This is a large hardcover cookbook with 65 recipes, not all of them strictly dessert recipes, but all involving chocolate in some way. And like most chef inspired cookbooks there are some recipes that you can use for every day indulgence, and some that require more effort that you might want to save for special occasions.

I loved looking through this book and decided that before I could write a review I needed to test out a recipe. There were so many that sounded yummilicious that I had a hard time deciding. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

* Veg-out chocolate cornflake TV wraps with lazy Brazil nuts and coconut sofa dipping sauces
* Parisian new life chocolate dream cake sprinkled in white powder sugar point of view
* Politically correct Sacher torte with a loyal good taste
* My lost childhood chocolate birthday cake sprinkled with shiny colorful candy tears
* A philosophical highly concentrated fudge brownie made of 70 percent dark chocolate thoughts
* A high school bonfire chocolate melting heart cake with a soft marshmallow first memory hidden inside
* Bad boy chocolate pizza with hazelnut spread, pure melted chocolate chips, and passionately roasted marshmallows

After much debate between I decided on the Highly concentrated fudge. For me there could be no better judge of the book than this recipe.

The brownies were relatively easy to make. It only took about 15-20 min to mix, about 30 min to bake, and the ingredients were not expensive. There were a couple of small drawbacks. First, it made a HUGE pan of brownies (13x18 pan) and second it recommended that you refrigerate the brownies overnight before eating to have them at their fudgiest best. I have to say they were better after being refrigerated, and a more chocolatey brownie you would be hard to find. I loved it, but friends who were not as much a chocoholic as I am thought they were too much. I say, just cut a smaller piece :)

I loved reading the recipes as well as the journal like musings accompanying some of these recipes. They were at times lyrical, insightful, poetic, frank and sometimes even sad. Let me give you an example:

"Night. Candles. Lots of warm yellow candles reflecting and shimmering in a shiny sauce poured over sweet desserts. Colorful alcohol served with incandescent straws, as on a tropical island. It is crowded. Everyone is handsome as movie stars in the dim light that flickers over their faces, hiding a magical intimacy behind twinkling eyes. A voluptuous smell whispers secrets that intoxicate the people. Peter Pan flies about among the guests. Adults revert to being children. The grand soiree of sweets releases inside us, as always, the most beautiful feelings." p. 76 from the recipe Forever young white chocolate custard perfumed with lemongrass and mixed with falling-in-love sweet wine lychees

This is a cookbook that I enjoyed reading if that makes any sense. I loved the commentary that went along with the recipes, and took almost as much pleasure reading the recipes as I did consuming these confections. It has a nice variety of desserts, soups, drinks, shakes and so much more. I only wish that it would have contained more pictures, rather than the artwork. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a chocoholic, or loves to cook. I think it would be a great hostess gift, or a gift to yourself. This is a book that I think I will end up keeping for a long time.

Reviewed for Seductive Musings blog http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/

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If you have ever had the pleasure of enjoying a chocolate melting heart cake (or other famous chocolate dessert) at one of the many Max Brenner Chocolate restaurants, then this cookbook is for you. And if you have not yet experienced the sinful decadence of a Max Brenner dessert, then this cookbook is for you too!

Chocolate: A Love Story is divided into ten recipe sections: Morning Chocolate Variations; Comforting Pastries; Chocolate Cream Cake Creations; Chocolate Pies; Concentrated Chocolate (including the recipe for the chocolate melting heart cake); Street Food and Gourmet Chocolate in Harmony; Chocolate Mousses, Custards, Creams, and More; Some Fun Chocolate Games; The Chocolate Cookie Jar; and Straightforward Chocolate Drinks. These sections encompass virtually every conceivable use of chocolate. Generally speaking, the ingredients are readily available in the supermarket and the preparation process appears straightforward. My only criticism is that the recipes do not specify the quality of chocolate to be used e.g. 70% dark chocolate, etc. I assume that for the best results the highest quality chocolate should be used, but a little more guidance would have been helpful.

The oversize book also features artistic drawings and photography, and would make a great coffee table book. For your guests' comfort, however, I would advice keeping some high quality chocolates around or, better yet, serving a Brenner recipe, because it is impossible to peruse through Chocolate: A Love Story without craving chocolate!

Chocolate: A Love Story would make a great addition to any baker's or chocolate lover's cookbook collection!


Advance Review copy provided courtesy of the Publisher.

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