information, you can call (212) 695-2475. I'll be there, too, so come up and say hello if you see me.

Do you have a comment, question or suggestion? I'd like your input into this column. You can reach me at: sdziadwm@nac.net; please specify that you're writing regarding "For Chocolate Lovers Only". Thank you!