​It's no small honor to be listed among the top 10 sweets destinations across the nation, in Food Network magazine. But that's exactly where chocolatier, Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, found her stellar dark chocolate creations, when the publication named hers the 'Best Little Box of Chocolates,' in 2010.
 
Ambrosius and her staff create unusual flavor combinations that have also landed this popular shop on Best of Madison lists, multiple times. She has appeared on the Today Show and on various cooking shows. Bon Appétit, Martha Stewart Living, and Travel + Leisure have also praised Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier.
 
Not bad for a business that opened in 2004 and an owner who previously worked as a cartographer (mapmaker) for the state of Wisconsin. But Ambrosius only made the leap into chocolate making after she studied the art in Paris, fulfilling a decades-old dream. During a Wisconsin press trip, we sampled many of Ambrosius's dark and decadent single origin and blended chocolate truffles. 

Photo courtesy of Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

​Ambrosius’ inventive truffle flavors included shiitake mushrooms, which enhanced the chocolate flavor of 65 percent cacao (cacao definition). Chocolate from an heirloom cacao bean combined with lemongrass and ginger to create a smooth, seductive filling with just a little 'kick.' Sweet curry with saffron incorporated an unusual heat in one truffle, while Cinnamon/Cayenne truffles added sweet and savory spice to dark, rich chocolate.
 
In addition to truffles, Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier crafts decadent caramels, fruit and nut-filled bars and barks, and chocolate-dipped orange peels. There is premium hot chocolate mix as well as chocolate tree frogs, or Buddhas, and Tumbled Bites – roasted Colombia espresso beans or cacao nibs enrobed in luscious Colombian dark chocolate.

During our visit, Ambrosius regaled us with stories about the warm relationships she has developed during her visits to various cacao farms, especially with Costa Rican farmers. She sources chocolate from Hawaii, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, creating a smaller carbon footprint than if she purchased it from Europe. 

Photo courtesy of Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier

Finally, as we tasted her truffles, Ambrosius encouraged us to experience chocolate tasting through multiple senses. To learn her tips about tasting chocolate (abbreviated from her printed info), as well as some chocolate history, stay tuned for the next Chocolate 2.0 post.

A rush of Almendrado (almond) Tequila suddenly bathed my tongue, swirling together with the melted dark chocolate shell. I immediately wanted to try a second flavor. This time an explosion of rich, seductive ruby port and melting chocolate enveloped my tongue.
 
These are only a few varieties of the liquid center chocolates available at this must-visit destination for chocolate lovers. Among Duke’s Spirit Filled Chocolates, liquid center flavors include Irish Cream Liqueur, Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream Liqueur, 360 Double Chocolate Vodka, Tennessee or Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, Anejo Tequila, Peach Schnapps and Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur.
 
Wine lovers may taste Cabernet Sauvignon, Australian Tawny Port or Raspberry wine inside other liquid center chocolates. And non-alcoholic selections include mesquite roasted or espresso coffee and black cherry or raspberry nectar.

Duke created her three- to five-day molding and filling process for cast liquid center chocolates, following her apprenticeship with a Swiss master chocolatier. By 1984, her business was born. 

Duke and her staff primarily use chocolate with 50-53 percent cacao, and her American roots inspired her to add liquid flavorings that Americans would appreciate. Vegan Fortunata #4 chocolate is used to make keto confections.

But there’s more to Duke’s repertoire than liquid chocolates. Sample her silk fudge – melt-in-your-mouth, creamy and luscious. Crafted with chocolate, heavy whipping cream and natural flavors, this fudge takes its sweetness from the chocolate itself. Be sure to sample truffles too, available in more than a dozen flavors.

No matter what you sample, I guarantee you won't want to stop with just one.

Please note: As a travel writer, I received accommodations, entry fees, etc. while visiting this area, in advance of reviews and/or profiles. I do my best to remain impartial and offer full disclosure to avoid potential conflicts of interest.​

                   It’s Halfway to First Ever 19th Annual World’s Shortest 
           St. Patrick’s Day Parade®;  Cheech Marin to Be Grand Marshal

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — It’s halfway to the First Ever 19th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade®, and Cheech Marin, half of the legendary comedy team Cheech and Chong, will serve as the grand marshal on March 17, 2022.
 
Marin had been scheduled as the grand marshal for the parade in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the event for two years, resulting in drastically reduced versions in 2020 and 2021...

