Migros, Dubai and the Emirates camels bring us desert elixir chocolate

BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss supermarket chain Migros will undoubtedly have chocolate Santas and trees for the holiday season, but this year it’s come up with an unusual Christmas treat: a milk chocolate foil-wrapped camel fit for the Three Kings of Christmas lore.

The supermarket will stock them in 100 of its shops.

It notes that at least 21 percent of the milk is powdered camel’s milk from camel stables in the Emirates. Camel’s milk has been considered by desert nomads “since the start of time to be an elixir”. The other ingredients: natural Bourbon vanilla, acacia honey and selected cocoa beans.

The 130g treat was designed by chocolatier Al Nassna de Dubai and sells for CHF19.

Max Havelaar's fair trade chocolate (photo, Max Havelaar)

A GenevaLunch news story on Kraft, which this year bought out Cadbury, moving some of its tax base to Zurich prompted one reader and former Cadbury fan to write that he’s looking for new chocolate companies. I suggested he check this list of chocolate companies on wikipedia.

His search reminded me that if you live outside Switzerland or you’re new to the country it’s easy to lump all Swiss chocolate together, and it deserves a closer look. Switzerland, this tiny country of only 7.4 million, consumes more than 68,000 tons a year of the 106,000 tons of chocolate it produces, although an unmeasurable but probably large portion is bought by tourists.

The chocolate the Swiss themselves eat

There are three basic types of Swiss chocolate, to my thinking: products manufactured by large companies like Kraft and Nestlé, chocolate made by smaller manufacturers, and artisanal chocolates.

I’ll buy the last one any day: Switzerland has several extraordinary specialists in handmade chocolates, and I tend to write about these. But they are not in the everyday budgets of most of us, and the shops are not always convenient.

Supermarket selections of the largest manufacturers’ chocolates are good, affordable and easy to find, with a range of quality and prices. These are the ones my family buys to pack in their pockets for the ski slopes. Visiting friends and family from abroad are usually happiest taking these home. I find them mostly too fatty and sugary, but that doesn’t stop me from eating them.

The third group, smaller manufacturers, most of whom are more active in Switzerland than abroad, survive in the Swiss market because they have special products or are niche chocolate-makers. They make some very good products and are affordable, so if you’re looking for something cheaper than artisanal chocolate, but want to buy something you won’t find in 75 other countries, consider these.

Chocolat.ch brings together one group of them and several of the smaller companies are members of the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers, Chocosuisse.

One of the stellar companies listed there is Chocolat Bernrain/Chocolat Stella, who have been producing organic chocolate for more than 15 years and who were one of the early companies to produce chocolate without added sugar. They mostly make private-order chocolate for other companies but if you’re north of Zurich or in Ticino consider visiting their factory stores for a taste of a very special Swiss manufactured chocolate product.

In French-speaking Switzerland Favarger in Versoix is famous for its Avelines. Its shop is well worth a visit. The town of Courtelary, in the Bernese Jura, is home to Camille Bloch, famous for its Ragusa bars, filled with praline and whole hazelnuts (the dark chocolate ones are wonderful). The bars were born as the result of shortages during the second world war, but they are hugely popular with the Swiss.

Villars, in Fribourg, has a shop that is fun to visit, and it is one of the few non-artisanal chocolate-makers producing reduced-sugar bars. They use stevia as a sweetener.

A special addition to the list is Max Havelaar, the fair trade company, which provides a list of online shops that offer fair trade chocolate as well as a list of Swiss sales points for its chocolate products. It has yet to convince Swiss consumers to eat more fair trade products, which account for only half a bar for every 100 sold.

Dark chocolate with pecans, chez Tristan, Bougy-Villars, Switzerland

Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – You still have a couple days left to sample artisanal chocolates and buy them at a discount at several chocolate boutiques in the region. Chocolate Week, the brainchild of Neuchatel’s chocolate-makers several years ago, was adopted by Vaud five years ago and more recently by Fribourg and Geneva. The idea is to introduce local chocolate lovers to hand-crafted chocolates, which not only taste good, but tend to use better products, have less sugar and lower fat content. Here’s the list of who is participating and what they’re offering in 2010. The chocolate week ends Saturday 6 November. Some of my favourites don’t take part officially, but they won’t object if we celebrate by stopping by.

Personally, I’ve done my bit by stopping in at Tristan’s chocolate boutique in Bougy-sur-Villars, one of my favourites in the region, where I stocked up on presents for the family (including me). He has two new chocolates which are now on my “best” list since my last visit in July, a dark chocolate with pecans with extraordinary flavour and a Cambodian pepper chocolate which is quite different from his Tasmanian or pimiento pepper chocolates. Less bite, more elegant pepper flavour and feel. I also bought rosemary, green tea in dark chocolate and myrtle chocolates.

Swiss pavé sesame, chez Tristan, Bougy-Villars, Switzerland

Myrtle, if you’re not familiar with it and are seeing “myrte” in the shop, is not myrtille, or blueberry. Myrtle comes from a shrub, and is akin in flavour to juniper and rosemary. It was used years ago in making Italy’s famous mortadella, but juniper is more commonly used for that now.

I am heading out the door to Morges soon to try one of the Vaud bouchon specialties, which I’ve never had. I’ll report back soon on that, with a photo.

