A recent review about TasteTV from the blog called Xeep’s Video on the Net: Exploring Movies, TV, and Video on the Web:

“TasteTV: The Indie Food Channel – Web Video Done Just Right

If you would like a taste of what the marriage of web and video should be, you absolutely need to take a look at TasteTV. Finally, a web site that really leverages the value of video on the net. Tired of lame videos on YouTube and Google Video? TasteTV offers video restaurant reviews, wine education, a chocolate channel, cooking videos and more. All of it served up in real style.”

Christopher Elbow’s “Rosemary Caramel”





I was in Citizen Cupcake, the baby sister of Citizen Cake patisserie/restaurant in San Francisco, enjoying a chocolate cupcake with a friend during one of those rare 85-degree days in the city. As we were eating and chatting, the wall at the front of the store caught my eye. It was lined floor to ceiling with chocolate.

Anyone who knows of Elizabeth Falkner, the owner, is well aware of her infatuation with chocolate. Her forthcoming restaurant, Orson, will even feature a chocolate sommelier. Have you ever heard of such a thing? And why aren’t there more of them?? When I went over to check out the wall of chocolate at Citizen Cupcake, I wished I had that sommelier next to me. There was a globetrotting array of chocolates spanning from Belgian chocolate bars to chocolate dipped figs. Mindboggling, really.

Chocolate quality and flavor profiles vary considerably from chocolatier to chocolatier. Some producers really love the ultra bitter qualities of the cocoa bean, while others like to revisit the sweet and mild varieties popularized by American candy bars. There’s a different style for every palate.

Here’s a tip for prospective buyers when you’re confronted with a limitless variety of chocolate before you. Higher end chocolates will list a percentage on their packaging. This refers to the percentage of cocoa liqueur (ground cocoa beans) in a bar of chocolate. The higher the percentage, the more bitter the chocolate will be. For example, a 72% chocolate will be categorized as “dark”, a 40% is “bittersweet”, a 20% is “semisweet” and 12% is “milk chocolate.”

As for white chocolate, there are really only two categories: real and imitation. Real white chocolate will contain cocoa butter as its only fat; imitation white chocolate will not. A lot of confections labeled as “white chocolate” are nothing more than bars made from sugar, milk powder, stabilizers and vanillin (fake vanilla). These imposters can be OK for eating, but don’t ever try and cook with them.

So, how do you decide which chocolate to buy? Taste, taste, taste! Take it from me – it’s the most enjoyable research you will ever do.

My mother is famous for saying, “I’ll make a list.” This can mean anything from a shopping list to a contents log for boxes stashed away in the attic. For Mom, there is a list for everything, and everything belongs in a list. Though I’m not quite as dedicated to organization, I do find lists to be handy for keeping track of some of the essentials in my life. Things like restaurants.

The concept is very simple: whenever I hear about a restaurant that piques my interest, I add it to my “Must-Try Restaurants” list. The List hasn’t quite reached spreadsheet proportions, but it’s definitely heading in that direction. Because there are a lot of different reasons why I go to restaurants, The List includes some vital statistics, plus some additional goodies that I find to be helpful in deciding where to eat on a given night. If you’re just starting out, here are the basics you’ll want to include in your restaurant list:

1. Name of restaurant
2. Address (also include the name of the neighborhood if the address isn’t immediately familiar)
3. Phone number
4. Type of cuisine

For the hardcore among us, you may also want to include the following:

1. How you heard about the restaurant (If it turns out to be a good lead, you’ll want to remember where you got it from. And if it was a friend who referred the restaurant, they’ll be flattered when you thank them for such an expert recommendation.)
2. Hours of operation (This may require some initial research, but it will make future referencing very efficient.)
3. Website address (for quick menu perusal)
4. A brief description of the atmosphere and scene (Am I in the mood for intimate conversation or people-watching?)
5. Price range (If you’ve had a starving-artist month for income, you don’t want to mistakenly book yourself for dinner at the Four Seasons.)

The List has been incredibly valuable to me, since I am notoriously indecisive and have an unreliable memory to boot. Now when I’m asked, “Where should we go to dinner?” finding the answer is a snap. There’s no more brain-wracking, trying in vain to remember the name of that 7-syllable Greek restaurant somebody once told me about during a choppy cell phone conversation. Instead, I simply whip out The List and check out my options.

Looking for a hot new restaurant to try? Check out TasteTV’s profiles and chef demonstrations to see what America’s greatest kitchens are cooking up.