(Reprinted from Visit Hot Springs press release. Please contact Paul Johnson 501/231-3817, [email protected], for more information.)

I travel as often as possible, whether I’m part of a group or solo. And this chocoholic always enjoys checking out local purveyors. But a trip to Chocolaterie Stam in Des Moines, Iowa, came as a complete surprise.

When I visited the city for lunch with several editors, a number of years ago, I also had some downtime. So I drove around until I bumped into this family-owned chocolate enterprise that began in Amsterdam, and has operated in this Midwest town for decades.
The moment I stepped inside I felt as if I’d entered a time machine.

​My surroundings spirited me back to the 1900s. Only the computerized checkout told me otherwise. A baby grand and antique upholstered chairs in rich chocolate brown filled a cozy seating area that flanked a mustard-colored wall filled with vintage photos. Gold-painted faux arches decorated a long wall behind the service counter filled with a beverage menu and dozens of flavored syrups.

I sampled delicious dark chocolate while admiring this family’s sweet artistry. There were tiny white chocolate swans with clearly defined feathers as well as chocolate coaches and horses, and cognac cream or chocolate rum truffles. Luscious cream- and nut-filled bonbons spilled from a wicker horn of plenty. The staggering array of bonbon flavors was primarily available in dark or milk chocolate with choices such as Tea Ganache, Forest Berry Cream, Italian Cherry Cream and Crème Brule.

But most of all, I loved the Stam story. Nearly a century before the family officially launched their chocolate enterprise in Amsterdam, their bakery was known for pastries and chocolates. When customers especially clamored for the chocolates, patriarch, Jacobus Stam, shifted the company’s focus to exclusively making these decadent treats. That was in 1913.

​By the 1930s-1940s, three of Stam's four sons, and one daughter, worked with him, and each one developed his/her own branch of the business. The chocolaterie really took off in Amsterdam. When one son decided Americans would appreciate these quality chocolates, he opened his first branch in the United States.
 
Today residents of Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and several other Iowa cities, also enjoy Chocolaterie Stam stores – where sweet indulgence has been a way of life for more than 100 years.

It will be seven years, next month, since I served as a U.S. delegate to Terre Madre and Salone del Gusto in Torino, Italy (most English speakers call this city Turin). Sponsored by Slow Food International this mind-boggling biannual extravaganza showcases producers and supporters of ‘good, clean & fair food.’ During the week-long event, I met chocolate (cioccolato, in Italian) makers from across the globe and attended a chocolate tasting workshop with a wide range of samples. 

One morning, I took a break from the Slow Food conference and trekked out to Torino's legendary Caffè Al Bicerin – where the warm Bicerin beverage has been made at this tiny shop for centuries. It's full of coffee, liquid chocolate and cream. 

But my most unexpected chocolate encounter took place at the conference hotel, where I arrived a night early, before because of transportation issues. By the time I checked in to my room at Rivoli Hotel, in Rivoli, Italy, it was nearly 10 p.m. and I hadn’t eaten much while in transit.
 
I didn’t want a big meal so ordered a glass of Sangiovese and a slice of chocolate cake. As I sipped my wine, I began to wonder why I hadn’t yet received any cake and asked my server. He somehow communicated that the dessert takes a long time, because it has to be baked at the last minute. I had inadvertently ordered classic Torino lava cake, perfectly prepared and perfectly decadent.
 
It was a sweet ending to a trying day.

A certified chocoholic, I returned home and tried a recipe for Classic Torino Chocolate Lava Cakes. You can also find it inside my friend, Jasper J. Mirabile, Jr.'s, Jasper's Kitchen Cookbook. Reprinted with author permission.

Classic Torino Chocolate Lava Cakes
Serves 4
 
6 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
pinch of salt
2 whole large eggs, separated, plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
Espresso cream sauce, for serving (see Jasper’s cookbook)
whipped cream, for serving (optional)
​ 
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter four 6-ounce custard cups, dust with flour and shake out the excess.
 
2. Combine the chocolate, butter, and salt in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler from the bottom and cool for 10 minutes.
 
3. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until thick and light, about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate mixture.
 
4. In a clean medium bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters beat the egg whites with the remaining tablespoon of sugar until stiff but dry peaks do not form. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 equal portions, each time mixing just until the whites are incorporated.
 
5. Divide the batter among the prepared custard cups. Place the custard cups on a baking sheet and bake until the cakes are puffed out but still soft in the center, about 11 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool for about 3 minutes.
 