And lucky for me, one of the participating chocolatiers is in Saint Prex, Boillat, and they’re offering 10 percent off on chocolate, a dangerously good deal. We’re doubly blessed, with a second excellent chocolate maker, Alexandre, right in the old town section of Saint Prex, and his busy, tiny shop is one of the nicest places around for morning coffee. With a bit of chocolate, of course.

Not bad for a town of 5,000.

Warning: once you develop a taste for this kind of chocolate you may find it extremely difficult to settle for the popular big commercial brands, although I did just receive a last-minute additional request from an overseas family member to whom I am shipping some of Tristan’s chocolate, at his request: “The Lindt chocolate in the red package is really good. Like… Lindor but in bar form? Creamy in the middle? That one was really good, feel free to send some of that. I have finished all the chocolate you brought over by the way.”

Related news story on Barry Callebaut financial results, the International Cocoa Agreement, 4 November 2010

Chocolate fountains are the rage these days. You see them at dinner parties, weddings, all sorts of celebrations. This article gives you all the in’s and out’s, from mini fountains to giant ones.

Most Swiss chocolate makers make a special chocolate to be used in fountains. I would advise asking their opinion before attempting this, because it can be tricky and even dangerous. Last winter, I heard a story about a naked teenager falling into an oversized chocolate fountain in a party in Cologny and then running through the cold streets of Cologny before ending up in the hospital (escorted by the police).

This guest blog is by Edwin Hall, owner of the Chocolate Fountain Directory in Devon in the U.K.

What is a chocolate fountain?

A chocolate fountain is a device for serving chocolate fondue. It comes in many different sizes: mini, medium, large and extra large, depending on the number of guests you wish to cater for.

The fountain has multiple tiers over a heated basin at the bottom. The chocolate is melted in the basin and then pulled up through the augur and continuously flows over the tiers. When it flows over the tiers, guests are able to select a condiment they would like to dip into the fountain, using a skewer. They then select a dip of their choice and coat their item in delicious, warm melted chocolate….heaven!

Essentially, a chocolate fountain is composed of two parts. The base is the motor and a heater. The heater is designed to transpose heat through the base to keep the chocolate in liquid form.  The motor drives the screw in the upper part of the fountain.

This is an Archimedes screw, weren’t they clever! This is thought to have originated around 600 BC, but I bet they never thought of a chocolate fountain then. The screw lies in a tight cylinder in a vertical fashion with several holes at the bottom of the screw. The screw lifts the chocolate to the top of the cylinder from where it flows over several plates and down the fountain to be recycled again. This is the basic premise of a chocolate fountain, because the chocolate is thick, there is no need for a pump as the screw is a better means for lifting the chocolate up.

Why have a chocolate fountain?

Chocolate fountains are a new and impressive form of entertainment. They create a fantastic focal point at any major event and provide your guest with a unique and interactive way of treating themselves to luxurious fondue chocolate.

Chocolate fountains are a great solution for weddings; they are a wonderful dessert or can be used for an evening buffet. Some people choose to have a chocolate fountain rather than a wedding cake,  because chocolate fountains are interactive and people can help themselves to as much as they like when they like.

What should you consider when booking a chocolate fountain?

We recommend you consider booking you chocolate fountain at least 12 months in advance. They are very popular. You need to provide the following details to get an accurate quote:

1. 1. 1. Number of guests the chocolate fountain is to cater for.
      2. Location of event.
      3. Date of event (if it’s a midweek event you often get a good discount).
      4. Duration of event.

Most people book their chocolate fountain for the evening and, on average, chocolate fountain companies hire their fountain for a period of 3 hours in the U.K. However, every wedding/event is different, if you require your fountain during the day or for a longer period of time etc, please discuss this with the chocolate fountain company you have chosen

Home chocolate fountains

Home chocolate fountains are mini versions of the commercial ones used for weddings and events. Unfortunately there is a lot of rubbish out there and we get calls regularly from people saying that their mini fountain doesn’t work.

Here are a couple of things that will help. Only use a quality chocolate that is made specifically for chocolate fountains. This tends to be more expensive but it is the key to success.  Chocolate purchased from your local supermarket doesn’t work unless you put oil in it, a good quality fondue chocolate doesn’t require oil.

The poorer the quality chocolate, the more oil you require. This is in fact a contradiction because standard chocolate bars typically contain around 20% vegetable fat anyway, but you will still have to add more oil because of the high level of impurities. If this doesn’t work, take the fountain back to the point of purchase and tell them that it is rubbish, maybe some of the high street chains will think again about selling consumers junk!

How do you get the most out of your home fountain?

Ensure that you have a variety of dips available. The best to use are strawberries, grapes and other fruits, such as pineapple and melon, but most any fruit works really well with chocolate.

Ensure that you have skewers and enough for your guest. These are readily available at a variety of shops, especially hardware shops that sell barbecues. Also ensure that you have some large napkins as you wouldn’t want chocolate dripping all over your floor.

Finally, presentation is key. Make sure that your skewers are kept together and that you present your home fountain as clean and attractive on a surface that is easy to wipe to ensure that drips don’t spoil your display.

Cleanup time!

Finally, after your event has finished, don’t turn the fountain off and go to bed. Start by disposing of the chocolate while it is still in liquid form, as this makes cleaning so much easier.

Disassemble your fountain and put everything except the motor assembly into a dishwasher or a sink full of hot and soapy water. It should then be easy to clean.

