A Chocolate Exploration @ Die Schokoladengalerie

Every now and then it is important to treat yourself; to reward yourself for hard work, for completing a goal or just cause.  As a lover of exploration and the thrill I get of discovering new things, discovering Die Schokoladengalerie in Munich was a double treat.  I would describe Die Schokoladengalerie as a chocolate store that offers a wide selection of niche, European chocolate brands, as well as a mini patisserie where you can dine, in-store, on tarts, brownies, truffles and other pastries.

Photo Source: 1

Easter is in full swing around Europe (celebrated on a much more festive level than what I am used to seeing in Toronto) and so my first stop was to peruse the shop’s Easter chocolate table.  I decided to try the egg half, front and centre wrapped in cellophane (see photo below).  It reminded me of a Cadbury Easter egg, although it tasted nothing like it!  I think this egg was made with fondant or marzipan and was pure sugar.

Photo Source: 2

Next I moved on to the real adventure, walking around the perimeter of the store to check out what niche chocolate brands Die Schokoladengalerie curated for my pleasure.  This was my favourite part of the experience as chocolate companies typically go all out in their package design to entice customers and I was happy to get caught up in their marketing efforts!

Photo Source: 3

I explored and had my first taste of Catanies by Barcelona based Cudie which is chocolate, almond, sugar, hazelnuts and vanilla rolled into a little ball dusted with cacao powder.

Photo Source: 4, 5

Then I was drawn to Quai Sud, from Toulon, France, which neatly packaged a dark chocolate square with strawberries and white pepper in a tear open, resealable bag, which I thought was rather neat and unusual for a chocolate bar.

Photo Source: 6

Next came Barcelona’s Oriol Balaguer’s Tableta de Chocolate- Chocoate Negro Grand Cru which is a 70% cacao blend of Venezuela and Trinidad blend.

Photo Source: 7

And finally, I rounded out my chocolate tour around Europe by purchasing a couple bars from Austrian chocolate company, Berger Feinste Confiserie.  I selected a whisky-orange chocolate square as well as a chocolate ginger square.

Photo Source: 8

If you are wondering whether I ate all this chocolate, the answer is no.  I did sample a few items at the store, but I mainly bought these squares to keep in the house for gifts and only reserved one or two for the emergency chocolate craving personal stash.

Have you come across any interesting chocolate brands lately?  Feel free to share your favourites in the comments section.  I love discovering new brands, especially those based in Europe where I can go check them out!

Hotel Miramonte

I am in between lecturing terms and just returned from a lovely, long ski-weekend in Bad Gastein, Austria (the Austrian Alps). One of the highlights was undoubtedly our boutique hotel:  Hotel Miramonte.

I discovered this hotel while reading the White Line Hotels website and after this experience, I can confidently say, I trust this site’s recommendations and would be open to trying another one of their recommendations when planning my next trip.  Hotel Miramonte embodied everything I like about design inspired travel: A large selection of international magazines and design books in their lounge and library, a mix of contemporary and vintage furniture- all ski chic, a killer soundtrack that changed throughout the day, and revolving art on the walls.  It was a true lifestyle hotel and I made the most of my time there as a non-skier!  The two floor sun decks, yoga classes and spa were wonderful for unwinding.

The service and food was also impeccable from morning until night, the staff could not do enough for you.  The breakfasts were delicious with lots of muesli, oatmeal, fresh, dried and stewed fruits (compote), breads, cakes, cheeses, vegetables and hard boiled eggs.  My other favourite thing about this hotel was their large samovar and vast selection of loose leaf teas ready to brew in large and small tea pots.  Since it was one of the last ski weekends in the season, the hotel was fairly quiet and did not feel too busy.  To get to this city, I drove from Prague via Munich and Salzburg to Bad Gastein.  The entire trip took about five hours but on the way back we made a three hour stop in Munich which extended the travel time considerably.

We are already planning our return to this spot next year! Has anyone ventured out this way to ski?

