Here’s a way to de-stress for the holidays, just get someone else to bake for you.  Swiss Vienna Pastry and Delicatessen  is a 50-year-old 3rd generation bakery which can not only bake your holiday logs (even rum red velvet) $19.95 (for 6), $26.95 (for 10), $40.95 (for 16),  wreath cakes or candle cakes but they can provide you with your whole party cocktail menu. Choose from: mini quiches (cheese, spinach, ham), patty shells (mushroom or chicken), chicken bouche, shrimp boats, spinach rolls, egg rolls, sausage rolls and meat pies in 3 sizes (mini, small and large). There’s meat and vegetable platters too.

If your family has a favorite flavor cake, they probably make it: strawberry shortcake, fruit shortcake, chocolate praline crunch, millefeuille cake, cortina, Black Forest, strawberry or chocolate mousse, red velvet, cheese cake, Charlotte Russe and the St-Honore of course. Mini French pastries are only $12 a dozen (boxed) with a minimum of 2 dozen.

Perhaps you would prefer French pastries – they’re here too: eclairs, mille feuilles (the best in the city – save one for me!), fruit tarts, mousses, chocolate pretzels, rumballs, baba au rum, cream turnovers, gaufrettes, meringues, moka boats and more. And you can add some of their homemade chocolates too.

If you didn’t see what you wanted on that list there’s triple chocolate mousse cake, hazelnut cake, butter danish, apple strudel and 24 daily breads.

For special occasions, their new cake boss can create theme design cakes (Chanel purse, soccer shirt, makeup kit) and you can choose whatever flavor cake you like for the inside: red velvet, black forest, chocolate ganache, praline crunch, etc.

The store also has a selection of international groceries (Hungarian paprika, Marmite, Werner’s potato dumplings), imported chocolate bars, sausages (debreciner, kielbasa) and a hot and cold salad bar with ethnic snacks (Caribbean patties, samosa, calzones, chicken pot pie, potato knishes, cabbage rolls, panini). Wash it all down with an espresso or latte.

Location: Pointe Claire Shopping Centre, 297 boul. St-Jean
corner: Highway 2-20
Tel: 514-697-2280
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs & Fri 8:30-8, Sat & sun 8:30-5

Q1: Coffee, not bread is the new staff of life. Can you tell us what makes one bean pricier than another?

The price for coffee reflects rarity rather than quality. Coffee beans proudly keep the name of the country and area that they come from (Columbian, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona). If no country is mentioned on the label, it’s probably of a lesser quality. There are 2 main kinds of beans, arabica or robusta. Arabica is grown on steep slopes in higher altitudes and is considered superior quality as it seems to have a richer flavor. Robusta beans cost less as they are grown on lower slopes. Commercial blends and instant coffee use these.

Q 2: How does the roasting affect the bean’s flavor?

The taste of coffee is highly subjective. Regular roast is lighter and perhaps reveals more of the true bean flavor; Dark French roast (which cafes mostly brew) dispenses more dense flavor. A roast can be too dark and can overpower the bean flavor or even lead to a burned taste.

Q 3: Is there anything else we should know about buying coffee?

– Most importantly, how fresh is it? It should been roasted within the week that you drink it as the flavor rapidly deteriorates after roasting.
– To use word “fresh” means: just roasted, properly stored  and packed air-tight.
–  Ground coffee loses flavor more rapidly than whole beans.
– Storing in your freezer is best.
– Don’t forget too that coffee is 99% water and how the water interacts with it matters.

Q4: Does it matter what kind of a pot we use?

Drip pots make better coffee than percolators as the water pours over the beans only once. Also your pot, filters, plunger, and all parts must be cleaned regularly as they retain residues which may not be visible to your eye.  Soak your pot in boiling water for least 5 min. and lightly scrub it (try not to use soap) and rinse well.
Coffee retains  most potent flavor for only about 20 min after brewing, so sit down immediately and have a cup.

Q 5: So many of us splurge on the coffee made in our favorite cafes, is there anyway we can get those beans to brew at home? Yes, and you can even have them delivered to your door!

Made-to-measure coffee has brought java lovers to Café Union, a Montreal  institution since 1910. This wholesaler roasts the coffee right here, so you can choose one or custom blend your own from amongst the espresso, melange maison (regular and strong), french press, Kenya, Panama, Columbia Supremo, Fair Trade, decaf and Swiss washed decaf. Those who like flavors can buy Bavarian chocolate, Irish cream or hazelnut vanilla or one of the 30 flavored syrups (vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, etc.) to add in.

Coffee related products like iced cappuccino, or chai latte concentrate now line the shelves. Free delivery is offered for 5 pounds or more. They sell espresso machines (Saeco, Rancilio, Pavoni, Breville, Quick Mill, Jura La Spaziale) and teapots, too. Repairs to these machines are available.

Location: 148 Jean Talon St. West at Waverly St.
Phone: 514-273-5555
Hours: Mon-Fri 8- 5:30, Sat 9-3
www.cafe-union.com

The Coffee Gourmet Centre can deliver to you its trendy coffee beans in over 40 flavours (Yrgacheffe from Ethiopia, Italian espresso, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaiian Kona, Costa Rican, Moka Java, Panamanian, etc.) and also pure Swiss water process decaf. You can also add to your order a wide selection of tea leaves: estate, white, green leaf, herbal.

