Divalicious Chocolate! at Brooklyn Botanical Garden Chile Pepper Fiesta

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Divalicious Chocolate! will be sampling and selling their hugely popular Azteca truffles and more at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden Chile Pepper Fiesta on October 3, 2009. Jackie will be speaking on the “Some Like It Hot” panel with fellow chocolate makers the history, health benefits, and trends of the beloved chile/chocolate combination. The panel will be moderated by chocolate expert and tour guide Alexandra Leaf.

From the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens website:
“Join in New York’s hottest fall tradition, where the grooves are smokin’ and the chile peppers are scorchin’. Enjoy a full afternoon of music and dance from chile-loving regions around the world. Indulge at the Chocolate Chile Cabana, where you can sample goodies, meet some of today’s most exciting, red-hot chocolatiers, and cast your vote at the Brooklyn Chile Peppers ‘n’ Chocolate Takedown. Feel the heat as spicy food specialists and chefs offer sizzling samples, cooking demonstrations, and tasty tips. Don’t miss your chance to savor the fiery flavor…Brooklyn style.”

Jackie Gordon Singing Chef - Divalicious Chocolate! at Brooklyn Botanical Garden Chile Pepper Fiesta

Event Attractions

  • Hot” Chocolate: Twelve area chocolatiers and confectioners (including Mast Bros., Vere, Fine & Raw, Nunu, and more) will sample specially commissioned treats that marry the decadence of chocolate with the heat of the chile pepper;
  • Brooklyn Chile Peppers ‘n’ Chocolate Takedown: Amateurs will compete for the crowd’s favor as they concoct chile-chocolate dishes;
  • The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History: Leading chocolate historian Maricel E. Presilla will sign copies of her new work;
  • Sweet & Spicy Suds: Portland’s Rogue Brewery will offer their Chipotle Ale and Chocolate Stout to thirsty visitors;
  • Some Like It Hot: Chocolate expert Alexandra Leaf will moderate a panel, featuring some of the area’s most prominent chocolatiers, on the history, health benefits, and trends of the beloved chile/chocolate combo;
  • Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Chocolate But Were Afraid to Ask: No query is too small for Alexandra Leaf, president of Chocolate Tours of NYC;
  • The City Sweet Tooth: cartoonist and dessert blogger Abby Denson will be signing copies of her limited-edition comic “When Chocolate Met Chile!”;
  • The Dust Busters: Old-time swing tunes with a dash of New Orleans blues keep the energy high!