The Cupertino Courier

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Sunnyvale's Palace restaurant is one of several that will donate its chocolate specialties for the Rivers of Chocolate Festival at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. Proceeds from the benefit go to Social Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit youth outreach program on the outskirts of Cupertino. Among the Palace's chocolate-inspired delicacies: a peanut butter white chocolate chunk cookie, left, a chocolate soufflé cake with spearmint and candied pistachio ice cream, back, and a coconut macadamia chocolate tart with fresh raspberries.

Chocolate river offers sweet charity for youth

By Justin Berton

In this country more than three billion pounds of chocolate were consumed in 1996, according to the Chocolate Manufactures Association.

On average, each person in the United States eats 11.7 pounds of chocolate annually. Those who want to eat their entire annual allotment in one day can do it March 29 when the Rivers of Chocolate Festival takes place at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga.

The second annual festival brings together 25 local chocolate contributors and restaurants to raise money for the Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), a nonprofit youth outreach program located on the outskirts of Cupertino.

Kathleen Lynch, the executive director of SAY, said last year 350 people ate 500 pounds of chocolate (averaging 1.4 pounds of chocolate per person) while raising $14,000.

That included--but does not end with--dark chocolate, white chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate and hazelnut chocolate.

"We choose a river of the world and the food that goes with it," Lynch said, adding that this year's destination will be the Mississippi with a focus on the cuisine of New Orleans.

The Palace, a Sunnyvale restaurant (where patrons consume more than 200 pounds of chocolate every month, according to chef de cuisine Dennis Iczkowski), will prepare a roasted duck with red mole and chocolate in filo. As far as desserts go, Iczkowski said, the Palace will make truffles, fudge and chocolate praline.

"Anything to showcase the versatility of chocolate," he said.

This year local companies have donated $22,000 worth of goods ranging from ski weekends to VCRs and TVs. The items will be sold to the highest bidder in a silent auction.

One of the auctions wasn't so silent last year, Lynch said. A donor sent a complimentary chocolate cake shaped as a Jaguar car for everyone to share. Before a knife could touch the frosting, a spontaneous bidding war broke out, with the proud winner forking over $200.

Everyone, Lynch said, got a slice of the edible Jag.

Which just goes to show how people can get a little obsessed when it comes to chocolate.

The River of Chocolate Festival will take place Sunday, March 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga. Admission is $50 per person. For tickets call 253-3540.

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