6. Using a small, thin knife, cut around the sides of the cakes to loosen them from the cups. Place individual serving plates on top of each cup and invert each cake onto a plate. Remove the cups.
 
7. Spoon the Espresso Cream Sauce around the cakes and top each cake with whipped cream, if using.

I have always found festivals to be joyous events. And this Mardi Gras-inspired gathering offered loads of joy amid a cold and misty February morning. I'd love to return sometime!

The Iowa Chicken Run is a raucous yet family-oriented Cajun throw-back to early Mardi Gras celebrations, which began in small neighborhoods long before the glitz and glamour of events held in New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
 
Pronounced ‘I-O-Way,’ this small town definitely knows how to host a party. In February 2013 our tour group arrived on a gray and chilly morning at the small, rural KC Hall. Folding tables covered in green and purple tablecloths, Mardi Gras beads and metallic face masks filled the main room. The aroma of gently simmering gumbo merged with the sound of quiet conversation and laughter coming from a commercial kitchen. Another lavishly decorated table held a luscious King Cake.

We wrapped our coats tightly around us and headed towards the simple floats assembling outside. Most were mounted on flatbed trailers, with coolers full of Lousiana’s Abita Amber beer, and portable outhouses. Deep purple, bright green and sunny yellow streamers, masks and garlands decorated each float where adults and children of all ages joyously assembled.
 
Purple, gold, and green striped hats resembling the Cat in the Hat mixed with Mardi Gras-themed baseball and cowboy hats. Brilliant beads complemented pirate garb, overalls and peacock-bright scrub shirts decorated with lines and layers of multi-colored fabric fringe.

​As the small procession began additional neighbors walked beside the slowly moving floats. Others stood along the 3-1/2-hour parade route to catch multi-colored beads that we threw into their outstretched hands. Zydeco and rap blared from float-mounted speakers.

​The parade eventually ended at Rabideaux’s Sausage Kitchen where hot gumbo and fiery zydeco dancing continued until the sun fell on another Mardi Gras celebration in Iowa.

There's a haunting beauty to Georgia O'Keefe's beloved Ghost Ranch, located 65 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. O'Keefe bought a house and seven acres here, in 1938, where she lived for more than 50 years. 

Massive rock walls colored with wide mineral striations are topped with rock spires that jut into the brilliant blue sky. She painted most of her landscapes at the west end of the ranch, including the twisted juniper trees that also captured her interest.

But O'Keefe valued all kinds of natural beauty and purchased her second New Mexico property about seven years later. Located only 13 miles from Ghost Ranch, her other home and studio offered totally different panoramic views.

One of the earliest people to install picture windows, O'Keefe overlooked quiet mesas, mountain vistas, wide fields and spindly cacti from her simple, unadorned white bedroom, where her collected stones and bones lined the windowsill.

​Just as her natural surroundings shaped and inspired O'Keefe's art, her art captured the spirit of this wild and wonderful environment for generations to come.

​As seen at the Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas, during a special Georgia O'Keefe exhibit.
Note: As a travel writer, I received accommodations, entry fees, etc. while visiting these areas, in advance of reviews and/or profiles. I do my best to remain impartial and offer full disclosure to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip a number of years ago. I've tweaked the verbiage a bit, to make it more current. Since this trip I've also tasted wines across California's Lodi Valley and Sonoma County. Wine tasting is a delicious and relaxing way to explore different locales - whether in California, the Midwest, or near the east coast.

Touring wineries while on press trips can be almost as wonderful as tasting the fruit of their labors. That’s how I felt about Hahn Estate in Monterey County, California – a family-owned winery that is SIP certified (sustainability in practice) and a member of the Monterey Bay Area Green Business program.
 
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes have a strong presence in this growing region. Chardonnay is the number one grape grown in Monterey County and Pinot Noir grapes are number #1 in the Santa Lucia Highlands wine growing region, where Hahn Estate operations are located. Their Chardonnay and Pinot grapes occupy thousands of acres and two AVAs (American Viticultural Areas).
 
On a sun-drenched, cool October morning, we followed our guides to hilltop aging and bottling operations where half of us scrambled onto ATVs and the rest headed inside. The ATVs climbed rocky narrow paths with all the agility of a mountain goat as the valley opened up beneath us, creating breathtaking views.
 