Before packing your fountain away, make sure that it is completely clean and dry to prevent any contamination.

Links: Ultimate Chocolate Experience (photos).

I spend a lot of time reading, researching and tweeting about food and restaurants these days, so I thought I’d jot down my tweets from the last few days. These are from both The Rambling Epicure and Swiss Foodies and should give you an overview of what’s going on in the foodie world this week, in Switzerland and around the world.

These tweets are often focused on Switzerland, but also include a lot of links to Swiss, French, German, British, American, Canadian and other research on food.

Sometimes I couldn’t resist writing about the snow and skiing conditions, because that determines how a lot of us in Switzerland plan our weekends, and therefore what restaurants we go to or what recipes we cook up. And of course occasionally, watches and wine . . . and this week, the Vancouver Winter Olympics and those cute wooly pigs you see in the photo.

Remember, these are just tweets

Remember these are just tweets, so they are short and sweet. They are not particularly orderly; I just tweeted the information as I found it.

I suggest you skim over the headings, and if you’re interested, just click on any of the links that interest you in order to read the detailed article.

Who knows, this might even tempt you to start tweeting yourself!

The list is long, so I’ll list the main topics, which are marked by headings in bold: Restaurants, Recipes, Swiss news, International news, Food trends, Nutrition, health, healthy lifestyle, Chocolate, Wine, Miscellaneous food and related info, Skiing, snow, lifestyle, and Nice quotes.

This week’s tweet list

Restaurants

Taste the latest in the food world, the wooly pig, 23 & 24 Feb. at du Chalet-des-Enfants in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.

Tired of roestis and pasta in Verbier? Good classic French at La Grange, no surprises.

The Rambling Epicure: check out our restaurant listings.

The Bernerhof hotel in Gstaad has a restaurant for everyone’s taste: pasta, Chinese, traditional.

Tired of roestis in Zermatt? Check out authentic Japanese cuisine and sushi at Myoko, Seiler Hotel.

The food at King’s restaurant Verbier is a delightful mix of English, French, and world influences.

The Walserhof in Klosters is a perfect place to celebrate special occasions, and the food is top notch.

Everything you need to know about eating in Zermatt.

Check out the divine rolled truffle pizza at Quirinale in Geneva.

The Cottage Café in Jardins de Brunswick in Geneva is a great place to meet for afternoon meeting.

Site that lists restaurants in Switzerland that do home delivery.

Gildo’s and La Fromagerie restaurant in Gstaad offers fondues with or without truffles.

Try perfect foie gras poêlé at La Table d’Adrien in Verbier. Chic hip place to go as well. Reservations required.

Hostellerie du Pas-de-L’Ours. Great restaurant, old-fashioned winter veg, great variations on classics. Crans-Montana.

Chez Heini: the place to go for good lamb, great wine list.

Curiositas is as much a museum experience as a restaurant experience. Table by the skeleton or the shrunken head?

Restaurant: Vertig’O in Geneva: elegant business lunch with WiFi.

Brasserie Lipp in Geneva: the ultimate brasserie.

London: The VaBene Brewer Street – you have to try it for lunch, quality food great price and quick turnaround.

Recipes

Recipes and flavor combinations for fennel, when you get tired of eating all those root vegetables!

Recipe: Creamed parsnips with roasted winter vegetables and walnuts recipe.

Vinegar sauces both tasty & healthy. Vinegar helps lower blood sugar & lose weight says one study.

Photo courtesy of Five Prime.

Recipe: How about a new twist on roesti: apple roesti.

Recipes for dessert lovers, especially good chocolate recipes, by pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

Kids in the Kitchen: chocolate and orange mousse recipe, a good Wednesday afternoon family activity.

Recipe: Sautéed Whiting With Lemon Cream Sauce.

The Rambling Epicure: Recipe: lazy man’s breakfast: cappuccino oats.

Recipe: pulled pork and updated coleslaw. Great on a winter’s day.

Winter recipe: Pork Stew with Hard Cider, Pearl Onions, and Potatoes.

Seasonal recipe: Seville orange and almond cake, adapted to European kitchens.

Gordon Ramsay’s 10 easy Indian recipes.

The great cardoon, Geneva’s AOC vegetable.

Winter recipe: cream of parsnip soup with aged Mimolette cheese.

Recipe: cheese tart washed down with good beer is the Basel tradition.

MyKugelhopf hoi zürchers: best fondue in Zurich: http://bit.ly/canAIx & best cheese shops to make your own: http://bit.ly/9eMKGX (in German from züritipp)

THE RAMBLING EPICURE Recipe: Geneva specialty, white wine potatoes, to be eaten with sausage.

How to make your own citrus extracts at home! And it’s dead easy.

All about roesti and recipe!

Simple recipe for oven-baked “carrot fries”.

Soup and sausage on a cold winter’s day: RECIPE.

Recipe: cranberry and orange relish. Great with game dishes of all kinds.

Swiss and international food news: loads of links for restaurants, recipes, etc.

Recipe: kohlrabi and dill stew. Perfect for a winter’s day.

ChocolateCheese cake & Sablé au chocolat in one #cuisine, Eclair à la pomme, caramel au beurre salé in another…must I really taste all?

Recipe: make your own delicious chocolate macarons with bergamot buttercream filling.

The Minimalist: A Dinner Date With India and Spain.

Great site for interesting and unusual combinations to make easy healthy salads.

