Who is the Chocolate Gourmand?
I have been baking cookies for thirty years and making candies and ice creams for more than a dozen years. Does this make me an expert? Certainly not. I learned just about everything I know from someone else, so speak up if you know better. We can always improve if we have an open mind. I am neither a professional baker nor pastry chef—I actually have a degree in Earth Sciences, though somehow I ended up becoming a web developer.
How can I contact the Chocolate Gourmand?
You can use the contact page to send me an email or leave comments about specific pages on their respective comments areas.
What is this site all about?
The Chocolate Gourmand is all about making candies, cookies, ice creams and other delicious recipes. By providing information on technique, equipment, and ingredients in a simple and illustrated manner, I hope that you will be encouraged to try making desserts. If you already make candies, see how someone else does it and share your thoughts and advice. Candymaking isn't very difficult—if you have a little patience and are willing to take a chance, then candymaking really is easily within your reach.
Why did you make this site?
I originally reserved this domain some 8 years ago after some friends suggested I start a chocolate candy company and even offered to invest. I didn't take them seriously, but I figured it would be a good idea to hedge my bets and at least get a domain. For years nothing happened with the domain. My other personal sites are intended for private audiences (friends and family) and I have had little desire to "go public". I started a blog in early 2006 and over time I warmed up to the idea of having a public site that wasn't for my employer.
Can I buy your candies?
At the moment, no. Should I decide to take the plunge into business, this site may well be a step in the right direction. I'm afraid your only hope is to somehow get onto The List.
Do you make money from the site?
Not really, but that was never my intent when starting this site. I have some links to Amazon.com (which, outside of the blog where I can't control them, are relevant to the page's context) and some Google ads on the blog, but I honestly don't have high expectations to be getting anything but small change, if any. If I can make a dent in my hosting fees, great. That said, I am NOT interested in paid endorsements, link promotion, nor reviewing samples of products. Reviews found on the site are all 100% unsolicited.
Will you post a link to my site if I link to yours?
I do appreciate it when people point out interesting, relevant sites to me, but if you ask for a link exchange then the answer is no. I have never asked anyone to link to this site and I expect the same courtesy from others. I link to sites when they are relevant to the subject I am writing about. The blogs on my blogroll are ones that I actually read (I wish I had time to read more). When I stop reading a blog they drop off the blogroll. Hence my blogroll heading, "Food Blogs I'm Reading".
