Hi,
I'm looking at christmas gift ideas for my family. My younger sister
loves chocolate (don't we all). I am thinking that it would make
something of a surprise present to give her a good book or two on
confectioneries, hot chocolate, etc., as well as a moderate stash of
quality chocolate to play with.

First, if you were to start with one or two really cool books,
covering a number of interesting recipes to play with and perhaps also
information on the actual chemical states of chocolate, what would you
pick?

Second, where to get chocolate? I remember talking with someone from
a campus chocolate science club, whose name I have since forgotten (and
emailing the club's officers list has elicited no response), who was
telling me about procurring chocolate. I understand that giradelli is
a good value for average chocolate that trader joe's was an excellent
value if only small quantities are purchased; but also that even better
gourmet chocolates might be purchased in bulk for the same per-lb
prices as the aforementioned sources. I believe what the club
purchases is the latter, in large buckets in chocolate chip form. I'm
willing to spend $30-$50 on everything, so if bulk gourmet chocolate
can be had with perhaps a minimum of 10 lbs, then it's a definite
attraction. Unless the minimum is more like 50 lbs. Do you have any
idea what this source may have been, and if so, is it worth
considering? With a large crowd at our house over x-mas, there would
be no problem consuming multiple pounds anyway, so if one can order
gourmet chocolate at a reasonable price, it makes sense.



thanks!
-Bernard Arnest