New Zealand’s quirky breakfasts, recipes included.

Great recipe for a cold winter’s day: Mulligatawny Soup.

Swiss news

The Swiss have a food pyramid too!

Find the farmers market closest to you in Geneva.

Latest food fad: the wooly pig. Try it 23 & 24 Feb. in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.

Statistics on tourist accommodation in December 2009 and year 2009 – 2009 marked by a decline in overnight stays.

Challenging but surprisingly stable Swiss Tourism.

Adapting to a thrifty new world of tourism.

Prodigy Melodie Zhan celebrates Chopin’s 200th birthday at Victoria Hall in Geneva.

Swiss businessman leaves Libya.

Migros supermarkets to offer sound with food labels, for sight-impaired.

GenevaLunch Nestlé pleased with its 2009 results.

Keep up with the Swiss Foodies Swiss and world foodie news by clicking here.

Beer makers face squeeze in demand.

Swiss Diamond frying pans: the safe non-stick frying pan.

Salt war in Switzerland has started as cantons go abroad.

The big Basel carnival bash! Lots of good food on the agenda!

Site that lists restaurants in Switzerland that do home delivery.

Whistler Olympic Park designer Paul Mathews started in Switzerland!

How fresh are your eggs? New website in Switzerland lets you use number on egg to check its freshness.

The Basel carnival, one of the biggest in Europe, started yesterday. Watch this cool video.

Tartare, the all-time Geneva favorite. L’Illustré tells you about tartare in all its forms.

Where to buy food straight from the farm in Switzerland. Just click on your canton.

Lecture/luncheon in Geneva: the state of Britain today.

Opera: Otello in Lausanne.

Combating the Food Crisis is the primary Objective: At the Annual Media Conference held in Bern.

The Rambling Epicure’s Mindful Eating Manifesto 2010, my New Year’s Resolution, foodie news.

The Ecole-Club Migros now gives some of its cooking classes in English.

Rachid Hamdani’s first statements.

International  news

UK science professor specializes in science of cooking: molecular and post-molecular cuisine.

How to Order a Beer in 50 Languages! http://su.pr/2y4LwM

(image credit:PHOTO: Ben Nilsson/Big Ben Productions. ARTIST: Sakai Hiroyoshi)

The first chain restaurant in the US was opened by a Briton in the 19th century. Fancy that!

France’s most feared restaurant critic François Simon likes to control what he eats and not let the chef decide.

Interesting: Melissa Clark says NYTimes does not pay for recipe testing for her articles. She has to bear the cost if she wants to. #rsfood

All about New Zealand’s quirky breakfasts, with recipes thrown in.

Top 10 list of food songs from Slash Food.

The real difference between restaurant food and food you make at home.

10 of the best English cheeses from the South – Times Online.

Bialetti Mikka Express cappuccino maker, morning’s best friend.

The new trend: nanobreweries, producing artisanal beers.

The UK’s Top 10 fish and chip shops 2010.

Post-molecular cuisine: 21st-century techno.

Martha Stewart is at it again, with an Everyday Food magazine and an iPhone application to boot.What’s a nanobrewery? A scaled-down microbrewery, often run by a solo entrepreneur.

French fast-food chain Quick causes uproar over its decision to serve only halal beefburgers.

Check out this mind-boggling ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. Exquisitely beautiful!

In San Francisco, local food is sexy thanks to smart marketing and the fine of art of presentation.

Fascinating blindfold comparison between local & organic foods from Walmart and Whole Foods.

Enterprise Hotel Happy Hour “English Style” 4-03-2010 – Milano – Events.

Walmart’s Heritage Agriculture program encourages buying from farms within a day’s drive of one of its warehouses.

Ranting and raving about processed food.

The Omnivore Food Festival will be held in Deauville on Feb. 22 and 23. Read this interesting take.

Michelle Obama asks governors to help anti-obesity initiative.

An Iowa farmer explains the meaning of sustainable agriculture. Full of good info.

An Iowa Farmer explains the meaning of sustainability. Full of good info.

The Best Boutique Hotels & Luxury Hotels for jetset nomads.

A fascinating blindfold comparison between local and organic foods from Walmart and Whole Foods.

Food trends

All about the wooly pig, some of world’s most juicy and flavorful meat and fat, raised using special Austrian techniques.

Latest food fad: the wooly pig. Try tonight and tomorrow 23 & 24 Feb. in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.

Interesting combination: dark chocolate, hot peppers and mango.

Food trends in Switzerland and the world.

Nutrition, health, healthy lifestyle

Find Out Your Carbon Footprint and How to Reduce It.

4-yr-olds who regularly eat dinner with family, get enough sleep & watch TV < 2 hrs a day 40% less likely to be obese.

The weight gain diet.

Vinegar sauces, both tasty & healthy & vinegar helps lower blood sugar & lose weight.

Something as simple as sitting down to dinner together as a family can go a long way in helping a child fend off obesity.

The Rambling Epicure: Eating healthy monosaturated fats. How to distinguish good fats from bad ones.

Are US supermarket sales dropping because people are flocking to farmers markets? 8:01 AM Feb 17th

Mindful eating: what The Rambling Epicure has on the agenda for 2010.

A new look at the surprising resilience and growth potential of the human brain – AARP Magazine.

Kids in the Kitchen Let’s Move Healthier choices, exercise = HEALTHIER KIDS. Michelle Obama’s campaign.

