I can’t believe that it’s been so long since I’ve updated the blog.  I’ve been super busy running BonBonBar and have become spoiled by Twitter.

But I am planning on updating more frequently because there’s lots going on that’s blogworthy!

I have signed a contract to write a candymaking book that’s scheduled for release in the Spring of 2011.  It is tentatively titled Beautiful Candymaking, and it will feature my take on candy recipes of all sorts — from bark and brittle to taffy and toffee.  It’s very exciting and fun to be working with so many varied ingredients and making them into so many forms of candy.  And I feel very lucky to have this opportunity, especially in the context of this blog.  When I look back at my first blog entries that were during culinary school in 2006, when baking and confectionery were completely new and somewhat curious to me, it’s nice to feel that I kinda, sorta know this subject pretty well now and feel kinda, sorta comfortable explaining it.  Being able to share it in a book form is just amazing to me.  I also want to share a bit about the experience of writing the book and developing different forms of candy on this blog… so woohoo, Sweet Napa lives on in a pretty cool way.

Also, I did a radio interview on Dining Around with Gene Burns today on 810AM that you can listen to here.  I start at around 25:40.

And if you’re in San Francisco this week, I will be featured at The Candy Store at 1507 Vallejo St this Thursday, August 26, from 5-7pm for their Confectioner Showcase for a tasting of BonBonBar candy.  There will be bubbly, candy, me, and the wonderfulness of Diane, Brian, and Liana at their equally wonderful store (where I like to stock up on candy myself!).

And you can also tune in to ABC7 News this Friday, August 27, if you’re in the Bay Area.  BonBonBars will be featured in a segment…

More soon!  I promise, promise, promise…

Caramallows, ready for action

Hello,

Happy Holidays!  Even though I have been quiet on the newsletter front, it has been busy at BonBonBar.

The most exciting news is that I have been hard at work writing a cookbook! It is called Beautiful Candymaking, and it is due out in the Fall of 2011 through Sterling Publishing.  The book will feature my take on a wide range of candy recipes — from toffee to fudge to caramel corn — along with candymaking tips/techniques and gorgeous photography courtesy of The White on Rice Couple.

After developing so many recipes for the book, I thought that it would be a good idea to recharge and seek new inspiration for the company’s confections.  So, BonBonBar will be closed from December 23 to February 1 as I eat my way around France, Italy, Brazil, and California.  I am looking forward to returning with refreshed ideas for new products, but it most likely also means that, unfortunately, some candies will be rotated out in the new year.

As always, thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm.  Happy customers have always been my favorite part of this BonBonBar adventure, and you have given me the amazing opportunity to run a truly artisan food company that will be going into its fourth year. I am grateful, and lucky.

All the best for a happy and sweet holiday season, and I hope that BonBonBar treats will be a part of it!

Thank  you!

Nina

Founder & Chief Chocolatier,BonBonBar

MORE BONBONBAR NEWS

So far, our candy bars are being featured in Fine Cooking, DailyCandy, and The Huffington Post’s 2010 holiday gift guides.

If you would like to place your holiday orders in advance of when you would like them to ship, please let us know in the comments of the order.

All orders placed during the break will ship after February 1.

After a month and a half of blogging, I believe that I’ve finished writing about our week in Paris. Here are some pictures to fill in some atmosphere…

Oh, and we were also in Provence for a week, so… stay tuned…

My view of the World Cup semi-final game against Portugal, standing in the middle of the street with everyone else, and marveling at the virtual riot that erupted afterwards.

At La Maison du Chocolat

At La Maison du Chocolat

At La Maison du Chocolat

At La Maison du Chocolat.

The oldest candy shop in Paris.

A glorious bacon and cheese filled bread from Pain D’epis.

(more…)

My plan for E. Dehillerin was to get little tart tins and such, knowing that I wouldn’t want to lug around heavy or huge kitchen supplies for the rest of my trip. I thought that my biggest concession would be the rolling pin, because of its size, but I bought it because I’ll use it the most and so will think about the trip France often.

This kitchen supply store has been open since 1820, and I generally liked how it hasn’t done much since to change the way that it’s run. The aisles are narrow and high, the shelves are overflowing with enticing cooking implements, purchasing things involves having them tallied up by a salesperson who gives the order sheet to the cashier (who does use a computer to print out a thorough receipt… allow a lot of time for this whole process), and your things are wrapped up tightly in newspaper and tape.

Oh, and the prices are listed in a catalogue organized by a code number system at the front of store, not on the things themselves. Otherwise, the labels on the products are very thorough about what they are made of and their size, and I didn’t feel too stupid only getting about 4 of everything because I knew I could see if I liked/used them, and then could track down more if desired.

By the way, aren’t these mini-loaf tins nice?

Like, really nice?

That’s good. Because I happened to get eight of them, and so paid $70. A salesperson had warned me early on that those mini cookie cutters were expensive — and at $7 each, they were — so I only got two of them. On a whim, since they looked nice and since I’d put back some bigger items, I threw a few more mini-loaf tins onto my pile, for a total of 4 each. It wasn’t until I got the receipt that I saw how much they were… And how cheap the little tart tins were — less than $2 each — and thought about how I make tarts way more than quickbreads, but… that. is. okay.

The one on the left is tin-plated and the one on the right is blue steel. They seem like terrific quality, and I’m sure that I’ll one day find excellent and amazing uses for them. I know I will because every single time I make something at home now, I ask myself, “How would it look as a mini-loaf?”

We stopped at Cafu du Marche by happenstance on a rainy afternoon , and in quintessential rainy-day-in-Paris fashion, I had the best duck confit of my life. Cafe du Marche is known for good food at reasonable prices, and for only about 9Euro, this was the juiciest, most flavorful, just sweet enough, just-caramelized-enough-on-the-outside duck confit ever. The crispy/soft/garlic potato rounds cooked in duck fat were the natural and perfect accompaniment. Even though the lettuce would appear to only get in the way, it was good for an occasional palate cleansing.

The Lamb Tagine with Curry was good enough, with tender lamb, but the curry flavor in the sauce was a little funky to me.