Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the BEAT of young los angeles!

Click It. BEAT picks of the week - Valentine's edition.

Nothing says "Happy Valentine's Day!" like chocolate and flowers.

Favorite picks for chocolate gift-giving:

Chocolove bars if you're keeping it simple (Toffee & Almonds in milk chocolate is my favorite)

See's

Teuscher champagne truffles

Theo Chocolate caramels (above), sprinkled with Himalayan pink sea salt

Vosges

Good flower choices:

Lilies

Orchids

Peonies

Roses

Or, ask a florist to help create a special bouquet!

And a few girly items for the big (Tues)day: red nail polish for a fresh mani/pedi, a bottle of bubbly, a soundtrack, and something sexy to wear to bed!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: shopterrain.com

Check It. Chocolate Easter eggs.

One of the best Easters of my childhood was one spent in London. Every friend and family member that came 'round brought me a chocolate Easter egg. I must have ended up with at least ten, of all different kinds! This year, I'll be about a month away from my twenty-sixth birthday on Easter, but am still looking forward to my kiddie-style Milkybar white chocolate egg.

There is definitely something different about chocolate from the U.K. It's sort of more full-tasting and creamier. Try some this Sunday.

Imported chocolate Easter eggs are available at three shops I know of in Santa Monica: The Continental Shop, Ye Olde King's Head Gift Shoppe (on the corner of 2nd and Santa Monica next to the pub) and the Tudor House Gift Shop (next to the tea room, on 2nd Street between Santa Monica and Broadway). They range in price from about $5 to $15 dollars each.

Happy hunting!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Eat In. Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I think everyone is getting excited about the feasts full of roast turkey and sweet potatoes on the horizon. One thing about Thanksgiving desserts is, there's usually not a lot of chocolate involved. If the chocolate lover in you wants to change that, try this Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie from the November 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine.

Full recipe here.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: gourmet.com

Check It. Teuscher Chocolates.

I discovered these incredibly tasty gourmet chocolates while strolling alone on Boston's Newbury Street. Later I discovered there's a Los Angeles location, in Beverly Hills.

Teuscher's signature chocolate is the Champagne truffle. It's a soft chocolate truffle, with a slightly firm thin hard shell and powdered sugar dusted on the outside. The best part is the Champagne cream center--made with Dom Perignon if you can believe it. The Zurich-made delights are considered by many (including Oprah!) to be the best chocolates in the world.

A 2 Champagne truffle box is $7.95, a 16 Champagne truffle box, $41.50.

Teuscher Chocolates of Beverly Hills is located at 9548 Brighton Way in Beverly Hills.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Tesuscher