New seasonal vaccine to contain pandemic H1N1 strain.

The aquaponic garden, spotless and clean. The new rage.

Green leafy foods can be dangerous if not washed properly. Get the scoop here!

Latest news: the importance of getting back around the table.

Chocolate

The perfect marriage of chocolate and beer.

Recipes for dessert lovers, especially good chocolate recipes, by pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

Wine

Learning to love sweet wine.

Soil is not just soil. The Féchy winemakers in canton Vaud get serious!

AMONG THE VINES Swiss women helping build int’l wine group.

Miscellaneous food and related info

Migros supermarkets to offer sound with food labels, for sight-impaired.

Some of my favorite food blogs.

Get the full scoop on how to choose the right kitchen knives for you from a professional chef.

Chocolate show in Nice 5 to 7 March. Both Baboo and easyJet fly there, so it’s an easy leap!

Twitter war between New York chefs! Is Twitter gaining power in the world?

Did you know that the Paris Brest turned 100 in January?

Loads of links to follow food trends in Switzerland and abroad, plus restaurant listings.

What can you do with vanilla bean paste (and why use it instead of beans or extract)?

Exclusive: How Google’s Algorithm Rules the Web

Swiss Diamond frying pans: the safe non-stick frying pan.

Skiing, snow, lifestyle

Villars-sur-Ollon’s Fanny Smith will be skiing in the Skier X Women’s Final at 13:35 today. Don’t miss it!

Overview of snow conditions in Swiss ski resorts.

The Vancouver Winter Olympics are first sustainable games; the Olympic Museum in Lausanne has a special exhibit about it.

Beautiful video showing the history of the Winter Olympics.

Best snow sliding in Switzerland!

Achy muscles from all the skiing? Try out exquisite spa packages at Lecrans hotel spa in Crans.

Budget ski deals in European hostels.

Switzerland gets its 5th gold medal!

At least 10 ski stations near Zurich expect 10 cm of new snow overnight!

Klosters ski report: 130 cm snow of very good quality.

Great powdery snow conditions around Sion, 240 cm in Anzère and 210 in Saas-Fee.

Villars-Gryon snow conditions.

Europe’s top ski festivals. Go for it!

Check out this mind-boggling ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. Exquisitely beautiful!

GenevaLunch overview of Swiss skiing conditions this weekend.

Plan your driving carefully on Saturday. Lots of ski vacationers will be heading home.

Swiss women go for the gold in Vancouver.

Swiss curling team beats US in a close match.

Skiing conditions around Bern.

* * * Olympic sports, curling: Swiss men beat USA * *

Ski chalets and apartments for rent in Gstaad.

Engelberg got the biggest dump in Switzerland (again)- 25 cm this time. See you up there today! #freshpow

The Mégève snow forecast for this weekend.

Gstaad snow report and skiing conditions.

Skiing conditions in Verbier this weekend. 1 cm more snow expected.

RT @as3780: Tonight, jungle fever at the Chopard Party at the Palace Gstaad ! By invitation only. 7:51 PM Feb 20th

Ski conditions in 72 stations near Geneva.

Switzerland’s Martina Kocher No. 1 in luge final for the moment! 7:44 AM Feb 17th

Nice quotes

Life puts some things on our plate, and you have to slowly eat them, slowly digest them, even when they’re not to your gourmet liking.

cyitaiga Quotes – especially positive suggestions – are very strong medicine.

cyitaiga A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it.–Bob Hope

cyitaiga The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor find much fun in life.–Charles Schwab

cyitaiga “Great and big things can happen when simple and small things come together.”–Author (Fahad)

cyitaiga A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.–Richard Branson

Rediscovering the beauty of what it means to eat together as a family. A beautiful video.

Get serious about what you put in your mouth.

Have you checked out The Rambling Epicure blog on genevalunch.com?

Here is a great double-chocolate walnut biscotti recipe by Patricia Turo, born into an Italian family in the US, but now living in the Klosters ski resort in Switzerland. This recipe is therefore more in the spirit of Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.

Be careful about the quality of chocolate you use: Avoid buying the American chocolate chips in a bag. You’d be better off buying a bar of dark chocolate from your favorite local (Swiss) chocolate maker and crumbling it up into bits. The same goes for the cocoa powder. Make sure it is good quality, preferably from a good chocolate maker.

To convert the measurements, refer to How to convert measurements for American recipes.

I spend a lot of time reading, researching and tweeting about food and restaurants these days, so I thought I’d jot down my tweets from the last few days. These are from both The Rambling Epicure and Swiss Foodies and should give you an overview of what’s going on in the foodie world this week.

These tweets are often focused on Switzerland, but also include a lot of links to Swiss, French, German, British, American, Canadian and other research on food.

This week was the countdown to Valentine’s Day, so I listed oodles of Valentine’s dinners, weekend packages at hotels and chocolate shops. You can find the Valentine’s venues I tweeted last week in the 20 Valentine venues, posted earlier this week.

Sometimes I couldn’t resist writing about the snow and skiing conditions, because that determines how a lot of us in Switzerland plan our weekends, and therefore what restaurants we go to or what recipes we cook up. And of course occasionally, watches and Alinghi . . .

Remember, these are just tweets

Remember these are just tweets, so they are short and sweet. They are not particularly orderly; I just tweeted the information as I found it.

