Valentine’s Day » Markets of New York

Reflections on the Chocolate Show in Time for Valentine’s Day

Yes, I’m a bit late with this posting of the Chocolate Show that took place in New York last November. But since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d post about it now and give you some wonderful chocolate inspiration.

Honestly, I had the impression that the Chocolate Shows were for tourists. Even the one in Paris, with its gigantic subway ads and enticing images. But then I looked into it a bit more, and I thought maybe I should give it a chance. So this year, I went. And I’m here, as a massive chocoholic, to tell you that it was an incredible experience.

I arrived at a peak hour on Saturday, and the crowd was pretty big. But that just made me focus and scout out the chocolate companies I really wanted to see. I was pleased and thrilled to see some of the finest chocolatiers in the world all under one roof.

Through my friend and chocolate maker Matt, I met the incredibly talented French chocolate maker from Roanne, François Pralus. I’ve tried is wonderful Pyramide des Tropiques collection of dark chocolates from around the world at Murray’s Cheese. The packaging is so lovely that you hardly want to break into the chocolate, but definitely do! I took home two hefty bars of dark and milk chocolate filled with hazelnuts and praline that were out completely of this world.

Lyonnais chocolatier Bernachon was there too with their perfectly shiny and wonderful bars, as well as their signature gold-flecked bonbons. Lucy Vanel, an American living in Lyon and author behind the wonderful blog, Lucy’s Kitchen Notebook, graciously introduced us to Bernachon while we were visiting Lyon a few years ago. Again, the chocolates are almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

It was also wonderful to see New York market based companies at the chocolate show, including Roni-Sue’s Chocolates. Chocolatier Rhonda Kave of the Essex Street Market was happily providing samples of her famous BeerCrunch and even more famous Pig Candy. Spices & Tease, from their new home in the Grand Central Market, featured a chocolate-related tea collection and other spices that go with sweet and savory chocolate dishes.

The tiny golden-bellied chocolate Buddha pictured came to us from Indiana, handmade by Chocolate for the Spirit in Shelbyville. Des Lis Chocolat creates gorgeous and unique bonbons flavored with poppy flower petals. Their poppy flower petal jelly also caught my eye at the Chocolate Show. Rounding out my experience were the rich and exotic almond paste-filled Babouche au Chocolat from La Gazelle D’Or in Paris and Casablanca. And finally, I washed it all down with my old friends, the huge, decadent, scrumptious chocolate chip cookies from Jacques Torres.

These are just a few of the 65+ exhibitors at the Chocolate Show in New York. Is it for tourists? Sure! Is it for New Yorkers with a passion for rich, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and lots of it? Definitely! I was impressed, I was happy, and I spent a lot of extra time at the gym afterwards.

Will I go back next time? Absolutely!

New Video! Sodas and More at the New Amsterdam Valentine’s Day Market & Apothecary

Love is in the Air: Three Great Valentine’s Dates at the Markets

Special Blog Event: I enjoy reading a good number of blogs. Some inspire me, some crack me up consistently, and some actually make me tear up with every posting. Oh – and some make me hungry. So I invited them to join me in a Valentine’s Day Blogger Round Robin. We’ve all got all the links to each other’s postings at the top of our own. So please click through and read all the blogs. And share them with your friends! (Thank you to Manhattan Users Guide for the original idea!)

Andrea Davis: Pure Food Nutrition: Valentine’s Day Chocolate: Good & Good for You?
Ann Mehl: A Man and His Word on Valentine’s Day
Artists & Fleas: Gift Guide: From Brooklyn-Tough Love, Show Your Love, and Lovely Little Licks, Bites & Nibbles
The Bitchy Waiter: Fuck Cupid
Brooklyn Flea: You Gotta Have Heart
The Experimental Gourmand: Valentine’s Day Special Dinner
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: A Blog Affair to Remember
Kumquat Cupcakery: My Messy Pink Kitchen
Metalicious Jewelry: Well Hello February
The NewNew: What Makes Valentine’s Day Sweet to Me

Love is in the Air

This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, which means we have the whole entire weekend to hang out with the ones we love the most! So I thought to myself, “What would I like to do this weekend?” Of course, it is all about the markets. Here are three excursions to take with your one Valentine or all the Valentine’s in your family:

Artists & Fleas and the Meeker Avenue Flea: Artists & Fleas (70 North 7th St. in Williamsburg) offers hours of entertainment together, slowly wandering through the eclectic collection of talented artists and artisans, vintage collections, and mini-cupcakes. You never know what you’ll find in this market, and when you take your time, I guarantee there will be something there to knock your socks off. I’ve gotten Valentine’s Day gifts there, from decoupage heart magnets to a fantastic Beatle’s Yellow Submarine hat made from a recycled sweater. You may find a box of LPs, a handmade book, or a pair of awesome vintage shades. It’s a treasure hunt every weekend. A few blocks away at 391 Leonard Street is the Meeker Avenue Flea. This market specializes in vintage and antique furniture primarily. If you’re having romantic thoughts of moving in, or *gasp* something more serious, try broaching the subject as you are fondling a set of Art Deco bar ware or an Elvis lamp. Wouldn’t that look great in your new apartment…together?

