My friend Nicole swears by Ethel's Chocolate. Seriously, she said, "They are the greatest chocolates I have ever eaten." That's high praise as Nicole loves her chocolate.

I checked out Ethel's online and their chocolates are gorgeous, like, audible gasp-gorgeous. These are obviously the best host gift (or loved-one gift, or self-gift) chocolates for this holiday season. Their holiday-themed packages are stunning, and even the regular sets, as you can see, are colorful and exciting. That's right, I said "exciting." They're also affordable; a 12-piece box is just $16.

Ethel's actually has lounges in Las Vegas and Chicago (and surrounding areas), which I certainly did not know. They cater to those passionate about chocolate who want to explore and experience "one of life's greatest pleasures." There are drinks. I shall consider these lounges chocolate brothels. And I want to go.

If you're not in Vegas or Chicago, like most of the world, Ethel's chocolates, in a stunning array of colors, are available online here. Check out our gallery for some great holiday gift ideas!

NEWTREE is having the ultimate chocolate lover's contest. One winner will receive a bar of chocolate every day for a year! Not only that, but they will get the new iPhone - making it easy to brag to their friends about all the chocolate.

To enter, you need to create a text message short story that includes the names of all of their chocolate bars: PLEASURE, VIGOR, RENEW, REFRESH, FORGIVENESS, SEXY, BLUSH, TRANQUILITY, COCOON, REJOICE and CRAVE. Get the complete details and enter on NEWTREE's site.

Good thing the contest doesn't ask you to pick one of the two prizes. I'm not sure which prize I would be more excited about; it would be a close call!

You can win both, but let us know which prize you'll be more excited about - the techie or the foodie prize.

Some associate San Francisco with Rice-A-Roni, cable cars, and the gay lib movement. I, however, take the shallow route and associate it with fine American chocolate. Between The San Francisco Chocolate Factory and Ghirardelli, San Fran is just about the only city in the contiguous United States that produces decent corporate chocolate. [Note that I said corporate; there are plenty of lovely indie chocolate shops around.]

To wit: Upon her return from the golden state, a colleague presented me with The San Francisco Chocolate Factory's new "Book Lover's Chocolate". The bookshelf-ready packaging evokes an old leather-bound novel (albeit a tiny one, at only 5 inches), and contains rounds of milk chocolate (also available in dark and dark espresso). The schpeel: "Chocolate has been proven to boost brain power, so let our luscious bite sized discs help you devour your new book while pleasing your palate." Uh, okay, whatever you say, Book Chocolate.

But lo, this book chocolate is divine! The disc shape is perfectly contoured for mindless tongue-palate melting (no impatient biting here!), and the flavor is so creamy and rich, they're like little poppable drinking chocolates. I also test-drove the chocolate's promise of enhancing any reading experience, and while they didn't make the oeuvre of Ann Coulter any more digestible, they sure make it more palatable.

Last summer there was a press release that came out with little fanfare. Starbucks and Hershey's had decided to team up, with the chocolate giant creating confections for the coffee giant. The marriage finally came to fruition this week with a new line of chocolate delights sporting a Starbucks logo.

I have a really hard time thinking of anything coming from this pairing as good, but, then, I haven't tried the chocolates. The team over at Yumsugar has, though, and they were only too happy to give us all a review. It turns out that the line of sweets isn't so bad. The line includes "six different tasting squares, four truffles, three chocolate bars and covered coffee beans." Apparently the beans were the best part, but the truffles got good reviews too. The bars were better then the tasting squares, though, which doesn't make sense to me.

I'm still having trouble getting a handle on this. Has anyone else had a chance to try the Starbucks line of chocolates? What did you think?

My grandfather loved to entertain. He always kept a stocked liquor cabinet and had a stash of canapes in the freezer, in case people dropped by unexpectedly. He also always had several boxes of chocolates squirreled away that he would pull out and offer to guests after meals (even if dessert had been served). He felt that this was how to be a good host.

These guest chocolates were sacred and no one was allowed to touch them in the interim (my sister and I didn't not count as guests on our own, much to our chagrin). Sadly, this meant that in Grandpa Sid's later years, when he was no longer able to see or taste particularly well, these chocolates were often picked over and slightly aged. Family members knew that it was best to smile and say, "No, thanks," when he proffered the box in their direction. We would try to warn people before the Whitman's Sampler or box of See's was pointed at them, but it wasn't always possible.

This particular story come with a two-part question. Is there any food stuff that you keep around solely to feed guests? And, who had the elderly relative who was always trying to offer you a food stuff of questionable age and edibility?

Okay, so giving a box of chocolates to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day is just about a requirement. If they don't get that big heart shaped box, there had better be a very good reason. If you're looking for a good reason not to give those chocolates, here is a great one.

