Although Valentine’s Day has passed, there’s always an occasion to do something fun with your significant other, your friends, or just by yourself! I’m a chocoholic, so this year for the holiday I decided to create a “chocolate crawl,” consisting of a walk to different chocolate stores downtown. I’m sharing this with you all because—excuse the ego—I’m kind of proud of myself for this idea and want everyone else to do it. Make it a thing. Name it the “Nadya Chocolate Tour” or something, idk.

Stop #1: L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

If you’re driving, this is where you are going to want to park – everything else is within walking distance from here! L.A. Burdick is the absolute cutest and prettiest store. Everything is neatly displayed and boxed and the service is amazing. They have an area just for chocolates and then another area for fudge. The store really lives up to its name – you can tell that each piece of chocolate is delicately handmade with the utmost care. The variety in flavor is also astounding, you won’t be disappointed. They even have seasonal chocolates shaped like penguins and mice! Just look at how cute they are! This is a great first stop to get in the chocolate-y vibe.

Stop #2: Venchi Chocolate Chicago at Eataly

Head just a block east and you’ll arrive at the infamous Eataly. When you step into Eataly, you can become pretty overwhelmed with the amount of food there. Most people go for their selection of handmade pasta, sauces, or wine, but the chocolate bar shouldn’t go overlooked – arranged in satisfying little cubes, this stop includes tasty chocolates of all kinds. They even have chocolate baskets for those who are indecisive! Overall, if you want a taste of what Italy can offer you in the realm of chocolates, this is your place.

Stop #3: ROYCE Chocolate

Walk another block east and one block south to arrive at ROYCE. Located on the third floor of The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile, this shop differs from the other two in that most of its chocolates are not in an open display but rather in perfectly designed boxes. I almost mistook it for a jewelry store before stepping in, as every box is displayed in a brightly lit case on the wall. After the more “typical” chocolates you’ve just tasted, this is where you’re going to want to branch out. Personally, I bought Matcha Bar Chocolate which was heavenly. I never even knew such chocolate existed, but boy, am I glad I tried it.

Stop #4: Ghirardelli Chocolate

Obviously, we had to save the most iconic store for last. Walk a block south and you’ll arrive at the queen of all chocolate stores. They have an assortment of chocolates where you can either buy by the pound or try to stuff everything you can into one $20 box (which I did). They also have cute merch you can check out. And, if you’re somehow all chocolated-out, they have ice cream and milkshakes as well!

You’ve made it to the end of your tour! I hope you all try this out, it’s a fun thing to do especially in COVID times because you are only in the stores for a little while and then can eat the chocolate safely outdoors. Happy chocolate binging!

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Things couldn't be better with summer in full swing, with freshly cut grass, trees sprouting, and flowers blooming everywhere under the sun. Although chocolate is often reserved for colder weather, there’s no reason to deny yourself something as chocolatey and indulgent as this recipe. Here is a simple chocolate cake made with five ingredients. It's light and tender, and perfect for steamy summer days.

The recipe comes from Pâtisserie and Baking Foundations Classic Recipes, a textbook-ish collection published by Le Cordon Bleu. Often used as a base for more complicated desserts like Feuille d’Automne (Fall leaves), and Croustillant au Chocolat (Crispy chocolate mousse), this chocolate cake is just as enjoyable by itself. I would even venture to say that it's better homemade and decorated in your own way!

Ingredients (serves 1 to 4 people, your call):

3 Eggs, yolk and white separated
Caster Sugar, 75 grams
Plain flour, 35 grams
Cornstarch, 25 grams
Cocoa powder, 15 grams

How:

1. Beat the egg whites into a firm meringue (when you lift the whisk from the mixture, there'll be a small curled tip at the end of the whisk); gradually add the sugar as you whip the egg whites.

2. Whisk the yolks until smooth; add it to the fluffy egg white foam.

3. Mix the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder together; gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture (mix with a spatula till you don’t see lumps of flour; don’t over-mix since we want to retain the air in the mixture, which makes the cake fluffy).

4. Pour the mixture into a mold of your choice.

5. Bake at 355F for 18 minutes (if not completely set after 18 minutes, bake for a little longer but definitely keep an eye on the cake).

This is it! I throw in some chopped chocolate just to intensify the flavor. You could also serve the cake with ice-cream, strawberries, whipped cream, icing sugar, or all the above (no shame!).

Nigella Lawson and Nik Sharma recently talked about “empowering home cooks”, which really resonated with me. This chocolate cake is a perfect opportunity to transform a classic recipe for fancy pastry into an approachable dessert for home cooks to improvise and enjoy.

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