Chocolate

The Glendale News-Press visited an advanced cooking class at Roosevelt Middle School and asked students, ?What was your favorite recipe that you learned in class, and why?? ? ?Chocolate muffins because it was good frosting.? JASMIN DIAZ, 14 Glendale ? ? ? ? ? ?So far, the bittersweet Belgian chocolate crunch with toffee ice cream, because I just like sweet things, and since it had chocolate, I liked it.? ABRAHAM QUINTERO, 13 Glendale ?

La Cañada Elementary School students were so enthusiastic about contributing to their springtime fundraising drive, they donated more chocolate treats than their designated charity, the City of Hope National Medical Center, could handle. Members of the school's student council on Tuesday traveled with their parents to Duarte to present 10 cases, filled with foil-wrapped chocolate rabbits and eggs, to Judy Frazier, the hospital's director of volunteer services. The chocolates will be distributed among the hospital's inpatients and outpatients, said Frazier, who was overwhelmed by the school's generosity.

Her grandmother lived to be 100 and her mother until 98. Vila and her sister, Blanca Vila, 98, live together at the Broadview Residential Care Center in Glendale. Residents and staff wished Eulalia Vila a happy birthday on Feb. 12 with a chocolate sheet cake, singing traditional Spanish birthday songs and a bouquet of flowers — along with lots of hugs and kisses. “She acts like a 60-year-old,” said Esther Galvan, night supervisor. “She never complains.

Ben & Jerry?s offers free scoops as thanks Ben & Jerry?s at 164 E. Palm Ave., Burbank, is one of the scoop shops offering a free cone to customers today in celebration of its 31st annual Free Cone Day. The tradition started, company officials said, when the two business owners wanted to say thanks to the community after they celebrated their first year in business. Burbank firefighters will be scooping up the longtime favorites like Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia as well as new releases like chocolate macadamia featuring its fair-trade chocolate and vanilla ice creams swirled with fudge-covered macadamia nuts.

Global food giant Nestle S.A., with North American headquarters in Glendale, reported gains in the first fiscal quarter despite difficulties with supplies in chocolate-producing West Africa and sales in Japan, which was ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami late in the quarter. Nestle reported revenue growth of 6.4% in the quarter compared to the same period last year. Overall, revenues of 20.2 billion Swiss Francs, or $22.6 billion, are lower than the $24.9 billion for the same period last year, mostly because of the company’s sale of eye-care firm Alcon.

The Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce pulled out all the stops for its 31st annual Oktoberfest on Saturday in spite of morning showers. The order of the day was German cuisine, Oompah bands, dancing, carnival rides, bingo, and costume and Best-Dressed Dog contests. Disappointed that her tiny Chihuahua-mix in authentic Bavarian dress didn’t win was Lainie Nakai of Echo Park. “Jerry was robbed,” Nakai said. Joining Jerry and Lainie were sister Kristi Nakai from Hollywood and Gail Byrd of Montrose.

Rosette Gonzales Allison Peplow and her little brother, Sam, walked into the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the America Red Cross on Thursday weighed down by a bag full of coins and dollar bills, the profits of four days of hot chocolate and tea sales. After counting every last penny, they presented $218.28 to the chapter's executive director and said they wanted to make a donation to victims of the tsunami and earthquake disaster. "I felt bad for those people that were in the tsunami," Allison, 11, said.

OK. That was fun. Just celebrating its one-year anniversary in Glendale, the Korean-owned Paris Baguette is a self-serve purveyor of joy. Now that I’m a grown-up, I don’t enjoy being a kid in a candy store so much as being a parent in a pastry shop! When we walked in, we each grabbed a square tray and a set of tongs. I told my kids to grab just about anything that they thought sounded good to sample and share with family that evening. We sampled sweet and savory, standard and exotic, pastry and tea cakes and bread.

Can a restaurant that's been open for just one month already have a loyal customer base and an established signature dish -- cioppino? Yes, but only if the grand opening is preceded by more than 20 years of serving Italian favorites. Such is the case with Davio's Italian Grill, which opened last month in the Target/Pavilions Center after flourishing for two decades in LSeal Beach. The "new" Davio's has been designed masterfully. The caramel-and-burnt-orange color scheme smoothly commingles with neutral woods and funky light fixtures to create a feel of contemporary cool.

Ajalat -- Aparicio Suzanne Ajalat of Glendale and Adam Aparicio of Glendale were married at St. Nicholas Orthodox Christian Cathedral. The Father Michel Najm, Father John Reimann and Father Christopher Salamy officiated. The matron of honor was Christiana Ajalat Matarese. The bridesmaids were Marlene Alexander, Nicole Ajalat, Debbie Aparicio, Marie Saba, Joy Saba, Kathy Saba and Michelle Salamy. Eric Aparicio was the best man. Ushers were Deo Michael Singh, Gabriel Flores, Vincent Ongjoco, Verlyn Ongjoco, Michael Ajalat, Richard Ajalat and Christopher Matarese.

