It's almost Valentine's Day, and that may mean you've got chocolate on your mind. Though you may be fearing the amount of calories in those heart-shaped boxes, there are many reasons to love Valentine's Day sweet treats. In fact, here are five healthy reasons to eat dark chocolate. It helps you exercise longer: A recent study found that eating a tiny amount of dark chocolate before a workout Read more

I'm definitely a fan of Valentine's Day, but mostly because I like the excuse to eat chocolate. Besides tasting good, dark chocolate is full of heart-healthy flavonoids (equal to many fruits), can soothe a cough, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure. Spread the love even more this holiday by buying my picks for chocolate that's organic, Fair Trade, or health-inspired, and don't forget Read more

Find out what Miss USA eats. — Grub Street NY Here's three quick, easy, and fun ways to fold cloth napkins. — Serious Eats Learn the proper technique for tasting dark chocolate. — Chow Beloved neighborhood sandwich shop, Ike's Place in San Francisco, has been given an eviction notice. — San Francisco Chronicle Exit interview with this week's booted Top Cheftestant, Stephen Hopcraft. — Read more

Quinoa in chocolate? That's what I said, but if you're a fan of Nestle Crunch, you might want to give Dark Chocolate Quinoa Midnight Crunch chocolate bar ($5) a try. It contains rice-quinoa crisps from Bolivia. It's vegan, GMO-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and certified organic. Not only that, but since it's made by Alter Eco, you know it's also fair-trade certified, which means you can feel good Read more

Let's face it, most of us don't need a reason to indulge in a little dark chocolate. But it's nice knowing that it helps lower blood pressure, soothes coughs, and increases blood flow to the heart. It seems like the antioxidants in chocolate are really working overtime to take care of us! It gets better too: a recent clinical trial found that eating dark chocolate lowers the levels of stress Read more

Rather than going out to buy something for your sweetheart, stay in and bake these homemade Milano cookies. Everyone is familiar with the delicious Pepperidge Farms treats, with their crisp and crumbly cookies sandwiching a thin layer of chocolate. However, the homemade variation takes the cake — or that is, the cookie! The batter is easy to make, although I had trouble baking them for the Read more

San Franciscans get excited: it's dungeness crab season! — SFoodie This holiday season, why not bake a beautifully festive cake or cupcakes? — Hostess With the Mostess Eating dark chocolate may help you handle stress. — The Epi-Log The FDA has withdrawn the ban on the sale of Gulf Coast raw oysters during warm months. — Eater Introducing: people talking on bananas. — People Read more

About a month ago we received a package from Intentional Chocolate. I didn't try anything at first because the marketing material was way too new agey for me — everything is made with love and positive intention, and Dalai Lama-trained monks infuse meditative energy into the chocolate. Too kooky for me. But when a chocolate craving hit me a few weeks later, I had no problem ripping open a bag Read more