Anybody who knows me, KNOWS that I just LOVE chocolate. I mean, good chocolate, with at least a 70% cocoa content. None of those sickeningly sweet candy bars, where all you want to do is pull your teeth out after one bite. On a recent trip to Williamsburg, I just had to stop at Mast Brothers, a “bean-to-bar” chocolate factory in Brooklyn, to sample their artisanal chocolates for myself.  As soon as you entered, you were literally hit in the face by the aromas of cocoa. And then, right before your eyes, was the sampling table with rows and rows of beautifully wrapped chocolate bars. My other favorite- fine papers. It was so tempting to buy the whole lot. They didn’t come cheap, with the average cost of each bar around the $12 mark. There were samples from Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, Madagascar and some other far flung places. Still, the place is worth a visit, if you’re in the area, But if you’re unable to, hopefully these pictures will provide you with visions of chocolate heaven.

The Factory

The many beautiful fine papers used to wrap each bar

The two flavors I ended up with were “Vanilla and Smoke” and yes, “Black Truffle”. Yum yum!

And finally, I left with my very own signed copy of the Mast Brothers’ Cookbook!

If you’re a fan of dim sum, you’ve probably tried soup dumplings or Xiao Long Bao. These dumplings, contrary to the name, aren’t dumplings in soup. Rather they are dumplings FILLED with soup! There is a special way to eat them, to prevent you from scalding yourself from the piping hot soup within the dumpling. In fact, there are several youtube videos illustrating proper technique.  This particular one is my favorite.

I was lucky enough to eat at a Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain known for their Xiao Long Bao. The next time i’m in Singapore, i’ll definitely be heading there again!

How dinner spread

Noodles and dumplings in broth

Delicious greens sautéed in garlic

Xiao Long Bao

And finally, the ginger, vinegar, soy sauce used for dipping Xiao Long Bao.