Meeting Neil Diamond in a dark alley

This just in...
In a Larry King transcript, Neil Diamond admits to his passion for Goldenberg's Peanut Chews. He said that he found out stupid Barbra Streisand loves them too, so he bought her a bazillion bags, but then ended up eating them all on the plane. He was all like, "You can only get them in Brooklyn." Oh please. Go back to singing Sweet Caroline. The rest of us plebians will continue to placate our Goldenberg's fix with a trip to the local Walgreens.

A candy named Patricia

Shhh. Don't tell. I have a new boyfriend. His name is Fritz Knipschildt and he's a chocolatier. I met him tonight at his factory for a story I'm doing for the Post. This man is only 30 years old and his chocolate was voted #2 in the world--the freakin' WORLD-- by Gourmet magazine. It's a tiny little place and all the chocolate is hand-made. Each piece is named after a woman (including, I might add, Patricia, which is red chili and tangerine ganache). He gave me a box of assorted chocolates, a bottle of Passion Fruit & Ginger syrup and a dark chocolate hazelnut bar. Bless his warm, chocolatey heart.
I am so psyched for the Fancy Food Show this weekend. I think it's going to be even better than the Candy Expo, if that's possible.

Candy exchange

Holy Crap! I'm so excited I can't stand it. I recently met an Aussie on one of the writers' websites I belong to, and we got to emailing each other back and forth. She's a food writer, too, so we have lots to say to each other. BUT---check this out---we're doing a candy exchange!!! Oh, beloved Australian candy, I can't wait to meet thee. I sent her a big box of various delectibles...Twizzlers, Red Vines, Jelly Bellys, Nerds, Airheads, Goldenbergs, Pearson Peanut Roll, Fruit Stripe Gum and beef jerky for her husband. Oooh, the anticipation is killing me.

In other news, I finally ate the Coffee Crisp and it was soooo good. Mmmm. Coffee crisp.
This weekend starts the Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in New York. YAY! Row after row of food and free samples. I can't wait!

Limited editions

It's madness, sheer sugar madness!! Hershey's has unveiled four new "limited edition" candy bars: Triple Chocolate Kit Kat, Chocolate! Chocolate! Almond Joy (choc.flavored coconut), York Chocolate Truffle Peppermint Pattie and some kind of white chocolate and almonds crap. So far I've only tried the Kit Kat and it was wondrous. I'm on the lookout for the orange and mint Kit Kats I've heard so much about, but have yet to secure.
In other news, tomorrow begins the All Candy Expo in Chicago. I won't be attending this year, but I will recognize it with a moment of silence. And a candy bar.

I heart Canada

It's a groovalicious day full of sugary goodness. Betsy went to Montreal and brought me back the motherlode: one box Glossette raisins, one Mr. Big, one Kit Kat chunky, one Aero (milk chocolate), a Wunderbar and yes, yes, one glorious, delicious, crispety, wafery Coffee Crisp. Can you say Amen?!

Oh yeah, check out his website: www.candyfreak.com. It's delicious.

Okay, okay, so I haven't been keeping up with this blog. It's not that I haven't been eating candy...of course I have. I just returned from a weekend in New York that included a stop by Dylan's Candy Bar, of course. There, Steve Almond was signing copies of his new book, "Candy Freak." Here's the thing...I've read a few chapters so far and it's really funny and very clever, but I'm just so jealous that he wrote this book and it didn't even occur to me to try and put MY candy memoirs down on paper like that. ugh. Anyhow...
I was really psyched because they had Mallocups (which have been out of commission for some time now.) I also purchased Charms hard candies, a Valomilk and a Twin Bing. I went back to the hotel, started reading the book and tore open the Mallocups. Imagine my disappointment when they were hard as a rock. Probably a case left over from the old days. how sad.

Oh for shame. I haven't written in so long...haven't even talked about the Chocolate Show! Well, it was fabulous as one might expect. Chocolate from here to eternity including the BEST DAMN TRUFFLES EVER. I bought two boxes which disappeared overnight. The thing is, I don't know where to get them, and I don't remember what they're called. Arrgh. I will find them. It's only a matter of time.
Over Christmas, Alex and I dipped 90 Oreos in chocolate and decorated them all pretty-like. But the big revelation was our now patented Minty Yummy SandWood Treat: an Oreo with a York peppermint pattie dipped in chocolate. Oh! The taste sensation.
For Christmas, Mike sent me some chocolate covered peanut brittle made with Virginia peanuts. Lord have mercy. I had to hide the bag it was so good.
I will update soon. Keep the faith.

Oh beloved Halloween, you came too quickly...
I re-discovered how tasty Heath bars are. At the last minute, I decided I needed more Halloween candy, so I got some Heath bars and Chiclets and I practically ate all the Heath bars myself.
For the big kids who couldn't be bothered with costumes, I gave out bags of cereal and Ramen noodles.
So this Friday Alexandra and I are going into the city for the Chocolate Show. I'm sure I'll have LOTS to report. And hopefully LOTS of samples!

I have three words to say: MEGA PERKY NANA. It's a candy bar from New Zealand that I found on cybercandy.com. Here's what they have to say about it:
"It's like a banana flavoured Milky Way."
"It's sooo morish." (What does morish mean?!)