Also available are gourmet goodies (Greaves jams, dips, balsamic vinegars, extra virgin olive oils) as they stock them for their custom gift baskets for all occasions. If you order over a kilo of coffee, you get free delivery on the Island, or you can pick up your order at one of their depots. Ask about the fund raising program for your school or organization using coffee and hot chocolate.

Location: 3966 Cool St. Suite 201,Verdun
Phone: 514-369-0368
www.cafegourmet.ca

A coffee or tea addict’s dream might be to have his favourite brew at a reduced price, delivered right to his door. Brossard Freres, open over 50 years, provides this service for a minimum order of 10 lbs. There are at least 20 kinds – regular coffee ($5.90 lb.), decaf ($6.90), flavours like amaretto, rum brandy, chocolate mint ($7.80), and ground for percolators, filter, Turkish, Melitta, Bodum, or espresso, but you can buy as little as one pound if  you come in person. About a  half dozen loose leaf  (herbal too) teas are $7.90 per lb. Delivery is the next day. Can you smell it brewing already?

Location: 10848 Moisan Ave, St. Leonard
Phone: 514-321-4121
Hours: Mon-Fri 7-5
www.cafebrossard.com

Q1 – With Valentine’s Day coming up, let’s start with the basics, what is the difference between dark, milk and white chocolate?

After cocoa beans are dried and roasted, they are then ground into a liquid consistency known as chocolate liquor. If this base is hardened, it becomes unsweetened baking chocolate. If you have ever tasted this, you will know it is very bitter.

To make it palatable, sugar and extra cocoa butter are added, and then it becomes what we know as semi-sweet chocolate. For milk chocolate, the world’s favorite flavor, milk is of course added along with sugar, extra cocoa butter and vanilla.

Q2 – We are lucky to have artisanal chocolate boutiques in Montreal, what makes them worth the extra few bucks?

Each piece is hand dipped with ultimate quality chocolate be it Valrhona, Callebaut or variety ones from  around the world: Costa Rica, Madagascar, Tanzania,  Domincan Republic, etc. Their treats go way beyond your caramel and chocolate turtle into complex gourmet tastes

Q3 – Okay, let’s go through a few of them and explain what they each specialize in:

At Chocolats Privilege you can be wowed by the original chocolate combinations. Their signature one is called “Privilege”, and is a crowd pleasing dark chocolate and coffee combo, but they sell lots of ganaches ($9.50 per 100 gram) combined with: green tea, basil and lime, LBV porto, rosemary and cream, coriander, or a raspberry/blueberry/strawberry combo.

Another idea is making chocolates with beans from around the world: Costa Rica, Madagascar, Tanzania, Domincan Republic, etc. There’s a caramel line, pralines and specialties: almond paste with walnuts, rum,  half-coated orange slice and a couple of sugarless options.

First Location: 1001 Fleury est at St. Charles
Phone:  514-385-6335
Hours: Mon-Wed 8:30-6, Thurs & Fri 8:30-8, Sat 9-6, Sun 9-5:30
Other locations: Jean Talon Market, 7070 Henri-Julien (514-276-7070); Kirkland, 3602 boul. St-Charles (514-694-2261); Marche 440 (450-682-3666)
www.chocolatsprivilege.com

Divine Chocolatier takes Callebaut dark chocolate and wrap it around orange or ginger slices, blueberries, orange peel or praline and offers up divine confections (100 gr/$9.95). Sure there’s healthy 72% dark choclate with orange and ginger but look for the fun items: the chocolate shot glasses, body oil, caramel or chocolate hazelnut spread, and molded shapes like a computer, tennis racket or kama sutra poses. Seasonally you might get cinnamon or allspice in your chocolate or flavored hot chocolates.

Location: 2158 Crescent Sherbrooke
Phone: 514-282-0829
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 (closed Sun. in winter except holidays)
www.divinechocolatier.com

In Les Chocolats De Chloé it’s the ambiance here that keeps devoted clientele. The open kitchen makes you feel like you are part of the chocolate-making process, and the staff is so accommodating when asked questions. You will have some, because the originality of the flavors (lemon chocolate, Earl Grey tea, salted ganache, Illy coffee) will perplex you. Valrhona chocolate is all they use, and no extracts – rum is rum – and fruits are made in season and every candy is dipped by hand. Popular hot chocolate mixes come in vanilla bean and cinnamon, and there could be turtles and chocolate covered marshmallows.

Location: 546 Duluth est Berri
Phone: 514-849-5550
Hours: Tues & Wed 10-7, Thurs & Fri 10-9, Sat 11-5, Sun 11-7
www.leschocolatsdechloe.com

Q4: Let’s get back to the history of chocolate, how did we find out about it?

Columbus brought the beans back to King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492, they didn’t know how to process them. Explorer Hernando Cortez had spent some time among the Aztecs in 1519, and had been able to observe the processing technique, so he took this knowledge and some more beans back to Spain.

Q5 – I understand that it was kept as a secret potion?

Members of the Spanish court fell in love with it after they discovered that by adding sweetener it became a wonderful drink. It was so favored that it was kept a secret amongst the nobility for almost a century. With the marriage of Louis XIII of France to a Spanish princess in 1615, the scrumptious secret was let out and dispersed throughout Europe almost as fast as an Internet virus.

Q 6 –  How is the cocoa bean turned edible and delicious?

To make chocolate, the football-shaped pod is opened and the cacao seeds found inside are fermented in the sweet pulp from the pod for days. When the pulp rots and falls away, the beans are dried and roasted, removing the shells. They are then ground into a liquid consistency known as chocolate liquor.