Hi! My name is Stephanie Zonis, and welcome to the October, 2003 edition of “For Chocolate Lovers Only”. Every month, you’ll find recipes, tips, and recommendations on great chocolate specialties. This month: brownies for the time-challenged, the second in a two-part series that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of mixes.

Chocolate Recommendation of the Month: Say the word “Montana”, and the mind conjures up pictures of trout streams, endless panoramic views of the “big sky” there, and perhaps a national park or two. How about adding some chocolate to that mental imagery? The King’s Cupboard will be happy to help. Their sauces and hot chocolate mixes are just what you need to add a touch of style to your desserts or warm you up on a frosty October night. The dessert sauces are available in varieties such as Bittersweet Chocolate, Key Lime White Chocolate, and Espresso Chocolate; they even carry several types of non-chocolate and no-sugar sauces. The King’s Cupboard offers their sauces in pretty hexagonal jars, meaning that they are ideal as gifts (if you can resist sticking a spoon into them yourself, of course). There are genuine flavors here besides sweetness, something I don’t see often enough.

And speaking of not too sweet, I must tell you about the The King’s Cupboard hot chocolate mixes. I tried the Dark Chocolate Chunk, which has big hunks of chocolate in it that melt as you stir the mix into hot milk. It’s fun to make up a mug of this, and it actually tastes like chocolate and isn’t too salty. There’s also a Coconut Chocolate Chunk, with natural coconut flavor, and a Mint Chocolate Chunk. Three “regular” (no chunks) hot chocolate mixes and two no-sugar-added hot chocolate mixes round out the offerings. The tins for these mixes look great and will be usable long after the mix is gone; they’re really substantial. For that Montana image makeover, you can head to www.kingscupboard.com any time. Online shopping is in the works; meantime, to place an order, call (406) 446-3060 or (toll-free) (800) 962-6555.

Upcoming Chocolate Event: Chocolate lovers, are you ready? The Sixth Annual Chocolate Show is returning to New York City! Mark your calendar now; the show runs Thursday, 13 November through Sunday, 16 November. As always, there’ll be chocolate samples and chocolate holiday gifts, and look for the chocolate fashions and sculptures, too—they are truly amazing every year. Demonstrations by top pastry chefs and chocolatiers? But of course! This year there will be three kitchen-theaters, and the demonstration roster looks amazing.

The Sixth Annual Chocolate Show will open daily at 10 am (closing hours vary by day) and will once again be held at The Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. Admission price is $20.00 per adult, with discounts for senior citizens 65 and over, ID-card-bearing students, and children ages 6 to 14 (kids under 6 get in free). Tickets are available at the door or in advance at www.StarChefs.com or www.chocolateshow.com. This is a great opportunity to do a little early holiday shopping and taste some terrific chocolate into the bargain!

Do you have a comment, question, or suggestion? You can reach me at sdziadwm@nac.net. Please specify in the subject line of your e-mail that you're writing about chocolate. Thank you!