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THURSDAY, JUNE 18I had an entire morning ahead of me with no responsibilities! I ate an early breakfast, then visited the gifts store on the first floor. There, among other things, I found some local chocolates. I took the chocolate bars to the hotel front desk and asked them where the factory was. Within 10 minutes I was off across Yogjakarta in search of Monggo Chocolates. I found it in the old part of town, in the silver district known as Kotagede. Although I had not phoned ahead, Thierry Detournay, the founder, was there. His official title is "Production Manager" and he co-owns the business with an Indonesian. At the time I arrived, there were probably 20 staff working in an old but clean house next to a charming courtyard. Thierry has learned to specialize; their major products are bars, made from chocolate manufactured in Indonesia, from Forastero beans grown in Indonesia. Indonesia is #3 in production worldwide, and of that, the vast majority of beans are grown on Sulawesi, a large island that looks like a "K". Thierry mostly sells his bars to hotels and other tourist venues, as chocolate bars are unaffordable to the average Indonesian who earns $2 per day. He has yet to mechanize, finding that it's far cheaper to use lots of labor than to purchase machinery that has to be shipped halfway around the world. Shelving and tables are all stainless steel, so he has invested in state-of-the art tools. Tubes of chocolate truffle filling. They stay molten because the room is 85 F. Thierry has worked out an astonishingly successful technique for tempering chocolate. The room they work in is kept about 85 degrees F, so when they fill the molds, there is no streaking caused by the formation of unstable beta crystals. Also, because there is no machinery, he has worked out a continuous system rather than batch system, keeping the chocolate freshly tempered and producing optimal shine. Chocolate is tempered in stainless steel pots. We visited a couple of packaging rooms. Thierry is either an accomplished artist or he knows someone who is, because his posters are superb, as are his chocolate bar wrappers.I found Thierry to be extremely helpful and friendly. We spent a little time speaking French (Thierry is Walloon or French Belgian), but his English was excellent and, not wanting to miss details, I suggested we speak English most of the time.

A hammer and a modernly designed ruler are the protagonists of the sixteenth edition of the chocolate event, which will be one day longer than previous events.Break ranks!The military order that has been chosen as the slogan of the sixteenth edition of Eurochocolate Perugia is a clear invitation to think outside the box, to give free rein to ones individuality, to go beyond the usual habits to be able to enjoy the food of the gods in a new way and in all its complexity.The boundaries within which chocolate has long been confined have gradually been crossed, and an innumerably faceted world has been opened to its numerous fans. In recent years, a true chocolate culture has developed, in which the consumer is becoming increasingly attentive and prepared.In 2009, Eurochocolate wants to promote creativity, so everyone can love chocolate as he or she pleases. Dark or milk, bar or nugget, in whatever form it is, it doesnt matter: theres room for all. The tools of this sweet, peaceful revolution, which up to now have had very little to do with chocolate and, precisely for this reason, have been chosen as the images symbolizing the new communication campaign of Eurochocolate 2009 are a hammer, which symbolizes the break, and a ruler already rechristened Golosimetro (sweet tooth gauge).Chosen to interpret the two objects in the Eurochocolate spirit and turn them into original gadgets are two big names of Italian design, Matteo Ragni, a food designer who has been working with Eurochocolate for years in the creation of ever-curious chocolate products of great impact, and Paolo Ulian, who comes from the new generation of Italian designers, whose objects are always characterized by a disarming but engaging simplicity. Of course, both the hammer and the Golosimetro will be made of chocolate and intended to be broken ... with the teeth.Another important novelty with which the Perugian event immediately presents itself to its public is the fact that this year it will be one day longer. Instead of starting on Saturday, in 2009 it will open on Friday. To be precise, on Friday, 16th October, through Sunday the 25th. This decision was reached in order to give chocoholics an extra chance to come to the Umbrian capital city to enjoy the fun and sweetness of the event, as well as the city itself.The decision to increase the length of Eurochocolate from nine to ten days, explains President Eugenio Guarducci, arose after last years success, when one million persons came to Perugia to take part in the event. And in 2009 the goal is to repeat the excellent results of 2008. Our public, explains the President, knows that at Eurochocolate it is possible to find not only the new chocolate products offered by the market or the handmade, foreign, and particular ones that can only be found at specialty retailers, but also cheerfulness, originality, and culture, thanks to the numerous and varied appointments that we are featuring, with the collaboration of the major names of Italian and international confectionery sector.Activities, meetings, exhibits, and teaching workshops for adults and children will be back to engage chocoholics, from 16th through 25th October in Perugia, with a selection of appointments that is truly for all tastes.In short, if you break ranks, chocolate will no longer be the same! This year, also, Eurochocolate will be preceded by Chocoday, the day that celebrates pure chocolate throughout the whole country and which, as has been the case for five years now, will be held on 12th October, the day celebrating the "discovery" of America.* * *These are some of the most significant figures characterizing the last edition of Eurochocolate Perugia:1 million visitors in nine days;over 6,000 references within the framework of the Chocolate Show, the biggest chocolate bazaar;200 companies from the confectionery and other sectors;5,600 participants in the guided tastings and educational events for children and youngsters;190 tons of chocolate offered for free tastings to the public;22,000 ChocoCards, which entitled their holders to discounts and gifts;1,000 articles in the national and foreign press;1 hour of reporting on national and foreign TV;200 radio reports.Eurochocolate Press OfficeViale Centova, 6 06128 PerugiaTel +39 075 5025882 Fax +39 075 5025889Maria Luisa Lucchesi 331 5849909 328 0368578Viola Menicali 349 2826305ufficiostampa@eurochocolate.com

We're still hoping for a soft opening on July 6 - that's very soon! And the invitations for the Grand Opening, July 11, are going out Friday. No turning back now. Here's what's been going on lately.

