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HOME SALON INFO PARTICIPANTS PRESS EXHIBITOR INFORMATION CHOCOLATE TELEVISION 10 DAYS OF CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE GUIDEBOOKS CONTACT US Tickets Speakers Presentations Layout Fundraiser Volunteer Books Events Join April 13, 2008 10:00am - 6:00pm, Sunday San Francisco, Fort Mason Conference Center SEE THE 2007 SPEAKER & PANELIST LIST See a Video of 2007 See Flickr Photos of 2007 A Partial List (full list updated regularly) of Scheduled Speakers, Panelists and Presenters for 2008 includes: SPEAKER BIOS SALON ROLE Rob Valencia Chocolate Maker and Chef Robert Valencia has spent his culinary years devoted to artisan chocolate making across the country, from his native Texas to San Francisco to the East Coast. Robert’s work has been featured in Art Culinaire, Time Out NY, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and most recently, Chocolate French and Sweet New York. Rob also worked at Zero Degrees, now known as Myth Cafe. Chocolate Demonstration / Salon Tasting Panel Seneca Klassen Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe Bio Coming Soon Speaker / Salon Tasting Panel Leslie Harlib, food writer/restaurant critic Marin Independent Journal Leslie Harlib has been a food writer for 25 years and the food writer/ society columnist for the Marin Independent Journal for 13 years. She is a passionate chocophile, and makes discovering chocolate an integral part of her culinary research around the world. She is known for liking bittersweet chocolate so assertive, she crosses the street when she sees it coming. Salon Tasting Panel Sarah Feinbloom Director & Producter "In Search of the Heart of Chocolate: A filmmaker, a chocolate shop, assorted chocoholics, and lots and lots of chocolate (may contain nuts)" Sarah Feinbloom is an award-winning filmmaker whose work includes documentaries, dramatic narrative, and fundraising videos. Her films on the religious lives of teenagers, and child-trafficking in Thailand have been featured on NPR and PBS stations, and shown nationally and internationally. She thoroughly enjoyed making her latest film, a chocumentary-Searching for the Heart of Chocolate, which involved lots of taste-testing and sampling. View "In Search of the Heart of Chocolate: A filmmaker, a chocolate shop, assorted chocoholics, and lots and lots of chocolate (may contain nuts)" Trailer Salon Tasting Panel / Speaker Cara Black Author Cara Black is a frequent visitor to Paris. "Murder in the Rue De Paradis: An Aimee Leduc Investigation" is her eighth mystery set there. She is also the author of Murder in the Marais, Murder in the Bastille, Murder in Belleville, Murder in the Sentier, and Murder in Clichy, all available from Soho Press. She has an avid fan base who follow her bestselling novels and Aimée Leduc mystery series. Salon Tasting Panel Joey Altman Author / Chef / TV Host Bio Coming Soon Salon Tasting Panel David A. Lytle Frommers.com Bio Coming Soon Salon Tasting Panel Jack Epstein Owner, Chocolate Covered Bio Coming Soon Read about it on Yelp Salon Tasting Panel April Banks Conceptual Artist Bay Area conceptual artist April Banks explores the complexities of human desire in work that is both visually captivating and revolting. Free Chocolate, Presentation: "Where Chocolate Comes From: The Story of Chocolate From Farmer to Chocolate Lover" Speaker Reverend R. M. Peluso Reviewer, C-Spot chocolate newsletter and Interfaith minister, formerly of The Community of Peace and Spirituality, New York City Bio Coming Soon Presentation: "Chocolate and Meditation: Demonstration and talk on the spirituality of chocolate tasting" Speaker ForkandBottle.com Bio Coming Soon Salon Tasting Panel Laurie Armstrong Vice President, Marketing & Communications San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau Bio Coming Soon Salon Tasting Panel Rachel Rifat Chocolate Snob Blog Rachel Rifat is devoted to luxury and gratification of the senses as a result of her experience in the food production industry. Currently, she presides over a chocolate appreciation society and her time is spent discovering the world's most fabulous chocolates. In addition, she runs chocolate tasting courses and advises many top chocolatiers. Rachel’s chocolate-snob blog reveals her brutal honesty and adventurous spirit that has created passionate gastronomes around the world. With irreverence she states, “Life is too short for bad chocolate.” www.chocolate-snob.com www.chocolate-snob.blogspot.com Salon Tasting Panel Andrea Nadel Founder of Gourmet Walks Andrea Nadel is the founder of Gourmet Walks, a San Francisco culinary tour company, and the San Francisco Gourmet Chocolate Tour. She first developed a taste for fine chocolate in college when studying in France and traveling throughout Europe. She worked for many years in marketing in New York City before moving to San Francisco with her husband in 2000. When not leading tours, Andrea can be found blogging about chocolate, cooking ambitious dinners and entertaining her two-year-old son. www.gourmetwalks.com Salon Tasting Panel A.K. Crump TasteTV and ChocolateTelevision Founder of TasteTV, author of "Chocolate French" and "The Cafes of San Francisco" Listen to A.K. Crump Chocolate Salon Interview on KGO Radio - Dining Around with Gene Burns Author Signing / Salon Tasting Panel SPEAKER and PRESENTATION SCHEDULE April 13, 2008 10:00am - 6:00pm, Sunday San Francisco, Fort Mason Conference Center subject to change Time Recipe & Technique Demos Main Stage / Golden Gate Room Time Speaker Presentations & Tastings Presentation Lounge / Bay Room Sun 11am HairPlay Salon: Chocolate-themed hair styles & creations by Fritz Clay Sun 11:30am Chocolat Film Screening and Director Talk: "In Search of the Heart of Chocolate: A filmmaker, a chocolate shop, assorted chocoholics, and lots and lots of chocolate (may contain nuts)", by Sarah Feinbloom Limit 40 persons Sun 12pm Chocoholics Chocolate Body Frosting Full-Body Chocolate-Painting Demonstration Sun 12:30pm Conceptual Artist April Banks "Where Chocolate Comes From: The Story of Chocolate From Farmer to Chocolate Lover" Sun 1pm Chocolatier Rob Valencia, Chocolate recipe demonstration Sun 1:30pm Chocolate and Meditation: Demonstration and talk on the spirituality of chocolate tasting Reverend R. M. Peluso, Reviewer, C-Spot chocolate newsletter and Interfaith minister, formerly of The Community of Peace and Spirituality Sun 2pm Saratoga Chocolates Demonstration by chocolatier Mary Loomas Sun 2:30pm Chocolat Film Screening and Director Talk: "In Search of the Heart of Chocolate: A filmmaker, a chocolate shop, assorted chocoholics, and lots and lots of chocolate (may contain nuts)", by Sarah Feinbloom Limit 40 persons Sun 3pm Shanghai 1930 Chocolate Springroll demonstration Sun 3:30pm Seneca Klassen of Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe, Sun 4pm TBA Sun 4:30pm Steve Adler, Sacred Chocolate "The Astonishing Revalations of Sacred Chocolate" Sun 5pm Charles Siegel of Charles Chocolate demonstration CHOCOLATE SALON RECIPE DEMONSTRATIONS AT BLOOMINGDALE'S SAN FRANCISCO subject to change Tues. April 8 Weds. April 9 Thurs. April 10 Fri. April 11 12pm - 1pm Cosmic Chocolates Demonstration Sacred Chocolate Tasting Saratoga Chocolates Demonstration Chuao Chocolatier Demonstration & Tasting 1pm - 2pm Coco Delice Fine Chocolates Chuao Chocolatier Demonstration & Tasting copyright 2007 TCB CAFE Publishing & Media LLC, All Rights Reserved