I suggest you skim over the headings, and if you’re interested, just click on any of the links that interest you in order to read the detailed article.

Who knows, this might even tempt you to start tweeting yourself!

This week’s tweet list

Valentine’s

20 Valentine venues: restaurants, chocolate and hotel packages for the “big day”!

Valentine’s events in La Gruyère.

Valentine’s package at Bernard Ravet, CHF500, hotel, champagne, 9-course dinner, breakfast for two, Relais & Châteaux.

Restaurants in French-speaking Switzerland w/ Valentine’s specials; just click on your canton! NOT TESTED BY THE RAMBLING EPICURE.

GenevaLunch: Lake Geneva Valentine’s cruise.

Ramada Geneva offering Valentine’s Day brunch as well as candelit dinner.

Hôtel des Armures in Geneva: special Valentine’s package, rooms, champagne, breakfast and chocolate.

Valentine’s package at Hotel Royal Geneva. Le Duo, chic delish restaurant & brasserie, chef trained by Bernard Loiseau.

Jamie Oliver’s Valentine’s Day menu, along with recipes and tips for a romantic feast.

GenevaLunch: Valentine’s for the “older” crowd.

Chocolate

Salt on chocolate, chocolate on salt, chocolate fondue & fruit. A great post about mixing chocolate with other flavors.

Swiss ate less and cheaper chocolate as part of 2009 belt-tightening.

Sweet chocolate dreams package at Lausanne Palace, room, spa, chocolate class.

Photo courtesy of Southern Living.

Restaurants

Bombay-born masterchef Vineet Bhatia of the Geneva restaurant Rasoi By Vineet, which has a Michelin star, is off to culinary festival in Abu Dhabi.

Have you checked out the Metropolitan Truffles Burger at the Café Métropole in downtown Geneva?

What is probably Zermatt’s best restaurant is Mediterranean, not Swiss, buy boy is it good!

Café Berra in Monthey: one of my favorite restaurants. It’s simple, elegant and refined all at the same time.

Michelin star chef Philippe Rochat’s chocolate dessert recipes. Perfect for Valentine’s and use Swiss chocolate!

In case you didn’t catch this: all the best addresses for Valentine’s in Switzerland.

Restaurant: Les Pérolles in Fribourg: bit of paradise right in heart of city. Delicious refined “daily” menu for CHF72.

Have you checked out the Myò Sushi Bar in Lausanne? They also have authentic Japanese cooking.

Restaurant suggestions for every budget and occasion.

Guide names 30 ‘most important’ restaurants in US: Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Per Se restaurants topped this year.

Chef Ferran Adria to close El Bulli ‘world’s best’ eatery in search for inspiration.

Restaurant Genève Les Armures lists its CHF 19 daily special on site every day.

Untested commercial listing of Geneva restaurants serving special Valentine’s dinner.

Mégève’s Les Enfants Terribles has opened in Paris, taking over Johnny Hallyday’s restaurant!

THE RAMBLING EPICURE Restaurant notes – 4 December 2009.

Check out the exquisite brunches at L’Esquisse near L’Hermitage in Lausanne.

Recipes

This coconut shrimp recipe may not be healthy, but it sure does sound good, and easy to boot!

Chocolate recipes in all forms and fashions. Just convert the American chocolate bars and use chocolate from your local chocolaterie.

Recipe: Caribbean recipe, red snapper with tamarind glaze and banana salsa. In Switzerland, use large rougets.

A Mexican mole recipe adapted to European kitchens. But replace Mexican chocolate with Swiss chocolate, of course!

Alain Passard of L’Arpège in Paris made his restaurant entirely vegetarian (he’s now added a few non-veg items). Here’s his winter vegetable recipe.

Recipes: old-fashioned, American-style cakes, revised to modern tastes (a lot healthier!).

Recipe: lake perch from La Pérolles resto in Fribourg. Good for now, using seasonal Peruvian asparagus and oranges.

Pear rissole: a winter delight, and a specialty of Geneva since time immemorial. History and recipe.

@RebekahDenn With all the untested recipes online, I firmly believe we’ll return to the tradition of cookbooks one day. Be optimistic!

In loverly pink for you…the wonderful valentines day recipes http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes so u dont have an excuse now boys (in his own words).

THE RAMBLING EPICURE Recipe and history: Bern-style rösti.

Cheese

Cheese is still Switzerland’s top export, despite some fluctuations last year.

Wine

List of Geneva wineries that offer wine tasting on Saturdays.

GenevaLunch editor and wine specialist Ellen Wallace competing for the Glorious Vines photo competition.

Check out this food and wine social network.

Swiss wines get a marketing boost with naming of top oenologist as president.

GenevaLunch: AMONG THE VINES: Silver linings: Taramarcaz’s Domaine des Muses.

AMONG THE VINES Don’t forget Changins wine school now gives courses in English.

Wine bars in Geneva!

The 2010-2011 Swiss Wine Guide will be coming out soon in English! Can’t wait.

Anglo-Swiss club in Fribourg, International Beer Festival at 19H30 Thursday Feb. 11th.

Berthaudin in Carouge has a great selection of both local and global wines, and they deliver!

Miscellaneous food and related info

Overview of scientific studies explaining all the reasons green tea is good for you.

Alimentarium food museum in Vevey, founded by Nestlé, permanent exhibition on cooking, buying, eating and digesting.

