Chocolate For Your Body

www.chocolateforyourbody.com • 312.226.0777

Chris Freeman

CLF music is an Indo-Arabic fusion project that is largely
instrumental. With the help of Rune Palland (on Dumbek) and Mike List (on Tabla) the music seeks to integrate classical Indian and Arabic music into a rock-electronic context. However, this project is more than just a fusion of Eastern and Western sounds. The primary aim of my music has always been to respect, as much as possible, the ancient musical and spiritual traditions of the East in a way that inspires the listener to engage and appreciate life more deeply.
www.clfmusic.net

Mitchell Harris earned his BFA at New York University and his Masters of Traditional Oriental Medicine in California from Pacific College, graduating with academic honors. He continued his postgraduate studies in Chengdu University, China where he earned his certificate in International Medicine. Since that time he has opened successful private practices in Illinois and Indiana and has been active in the political and public communities of Chinese Medicine. Mitchell is a professor at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago and is the former President of the Indiana Association of Acupuncture and OM. He is licensed in California, Indiana and Illinois and is nationally certified in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine. Mitchell is the technical editor for Acupressure for Dummies by Wiley Press. He has been featured in magazine and newspaper articles as well as on television for his work in Chinese Medicine and speaks to many associations and organizations on a variety of topics regarding his field.
www.healthfromeast.com

Elysian Hotel • Alissa Wallers

The lost art of travel. At what point did the thought of travel evoke images of electronic kiosks, snaking check-in lines and mediocre room service? We are not positively sure either. What we are sure of is that sometime over the past century, travel became so commonplace that we stopped treating it for what it is: one of life's greatest indulgences. At the Elysian we are dedicated to reviving the bygone era when travel was synonymous with luxury. When prompt attention from staff was not considered an amenity, but a common courtesy. When even a single overnight stay at a hotel was treated as a welcomed getaway from reality. Simply put, we are revitalizing luxurious hospitality and striving to create the world's most remarkable hotel experience.
www.elysianhotels.com • 312.646.1300

Kaysie became a massage therapist in 1997.  After realizing that combining various modalities produced the best results for her clients, Kaysie embarked on achieving a Masters in Oriental Medicine.  She will graduate from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in April 2010.  She looks forward to being able to help her patients find optimal wellness through herbs, acupuncture, nutrition, massage and most important of all, education.

Stephan Boznak, L.Ac. is the founder and director of Health Traditions Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.  He completed his undergraduate degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and then attended the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), receiving a Masters of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine.  He is licensed as an acupuncturist in Illinois and Board Certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in both acupuncture and herbal medicine.  His specialties include the use of herbal medicine and acupuncture in the treatment of “knotty diseases” that have not responded to other therapies, women’s health and infertility, stress and pain disorders, and cancer care.  Tonight, let him and his associates cure your ills as they turn you into a Voodoo Doll in the Voodoo Lounge or Cocoa Sutra.
www.health-traditions.com

Inner Architecture, Inc. • Amanda Kreiss, Certified Advanced Rolfer

Amanda graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with a B.A. in Community Development Studies, and an M.A. in Environmental Studies.  She enrolled at the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Colorado; she finalized her clinical studies in early 2002 at its continental counterpart, the European Rolfing Association in Munich, Germany. In 2005, she achieved her advanced certification and regularly pursues continuing education.  For over eight years she has had a thriving practice in Lincoln Park.  Enrolled currently in the four-year Chinese medical program at Chicago’s Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Amanda looks forward to integrating her manual practice with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine when she graduates in August 2010.
www.kreissrolfing.com

Jacquelina

Belly Dancer

773.879.1738

Lilypad Design • Jenelle Wittmann

LilyPad Design is owned by Jenelle (Nel) Wittmann, a soon to not be starving artist from Sherwood, Wisconsin. Residing in Chicago for five years has given her the means and motivation to take a dream and make it a reality. LilyPad Design would like to thank The French Pastry School for giving her such a wonderful opportunity to work with such a great group of people and for such a fantastic cause.

lilypadnel@gmail.com • 773.562.2455

NAVAN® • Anna Kimball

When Louis-Alexandre of the House of Grand Marnier created his first luxury liqueur in 1827, orange was widely popular, yet also expensive and difficult to find.
It took years to cultivate the perfect oranges for GRAND MARNIER®. The same garden which yielded oranges in St Jean Capferrat would also inspire a quest for the perfect vanilla. Louis-Alexandre cultivated rare species of the vanilla orchid in his exquisite garden. Later his great grand daughter, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, current President of Marnier Lapostolle North America and creator of Casa Lapostolle Wines, chose the Natural Vanilla flavor to create NAVAN®, a new liqueur founded on GRAND MARNIER®'s success - to uncover a widely popular yet rare, refined flavor, as a tribute to her great grand father.
www.navanworld.com