Chelsea Market and the High Line: There is something incredibly romantic about the High Line elevated park, no matter what the weather. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a slow park, designed for strolling hand-in-hand, or mitten-in-mitten in this weather. Take your sweetheart for a wander along the High Line to enjoy the icy vistas and brisk breezes. Then step off at the 15th Street staircase and explore the tasty treasures inside Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market Baskets is Valentine’s Day Central, with chocolates, candies and gift baskets for your beloved. Pick up fresh, luscious ingredients for a delicious home cooked Italian dinner at and Buon Italia. And for dessert, how about a moist, tender red velvet cake from Amy’s Bread? And, whatever you do, do not forget a handpicked box of delicate and delicious bonbons from Jacques Torres Chocolates. There is so much more to see, smell and taste in the market – savor every shop!

New Amsterdam Valentine’s Market & Apothecary: The first New Amsterdam Market of the year takes place this weekend. And it’s not just on Sunday! The market runs both Saturday and Sunday, and also Monday, Valentine’s Day itself. It’s a weekend for chocolate, and Liddabit Sweets and Mast Brothers will be supplying their delicious, handcrafted chocolates and candies. I have it on good authority that P&H Soda Co. will have a very limited edition Valentine’s Day strawberry soda syrup just for this market. In addition to all the great food vendors, Lore Tools.Ornaments.Provisions will be there, and you can pick up hand crafted love tokens by paper artist Robert Warner. There will be some fun events to do together too, including Valentine’s Day caligraphy (Saturday), Kombucha making (Sunday), and a wine and chocolate pairing at Pasanella & Sons (Monday). Location: Indoors at the New Amsterdam Market School, 224 Front St. (between Beekman St. and Peck Slip). Saturday & Sunday 11AM – 6PM, Monday 11AM-7PM.

The card pictured is a hand-printed design from Pumpkin & Honey Bunny!

Looks Like a Colorful Spring is Headed our Way!

I wanted to let you know about a few of the wonderful things I found at last weekend’s Brooklyn Indie Market and NewNew Spring Fling. If this event is any indication, and I believe it is, it looks like we’re in for a lot of warm colors and flattering clothing designs for the spring and summer.

Wabisabi Brooklyn was there with colorful, creative, and infinitely wearable decoupage jewelry designs, including some really great cufflinks. The surprise inside is that designer Maryanne Loverme uses pennies and other coins as the tiny canvases for her earrings, cufflinks, and other charms. Her jewelry looks great all year round, but the colorful images on copper backgrounds and chains will look especially warm and vibrant on tanned skin. Wabisabi is not just a fun name; it is actually a Japanese aesthetic concept meaning “beauty through imperfection.”

Fofolle Handmade Apparel was at the market too. Designer Kathy Malone makes fun and flattering skirts that also double as ponchos. As a skirt, they hug your curves, and as a poncho, they are a warm alternative to sweaters and hang with a nice cowl neckline. She uses rich wools for winter designs and lighter fabrics for spring and summer. She also “reinvents” boxy vintage jackets, turning them into tailored, be-ribboned, feminine lovelies. Fofolle means “whacky girl” in French, and I guess it’s whacky to have one garment that is a skirt and a poncho. But I tend to think of it more as “brilliant.”

Another extremely creative designer, Karin Persan of Better Than Jam, creates a line of handmade clothing and accessories made from hand-printed fabrics. Using classic forms, like T-shirt dresses and wrap skirts, Karin’s fabrics and details make her pieces truly unique. And very colorful! She recently opened the Better Than Jam Handmade Co-Op in Bushwick, featuring her own designs and those of other designers. I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve heard it is a great shop. I’m planning to visit soon, and I’ll report back!

I must also tell you about the great organization that hosted this event, Starting Artists, a non-profit organization that provides after school classes in media and business to “prepare and inspire teenagers to create arts-based enterprises.” I will be writing more about this organization at a later date, but suffice it to say that they are providing a wonderful service to the community and to the art world by giving teenagers a place to develop their creativity. They had jewelry and totebags designed by their members, as well as very clever “inspiration kits,” filled with colorful bits and bobs and sparkly things to get your creative juices flowing.

