I wouldn’t call myself a hot chocolate expert, per se, but I would definitely say I am a hot chocolate afficionado…

Mere sematics.

I know what I like when I try it, but I cannot say I’ve sampled all the best the world has to offer.

But I have certainly given it my best shot!

At Angelina, on the rue de Rivoli in Paris, they serve their steaming, molasses-thick Chocolat Africain with a tall parfait glass on the side, full of whipped cream with which to dilute your chocolatey drink. It is, by far, the richest, darkest, and sweetest hot chocolate available in the city – so thick, you could pour it over ice cream.

At Café de Flore, at St Germain des Pres (also in Paris), their chocolate chaud is still quite thick and wonderful, but easier to pour and drink. It comes served in a silver pot that remains hot as your dreamily sip your way through two full tea cups of luxurious chocolate. The creamy, light chocolate is made with melted chocolate pieces, whole milk, and a touch of caramel. This one is definitely my all-time favourite.

You can sip Mexican hot chocolate here in LA at Senor Fred, but they thicken it with cornmeal. I do not care for this grainy version of my favourite morning indulgence.

A bit of history: Drinking chocolate originated in the ‘New World’ (now Mexico).

From wikipedia –

Moctezuma introduced Hernán Cortés to his favourite drink, “chocolatl”, which he served in a golden goblet. “The chocolatl was a potation of chocolate flavored with vanilla and spices, and so prepared as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold.” Moctezuma consumed his “chocolatl” in goblets before entering his harem, leading to the belief that it was an aphrodisiac.
Cortés returned to Spain in 1528 with galleons loaded with cocoa beans and chocolate drink making equipment. The court of King Charles V soon adopted it, and “chocolate” became a fashionable drink popular with the Spanish upper class.

Later, in 1828, a Dutch chemist and chocolate manufacturer named Coenraad Van Houten invented a way of making chocolate into powder. He reduced the fat from chocolate liqueur and made what was left into a hard cake. The cake could be crushed into a powder, which would dissolve easily into liquid. This was the genesis of powdered hot chocolate, as it is generally known today.

When I was researching my story on the wonderful Big Sugar Bakeshop, I came upon this marvellous product from MarieBelle New York

Outside of Parisian cafés, I proclaim MarieBelle hot chocolate to be the most perfectly divine hot chocolate you can find AND concoct in your own home. Their Aztec Hot Chocolate is made with rich, single-origin Colombian cacao.

Made with milk, it’s creamy, it’s dreamy and super chocolatey. The granules of pure chocolate (see below) melt into the hot milk. Actually, sometimes there is a sludge of almost melted chocolate at the bottom of your cup to scoop up with your spoon. Mmmmmmmm!

I strenuously recommend picking up a can of MarieBelle’s Aztec Hot Chocolate. Just don’t gobble it by the spoonful from the tin or you won’t have any left to serve with your organic croissants (from Le Pain Quotidien) at Sunday brunch!

Hmmnnn, think I need to buy some more.

$22.00 for a 20 oz tin.

Big Sugar Bakeshop
12182 Ventura Boulevard, between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Laurel Grove Avenue,
Studio City
818-508-5855

Open 10am–6pm Tues – Saturdays, 10am–5pm on Sundays
Closed Mondays

A cute new bakery, Big Sugar Bakeshop, has just opened on Ventura Street Blvd in Studio City, just west of Laurel Canyon (sort of opposite Mexicali).

So far I’ve been in three times and tried something different each time. The treats here are way more affordable than the deluxe, tiny, two-bite-sized cupcakes from Ledas (which I adore). Prices at Big Sugar are around $2.00 per cupcake. Cookies are $1.00.

I loved the coconut, also the mocha cupcake and especially loved the hummingbird one with its canary yellow icing. Their little “damp� ginger cakes are perfectly adorable and delicious.

They have a seemingly inexhaustible variety of treats available. There are small items such as little squares of fudge or small peanut butter buckeyes (although I didn’t try those as I hate peanut butter when it isn’t on a piece of wholewheat toast). In addition to cupcakes they offer two-person pies (such as chocolate mousse or apple crisp) and slices of cake (such as German Chocolate and Red Velvet) and even whole cakes. What I love is their range of sweets, so you can completely satisfy a small to medium to large craving, depending on how you feel that day.

They even have a daily blog with information on their daily specials – how cool is that?

Also, it’s a store as well as a bakery. You can get cards and gifts – candles, coffee beans, tins of fabulous Mariebelle’s hot chocolate, cool aprons and oven mitts – stuff like that.

Big Sugar Bakeshop
12182 Ventura Boulevard, between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Laurel Grove Avenue,
Studio City
818-508-5855

Open 10am–6pm Tues – Saturdays, 10am–5pm on Sundays
Closed Mondays

Honestly, you will find what you need at Surfas. From a Broil-a-Dog to Cupcake Decorations, Surfas has you covered. My advice, though, is to set aside plenty of time to browse the aisles. You will undoubtedly end up evaluating plenty of goodies for your own kitchen and looking through dozens of different tongs can take time. Bringing back up can be a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand they can help you make decisions, on the other hand they themselves may get sucked into the vortex of food containers.

Going holiday shopping at Surfas almost feels like cheating. Sure, you might battle a crowd there, but you know that you are going to find quality gifts for the people on your list. Although, even the crowds are manageable and actually, sometimes you just want to watch what other people are getting and narrow down your choices.