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (my own)

Vanilla Food Company + Weekend Roundup

Boy could I use a company like this when I am missing baking ingredients in Prague.  I can’t tell you how many times I go to bake, realize I am missing an ingredient, head to the store and end up searching endlessly for something that I may or may not find.  Vanilla was one of the top things on my list that I could not locate in the city, however now I know you can purchase a small bottle at Marks and Spencer ($$).

I thought the Vanilla Food Company, a Toronto based, specialty, online-only business that sells vanilla (beans, extracts), plus other baking items such as spices, dried fruits, extracts, flavourings, pastes, powders and colourings (to name a few) was a neat niche business for bakers and food enthusiasts to know about.  Not only can you get extracts, you can get beautiful things like Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste, Callebaut chocolate chips as well as chocolate from Cacao Berry and Valrhona (the premium chocolate heavyweights!), and cinnamon from Vietnam.

It looks as if this company was born out of a bit of frustration with the quality and selection of vanilla beans available to regular/non professional chefs in the marketplace.  “The dried up, shriveled, over-priced vanilla beans” we are all accustomed to buying would not suffice for this entrepreneur.  Instead, Vanilla Food Company is filling that gap by upping the quality and accessibility to customers in Canada and the US!

I can’t wait to put my order in and pick up some items to bring back with me to Prague when I return to Toronto in May.

Photo Source: 1, 2, 3

Outside of craving quality chocolate and vanilla paste, I found some interesting ideas on the blogsphere to share with you:

I would like to try this pancake recipe on the weekend from Indonesian blogger, Cemplang Cemplung

I enjoyed reading this blog post on organic vegetables and fruit in Dubai from blogger, My Custard Pie

Finally, design store, Riija, in Riga Latvia, looks like it carries a lot of neat stuff from local designers, if you are into exploring or collecting some design products from Latvia.

Red Pif

I had the pleasure of checking out Red Pif, new a restaurant/wine store/wine bar in Prague  1, late this afternoon and I can triumphantly say, this place is a winner in the city if you are looking for a cool, design forward environment (not overly trendy) to sample wine, and have a bit to eat in the heart of the city.

In addition to offering an impressive selection of wines by the glass, the interior design is supurb, which makes the wine tasting experience a pleasure.  Who doesn’t like drinking in a light and airy space built of natural wood that seems to extend forever?

Other noteable design features about its space is that Red Pif has some very cool window shutters in the shape of cut out wine bottles (see picture below), high ceilings, an industrial looking, floor to ceiling wine shelving unit (comprised of mostly French and Czech bottles) and a stunning bar.  The menu wasn’t bad either.  I sampled a cheese platter and my friend had the pumpkin risotto.  Both were good and I would go back to try a full meal.  Red Pif was also non-smoking from what I could tell, a relief to those still hunting for bars and lounges in the city that don’t have you leaving reaking of smoke!

Photo Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Agneta Livijn

Depending on where you live, travel or shop, you may be familiar with the name Agneta Livijn.  However, it is likely you may own one (or many) of her pieces and not even know it belonged to Agneta Livijn’s as her work is unidentifiable by logo.  What is identifiable, is the product line’s fun stripes (Pisa cups below), hand painted text and bold colours across cups, mugs, saucers, bowls, and dishes all made in stoneware.

The (nearly) 20 year old brand from Stockholm was launched by artist and designer, Agneta Livijn.  Today, the company produces pieces under its own brand and for other retailers which appropriately reflect the tag line of the company, “Get Hip, Get Handmade.”

Picture Source 1, 2, 3

I just love her mugs.  They look so sturdy and solid and would look terrific on a table for brunch.

Picture Source Remodelista

In terms of work for other brands, she has collaborated with R.O.O.M (Stockholm), Marks & Spencer, Habitat (UK), Bakery & Spice (Stockholm), IKEA and the Story Hotel (Stockholm) to name a few. I look forward to tracking down a couple pieces myself next time I am in Germany or eventually get to Sweden.