Hey you American Southerners, remember Spoonbread?

Teach your kids how to shop for food, Let’s Move!

Geneva protected itself from the Savoyards by pouring a cauldron of vegetable soup on their heads, or so they say . . .

Check out these authentic weight loss blogs.

Some great food blogs!

Foodimentary Did you know that many US Civil War battles were fought to capture salt mines? Without salt food couldn’t be preserved.

Fabulous video by Michelle Obama about Let’s Move, her campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids.

Sex, no I mean, Cupcakes in the City, the city being Geneva.

THE RAMBLING EPICURE Swiss have some of best quality cookware available. Check out the Durotherms.

THE RAMBLING EPICURE How to keep up with what food is in season in the Lake Geneva region.

The 7 foods experts won’t eat in the U.S.

What to do with all those pumpkins you’ve stored away for the winter.

USDA report says estimated 49.1M Americans including 16.7M children experienced hunger multiple times throughout year.

McDonald’s is outperforming the sector, despite the general move toward better eating habits.

Photo courtesy of Free Digital Images.

Michelle Obama launched “Let’s Move” campaign today in DC in efforts to fight childhood obesity.

Sugar supply may not meet demand for third year: is this a message we should just quit eating so much?

Have you bought a copy of the Betty Bossi Swiss Cookbook, with both traditional and contemporary recipes?

Better start making your Valentine’s dinner reservations now. Restaurants and hotels fill up quickly.

Have you joined The Rambling Epicure on Facebook? World and Swiss news for foodies.

British Online Supermarket, order online, they ship abroad!Have you joined Swiss Foodies on Facebook? We follow the food scene in Switzerland!

The up-front costs of feeding our kids better food are wiped out on back end by high cost of treating Type 2 diabetes.

GenevaLunch: Cake and pastries buffet.

Swiss in good health, but still smoking, gaining weight.

New vaccines for cattle could cut risk from deadly bacteria – but who will pay for it.

Swedish Bitters, the most popular herb remedy in Europe were actually first produced by *Swiss* physician Phillipus Paracelsus in 1541.

Estèbe’s Top Slurp gives recipe for hottest new food ingredient: the citron.

Find a farmers market in your neighborhood in Geneva.

USDA Announces New Framework For Animal Disease Traceability.

US Food & Drug Administration wants food makers to post nutritional & calorie info ON FRONT of packages.

In America they have to teach kids what real food looks like before it’s processed and put into plastic packages!

Food magazines turn to “leftover” and recycled recipes and articles due to shortage in professional journalist staff.

Skiing, snow, lifestyle

How to ski cheaply and have money left over for beer in Verbier; one Briton’s good advice.

Lots of fresh snow on the way in ski stations near Zurich.

This is SO cool! Horse racing on a snow-covered lake in St. Moritz!

Businesses can’t compete in the global economy without a workforce that can afford to live near them.

Farming is a lifestyle under strain everywhere in Switzerland, but perhaps nowhere more so than in the mountains.

The price of eggs in Switzerland can vary from one to four times more expensive, according to how they are raised.

SO much snow near Zurich, 240 cm in Andermatt!

The Swiss are now sugaring their roads instead of salting them!

Ice skating in Lausanne this week!

SO much snow in the resorts near Geneva!

Walking: A simple focus for the Smart Growth movement.

Swatch sales going up, even during the recession! WOW.

Did you know that the city of Lausanne subsidizes WiFi so that it is accessible all over the city?

At least 58 ski resorts near Basel expect fresh snow within 48 hours.

At least 39 ski resorts near Bern expect fresh snow within 48 hours.

Come to “Outpost Cup” Sunday, February 14 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Join us for a great race…skiers & snowboarders…

John Murtha dies at 77; Pennsylvania Democrat forcefully opposed Iraq war in US Congress.

Shackleton‘s 100 year old whisky has finally been broken out of the Antarctic ice. That’s the spirit!

GenevaLunch: Oracle vs Alinghi (Chappatte cartoon).

Swiss Airlines adds Geneva add non-stop Zurich-San Francisco flight.

NEW TO GENEVA? ME TOO Weekend family and solo activities in Geneva: St Cergue in the snow.

Great site for finding Ayurvedic treatment and yoga retreats with Indian-trained staff.

THE RAMBLING EPICURE Geneva cybercafés.

Check out this site for what’s going on in neighboring Haute-Savoie.

Wow, Geneva Tourism site is also in Spanish now!

Scary. Is Switzerland’s luxury watch industry in trouble?

It’s carnival time in the Catholic cantons of Switzerland!

For the last week or so, I’ve had Valentine’s on the brain. I’ve been posting restaurants offering special Valentine’s meals, chocolate shops making all sorts of beautiful Valentine’s chocolates, as well as hotels offering Valentine’s packages on the Swiss Foodies Twitter account.

Photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono.

I’ve been trying to get you in the spirit, but now it’s time for the final countdown, because time is running short. To make things easier, I’ve gathered all the Valentine tweets here so you can start making plans for the weekend!

This list is by no means exhaustive and I may well add to it during the week, so keep in touch either here on The Rambling Epicure, or by following the Swiss Foodies tweets. Every time I stumble on something interesting, I’ll make sure and tweet it.

