At first it seemed a bit odd to receive a review offer, for a book about chocolate, from the representative of a high end vanilla company, but as I thought further on the subject, it all began to make sense. Chocolate and vanilla so often work hand in hand. The flavor of one, helping the other to reach higher heights in taste satisfaction. Many of the recipes in Chocolate Bliss make generous use of vanilla, and when one is using high quality cacao products, a cheap vanilla will simply not do. Hence, the connection with Nielson-Massey Vanilla.
Chocolate Bliss, by Susie Norris, is sort of an ode to chocolate, in all it’s forms. It is packed with information about the types of chocolate, health benefits, history, tasting, techniques and anything else a well informed chocolatier should know. In addition to edible recipes, there is also a health and beauty chapter, which features recipes like Chocolate Soap and Hint of Cocoa Body Lotion.
Some of the more scrumptious looking offerings in this book are Artisan Caramel Bonbons (shown in cover pic), Black Forest Cupcakes (pictured below), and the enticingly exotic savory dish, Chicken with Mole Negro Sauce, which I am dying to try once I gather the extensive ingredient list.
All in all Chocolate Bliss is a nice little book which covers the ingredient of chocolate well. It would make an excellent gift for the chocolate lover in your life.
Disclosure: While I received a complimentary copy of the book for the purose of review, and have reviewed Nielsen-Massey vanilla in the past, all opinions presented here are my own and no monetary compensation was given.
Giveaway
The winner of this giveaway will receive both a copy of Chocolate Bliss and a bottle of Nielson-Massey Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, so they can get on with making terrific chocolate-vanilla concoctions.
Mandatory Entry (must be done for all other entries to count): Visit either the Chocolate Bliss website or the Nielsen-Massey website, and tell me something you learned (if you visit both make 2 separate comments, for an extra entry).
For additional entries:
- Follow this blog via email or RSS
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- Follow @TwiMommi on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway up to one time per day.
- Become a fan (now called like) Nielsen Massey Vanillason Facebook
- Become a fan (now called like) Blommi on Facebook
- For 2 entries! Grab my button and post it on your blog, or add Blommi.com to your blogroll. Leave a link where it can be found, in your comment. (remember to leave 2 separate comments)
- For 3 Entries! Blog about this giveaway with a live link back to this post (be sure to leave 3 separate comments)
One winner will be selected from all valid entries, using the “and the winner is..” plug-in, and will have 48 hours to respond to their prize winner email notification. If winner fails to respond, within that time period, a new winner will be drawn. Contest ends July 22 , 2010 at 11:59 pm CT. Open to US residents , age 18+.
Confirmed winner WCC
The United States consumption of vanilla beans is approximately 1,200 tons per year!
Nielson-Massey is a family-run business that’s been operating in Illinois for over 100 years. I did not think that it had been around for over a century
Nielson-Massey sounds like it would be a foreign-based company, but but its product manufacturing plant is, in fact, located in Waukegan, Illinois. I also learned that a few drops of vanilla in a paint can will help eliminate unpleasant odors
On chocolateblissbook.com, I learned that Susie Norris’ next book is entitled VANILLA BLISS
CHOCOLATE BLISS is a multi-media company designed to celebrate chocolate around the world.
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. The finest pure vanilla in the world!
How do we stake such a claim? It starts with a family dedicated to pure vanilla products since 1907. Add the finest vanillaNielsen-Massey Vanillas – manufacturers of pure vanilla extract and more. beans available – hand-picked for perfection, and the process has begun.
I learned that CHOCOLATE BLISS is a multi-media company designed to celebrate chocolate around the world.
On chocolateblissbook.com, I learned that Susie Norris “recently served as associate chef/instructor at Le Cordon Bleu … in Pasadena, CA”