Chic et Choc', the Rallye du Chocolat© is coming to Geneva on Saturday, October 2nd for its 7th edition; the first one took place in Geneva in 2015.
This year, 14 chocolate makers from Geneva will be present and will compete with each other on the theme "Grué and two flavors". If you have never heard the term grué, then don't worry... you are not the only one. It is the French word for cocoa nibs... the shells of the cocoa beans that are ground and sifted after processing the cocoa beans. It has a bitter flavor and a crunchy texture that adds a little "something" to chocolate recipes.
Gourmets of all ages are invited to stroll through the city and push open the doors of the chocolate shops to discover these cocoa treasures as well as the clues needed to reconstruct the mystery sentence that will allow them to participate in the contest. A contest will determine the winners who will receive chocolate gifts and the coveted "ChoConnaisseurs" diploma. The public is also invited to elect their favorite chocolatiers, while a jury of experts awards the Jury Prize to the best chocolatier of the Rally.
Lise Luka, the organizer of this festival, explains, "Gone are the days of gloom and doom, replaced by good humor and delight. Originally we created this rallye to celebrate World Cocoa and Chocolate Day. Now the Rallye raises public awareness of sustainable development in the cocoa and chocolate sector by offering tastings of chocolate creations made by talented chocolatiers."
If you are interested in volunteering to assist on the day, then please go through the website to sign-up. Volunteers the opportunity to be in contact with the chocolatiers or to have responsibilities in the organization of the Rally, all in a playful and warm atmosphere. They also receive a free passport and chocolate gifts.
The Rallye du Chocolat is an event for all gourmets. Lise told us, "With the creation of a chocolate specially for the event, we participate in maintaining a high quality of chocolate. In addition, we contribute to raising awareness among the public and professionals about the relations of producer and consumer countries with the cocoa day each October, 1st. We look forward to meeting with the public on October 2."
Read down to enter our competition to win a duo of jams and chutneys!
Selling an old implement on FaceBook Marketplace for Fr. 14.- brought me a delicious barter. Who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to exchange an item for sale for a couple jars of homemade jams and chutneys? That happened to me recently and that is how I got to know about Helen Shapiro's passion for making these yummy combinations! Under the name Le Bon Goût, she has really found the best combinations for delicious concoctions.
As I'm not so much of a jam person, Helen offered one of her Aubergine/Onion chutneys that accompanies our cheese platter perfectly, as well as a yummy blueberry jam and some samplers. Lisa's favorite was the Orange Spiced Mulled Wine one... we can't wait for the next batch to come out nearer Christmas.
Falaque's Thali: a tasting menu with a choice of samosa, any two meat dishes, a vegetable dish & lentils served with Pilaf rice, cucumber raita & special tomato chutney for Fr. 32.-
Can you believe it has been 10 years since we wrote an article about Falaque Indian and Bengali Cuisine? We were in touch recently with Sharin who gave us some more personal background into her business. She is giving our readers 10% discount through the end of June. Please read on to know how to take advantage of this delicious offer.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
I moved here with my husband and 3 year-old daughter as a trailing spouse from New York some 16 years ago (seems like a long time ago). I got pregnant with my son soon after, and was craving all the delights that New York had to offer. Although now you can find a decent variety of restaurants, the takeaway concept and homestyle traditional cuisine did not exist much back then. Like many, I am also passionate about food and I have had the great fortune to live in Bangladesh (my origin), Sierra Leone, Uganda, Miami, New York and now Nyon, and have been able to develop a very diverse palet. Thus the concept of Falaque was born. Homestyle cuisine, small menu but healthy, hearty and unctuous dishes. Proper soul food!
Have you been working on this idea forever, or was it something that came to you recently?
I have always wanted to open a restaurant, but being a chef isn’t really considered an actual career, so I graduated with a degree in Computer Science. But I have always been intrigued by the technical side of cooking, the temperatures, timing, the chemistry of ingredients and also the Ayurvedic and wholistic nature of spices. I have countless professional books on these matters, and would love to further my education in this field. I started working on the concept in 2011, with a small catering business and Friday night meal delivery service. To my delight it picked up very quickly and I was able to build quite a high demand and good client base. In 2014, I opened Falaque in Nyon as a take-away and in 2018, I went and got my license to expand the place and now we are a restaurant, and recently we just made an outdoor terrace.
What is La FARCE?
The association La FARCE is a free grocery store, based in the canton of Geneva, for HES-SO and UNIGE students. It offers free food distributions for a student public who claims the need for it, unconditionally and without financial justification. The objective is to act against precariousness and food waste, to create solidarity and promote social ties, with a view to sustainability.
Volunteers
Would you like to help out at La FARCE?
- Collecting unsold food at our partners in the canton of Geneva with the cargo bike
- Installing food in the grocery store
- Manage food distributions
- Welcoming students
The grocery store members commit to respect the grocery store charter.
When?
Wednesday and Thursday according to your availability.
Duration ?
The time you can give!
How long?
Each grocery member receives a link to sign up for the time slots for the following month.
Make a food donation
La Farce welcomes your food donations. "We would be grateful if you would give preference to dry products and hygiene products: pasta, rice, pellati, lentils, quinoa, dried beans, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. Donations can be brought directly to our office, rue Prévost-Martin 28, building A in the basement. You can drop them off on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. or by appointment by calling 078 210 52 17. These food donations will allow us to fill the food parcels distributed each week."
Are you a current, future, or former vegan? We were contacted by the Alimentarium Museum in Vevey. They have asked for you to share your story!
This year, the Alimentarium is focusing on veganism, a consumer trend that is on the rise but that has yet to be extensively studied in Switzerland. A new temporary exhibition, events, workshops and presentations all dedicated to this topic, and a bespoke participative platform are all on the menu at this museum in Vevey. In order to better understand the individual motives and challenges behind this dietary and lifestyle choice, the Alimentarium is giving the floor to the public. Vegans, future vegans and former vegans are invited to share their stories on myveganlife.org, the platform created specifically for the exhibition.
Why focus on veganism?
In addition to being a biological necessity, our diet is a sociocultural and identity marker that can also have a significant impact on the environment. In fact, in light of the climate crisis, some food choices are now under scrutiny. Others become cultural movements and ways of life that question the perception of the world as a source of commodities. This particularly applies to veganism since it raises the issue of animal rights. The Alimentarium is calling on the public at large to share their experiences to then explore these diverse stances further.
