Princess Blog

This blog is dedicated to the fans that continue to write us some of the most entertaining stories of how they were introduced to our Truffle Pigs….thank you.

From Carol a Los Alamos, New Mexico pig fan

Dear Princesses,

Early one morning last week I was heading into work facing a rising sun.  Perhaps I was driving a tad too fast. Perhaps I was blinded by the light.  But suddenly the silhouette of a young female jogger with a wagging ponytail was a bit too close to my front bumper. I overreacted and swerved wildly away from her earning an over the shoulder glare.

A day later, an ex-student came to school and presented me with a Hagensborg Truffle Pig.  I was touched.

Until…

She thanked me for not killing her as she jogged and said the chocolate was a gift of thanks.  Again, I was touched…

Until…

In the teachers’ lounge I opened the Pig and took a bite.  My eyes widened, I tucked it into my pocket and scurried from the lounge.  This was too good to share with just ANY teacher.  A close teacher friend came to my room and we shared the Pig.  At one bite her eyes widened like mine.

Your chocolate is too good to be true.What a lovely gesture from this ex-student.  Or was it……??? Were there, perhaps, ulterior motives?  Did the student give me this Pig because I was “hogging” the road?  Was she trying to hook me on your chocolate? Was she attempting to make me a Hagensborg addict?

Whatever her motives, I am now desperate for more of your chocolate experience.  Please, please, please, tell me where I can get more.

Thank you,

Carol 

Since 2006 I have been selling and marketing our wonderful Truffle Pig bars to gourmet specialty markets around North America and have received some of the funniest emails from our loyal customers. I wanted to share with you one of the most recent and best emails I think we have received to date. Pam (I will leave your last name and address unknown) wrote to us this week with this clever email:
“Once upon a time I happened across solitary dark truffle pigs at the downtown IGA &, unable to resist their ironic name, purchased & consumed one, & now find myself a loyal subject of the Princesses, whoever they are. Please advise where I might find entire families of said swine, proximate to Oak & 16th, Broadway & Burrard, 4th & Burrard, or Cambie & Broadway in Vancouver as, alas, a lone boar is not enough for this particular piggy Plus, I see on your website that the princesses concoct other flavours that tempt my inner hog ”

Much obliged (oink!),
-Pam

Thank you for such a creative email….it brought smiles and giggles to the whole office. It’s people like you that allow us to keep making our playful chocolates.

Shelley
The Chocolate Princess

Dear Diary,

My trip to Paris was an experience I will never forget. I strolled from one charming little store filled with handmade chocolates to another filled with some of the cutest kids clothing I have ever seen. As I made my way leisurely from store to store I noticed that I was surrounded by impressive old stone buildings, standing mute, revealing no secrets of what they had witnessed for centuries, I could not help but wonder who had strolled along these streets in times gone by.

From the Notre Dame Cathedral, with its tolling bells, crying out to the city that it was time for mass, to the top of the grand Eiffel Tower with its breath taking view of Paris, I walked each step dreaming of making a life here. In my dream I would be opening up my own little chocolate patisserie in one of the many cute little tiny spaces that abound in Paris, while all the time filling my life with the sights and sounds of motorcycles and scooters whizzing by, as young lovers kissed with passion on street corners, even as tourists kept clicking their cameras, in the hope of bringing home memories of this distinctive culture, while picking up the scrumptious bread and lip smacking coffee to take back to their hotels.

I do not know what it was, but the delicious crusty bread, the soft flaky croissants, the flavorful preserves, and strong tasting but not bitter coffee in Paris tantalizing my palate, making me yearn for more. Everyday before my morning shower, I would indulge in an epicurean ritual of enjoying these fine foods and fall in love with Paris all over again. Since I derived so much pleasure from this each morning, when I returned home, I decided I would go on a quest to find these delectable treats to relive my wonderful, gastronomical experiences in Paris.

