My name is Stephanie Zonis, and welcome to the July-August, 2005 edition of For Chocolate Lovers Only! Each month, you’ll find a recipe or two, tips, and recommendations on great chocolate specialties. This month, a couple of treats specifically geared toward summertime, and a few more for enjoying later in the year.

This will be my last edition of For Chocolate Lovers Only. I began writing this column in 1998 and never expected it to last for so long, and I feel as though I’ve taken it as far as I can. I’d like to thank StarChefs.com for taking a chance on me and allowing me to share my love of chocolate with you. I’d like to thank my parents, family, and friends for their support and willingness to be “guinea pigs” for so many of my desserts. But most of all, I’d like to thank you, my reader. Your feedback and your questions have both challenged and inspired me for over 7 years, and that means a great deal. I hope you’ll keep trying new and different chocolate products that come your way. Now, let’s get into the kitchen!

Chocolate Recommendations of the Month: As it is summertime, I’ll give several “tried and true” recommendations for hot-weather treats this month. The first is for Bart’s Homemade, an ice cream maker in Massachusetts, www.bartshomemade.com. Despite the fact that the website hasn’t been altered in 4 years (a long story), the company is very much in business, and you can mail-order their terrific ice cream from them (you must try the Chunky Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry!). Then there’s Ciao Bella, www.ciaobellagelato.com, maker of delicious gelato and sorbetto in a bewildering variety of flavors. While their products are beginning to appear in some upscale markets, you can order some flavors by mail, as well. I’ve loved Sharon’s Sorbet (www.sharons-sorbet.com) for years now; their chocolate and coconut sorbets are both winners. I’ve seen these products in many markets in the Eastern US, but I’m not sure about distribution elsewhere in the country. The reverse applies to Double Rainbow (www.doublerainbow.com), with their deservedly-award-winning chocolate sorbet and some solidly good ice cream. These products are well-known in San Francisco, where the company originated, but distribution in the Eastern US may be more scattered. Finally, if you need a gelato or sorbet flavor you just can’t find, try Palazzolo’s Gelato and Sorbetto (www.4gelato.com). Palazzolo’s will customize flavors of gelato or sorbetto. That’s right; if their ultra-lengthy roster of flavors doesn’t already include what you want, you can custom-order a flavor (30-serving minimum). The most adventurous but possibly best thing to do here is to order the sample pack. I once received something similar from this company, and it was the equivalent of having a treasure chest arrive on my doorstep, because you didn’t know precisely what you’d find when you opened it. Too much fun!

Do you have a comment, question, or suggestion? I’d like to hear it. E-mail me at: sdziadwm@nac.net. Please specify that you’re writing about chocolate, or I might think it’s spam.