Valentine’s specials: something to suit everyone’s budget and schedule

1. On Sunday, 14 February 2010, the CGN is sponsoring Valentine’s lunch cruises on all their major routes.
2. List of restaurants all over Switzerland with Valentine’s specials; just click on your canton!  Please note that I haven’t tested these restaurants, but they should include something appropriate for everyone’s taste, location and budget.
   
3. Valentine’s package at L’Auberge in Baulmes for CHF105, including gourmet dinner, champagne, wine and room. They adhere to the Slow Food philosophy.
4. Restaurant de Bois Genoud Le Castel in Crissier. See our post of 1 February 2010. Elegant setting, organic, biodynamic food grown on the property, and real gourmet dining.
5. Valentine’s events in La Gruyère.
6. Valentine’s package at Bernard Ravet’s splendid L’Hermitage in Vufflens-le-Château, CHF500, including hotel, champagne, 9-course dinner, and breakfast. The package goes for CHF500 per person per night. Price justified by the restaurant’s 19 out of 20 rating in GaultMillau, the setting, that it belongs to Relais & Châteaux, and the presence of Nathalie Ravet, named best Swiss sommelier in 2007.
7. Commercial listing of Geneva restaurants serving special Valentine’s dinner. Please note that I haven’t tested these restaurants, but they should include something appropriate for everyone’s taste, location and budget.
8. Spa, chocolate bath, and GaultMillau 13-rated restaurant at Ferian Art in Saas-Fee in a drop-dead beautiful setting and exquisite decor.
9. Hôtel des Armures in Geneva: special Valentine’s package including room, champagne, breakfast and chocolate, for CHF860 for two nights. Located in the very heart of Geneva’s old town.
10. Ramada Park Hotel Geneva offering Valentine’s Day brunch as well as candlelit dinner. CHF75 for Sunday brunch, and CHF79 for candlelit dinner.
    
11. How to make a chocolate heart for your sweetie, but please substitute Swiss chocolate!
12. From chocolate lollipop to cup of organic dark hot chocolate, dip into hot milk and stir for few moments. For those who really don’t have much time but want to make a gesture!
    
13. Exquisite Italian food for romantic Valentine’s dinner at San Marino in Lausanne.
14. My Switzerland also lists a number of romantic Valentine’s getaways, mostly in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
15. A real deal, but in high style: The Mövenpick in Prague is offering the best Valentine’s package I’ve found. €114 for a couple for one night, with a real spread.
    
16. All local chocolate makers will be competing with all the others to create the most beautiful, original Valentine chocolates possible. See our Easter post about chocolate shops in Geneva.
17. In our initial countdown to Valentine’s, we also listed Durig in Lausanne for its organic, fair-trade chocolate hearts that you can order online.
18. For those who don’t count pennies but love fine food, the Richemond in Geneva is offering an all-out spa, champagne, gourmet Italian dinner (the chef is none other than Fulvio Pierangelini, Italy’s top chef 2009), full breakfast and room for CHF1025 for two.
19. For those who love antique cars and have the time and money to hop over to the French Riviera, this is a real find. The Hôtel Beau Rivage in Nice has a Valentine’s package that includes a jaunt in the countryside around Nice in an antique Lotus for a whole day. The package includes two nights in the hotel, the car for one day, breakfast in the room and one dinner at the restaurant of your choice (they offer two) for €530 for two people.
20. It’s Monday, so I can’t get hold of L’Esquisse in Lausanne. I don’t know whether they have a Valentine’s menu. All I know is that they have a refined menu and the setting is beautiful. I vote on it being romantic, no matter what the occasion.

The Rambling Epicure’s chocolate notes: countdown to Valentine’s Day

Comprehensive list of chocolate shops and visits to chocolate makers in Geneva area. Each chocolate maker makes its own special chocolate creations for Valentine’s Day, so check out the chocolate works of art at your favorite local chocolate maker.

A chocolate heart from Chocolatier Durig in Lausanne.

Organic, fair-trade chocolate at Chocolatier Durig in Lausanne. Online ordering.

From chocolate lollipop to cup of organic dark hot chocolate. Just dip lollipop into hot milk and stir for few moments et voilà, a delicious cup of hot Swiss chocolate! List of sales outlets at La Cuillère Suisse.

How did chocolate get to Switzerland anyway? They don’t grow chocolate in the Alps! Read about it here.

How to make a chocolate heart for your sweetie, but please substitute Swiss chocolate! Buy the chocolate at your favorite local chocolate maker.

Bridge2Food reports that the new UK PowerBar Protein Plus 80% Lion Crisp, a protein shake, uses Nestle‘s chocolate and caramel wafers for flavouring. This gives the whey-based shake, a Nestlé brand, a chocolate and toffee flavour and a crunchy texture similar to the popular Lion Crisp, a chocolate-covered wafer bar.

Whey-based protein drinks and bars are often used by athletes and muscle builders as a source of quick protein in the 30 minutes or 1 hour after an intensive workout, when it is considered important to take in protein in order to prevent breakdown of muscle tissue. Whey protein, which is a naturally occurring dairy protein found in cow’s milk, is prized because of its low fat content. It is also thought that because it is usually consumed in liquid form, the body processes it more quickly and efficiently than higher fat, solid proteins. The shake can be made with either low-fat milk or water.

Erratum: On 22 October 2009, I mistakenly reported that the Powerbar was manufactured by Sport Tiedje. It is in fact a Nestlé brand. Sport Tiedje has requested that we remove the photo.