Weather has always been a huge part of Ginger Zee’s life—from California to Michigan to Illinois, she has seen it all.  Fascinated by math and science from an early age, she went to study Meteorology at Valparaiso University to pursue what had become a passion.  Ginger has been a part of Chicago’s NBC5 Meteorology Team since September of 2006 and, in that time has become a favorite meteorologist, become their Green is Universal environmental reporter, become Adjunct Professor at her alma mater, and won two Regional Emmy awards for Best Weathercast in 2007 and 2008. Tonight she will be using her great experience to let the Chicago community know about the For the Love of Chocolate Gala.
www.nbcchicago.com

Normy's Confection Collection • Norm Miller

Chef Norm's pet project,  Normy's Confection Connection, became reality in 2007 with the sucessful launch of a new artisan chocolate line.  Starting as a busyboy at a local award winning restaurant to pay for college, Norm found his love for the food industry, especially pastries.  His passion of cooking and knowledge led him to The French Pastry School in Chicago, which has proved to be an invaluable asset to his career.

www.thenormy.com • 937.609.0508

Pierre's Bakery • Manny Castillo

Every day at Pierre's Bakery we are ready to satisfy your sweet tooth and good taste. What flavor would you like today: a delicious chocolate cake, cheesecake with strawberries, creamy tres leches cake, lady fingers, Tirami-su, Tropical Charlotte, or any of our vast selections.

www.pierres-bakeries.com • 708.788.8660

Quady Winery started in 1977 when, after leaving their jobs in pyrotechnics and merchandising, Andrew and Laurel Quady settled in the town of Madera in California’s Central Valley.  They started by making port on evenings and weekends until their business began to flourish by specializing in dessert wines from under-appreciated muscat varieties, in ports, and in aperitif wines.  They are members of Slow Food Madera, a group of people who appreciate the vibrant local foods and wines as much as the family they’ve created at Quady Winery.

Sweet Collective • Alison Bower, Lauren Pett, Cathay Rayhill

Three female pastry chefs, brought together by a shared passion for quality, artistry and flavor were searching for a kitchen where collaboration would not compete with individuality. The result is Sweet Collective - Rich Chocolates & Candies, Ruth and Phil's Gourmet Ice Cream and The Sugar Syndicate Specialty Cakes and Pastries. Three independent pastry shops under one roof, coming together in the spirit of support and interaction.

www.sweetcollective.com • 773.293.0888

Tru • Meg Galus

Meg earned her certificate in L'Art de la Patisserie from The French Pastry School in Chicago in June of 2005. While in school, she interned at Vanille Patisserie creating wedding and specialty cakes and soon after graduation began an externship at the highly-acclaimed, four-star TRU. Meg seized the opportunity, pouring her boundless energy and creativity into her work, and within weeks was offered a permanent position. In 2007, Galus was named Pastry Chef as Executive Pastry Chef Gale Gand pursued her varied interests. Meg blends her rural Midwestern upbringing with her classic French training to craft desserts, petit fours, and chocolates that are regionally-specific, highly progressive, and utterly unique. She describes her approach to cooking as one of "constant evolution" as she continually seeks out fresh ideas, interesting flavor profiles, and novel techniques.

www.trurestaurant.com • 312.202.0001

Hi! We are Whimsical Candy®, a company based on a lifelong love of candy – our founder at age 3 packed her little pink suitcase and tried moving to a candy store. Now a trained pastry chef, she makes small batch sweets that blend a grown-up taste for quality with the fun and classic flavors of childhood candy. Our products are handmade with fresh, natural ingredients. We make the candy we want to eat – chewy, satisfying textures and full, balanced flavors.
Who says artisanal candy has to be serious?   Life is good, candy is fun, la-dee-dah.
www.whimsicalcandy.com

Zarda King • Kamal Hans

From the land of the Kama Sutra, Zarda King Ltd. (a privately-owned importer and distributor founded in 1969 by Bhim Hans) has been supplying thousands of customers around the US with over 1,000 products from South Asia.  Zarda King Ltd is well recognized for their high quality products, including tobacco, beauty products, incense, spices (essence), and ayurvedic herbals. In 2005, ZTL launched a new line, Hookah1, dedicated solely to hookahs and hookah tobacco, more commonly known as shisha. They carry a wide variety of narghiles, ranging from the very simple to the ornate, including a 3 foot hand-blown glass hookah, stenciled in hieroglyphics and gold. In addition, they carry over 30 varieties of shisha, including Anise, Double Apple, Mint, Chocolate, and an all herbal (tobacco-less) shisha.  You can enjoy the award winning brands of Cleopatra, Salloum and Afzal in the Cocoa Sutra room.  
www.zardaking.com • www.hookah1.com