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Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
That's tremendously sad. My wife and I went to the SB plant in the fall of '07 and we were amazed that such a small facility made 100% of the SB chocolate. The workers were so proud of their craft, but also of their autonomy.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
sous-vide (soo VEED): A food preparation technique where foods are locked in an airtight plastic sheaths and placed in a warm water bath for several hours in order to kill botulism toxins. The end result is a product that is "pure"; that is, without oils, spices, or any additives that transfer texture or flavor to food. The sous-vide method was invented in the early 1970s by the S.C. Johnson Corporation to sell Ziploc bags.
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Upcoming NYC Pizza Classes with Mark Bello
Did this last year; worth the money and the time especially if you're not familiar with Little Italy and the LES. One of the cooler things about Mark's classes is that you take home all of the leftovers -- not just the pizzas themselves but also most of the dough you made, all of the toppings, and the pizza peel. It gives you an incentive to make more pizza once you've left.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
That's tremendously sad. My wife and I went to the SB plant in the fall of '07 and we were amazed that such a small facility made 100% of the SB chocolate. The workers were so proud of their craft, but also of their autonomy.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
sous-vide (soo VEED): A food preparation technique where foods are locked in an airtight plastic sheaths and placed in a warm water bath for several hours in order to kill botulism toxins. The end result is a product that is "pure"; that is, without oils, spices, or any additives that transfer texture or flavor to food. The sous-vide method was invented in the early 1970s by the S.C. Johnson Corporation to sell Ziploc bags.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
It would have suited to have identified a date for the closure. I on April 24, 2009 am about to buy Scharffenberger chocolate, actually would have except I read this first, and would be more inclined to do so if the factor were not closed yet. Now I am uncertain. I agree with anti-Hershey comments. Hershey chocolate is not made in Pennsylvania. It is made in Mexico. That Milton Hershey Foundation is a success "story" is b.s. One does not eat success "stories" in my neighborhood or books either. Mr. Levine probably complained because his history professor asked for dates on examinations. Dates do matter. They even help one buy chocolate.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
First of all the man is gone. What was his passion, his business, his life was sold to Hershey Foods. Unlike others I see what Hershey foods contributes to the area in which it is. The Milton Hershey Foundation
http://www.mshersheyfoundation.org/ is as much a success story as Robert Steinberg's story. Milton Hershey built a community there, it is not just a place to buy Hershey Bars and go to the amusement park.
Yes Hershey makes waxy american chocolate.
It sells shitloads of it a year. Every now and then I grab a Reese's cup because I am in the mood for that kind of thing. Just because we are chocolate afficinados does not mean that the average american does not look forward to the work that Hershey's puts forth.
Not everyone is as exacting and concerned with it like we are.
If you want to keep the love of chocolate alive buy Robert Steinberg's book which to me is a must have for all Scharffen Berger fans
http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Chocolate-Recipes-Baking-Cooking/dp/1401302386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233294632&sr=1-1
Robert inspired me to use the good chocolate in my baking and I will not see him trashed. Yes he sold his company. He had cancer. I am sure his foremost thought was that his work go on and for his family. Who can tell what goes through the mind of someone who was ill for over 20 years.
Certainly not me. I am much in awe of all his work and contribution to chocolate and as cybele has said the products are not being made in PA.
Hershey is not going to retool.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Bottom line is, this guy sold the company to a large company.. If he really gave a shit he would have had in the contract that the Factory must remain open..
I doubt this businessman was so naive that he thought Hershey was going to continue in the same direction..
Large company buys small company with a great name.. Large company strips the small company only keeping the name and nothing else..
This is nothing new.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
To those who are talking about hoarding - Scharffen Berger is still being made and will continue to be made. At their Robinson, IL factory. Which is probably what you've been buying for the past few years anyway.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
shoot, i better get out and get me some Scharffen Berger dark chocolate. that stuff keeps me healthy. why would Hersheys do a thing like that?
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
like some others who already said this... the cautionary tale is don't sell your company if you don't want to lose control of it.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Sorry, but my sympathy is ZERO for your dead friend (though tons of sympathy for the employees). Your dead friend sold FOR THE MONEY. Big corporate money, so he got his. If he had "concerns" he should not have sold. Once Hershey took ownership, it was theirs to do with what they wished. They PAID (your dead friend -- ka-ching) for the right.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
This is a real shame but not altogether surprising. I wonder about the fate of Dagoba.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Nooooooooooo! What a sad day for chocolate! I'm stocking up on Scharffen Berger...
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
spreadsheet jocks run the world .... into the ground!
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Tonight's news said that the retail outlet in the SF Ferry Building would stay open - but I couldn't discern when, or if,they intend, to demolish the Scharffen Berger brand and name. Even if it continues the name, a big difference will be in the processing procedure and choice of beans.
Ghirardelli will now get my business.
It's really a shame, but the founders might have thought of that before they sold and gotten some kind of contract that ensured the company's existence in it's original format.
What about Smucker's and White Lily Flour - More of the same....
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
The brainless minds who run Hershey are just like the dumb-ass cookie cutter execs who ran most of the great American companies into the ground. Once a long time ago, Hershey was a people company. Not any longer, not never as long as these clowns keep their noses on the bottom line.
It takes guts to keep a brand going in the face of what cowards fear most: loss of money. I'm running out to buy all the Scharfenberger chocolate I can find.
What bugs me is, why did these morons buy the company if they never meant to keep it alive?
Michael Safdiah -
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
They've already stopped the tours (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/01/26/daily55.html). I am raging about this whole situation.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Noooo! I love Scharfenberger and I love Berkeley. This is terrible. :(
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
scharfenberger milk is my favorite chocolate of all time. guess i'll have to buy some before it disappears.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
I'll never eat another Hershey product for as long as I live. That is beyond any sense of morality.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Yes, the cautionary tale is don't sell your company if you care about it.
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
WHAT THE FRICK. :( I have to visit one last time and eat in the cafe...
Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave
Oh, no! I visited the factory this past summer, and it was amazing--big enough to be productive but small enough to care about the details.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
OK, OK. We finally all had some time to go over these together. (Sorry for the delay.) We voted in secret, tallied our ballots, and the winners are:
obersts001
dbcurrie
dcoates
jamesl8n
wookie
Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
Santa always wants everybody to be good.
Otherwise you won't get any goodies.
And you know what goodies are?
Stay away from the sweets as much as possible
It's no good
And God bless our troops
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
Mushroom - Mother Nature's mold. Grown in dirt, smell like dirt, taste like heaven. May induce satisfaction, hallucination or increase in height or speed (a concept highly marketed by the Nintendo Corporation). Also deadly.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'The Devil's Food Dictionary'
rolls: a mixture of water and wheat flour leavened with yeast and seasoned with salt formed into small balls and baked. A smaller form of loaf bread. Not to be confused with rolls referring to flabby deposits of fat around the abdomen from eating way to much baked yeast dough slathered with butter.
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Did this last year; worth the money and the time especially if you're not familiar with Little Italy and the LES. One of the cooler things about Mark's classes is that you take home all of the leftovers -- not just the pizzas themselves but also most of the dough you made, all of the toppings, and the pizza peel. It gives you an incentive to make more pizza once you've left.