The Santa Lucia Highlands are a long, narrow AVA located on very old soils with very consistent climate. Mountainous terrain above, river waters below and the close proximity of Monterey Bay create a ‘thermal rainbow’ effect where 40 degree temperature swings on a summer day and ocean air sweeping across well-drained rocky soil beautifully accommodate vineyards.
 
When we reached the summit, our hosts opened several bottles and provided glasses for a brief tasting. Everyone pulled out cameras as we sipped, before returning to the ATVs and a tour of the aging and bottling operations.

​Upon returning to the tasting room we sampled multiple bottles, including Lucienne, a deep colored and delicious 'luxury' red. We then enjoyed a gourmet lunch on the adjacent deck while admiring more spectacular valley views.

Wine pairings accompanied gooey panini sandwiches with creamy, root vegetable soup and a crisp salad full of goat cheese and dried cranberries. It was a lovely way to celebrate California wine making.

After a press tour through Sonoma, I gifted myself one day of solo time in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood. With only 24 hours on the clock before I returned to the airport, I arrived at the Best Western Tuscan Inn, where the valets looked like gondola pilots in their black and white horizontal-striped shirts and black straw hats.
 
The hotel lobby resembled a casual and cozy Italian manor, with a rear window that looked out on a multi-level terrace full of potted flowers and greenery, and small trees. A sign reminded guests about the free happy hour offered every evening, and I vowed to return from my adventures in time to socialize.
 
I pulled on my warmest jacket against the February chill and set out on foot. The smell of salt water, and uncharacteristically blue winter sky, lifted my spirits. I explored Pier 39 and then headed to the other end of the Wharf where I met a writing acquaintance and local resident, for a private wine tasting at a new wine store.

Fueled by great food and drink, I returned to the streets with stops at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and several other food purveyors.

It was late morning when the smell of freshly baked bread drew me to Boudin Bakery, within view of San Francisco Bay. A street musician created sonorous music as he tapped enthusiastically on a twin pair of over-sized bongos, and raucous gulls swooped across parking lots and buildings.

Inside the bakery, more than 150 years of history coalesced in dozens of fresh sourdough loaves, paying homage to a tradition that began when the Gold Rush '49ers merged traditional French baking techniques and 'sour' dough. In fact, today's loaves are still made with a portion of the original 'mother' dough, which has been divided and replenished with flour and water each day since the first batch was made.

With a crunchy crust and a chewy center, a 24-ounce loaf only cost about $4. If I hadn't been so full, from breakfast, I might have grabbed lunch in Bistro Boudin, the company's first full-service restaurant. And if I hadn't been so pressed for time, I would have toured the company's on-site museum - full of city history and antique photos - or stopped by the demonstration bakery.
 
But, sometimes, it's also nice to have things you can look forward to during your next visit.

Fishermen still moor their boats and unload their catches daily at Fisherman’s Wharf. I walk along Jefferson Street in the early morning and see tanks full of live crabs at Alioto-Lazio Fish Company, one of only two commercial fish-processors and sellers here.

It’s also one of less than two dozen companies at the Wharf that still catch and process their own fish. The family-run operation opened in 1940 and offers shipping services throughout the nation.

Hours later, I walk back towards the docks for dinner. Classic fish stands line the sidewalk where vendors extol the virtues of their enormous shrimp, plump Dungeness crab, succulent swordfish and glistening oysters as hundreds of visitors stream past. Stomach growling, I enter Nick’s Lighthouse - a seafood institution since 1934.
 
Gingham-checked vinyl covers the tables, fake grapes hang from the ceiling and model ships and thousands of Christmas lights line wooden walls. I seat myself as Sinatra croons and order linguine with crab and tomato sauce. Huge bits of crab are tossed in a chunky light tomato sauce and tiny shrimp pile high on my house salad. I order a crisp chardonnay, dig into my pasta and wonder if the crab came from the Bay this morning.

After walking for 20 minutes through chilly, fog-shrouded morning air, The Buena Vista Café and its legendary Irish coffee beckon me. When I order the signature beverage my server simply says, “Make me one.”
 
Legend has it that in November 1952, then-owner of the cafe, Jack Koeppler, and international travel writer, Stanton Deleplane, tried to re-create the popular beverage served at Shannon Airport in Ireland, without much success.

But Koeppler was so determined that he visited the Airport to taste the real thing and, many tastings later, he nailed the iconic coffee and whiskey mixture. A local dairy owner helped him recreate the foam.

