I add the spice to our Chocolate City Saison. Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting at a beer and chocolate tasting at the Marina Grand Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan. The event was in conjunction with a local chocolate festival. My friends at New Holland Brewing invited me to pair up with them again. … Read more »

A vendor displays his bottles at the Winter Fancy Food Show. There was everything a foodie could imagine. I just got back from a visit to San Francisco, a place that is like a second home to me. I got to reconnect with a dear friend there who I haven’t seen in two years. We … Read more »

Gail with friend Russ Carter, who hosts an annual beer/chocolate pairing at the shop. A couple of weeks ago, we had our third annual Holiday Beer & Chocolate Pairing at Ale Asylum. I always have a blast working with brewer Otto Dilba. We’re lucky to have so many craft brewers in our area. They put … Read more »

Our new Pecan Smokies go great with scotch. A lot of people like the bacon-chocolate combination. To me, it’s not about the bacon. It’s the tantalizing combination of sweet, salt, smoke and crunch that’s so delicious. So while I’m not jumping on the bacon bandwagon, I recently introduced our answer to this taste combination–Pecan Smokies. … Read more »

Wow, it is really Thanksgiving week? How did this happen? I just saw one of the last signs of warm weather—the final pink rose in bloom on my neighbor’s rosebush that straddles our backyards. It gives me a pang for the lost green of summer. I’m trying to embrace the new season, but I have … Read more »

Here I am, sitting down next to Isaac after meeting Michelle Obama. Just a bit excited! Ah, election season. It’s hard to tune out all the ads, rhetoric and bickering. It can make you feel disillusioned. It can make you tempted to sit this one out. But the other day, I got a chance to … Read more »

The “America’s Best” crew films Gail behind the counter. I’m writing this a couple of days before “America’s Best” airs on the Food Network. The whole thing still seems pretty unbelievable, although we’ve known about it since February. For the editors of Food Network Magazine to say I make “the best little box of chocolates” … Read more »

Summer is in full swing and that means plenty of great fresh veggies and fruits! I am so happy to share some of my favorite summer recipes with you. I especially love Chilled Watermelon-Mint Soup. I’m pretty sure it will rock your world. Serve it in a half-watermelon shell at your next outdoor party and … Read more »

Hanging out on my deck with my friend Alison. Can you believe July is already underway? Why does my favorite time of the year seem to go by so quickly? I don’t have the answers, but here is what I do to savor every moment:   First, I get outside as much as I can. … Read more »

Hanging out on my deck with my friend Alison. Can you believe July is already underway? Why does my favorite time of the year seem to go by so quickly? I don’t have the answers, but here is what I do to savor every moment:   First, I get outside as much as I can. … Read more »