There may be insect bits and or hairs in that chocolate. A CBS station in Dallas, TX tested boxes of the treats from several different candy companies. Among the brands chosen to be tested were Godiva, Russell Stover, and Whitman's. All brands tested had some kind of foreign object in them.

The good news is that all bits of icky stuff are ground up so finely that you'd never even know it was there. Apparently the FDA has regulations about this kind of thing. The FDA has limits on the amount of fragments that can be present in any sample. According to one company's spokesman, "It's really impossible to exclude hair, bugs and fibers from chocolate or any other natural food product."

I say, what I don't know won't hurt me. People ingest all kinds of weird/bad things all the time. Our stomachs and digestive systems were designed to deal with oddities, to a certain extent. I know I'm looking forward to my heart shaped box of chocolates!

Dieting may be worse for your waistline than you think, especially for women. A new study has shown that there is a greater association between guilt and chocolate in women who are dieting or have dieted in the past. This connection increases the likelihood of developing chocolate cravings, since negative emotions and comfort eating also have a strong connection in these women. The stronger the craving, the more likely the dieters were to give in to it.

The study was conducted at a university in England, where researchers showed women pictures of chocolate or nonfood items and asked them to report on the feelings that these images triggered. Their conclusion was that dieting "appears to have the opposite [of its intended] effect in that it can increase the desire for the actual foods [dieters] are trying to avoid." Hopefully, the next step in the study will look at how diets affect men's cravings, as well.

Having a positive body image and making healthy dining choices when possible, rather than opting for fad diets where long-term maintenance is unreasonable, is the best way to keep weight, cravings and guilt under control.

One of the side effects of blogging about food is that you start to want to play around with platings and presentation a lot more than you would if you were not photographing your meals. Joe, from Culinary in the Country, for example, augmented his already attractive Chocolate Crème Caramel with some extra caramel rounds along the outside of the plate and a little freeform sugar sculpture on top. The overall effect is great and really brings the look of the dessert up to restaurant-quality - and probably an expensive restaurant, at that.

The crème caramel itself is actually quite easy to make. The most difficult part for someone attempting their first one is to not burn the caramel before you pour it into the empty ramekins, as it can be sensitive. The "crème" part of this dessert is made with soy milk and bittersweet chocolate, held together with eggs, just like the traditional versions are. The chocolate will cover the soy taste, for anyone sensitive to it, but using soy milk will make the dessert a lot lighter than if it were made with cream.

And if you have somehow managed to overdose on chocolate from Valentine's Day, you might want to check out Elise's recipe for Rose Petal Flan instead!

In the US, Valentine's Day celebrations are generally geared towards couples, with a slight bias towards women when it comes to the marketing of chocolates, flowers and other gifts - a bias that is meant to have women encourage men to buy gifts for them. In Japan, things are a little different. The chocolates and other Valentine's Day items are marketed towards women, but they're marketed for them to buy and give to men, rather than the other way around. Barentain Dei calls for gifts to be given to boyfriends and husbands, as well as for giri-choco, or obligation chocolates, to be given to male bosses, coworkers, classmates and friends. About 80% of Japanese women participate in the tradition, spending an average of $20 on their most chocolate important purchase and $6 on each of their other chocolate gifts, averaging $56 per woman for a total of over $400 million countrywide on the holiday. This doesn't include additional gifts or fancy dinners.

If this all seems a bit unfair, as it is more one-sided than the US version of Valentine's, not to worry. On March 14th, the Japanese celebrate "White Day" as in reciprocation for Valentine's Day, where men buy gifts, from chocolates to expensive jewelry, as a sign of affection

Russell Stover Chocolates started back in 1923 and leads the market in terms of the sales of boxed chocolates. It is the third larges chocolate manufacturer in the US, behind Hershey's and M&M Mars (Masterfoods). Although receiving consistently decent scores in taste tests, the brand has an image of affordability and none of the cache that more upscale brands - Godiva, Lindt, Vosges, to name but a few - do. Since chocolate is an ever-growing segment of the market, Russell Stover has decided to take action and reinvent the brand to appeal to new, younger consumers, consumers who are looking for more sophistication, trendier packaging and flavors that mimic those of upscale brands.

Several new lines will launch this spring, including Russell Stover Urban, Internationale and Origin Select, as well as a Private Reserve line designed to compete directly with bars from Lindt. There will be more organic chocolates, as well. The Whitman's brand, which is owned by the same company, will also launch a new line Whitman's Soho.

Consumers will make or break the new products, but industry insiders already see potential in Vanilla Bean Brûlée with 70% Dark Chocolate squares and other similar products, with Candy Industry magazine even giving Russell Stover the Manufacturer of the year award for 2006.