There were many more wonderful designers at this event. Check back for more about them in upcoming posts!

Fun Valentine’s Day Events at the Markets this Weekend!

Whether love is in the air for you or not, there are some great artisan and food events planned for this weekend. Clearly Brooklyn “hearts” Valentine’s Day! (Check the Markets of New York City Facebook Page for updates!)

Greenpoint Food Market: A Food Affair
Saturday February 13^th, Noon – 5:00 PM
Church Of Messiah
129 Russell St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
http://www.greenpointfoodmarket.wordpress.com/

Greenpoint Food Market is a monthly event people who are “inspired by all foods fresh and local, artisanal and handmade.” This weekend’s Valentine’s event, “A Food Affair” is a mix of innovative foods and food-related items. (Personally, I’m kind of excited about the Kissing Booth!)

“The day will feature a cascade of lovely treats: from aphrodisiac inspired recipes to heart shaped cookies, a photo kissing booth courtesy fellow Greenpointers Color Me Katie and Hyla Skopitz, a secret foodmirer bulletin board to share your food crushes and indulgences, and a heart-hunt: find the heart, win a GFM goodie bag. We are also very pleased to present music by DJ Jimmy T and a performance by Rifle Recoil @ 3pm. We are also grateful to add to a growing list of food-related artworks by artists Jessie Oleson and Jesse Kuhn who will share a few prints on food and love!”

Valentine Fling – Brooklyn Indie and The NewNew
Saturday February 13
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM at Starting Artists
211 Smith Street (at Starting Artists), Brooklyn
Brooklyn Indie Market
The NewNew

The Brooklyn Indie Market is partnering this weekend with the NewNew Artisans for a Valentine’s Day Art Bazaar:

“Valentine’s Day can strike dread in the heart of the hardiest New Yorker: If you’re coupled, there’s the delicate dance of aligning your own celebratory expectations with those of your beloved; if you’re unhappily single, all the emphasis on romance can be special kind of torture. In response to this, Brooklyn Indie Market and The {NewNew} are joining forces to present A Valentine Fling: A day of fun, flirting, and handmade shopping on Smith Street.”

Park Slope/Gowanus Market and the Makers Market at the Old American Can Factory
Sunday 11 AM – 5:00PM
232 3^rd Street at 3^rd Ave, Gowanus/Park Slope Brooklyn
Community Markets
The Makers Market

The partnership between the Makers Market Artisans and Community Market’s local farmers continues this weekend. You will definitely get all your Valentine’s Day shopping done here: top quality handmade gifts, dinner ingredients, and wine included!

“Kiernan Farm Grass Fed Beef is joining the market. Along with their fabulous grass fed beef meat, they’ll offer honey, maple syrup and Sprout Creek Cheese! Manhattan Milk is selling farm fresh products including cream-top grass-fed yogurt, yogurt smoothies, milk and eggs! Adair Vineyard is offering their array of Hudson Valley wines and Made by Molly is featuring chocolate chubbies with roasted, salted almonds!”

Artists and Fleas: Valentine’s Day with a Twist
Saturday and Sunday, February 13-14, 2010 at 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Artists & Fleas: Indoor Artist & Designer Market
129 N 6th St Between Bedford and Berry in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
www.artistsandfleas.com,
Facebook Event Invitation

Artists and Fleas in Williamsburg has great handmade and vintage items every weekend, but this weekend’s special “Un-Valentine’s Day” is bound to have something special for everyone!

“Artists & Fleas kicks off another year of de-cupid-ifying events. Want to shop for those you love or those you no longer love? Get on your spite with some of the delicious delinquency that the folks behind Dirty Bandits have cooked up. They know that life can sometimes throw you a curveball and the only way to live is to play.”

Pop-Up Shop: Liddabit Sweets & Kumquat Cupcakery
Open now through Sunday February 14, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Kill Devil Hill, 170 Franklin St (between Java and Kent Sts), Brooklyn, NY
Time Out New York Announcement
Kill Devil Hill Blog
Kumquat Cupcakery
Liddabit Sweets

Two sweethearts of New York’s artisanal food world, Liddabit Sweets and Kumquat Cupakery, are teaming up this weekend to open a Pop-Up Shop at Kill Devil Hill in Brooklyn. Their Valentine’s Day specials include 1 or 2 dozen rose and gem min-cupcakes or a box of handmade chocolates and candies. They’ll also have their most popular items to satisfy even the bitterest sweet tooth!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone from Markets of New York City! ♥

In Search of Vintage Valentines

In Search of Vintage Valentines

There’s something so lovely and nostalgic about the vintage Valentine’s Day Cards. They evoke a sense of nostalgia for when we were little kids giving Valentines to everyone in our class, or memories of the simple sentiment on a Valentine from a secret crush.

