Pure fluff

Let's talk marshmallow. I like marshmallow. Summer just isn't summer without at least one perfectly golden, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside toasted marshmallow. S'mores? Yum. Mallo Cups? Most definitely. Peeps? Well...not so much, but still. Can't celebrate Easter without them. So why, why, why does the Special Edition Reese's with Marshmallow suck so bad? I'll tell you why. Because it's nasty super-artificial flavor marshmallow. Of course this isn't gourmet candy, but c'mon...the thin layer of marshmallow on top of the peanut butter is just too sickly sweet "marshmallow flavor." Very disappointing. Next on the docket is the special edition Reese's with caramel. I'm holding out hope for that one.

Dark chocolate salvation

You knew it had to happen. The Virgin Mary has appeared in a lump of dark chocolate at a candy factory: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14400252/?GT1=8404. She's no fool-- moving onto chocolate after the e-Bay grilled cheese. I predict she'll make her next appearance in a creme brulee.

The best chocolate ever. Really.

Great things happen when you least expect them.
While traveling up to Vermont about a year and a half ago, we stopped in the little town of Kent, Connecticut for lunch. While looking for a restaurant, I spied a teeny tiny little shop called Belgique Chocolates. Of course I had to stop.
There were a couple of glass cases, one with desserts, one with ice cream and one with hand-made chocolates for $50 a pound. As I'm not (yet) filthy rich, I bought two pieces for each of us and we went on our merry way. About a mile down the road, I bit into a dark chocolate vanilla cream. Holy. Cow. I was audibly oohing and aaahing over this chocolate. Brian tried his-- dark chocolate raspberry cream. I expected him to say it was good, but he joined me in my animalistic groans of ecstasy over this incredible chocolate. Yes, it was that good. Yes, it is the best chocolate I have ever, ever had. No, they don't have a website. No, they don't ship. The chocolates are all fresh, hand-made, no preservatives, so they won't stand up to shipping. Which means that these are an extra-special treat.
So it was with great sadness that I opened my birthday gift from Brian last October. He had bought me a mega-box of these chocolates, but I couldn't even look at them. I was in the deep throes of morning sickness and, try as I might (and I did try, I really did!) I just couldn't eat them. I got totally gypped. (gipped?) I plan on making the trek up to Kent soon to recoup my loss.

Candy Corn

After spending many years trying to find my niche in the art world, after my series of feminist-inspired paintings followed by a wine series, I've finally found something I'm truly passionate about. It was right there all the time. Of course, now when people say, "Oh, you paint? What do you paint pictures of?" I have to reply, "Candy corn." Doesn't have quite the same drama as "Genderless angels swirling in a sea of misogynistic chaos intermingled with text from the feminist canon." But it's more fun, don't you think?

I'm back!

Yes, it's been a while. Since my last posting, my life has taken all sorts of strange twists and turns, including a nine-month stint of extreme morning sickness. Of course, the payoff was worth it-- my little alligator boy, Henri. And it's because of him that I have a new-found sense of responsibility--nay-- duty, to keep up this blog. I must stay on top of all the yummy goodness that is candy so I can properly introduce him to the world of sugar madness.
As I mentioned before, I was struck with one of life's not-so-funny moments. When I found out I was pregnant, I thought, "Bring on the chocolate!" But it wasn't meant to be. Nine months of stomach-churning nausea kept me off the stuff. The only things I wanted to eat were grapefruit, Big Red gum and wood. (Don't ask.)
This horrendous time, of course, coincided with Halloween. I managed to get to the store to buy candy, so I bought a few bags of Take 5 candy bars. I haven't even been able to look at them since then. So of course, what did I find at the store the other day? Special Edition Take 5s-- a peanut one and a marshmallow one. I did buy them, but have yet to taste them, but for the good of the people, I'll do it.
I want to give credit, too, to Cybele May, the creator of Candy Blog, http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/about/. She has a beautiful website where you can read all about her ratings of candy. I learned about her website in the recent New York Times Magazine article on special edition candy: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/magazine/09wwln_consumed.html?ex=1310097600&en=b2fc1eec37c27000&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Original recipe Goldenberg's

It's a complete travesty, folks. I'm absolutely distraught. Apparently Goldenberg's Peanut Chews have been sold to Just Born (of Peeps fame). Fine. But, here's the thing: they say they're going to alter the recipe to have less molasses taste, more caramel. OH, THE HUMANITY!!!! That's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

In other news, yesterday was Halloween. I managed to NOT eat the entire bag this year. I gave out Kit Kats, Reese's, Mike & Ikes, assorted chocolates shaped like gross ears, fingers and eyeballs, and-- for those too lazy to put together a costume-- rancid lemon granola bars that were so heinous I actually called the company to complain about them.

I just realized that I never wrote about the wondrous Australian package of love that Deb sent me. It was full of crazy, yummy things... Minties, Turkish Taffy, chocolate caramel koala bears, and the BEST, BEST, YUMMIEST, MOST FABULOUS things-- Tim Tams. Ohmygod. These are chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cookies that are so unbelievable. I have since ordered more from the only place you can get them in the US-- Texas, of all places. And, I've already eaten them all. They are a thing of beauty.

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!