Mmm Chocolate!

There's real chocolate and there's those bars full of vegetable fat and other horrible stuff you get from refrigerated machines at work that should be eaten only in an absolute emergency. (PMT or a hangover for example) I love real chocolate-dark and a little bitter, even savoury. Lindt 85% is my choice. However if I crave something sweet and chocolatey, it's often fairly specific. Top of the list is Dello Mano brownies. I'm a long term fan, in fact, I've known Deb and Bien Peralta pretty much since they set up shop. Their product is truly special. Made with eggs, Belgian chocolate and no rubbish at all, you can buy them from their kitchen at Breakfast Creek in Brisbane or online (www.dellomano.com.au) and have them beautifully packaged, presented and hand delivered by a gloved delivery person (usally Bien himself.)

I've been lucky enough to be used as a sort of taste tester and whenever the talented Peralta's whip up something new, a sample usually arrives at my office. (Usually the day I start a diet) This week it was their Gluten Free brownies-perfectly apt as I was just diagnosed as having an intolerance (which am currently choosing to ignore) They are divine. Rich, slightly goey in the centre but for me, the bit of almond meal replacing flour made them taste even better than their classic varieties.

I'm not Dello Mano's only fan by a long shot. They've been asked to send their brownies and truffles to some pretty big names. At the moment, it's for the cast of Get Smart, including Ann Hathaway and Steve Carell due to arrive in Australia to promote the movie who'll find them in their rooms. Sure beats a box of Roses!