I've got to get my hands on one of these. And then, check THIS out...a vegetarian wrote in that she couldn't have the Nana because it contained gelatin, but that she does eat "Banana Foam Shrimp." HA! Can you imagine?! I can only surmise that it must be like a Circus Peanut, only yellow and shaped like a shrimp. God bless the Brits.

They also offer "Chocolate Fish." These are apparently pink marshmallow fish covered in chocolate. Bestill my heart.

In other news, yes, friends, Halloween is fast encroaching upon us. And yes, I did finish off the entire bag of Junior Mints, although I'm proud to say that it took me about two weeks. I now have a bucket filled with Reese's, Snicker's Crunchers, regular Snickers, JujyFruits and all the other miscellaneous candy that I had laying around. I had two Reese's for breakfast. Hey, peanut butter is protein, right? Dr. Atkins would be proud.

Oh, the chocolate gods have been good to me. As I was walking through the Stamford mall yesterday (and don't even get me started on how creepy and '80s malls have become), I sauntered into a candy store. I walked to the back and there, lo and behold, were all sorts of British delights! I bought two candy bars. The one I tried so far is called "Tiffin" and it is absolutely the most delicious perfect candy bar. It's made by Cadbury and is milk chocolate with raisins and biscuit pieces. (I know, I know...the whole raisin thing. But they really do taste good with chocolate! THink of them as little wine fruits.)
Yum, yum, yum.
And while I'm on the topic, beware the Godiva store in the mall. There's this freaky kid that works there that will not leave you alone. I'd encountered him before. He comes up to you and says, "Welcome to Godiva. May I help you?" like a freaky automaton. You say no, just looking, then he says, is there anything I can help you look for? You say no. He goes, WOuld you like to try today's sample? And you really do, but now you're so freaked out by this kid that you grab your bags and run.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it...The latest in candy news. The New York TImes reported this weekend that the Hershey bar has changed its packaging. Yes, folks, even Hershey has succumbed to the 21st century. Bummer. Here's what the article said:
"Gone is the foil wrapper. Also gone is the classic Gothic logo--replaced by fussy, beveled letters and an airbrushed sheen that would look at home on a Metallica T-shirt."

In other news, I have purchased the first batch of Halloween candy. I got a giant, mother-sized bag of "Jujyfruits and Friends." (The friends being Raspberry Dollars, formerly known as Red Hot Dollars, and some cherry and grape things.) Also got a bag of Junior Mints, although there's no way in hell they're going to last til Halloween. I had a little box of Jujyfruits and was happy to note that they replaced the formerly heinous mint-flavored green ones with tastier lime ones. Good call on their part.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!
And now, for my official State of the Union address.

Well, I really have nothing to say, actually. Instead, perhaps, I will wax poetic on some candies I have known and loved in my 33 (vomit) years on this earth.

-Munson's Jordan Crackers. These little dainties were the bane of my existence when I worked there. They were these little long, pointed cookies covered in either milk or dark chocolate. Strangley enough, I prefered the milk in this instance. But they're sooo, sooo yummy. Mmmm. Chocolate covered cookie. I used to hate when people would order them because they were so light that it would take a million of them to make up a pound and then I'd have to refill the tray and they had to be all nice and pretty...you couldn't just dump them in the tray.
-Charm's BloPops. I love these. Particularly the traditional cherry flavor. The gum would always turn hard as a rock after two chews, but it was more the initial contrast of hard candy vs. chewy gum that I liked. The only problem with them is that they sometimes have cracks in them that'll destroy the top of your mouth. Ouch.

Oh crap...I'll have to finish this post later. I just realized it's already 2:00 and I have to take a shower before bringing PJ to the Episcopal church for the blessing of the animals. I'm hoping to get the devil exorcised out of him.

What I would eat now if I wasn't doing this dang Weight Watchers:
dark chocolate nonpariels
vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting
grande moccacino with whipped cream
chocolate chip cookies
cream horn
Any of the following: Devil Dogs, Ring Dings, Funny Bones, Yankee Doodles
Scoop of chocolate ice cream with hot peanut butter topping
Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

What I'm really eating: Pasta Fagioli and a glass of water

Good God, this has got to be the world's most boring blog. What the heck is wrong with me? Well, in any case, British Delights (the website where I get all my lovely Euro candy) has released their Christmas list. One thing they're offering is "Iced Slab." I don't know what that is, but you're all getting it for Christmas.

Tried another of my Montreal candy bars last night. This one was Sweet Marie. The packaging was hideous; I can imagine a greasy, bad-teethed (toothed?) Brit drawing up the logo in the 70s. Anyhow...it was YUM! "Fresh roasted peanuts, caramel and chocolate." I was only going to eat half and then retire to read "Diary of a Young Girl," but I ended up eating the whole thing. And as for the book, well, I hate to admit it, but I just couldn't read it. I mean, we all know the story...Anne Frank was in hiding, kept a journal, but was eventually discovered by the Nazis. Horrible. But the thing is, even knowing all that, I didn't like her. And of course I wanted to--how terrible is it to say I don't like Anne Frank?! ugh.

Well, enough of this self flaggelation. Gotta go. PJ's nail is stuck in his blankie and he has a water bottle in his mouth.