As the fog thins, cable cars spring to life, cars dim their headlights and dedicated cyclists challenge the city's famed hills. The foam on my Irish coffee lasts for more than 20 minutes in its special six-ounce glass – enough time to make a major dent in a steaming plate of Crab Eggs Benedict. It's worth $7.50 to taste a bit of history with my meal.

From pottery and sterling jewelry to blankets or ristras, artists share their exquisite work throughout the state. Two of my favorite artistic outposts thrive in or near tiny Chimayo, in northern New Mexico.

Centinela Traditional Arts
 
During one month each fall, freshly dyed yarn drips from clotheslines near Irvin Trujillos’s dyeing shed at Centinela Traditional Arts, in Chimayo. Brilliant morning light floods the shop, illuminating weaving designs influenced by Mexican serapes and modern styles such as the rug emerging from a massive loom. It has edge bands in peach, rose and aqua and intricate designs at the center.

In the next room striking geometrics decorate brilliant red and powder blue Chimayo coats. Indian Head and buffalo nickels or sterling buttons shine from brightly striped purses, while soft wool/silk jackets and ponchos reflect collaboration with Polo Ralph Lauren.

Irvin greets us with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store. Centinela is both playground and workspace – where he shares the art that has infused his spirit with joy and satisfaction for 60 years. His wife, Lisa's, quiet yet welcoming presence provides calm counterpoint to Irvin's ebullient spirit.

Continuing a seven-generation family tradition of weaving Chimayo blankets. Irvin was a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow 2007 and held a 2009 show at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. His wife, Lisa, is expert in Colca – Spanish regional embroidery – and her saltillos, which take three months to complete, sell for more than $15,000. 

Theresa's Art Gallery
 
Theresa Montoya was working as a medical assistant, when she decided to open Theresa’s Art Gallery instead, nearly 40 years ago. At first, her Southwest oil paintings, and retablos crafted by her husband, Richard, completely filled the space.

As the business grew, their art began appearing in churches, museums and galleries across the nation, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Their children have also won awards at the Spanish Market and have pieces in the Children’s Permanent Art Collection at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe.

Their next step was to bring in the work of other artists. Today a small sign along Chimayo Hwy No. 76 directs visitors to the gallery and studio. Inside the bright and airy room Theresa wears a hot pink shirt, turquoise bead necklace and broad smile. A treasure trove of New Mexican art surrounds her, from handcrafted wood carvings and weavings to exquisite tin pieces.

​The state’s largest collection of retablos includes Richard’s whimsical riff on classic retablos, honoring the Beatles. Pottery abounds, including highly coveted pieces from Santa Clara Pueblo. The most famous and most collectible pottery in the United States, it’s also the most expensive

Every piece of pottery has a creation and design story, which Montoya describes in great detail. "We get people here from all over the world, to buy this pottery," Theresa says. “I don’t have overhead and I'm a small businesswoman so Native Americans sell me pieces for up to less than half of what they sell for, in Santa Fe.” 

Above photo is courtesy of Tanque Verde Resort

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a big fan of the Southwestern-Western U.S. Here was a favorite experience, from the Tucson area.

Our breakfast trail ride began at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort, outside of Tucson, on a gorgeous, warm mid-October morning. I had slathered loads of sunscreen on my arms, shoulders, neck, and face and retrieved a baseball cap to shield against the desert sun. We met at the stables where the horse handlers paired me with a gentle white/gray horse named Dale.
 
Before long, our press group had entered a sea of saguaro cacti, which I thought of as a ‘transparent forest.’ We rode to a high hilltop, with Dale navigating rock, sand, cacti, narrow trails and steep inclines as I gently pulled him away from tasty bushes along the path. By the time we reached our breakfast site, everyone was hungry. And what a feast awaited us!
 
The staff had transported a huge cookstove and grill up the mountain, where regular and blueberry pancakes turned golden brown. Crispy hash browns, chile and cheese-spiked scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and fresh, flaky biscuits accompanied them. Coffee woke us up and lemonade cooled us off.

But, perhaps the most impressive part of this breakfast feast was how the staff served it – on gingham tablecloths atop picnic tables – with sturdy plastic plates and real silverware. 

​The temperature hovered near 90 degrees as we cleared the tables and looked down on miles of cacti. Then we headed back to the stables, ready for shade but happy for a great start to the day.