Just as our New Year’s resolutions of staying fit slowly fade into a distant memory, we are presented with the fourth most chocolate and candy-filled holiday of the year: Valentine’s Day. According to the National Confectioners Association, the United States will be spending around 345 million dollars on 85 million pounds of chocolate in celebration. Read More

The holidays are upon us and there’s no better way to celebrate than with chocolate. Below find some scrumptious chocolate filled desserts to get you into the festive spirit! Read More

Photo: Allana Mortell

Chocolate is one of those universal addictions, a product so consistent and so yummy that it may as well be its own food group. What begins as a cacao bean evolves into a warm, comforting and rich liquid that can be eaten in hundreds of different ways.

Here at the Rooster, one of our signature and favorite dessert items has to be the homemade Whiskey Fudge. Bite-size, decadent and infused with whiskey, these chocolate poppers are sure to satisfy the sweet tooth of raging chocoholics everywhere. Made with minimal ingredients, the fudge is simple in theory but complex in flavor. We add a few drops of Southern whiskey, bourbon, a few touches of sea salt and toasted Macadamia nuts and suddenly, that fudge you loved so much as a kid is given a grown up taste.

The biggest problem with our whiskey fudge is you honestly can’t eat just one–if you can, hats off to you. But there’s good news out there reporting that now increasing your frequency of eating dark chocolate can actually be good for your health. Read More

Photo: Lee McCoy

With Easter just around the corner I’m sure many children are wondering if the Easter Bunny will be hopping into their houses with a nice big bag full of chocolate. Since we all want to eat a little bit healthier, during this Easter season (and may I add that it’s soon bikini season, so for those of you who really want to get fit this spring you’ll take a liking to these benefits) we are going to show you the ins and outs of the nutritional benefits to eating dark chocolate. Read More

Photo: artizone

If you are looking for a really fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend, be sure to check out The 4th Annual Chocolate Day: The Mystery of Chocolate at the Morris-Jumel Mansion on Saturday, February 11th, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM. An event devoted to chocolate on Valentine’s Day weekend is the perfect occasion to taste the holiday’s trademark food in one of the city’s oldest freestanding mansions in our very own neighborhood of Harlem.

MJM invites everyone to join them in discovering the mystery of chocolate in their masquerade ball where history will come to life as you encounter the ladies of the house who will tell you about their intriguing lives. Learn about the role of chocolate in the days of George Washington and then decorate your own cupcakes. This is both an educational and delicious experience. Read More

Photo: Bill Zimmerman

By: Melaina Gasbarrino

Have you ever wondered just how precious cocoa, the lovely bean that creates the sweetest treats, really is? Well in today’s day and age, cocoa is costing the industry a whole lot of loot. Neena Rai and Leslie Josephs report that this tasty treat is recovering for an ‘all-time 3-year low’.

As bids were placed to purchase the beans for the 2012-2013 crops, just a couple of days ago it’s now that we realize just how precious this cargo is. The price of cocoa this quarter skyrocketed at $2,300 a ton on the ICE Futures US exchange. With a 3.4% increase from the last trading session, the rise in cocoa was all thanks to the somewhat stronger economy the US has seen at the start of the year. Read More

Photo: yuan2003

If you’re planning on stocking up on chocolate for Halloween, stay home tomorrow. Protesters are planning on picketing outside of Hershey stores nationwide, displaying their distaste for the candy company’s practices.

According to Raise the Bar, the group behind the campaign, Hershey has been sourcing their cocoa from African countries that are known specifically for using child labor and in some cases forced and trafficked labor. Read More

Photo: McMarcLouwes

By: Saira Malhotra

As we gear up for Halloween, purchasing ghastly ghouls and Halloween candy, Kristin Howerton of Good Food, brings up a very important dialogue of ‘Chocolate’. The next few months representing several holidays will lead to an increased purchase of chocolate, but what does that mean on the back end of the industry? The back doors which certain governments and cocoa suppliers hope will remain tightly shut from public viewing. Read More

Photo: Mark Eichmann

By: Saira Malhotra

Amidst obscurity and struggle, yet another company has seen great worth and possibility in Africa, this time, it’s Madagascar. The island is situated on the South East coast of Africa and is an exporter of primary products, such as minerals, lychees, and shrimp. In Africa, there is a growing shift in attitude among companies to take their respective industries to the next level. For Pepsico, it meant investing in infrastructure and better seeds to grow chickpeas on a large scale. For Edun, clothing, it meant using African textiles to create an edgy fashion line made in Africa. But what did it mean for Peace Corp volunteer, Tim McCollum?

Read More

Summer days conjure images of fresh mountain air, lakeside picnics and raucous outdoor dinners that go on until the wee hours.  However, for those of us in the city, summer days actually mean soaring temperatures, stuffy subway rides and frizzed hair.  Kids at camp don’t know how good they have it!  Here are some great ideas for camp care packages for those lucky little ones who are away for the summer.  Of course, you can always fashion a care package for yourself, sit back and take full advantage of your summer staycation!  Read More