I went looking for vintage Valentines at the markets. I had a lot of good luck on the second floor of the Antiques Garage. Arby Rolband of Hobbit Rare Books and Prints has a beautifully preserved collection of several years greeting cards between a WWII soldier and his family. It’s interesting to see how the War was incorporated into daily life at that time, including greeting cards. My favorite is a rather saucy pop-up card from “Wifey” with an all-American pin-up girl on the front wearing boxing gloves, saying “OK Buddy, Y’wanna fight?” On the inside, it says, “Or would you like to wrestle? I’m a’waiting!” A Hallmark insight into the post-war Baby Boom?

The cards are part of the entire collection that spans several years and many different holidays. As a whole, this collection is a beautiful piece of history.

Right near Mr. Roland’s tables is Janet West’s “Oddball Americana.” She has a box of sweet old Valentines from the 40’s and 50’s, I believe. They are in excellent condition, and there are some very cute ones, like a bunny with floppy ears saying, “’Ears hoping you’ll be my Valentine.” The price is right at $2 and $3 each. You’ll want to spend time looking at all the wonderful things she has on her tables.

And just down the aisle at David Cohn’s shope is a very interesting stack of cards with illustrations by Margé, who created the cartoon character Little Lulu. These Valentines are pleasantly risqué, especially considering the era. So if you love a golfer, pick up the one with the lady golfer flashing her bloomers and saying, “This may be a little course, but I’d like to be your Valentine.”

Geno Sartori at the Greenflea on the Upper West Side has spectacular handmade Valentines. For less than what you’d pay for a strip-mined Hallmark card, Mr. Sartori creates three-dimensional cards using vintage printed illustrations from Germany. Bright tulips, red roses, and pink-cheeked angels pop to life on rich, heavy paper stock cards. His cards sell out quickly, so get up first thing on Sunday morning and run to the Greenflea. You can find Mr. Sartori inside the school cafeteria.

There’s another treasure trove of vintage Valentines at the Brooklyn Flea. I wrote about the vintage buttons from Paula Hill’s shop “FDR to JFK” in a previous post about the Flea. She also has a great selection of vintage Valentines. They too are in excellent shape. I found cute ones for my small nieces and, well, one that I kept for myself. I love the fact that many of them have the signature of the original sender, which just shows that love is the gift that keeps on giving.

Oh dear – I’m waxing corny. Better go have another pink frosted heart-shaped cookie.

Antiques Garage: 112 West 25th Street (between 6th & 7th Ave), open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM every Saturday and Sunday.

Greenflea: Columbus Avenue between W. 76 & 77 Streets (Upper West Side), open 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Nov.-Mar.) and 10 AM to 6 PM (Apr.-Oct.)

Brooklyn Flea: One Hanson every Sat+Sun, 10:oo AM – 5:00 PM, through March 27+28.

We Have A Winner!!!

We Have A Winner!!!

The winner of our first Market Swatch Newsletter giveaway is Kimm Alfonso!!! I know she will love the very special Rose Bonbons from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates at the Lower East Side’s Essex Street Market!

I’m especially thrilled because Kimm is a wonderful graphic designer who sells her bold silkscreened clothing, KimmChi Silkscreened Apparel, at the markets of New York City! She is also a member of The NewNew, “an eclectic group of independent handmade Etsy artists, designers, makers and crafters in the Metro New York area who are devoted to fostering a creative and supportive environment among its members.”

Visit Kimm’s online shop at www.KimmChi.com. She has some dainty nighties for Valentine’s Day!

Follow KimmChi on Twitter: and become a Facebook Fan!

You can also meet Kimm in person at The NewNew and Brooklyn Indie Market’s Valentines Fling, Saturday February 13, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM at Starting Artists, 211 Smith Street, Brooklyn.

Thanks to everyone for playing and for subscribing to Market Swatch!

Subscribe to Market Swatch™ and Enter to Win Rose Bon-bons from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates!

Win these chocolates!!

We’re poised to launch our newsletter about the markets of New York City: Market Swatch! Fill in the form to your right, and you will be entered to win a box of six hand-made rose chocolates from Roni-Sue’s Chocolates at the Essex Street Market. (Don’t fret if you have already subscribed to the newsletter! You are automatically entered into the random drawing.)