Nestle USA is recalling some of its Nesquik chocolate powder mix because of a possible salmonella risk. The food maker said that the Nesquik involved was in 10.9-, 21.8- and 40.7-ounce canisters produced in early October and sold across the country. Nestle said it is issuing the recall after its ingredient supplier, Omaya Inc., recalled some of the calcium carbonate used in the product because of possible salmonella contamination. The company said there have been no reported illnesses associated with the product.

Those king-size Mars and Snickers bars in vending machines are about to shrink to a more princely size. By the end of 2013, confectionery giant Mars Inc.will sell only chocolate bars that are 250 calories or less, according to NPR . A full king-size Snickers bar contains more than 500 calories, according to Mars' website . But many of Mars' other chocolate confections, including king-size 3 Musketeers and Milky Way bars already clock...

What kind of chocolate does a man who has logged 26 years at one of the world’s most celebrated chocolate companies recommend? “I like dark; the stronger the better,” said Ray Fischbach, technical services director for Glendale-based Nestle USA. The plug came during a lecture at Glendale Community College titled “The Art and Science of Making Chocolate,” during which the chocolate expert walked his audience through the history of...

Global food giant Nestle S.A., with North American headquarters in Glendale, reported gains in the first fiscal quarter despite difficulties with supplies in chocolate-producing West Africa and sales in Japan, which was ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami late in the quarter. Nestle reported revenue growth of 6.4% in the quarter compared to the same period last year. Overall, revenues of 20.2 billion Swiss Francs, or $22.6 billion, are lower than the $24.9 billion for the same period last year, mostly because of the company’s sale of eye-care firm Alcon.

Her grandmother lived to be 100 and her mother until 98. Vila and her sister, Blanca Vila, 98, live together at the Broadview Residential Care Center in Glendale. Residents and staff wished Eulalia Vila a happy birthday on Feb. 12 with a chocolate sheet cake, singing traditional Spanish birthday songs and a bouquet of flowers — along with lots of hugs and kisses. “She acts like a 60-year-old,” said Esther Galvan, night supervisor. “She never complains.

The greatest charm of the Stepping Stone Players' most recent production, "Willy Wonka," lies in its outstanding mixed cast of children and adults. Eleven-year-old Austin Kelly as our hero — sweet, decent, chocolate-loving Charlie Bucket, is a triple threat — able to act, sing and fly 20 feet into the air, all at the same time. Allan Hunt, so memorable as the Wizard in last year's Stepping Stone production of "The Wizard of Oz," holds his own as Charlie's Grandpa Joe, competing with five small scene-stealers — if you don't count the three dozen or so children who either sing and dance as Towns Kids, or as Oompa Loompas.

Unwrapping a Hershey’s bar, the first thing students noticed was that the bar is divided into 12 squares — four squares in three rows. Their first task of the assignment was to figure out how much candy was in one-third of a bar. Students in Tsolaire Aghamanoukian’s sixth-grade math class Monday morning at Chamlian Armenian School in Glendale worked in teams to isolate the correct portion of candy on their desks and write out the answer on their miniature white boards.

Becky ecky Mate ?s annual backyard party to celebrate the International Art Day on Friday was her best attended yet, with dozens of artists and art appreciators dropping by her Lexington Drive apartment courtyard during the late afternoon and evening hours. Even Glendale Mayor Frank Quintero got into the act by awarding Mate a proclamation and recognizing the holiday in Glendale the second Friday in August. This year, Mate celebrated an Art and Chocolate potluck. Glendale artist Sky Rowe , 10, normally works with oil pastel, but this year his medium of choice was chocolate.

Ben & Jerry?s offers free scoops as thanks Ben & Jerry?s at 164 E. Palm Ave., Burbank, is one of the scoop shops offering a free cone to customers today in celebration of its 31st annual Free Cone Day. The tradition started, company officials said, when the two business owners wanted to say thanks to the community after they celebrated their first year in business. Burbank firefighters will be scooping up the longtime favorites like Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia as well as new releases like chocolate macadamia featuring its fair-trade chocolate and vanilla ice creams swirled with fudge-covered macadamia nuts.

The Glendale News-Press visited an advanced cooking class at Roosevelt Middle School and asked students, ?What was your favorite recipe that you learned in class, and why?? ? ?Chocolate muffins because it was good frosting.? JASMIN DIAZ, 14 Glendale ? ? ? ? ? ?So far, the bittersweet Belgian chocolate crunch with toffee ice cream, because I just like sweet things, and since it had chocolate, I liked it.? ABRAHAM QUINTERO, 13 Glendale ?