Most boxed chocolates come in a variety of flavors. The chocolates might be all truffles, each infused with a different herb or liqueur, or a simple mix of creams and nut-filled chocolates in milk or dark coatings. The blends are great when you want to share and have people who like different flavors, textures and consistencies, but when you have a box mostly to yourself, it's a waste to have the box half-full of chocolates that you don't like. The best way to get exactly what you want is to head to your nearest chocolatier and pick out an assortment that fits your tastes.

If this isn't an option for you for some reason, you're in luck because there are two online retailers that will allow you to choose an entirely custom assortment without ever setting foot in a store: See's Candies and Russell Stover. See's lets you choose from 75 different candy options, then adjust the percentage of each type that will be found in your 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5-pound box. A 1-lb mix is $17.50. Russell Stover gives you three different types of boxes ranging from 1/2-lb to 5-lb. You can't get quite the same variety as See's offers, since you are limited to a set number of types per box size, but there are still plenty of options. A 1-lb, heart-shaped box is $11.96.

Altoids fans will be pleased to learn that the company has launched several Altoids Curious and Original Chocolate Shoppes in the spirit of Valentine's Day. Actually, they're anti-Valentine's Day. Each of the three temporary "pop-up stores" is billing itself as a "sanctuary from all the romantic overtures" for the "lovesick, lovelorn and Cupid-wary."

The stores are located in Chicago, Miami and New York, and each has free activities, such as "Therapeutic Crafts for the Broken-Hearted" and "Love Stinks" needlepoint kits. They also stock samples of Altoids' new Dark Chocolate Dipped Mints and are passing them out with free lattes. Chicagoist stopped by their local store and reported that it also stocked "cupcakes from Angel Food Bakery, anti-Valentine's Day cards and a variety of other Altoids and V-Day related schwag."

Everything in the stores, in case you haven't gotten the picture yet, is free, so it's definitely worth a stop by if you live in one of the three cities mentioned

Still looking for some chocolaty Valentine's Day gift ideas? Why not try some kisses? We're not talking about Hershey's Kisses, although they are offering plenty of Valentine's themed candies, including Chocolate Truffle-filled kisses and Cherry Cordial Creme kisses. We're talking about upmarket kisses from Jacques Torres.

This Valentine's Day, Jacques Torres is offering a lot of sweet treats for lovers. In his stores, the offerings will include Jolie Kiss Chocolate Boxes (pictured) which are hollow kisses in dark, milk and white chocolate filled with chocolate X's, O's, hearts and mini kisses. He will also have Champagne Kiss Truffles, which are made with Taittinger Rosé champagne and chocolate ganache, then topped with a pink lip graphic. For those doing their shopping online, the Champagne Kiss truffles can also be purchased here.

Other, non-kiss treats include heart-shaped boxes filled with romance bonbons and other lovely truffles, three types of body butters - Love Tonic, Caramel Body Butter, and Raspberry Body Paint - to share with your significant other, and a huge basket called the Sweetheart collection for those who can't narrow down their options.

Chocolate pudding cake is an intensely satisfying, yet simple, dessert. As it bakes, it separates into two layers - a tender chocolate sponge-type cake and a very rich chocolate sauce/ pudding base - so the cake needs no accompaniment unless you want to throw a scoop of vanilla ice cream into the bowl, too.

The second best thing about this cake (the flavor is the first, of course) is that it is incredibly easy to make because it is mixed in the pan that you bake it in. This means that cleanup is minimal and that you can have a delicious, from-scratch dessert on even a very busy weeknight. Not that you shouldn't have it at other times, as well. Any excuse is a good one for chocolate pudding cake.

Pretty Mean Snacks were another great find that I made at the Fancy Foods Show this year. The company makes indulgent chocolates that are designed specifically for women. They're not fortified with every nutrient known to man and they're not intended to give you any super-human powers, as some woman-oriented products seem to claim. Instead, they're guaranteed to lift the spirits and make you sigh with pleasure at the exotic, well-balanced flavors in rich chocolate. They may be called PMS chocolates, but they're really supposed to be a cure for the crankiness sometimes associated with it and an outlet for stress.

Whether you like the little woman-centric gimmick or not, you can't deny that the chocolates are fantastic. The flavors include:

• "Sweet Sassy Sister" - Milk Chocolate with Sweet Basil and Heavenly Mango
• "Pure Passion Princess" - Pumpkin and Peanut Butter blended with Cinnamon in Milk Chocolate
• "Deep Decadent Diva" - Fragrant Rosemary with Tropical Roasted Pineapple in Dark Chocolate
• "Hot Mamma Madness" - Dark Chocolate with Tangy Ginger and Mild Wasabi

My favorite was the amazing Pumpkin and Peanut Butter blended with Tawny Cinnamon in Milk Chocolate, which struck the perfect balance of pumpkin and cinnamon, with a rich peanut butter background, that just melted into your mouth in a sea of milk chocolate.