Here's Frank Zika installing the door today:

And here's some of the furniture stacked up in the shop - and out of our house at last!

And I am here endlessly typing up little signs.The press release seems to be working - and so does Twitter.So far so good.

slochocolateI'm finding lots of interesting twitter to follow, but what's the trick to getting followers?

This press release took me all day to write, but in the late afternoon it went out to over 60 local media outlets. I got two responses right off: an automated response from a reporter who's in Morocco for a month (sounds nice!) and a call from another who wondered if we might hire her nephew. I think we'll get some buzz out of it though.Press release:

June 16, 2009FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContacts: Tom Neuhaus tom@sweetearthchocolates.comJoanne Currie joanne@sweetearthchocolates.comEve Neuhaus eveneuhaus@gmail.com Sweet Earth Chocolate Shop Grand Opening July 11 Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates announces the Grand Opening of its first retail shop on July 11, 2009, 11 AM, at 1445 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo, four doors down from its present home above Splash Caf-Artisan Bakery . The shop will carry an expanded assortment of their award-winning organic, fair trade chocolates as well as chocolate memorabilia, art, and cocoa-butter-based body-care products.Chocophiles of every taste will find something to love in Sweet Earths broad range of delicacies from the deepest of rich, aromatic dark chocolates paired with complex and exotic flavors (try the cinnamon ancho Aztec Truffle or the pineapple coconut Pia Colada), to the playful array of chocolates on sticks. New items also include creamy chocolate and peanut butter fudge, classic cherry cordials, and a line of vegan truffles.Visitors enter the shop through a magical glass door created by San Luis Obispo artist Frank Zika set into a fanciful jungle of painted cacao vines. Inside, beautifully displayed chocolate is offset by bright hand-painted furniture and an eclectic assortment of books, china, tins and tools, all related to chocolate, from a 1943 ad (U.S. Troops Fight on Chocolate Diet) to a two-faced Peruvian drinking vessel. On the walls, continent-shaped collages display photos of chocolate production around the world.As always, profits from sales directly benefit cacao farmers in Ghana and Cote DIvoire through Project Hope and Fairness ; and, as always, Sweet Earth Chocolates are made from carefully selected beans grown in Fair Trade certified co-ops in Peru and Dominican Republic and are certified organic by CCOF. Sweet Earth is a local, artisan business and its chocolates will continue to be produced by hand on the second floor of Splash Caf. Tours are available.Tom Neuhaus, chocolatier and founder, learned his craft in Switzerland and from Jacques Torres at Cornells Hotel School. A professor in the Food Science and Nutrition Department at Cal Poly, Neuhaus also runs the student enterprise project, Cal Poly Chocolates . He travels to Africa regularly to work directly with the people of the cacoa-growing villages Project Hope and Fairness sponsors.Contact numbers: Sweet Earth Chocolates (805) 782-9868Joanne Currie (805) 544-7759Tom Neuhaus (805) 441-6727Eve Neuhaus (805) 441- 6739

Rambling through the cheese section of the new Whole Foods market in Pasadena is an excerise in delerium. Should I get the sharp farmhouse cheddar I know? Should I try the oozy sheeps milk raw Ive never heard of? Blue with veins or white with orange rind??? Then, the little cheese that was meant for me appeared. Cardona with a cocoa powder rind. What a miracle of subtely - no sharpness to the flavor of the cheese, no bitterness from the wrapping of the cocoa. Richness all around. How did they do that?? Thank you, my new friends at Carr Valley. For great scoop on cheese, visit Culture Magazine at www.culturecheesemag.com

Lately I've been spending a good portion of my time accumulating an eclectic assortment of chocolate things for the shop. Most of the stock is here now, and I've stopped looking for more for the time being.

Yesterday I ordered some postcards of old chocolate ads, framed three gorgeous chocolate trading cards

and an ad from a 1943 Life Magazine ("U.S. Troops Fight on Chocolate Diet"), and I cleaned the Godiva truffle trays that go in our big case. We call that case the Cadillac because that's what it is, an old one but a Cadillac nonetheless: sleek, curved glass and mirrors, gold trim. It's from St. Augustine, Florida. The other case is the Chrysler. In its previous incarnation it was a bakery case in a diner in North Hollywood. It has fins.The new floors in the shop look great and the carpenter is working on the cabinets.We're planning to open July 6!

We Indian Cacoa growers scoop the Cacoa seeds from the pod manually. Is there any simple machine or trick to do the job? Please share the knowledge, if any.Rajarajeshwari.

All I can say is...WOW! Last night I was lucky enough to attend a party at ICE--the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, honoring the 10 best pastry chefs in America. It was an amazing experience for a chocolatier and dessert freak like me. We were first allowed to roam through the building where these talented and amazing chefs were setting up and would answer our questions and just basically allow us to gawk at their creations. Then there was the ceremony where each of the 10 were introduced and we got to hear a bit of their back stories which I always find fascinating. My favorite story was that of Alex Stupak from wd-50 in Manhattan who at 12 fibbed about his age just to get a job in a kitchen and learn. My mother did the same thing about 73 years ago in Chappaqua so she could get a job in a tea house and learn to bake from a Southern woman named Carrie who was famous in the area.Each chef then put out a spread with their signature dessert and i ate every single one of them! The most unusual was probably the bluberry push-pop shooters from Richard Capizzi of Per Se and the Bouchon Bakery....amazing!Thanks to my friends at Dessert Professional Mag for inviting me...I had a blast!