Surfas truly is a chef’s paradise and a kitchen gift giver’s dream.

Surfas Restaurant Supply
8777 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-4770

Tamara’s Tamales. Tamales are a traditional holiday dish and there are plenty of sources around LA to pick them up. If you’re on the Westside, I would suggest trying out Tamara’s. Be sure to order ahead, especially around the holidays when demand runs high. There are all sorts of flavors to choose from and delicious salsas to go on top.

Tamara’s Tamales
13352 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90066-5108
(310) 305-7714

Benett’s Ice Cream. Located in the Third and Fairfax Farmer’s market, Bennett’s has been locally made since 1963. I love the pistacio ice cream and when you buy a hand packed pint, you get a hand packed pint. In fact, I think that they manage to pack a full quart into a pint sized container, if that is possible.

Benett’s Ice Cream
6333 W Third St Ste 548
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-939-6786

Wine Expo. Of course, your holiday party will need some wine (even with tamales). I have never felt so welcome in a wine shop as I felt in Wine Expo. They introduced me to my new favorite Monte Calvi after I went in for a Tignanello (saving me a bundle) and also pointed me to some everyday type Sangiovese for under $20 (some closer to $10). They also bill themselves as “Champagne Headquarters”, although I have only bought the non-bubbly from them.

2933 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 828-4428

Enjoy Carne Asada T-Shirt. Who doesn’t enjoy carne asada? Let me answer that for you. Everyone loves carne asada. If you know some who also loves t-shirts, then this is a great gift for them. The shirts are high quality (I have been wearing one for a while, several washes, still soft and the design is solid) and sell for $20 a piece, including shipping. The same designer has a Taco shirt and a few others you may enjoy.

See the shirts at beezocalifornia.com.

The Cozmo Deck. If you like to try different places to eat, but can never think of one when your tummy is growling, the Cozmo Deck is a good companion. The Deck has 52 cards with a different restaurant on each card. When you take the card to the restaurant you get $15 off your bill of $40 or more.

This year you can buy two versions of the deck. The standard version, for $30, includes one of each of the restaurants. The custom version, for $65, lets you select which restaurants are in the deck, and you can include multiple copies of the same card. If you eat at Border Grill weekly, that’s like $715 right in your pocket. See the site for a list of restaurants.

As an added bonus, I have arranged for la.foodblogging readers to get a 10% discount off of the deck by entering the coupon code blogging when you check out. For the record, I’m not getting any kick back for this mention (although one was offered), I have been a Cozmo Card user for a while and I think it makes a great gift.

Not For Tourists Los Angeles. Even though you can see the entire guide online, the NFT guide is a great item to have in your glove box. I personally like the maps better than the Thomas Guide and they are full of useful information for when you are in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

The NFT guides are for locals, people who need to find a quick place to eat or the closest ATM. Put a bow on one of these and your gift will be a hit (as long as you aren’t giving it to a tourist because, after all, it’s not for them).

There are a number of good tea shops around town and when you’re giving a gift, it’s nice to pick quality and something that comes in a stylish container.

Tea Garden & Herbal Emporium
9001 Beverly Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90048
310-205-0104

The Tea Garden has a wide selection of traditional teas, as well as teas that you don’t find at many other tea shops such as Yellow Tea and Pu-erh Tea. Each tea is packaged in a silver tea can with a hand-scribed label to identify what is inside.

Chado Tea Room
8422 1/2 west 3rd street
Los Angeles 90048
(800)442-4019

Chado teas are very full leaf and come in elegant tea cans. If you are buying single teas, I suggest trying out the Silver Needle Jasmine, which has an incredibly smooth flavor and delicious aroma. For a gift, Chado has a number of gift boxes which is a great way to sample a variety of high quality teas.

Elixir Tonics & Teas
8612 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-657-9310

Elixir is a bit over the top on ceremony and may be more style than substance, but it is a cool place to check out. The teas are high quality and you can also pick up some herbs to cure what ails you (or your gift recipient). In addition to their teas, Elixir also has a lot of tea-themed gifts including tea pots and brewing aids. Their garden out back is also a nice place to take a break from shopping and enjoy a hot cup of tea.

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
419 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills
Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
310-278-2855

The Cheese Store is a great place to stop for gifts and to pick up goodies to serve at your holiday parties. The store has premade gift baskets and an incredible staff that will guide you through their myriad choices, feeding you samples along the way. The Cheese Store also has delicous wines, meats, olives and other gourmet goodies.

Sprinkles Cupcakes
9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd
Store Hours: Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-6
310-274-8765

Sprinkles Cupcakes are are treat for any party and you’re likely to steal the show when you walk in with a box of these beauties. Sprinkles comes up with a few holiday flavors, last year I had the eggnog cupcake and it was tasty (and I’m no cupcake junkie). The cupcakes don’t come cheap, but they are nice for a treat.

K Chocolatier
9606 Little Santa Monica Blvd
310-248-2626

Diane Krön is the purveyor of this fine chocolate store. Her chocolates are based on family recipes and sold only in the Beverly Hills store. The divine delights focus on the chocolate and contain as little sugar as possible. Like the Cheese Store, tasters are welcome and it’s not unlikely to leave with more than you paid for (although you do pay a lot for the high quality). You can also see a sample of what she has online.