Nevertheless, it was not completely about the bread and coffee While on my trip not only did I have the pleasure of touring all the high end confectioneries in the city, and buying more chocolate than I could bring back home, I further had the occasion to work with one of France’s leading pastry chefs named David Capy.  It was at the world renowned Valrhona School of Chocolate that I was able to study and work with him, learning to use his sophisticated and recent recipes for making some of the most exquisite chocolates in the world. I followed a very intensive course acquiring the technique of making ganache filled chocolates, whilst mastering the creation of hundreds of bon bons (as chocolates are called in Europe), within a very short period of time. This indeed turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. Now I am very excited about starting my own cozy workplace kitchen in Burnaby, British Columbia, to re-create all the unbelievable bon bons we made; from passion fruit with rosemary to hazel nut praline crunchy. I hope to enamour you very soon with my own petite Paris.

Love Me.

March 11, 2010

Dear Diary,

My desire to experience Paris all started with a scene in one of Audrey Hepburn’s classic movies from the 1960’s.  During filming of it Audrey was wearing a darling summer dress, a classic string of pearls, an oversized sun hat and Chanel sunglasses, while seated outside a quaint Paris café elegantly sipping champagne. I was mesmerized by the romantic beauty of Paris, so I made a promise to myself, that someday I would make my way there, to experience the magnificence of this city. After all! Some indulgence like Audrey, should be becoming of a Chocolate Princess, shouldn’t it?

It was during this spring, that I decided to live out my fantasy, and visit Paris. Not merely to bask in the opulent, intoxicating atmosphere of the Champs Elysees, but to embark on my journey to becoming a Chocolatier! – The ultimate elegant connoisseur of chocolates.

You might assume that since I own a chocolate company, I am already an accredited Chocolatier, which I am not; I have always enlisted Master Chocolatiers, craftsman of par excellence to create the delectable recipes for our chocolates. In truth, sales and marketing has always been my forte, and a tremendous resource in building my company to the level of success it has achieved.

In keeping with the old adage, “You are never too late to learn something new”. I decided to study with one of France’s top Chocolatiers, who by happenstance resides in the Rhone Valley, 40 minutes from Paris!!!!  My upcoming experiences on my tortuous path to becoming an Apprentice Chocolatier in France, are what I hope to entertain you with in my next few journals. I can guarantee it will be a `sweet trip’, and I would be delighted if you joined me in my quest to unlock the mysteries of the world of chocolate, to vicariously enjoy the fun, and share in my adventures.

Wish me Bon Voyage,

Dear Diary,

I have to confess I am absolutely, positively addicted to Chocolate!  I love it so much; I have titled myself The Chocolate Princess. I get to eat yummy yummy chocolate everyday and create mouthwatering, playful products for the rest of the world to enjoy.  Whenever I tell people that I own a chocolate company, I get asked the quizzical question, “How do you stay in shape while working with and being surrounded by chocolate all day?”  Well I have to admit, that being THE CHOCOLATE PRINCESS, has had its challenges, but isn’t indulging oneself in chocolate, while making a living off of it worth its weight in gold???

It all started as a kid, I always had a stash of chocolate in the house.  I would eat all kinds of chocolate at least once a day.  I was so desperate once; that I ate half a box of Pot of Gold chocolates that was under the Christmas tree, and re-wrapped it neatly so as to not reveal it had been opened. When I was 9 years old my mother decided that it was time we ate healthy, (quite obviously she did not realize the great the benefits of chocolate, which is now common knowledge today,) and ended up buying Carob for us instead of chocolate. For those of you, who do not know what Carob is, it is like comparing TONIC WATER to CHAMPAGNE.  Sick of trying to convince my taste buds that Carob (a legume that comes from the carob tree grown in Florida) was a good substitute for real chocolate. I searched every nook and cranny of the house for a hidden stash of chocolates. After rummaging through the house, I finally came upon a little box of chocolates in the bathroom medicine cabinet, which struck me as a strange place for my Mom to be hiding things.   Nevertheless, I ate the WHOLE box.  I don’t know if Exlax still uses ‘chocolate flavor’ for its medication, but all I can suggest is don’t EVER eat chocolate you find in the bathroom, it can result in dire consequences!!!!

Love,

Me.