Market Swatch will include in-depth information about New York’s markets and the people and products that make them so wonderful. It will let you know about market specials, featured market businesses and products, holiday ideas, special offers, and much more!

And now, back to the chocolates! To kick off Valentine’s Week, I wanted to let you know about the wonderful rose bon-bons from Roni-Sue Chocolates at the Essex Street Market. The winner of this drawing will receive a box of six of “Roni’s Roses” in two different flavors:

- Red Rose: Callebaut dark chocolate ganache topped with an edible fresh-dried rose petal

- White Rose: Molded dark chocolate rose bon-bon with a white chocolate ganache filling.

But there’s a lot more to these chocolates. From Roni-Sue: “Before I opened my shop I worked for many years for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In honor of V-Day [and the national campaign of the same name to bring awareness of D/V, spear-headed by Eve Ensler] I donate a portion of the sale of my dozen box of “Roni’s Roses” to the agency where I used to work to help them provide phone cards so victims can safely make phone calls to access essential services from the hot-line, etc.”

The random drawing will take place on Wednesday, February 10^that 3:00 PM, and the winner will be notified via email. This is a quick one, so subscribe to Market Swatch today!! (This offer is for US and Canada only, but I’ll make it up to you somehow in Brazil and France!)

For many more delectable and beautiful handmade confections, including her bacon candy line, visit Roni-Sue’s Chocolates at the Essex Street Market, 120 Essex Street (at Delancey Street) in the Lower East Side.

For more Valentine’s Day Specials this week, follow Markets of New York City on Facebook and Twitter!

Artisans + Farmers = A Match Made in Heaven (well, Gowanus actually)

I have been thinking about Valentine’s Day, for obvious reasons. So I thought I would write about a very happy union in Brooklyn: the Makers Market and Community Markets at the Old American Can Factory.

The Makers Market is a great destination if you are seeking finely crafted handmade products. And now you can buy your veggies for the week there too! During this freezing winter season, the Makers Market and Community Markets have joined forces to create an indoor artisan and farmers’ market for the Gowanus/Park Slope neighborhoods. Community Markets runs farmers’ markets throughout Westchester and Rockland Counties, as well as New York City. Normally, many of their markets close for the winter season. So it is a great service and resource for the local communities to have easy access to fresh, delicious and locally grown produce.

The farmers include Breezy Hill Orchard, Gajeski Produce and Phillips Farm. You can pick up a delicious loaf of bread from the “oven artisans” at Orwasher’s Bakery. They also sell their miche, levain and focaccia and more at Citarella, Dean & Deluca, and Zabar’s. Get a taste of pungent pickle goodness from Dr. Pickle. I got half a dozen great ideas for canapés for our next dinner party, starting with pepperoncini stuffed with goat cheese. Yum. And don’t pass up Buddhapesto or their tempting tray of samples. Their artisanal basil pesto is delicious, so go ahead and “enlighten your tastebuds.”

There is wine at the markets too, from Brooklyn Oenology. I bet you didn’t know there is a winery headquartered in Williamsburg/Greenpoint. The actual winemaking is done in Long Island, but their wines carry the artisanal spirit of the borough. For a tasty and healthy dessert, Tierra Farm sells chocolate covered nuts and fruits, as well as dry roasted products.

The artisans share the large welcoming space that originally served as a loading dock for the Old American Can Factory. The white walls and steel pillars provide a beautiful setting for these extremely talented people to sell their creations. I wrote about some of these artisans over the holidays. May Luk Ceramics, or “Take Me Homeware,” brings art and wit to your table. (See the photo of her “Saucy” bowl, which I gave to my sister Andrea for Christmas.) Parable Ink creates T-shirts that tell a story (they keep selling out of their gorgeous Blue Elephant design in my size!). If you’re looking to spruce up your sweaters, Shaya NYC, Christine Vasan and Ed Ledner all sell wonderfully unique handmade jewelry.

And there are the comfortable and fashionable clothing designs by ANgeLRoX Apparel. The ANgeLRoX reversible “turtles” keep your neck toasty and come in beautiful accent colors. You will find beautiful poetry books from Ugly Duckling Presse; preserves, chutneys and more from SchoolHouse Kitchen; beautiful and thought-provoking fine artwork by Nicola Ginzel; and so much more.

It may be cold outside, but it’s warm and toasty on Sundays inside the Old Can Factory.

Community Markets Park Slope Indoor Farmers’ Market and Makers Market: Sundays 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 232 Third Street (at Third Avenue) through March 2010.