Ganache
A filling created by mixing chocolate with cream. It is characterised by a smooth texture with a strong cacao flavour. Natural flavours can be added such as caramel, coffee, orange or rum.

Buttercream
A subtle blend of butter mixed with natural flavourings to give a fine, light mousse.

Praline
A blend of roasted and caramelised hazelnuts and/or almonds, finely or coarsely ground.

Gianduja
A chocolate made out hazelnuts, sugar, cocoa butter and milk or dark chocolate.

Marzipan
A filling made out of a blend of finely-ground almonds and sugar, slowly ground together.

Look after the chocolate and the chocolate will look after you!
Enemies of chocolate are heat, particularly fluctuating temperatures, and moisture, so you should try and store the chocolate in a cool and dry place. Ideal temperature for chocolate to be stored in is between 12 and 18 degrees Celcius.

Fridges are not ideal storage locations for chocolate as they are not really dry places, but if you live in an area which experiences high temperatures in the summer and you do not have a storage place with a stable, cool temperature, you may want to consider using the fridge. In this case the chocolate will develop a harmless but unattractive "bloom" - a dull white layer caused by the cocoa butter seperating out. Ideally, keep it in an airtight container because it absorbs surrounding odours. Bring the chocolate back up to room temperature, ideally 1-2 hours before consumption.

Cooking with Chocolate
Apart from desserts, chocolate also works extremely well in a few savoury dishes especially from Mexican origin.

Why not add some dark bittersweet chocolate to a Chilli con carne or a spicy chicken.

Salmon with white chocolate sauce is a modern version of fried salmon with a sauce based on lemon and white chocolate. The sauce is similar to Hollandaise Sauce but sweeter.

...wine
Typically the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards bitter or sour.

When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavoured chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel.

Similar to "formal" wine tasting, if you will be experimenting with several varieties of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white chocolate and end on a dark or bittersweet chocolate.

White Chocolate Wine Suggestions
White chocolate tends to be more mellow and buttery in flavour, making it an ideal candidate for a Sherry, for a Moscato d'Asti from Italy's Piedmont region or an Orange Muscat. The Sherry and Moscato d'Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones on the scene. Another route, for pairing wine with white chocolate is going for the contrast pairing approach, this is a little riskier, but when you find a match it can be exceptional. For example, taking a wine like a Zinfandel which tends to have a heavier tannic content and often a higher alcohol level and partnering it with a creamy, buttered white chocolate can have an unusual "melding" affect. It's like the tannins get softened out by the fat content and make for a remarkable potential for pairing.

Milk Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Pinot Noir or a lighter-bodied Merlot will complement a bar of milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Rieslings, Muscats or dessert wines tend to hold up well to mild milk chocolates. Also consider a sparkling wine or Champagne for pairing with milk chocolate dipped strawberries. Last, but not least a classic milk chocolate pairing to consider is a nice Ruby Port - a very safe bet when looking for a perfect wine to accent milk chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a roasted, slightly robust flavour itself, with perhaps a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabs and Zinfandels have a history of perfecting the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel will more than fill your chocolate pairing expectations. Also consider a Pinot Noir or a Merlot to handle dark chocolate around the 55% cocoa mark. Finally, give a Tawny or Vintage Port a go to offer a very well balanced pairing approach to a dark chocolate dessert or truffle.

Chocolate and Beer
It is hard to settle on just one beer to pair with chocolate. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, and beer are such natural partners that almost any random beer can do very nicely with a chunk of chocolate. A creamy Stout, a rich Barleywine and even a simple Pilsner can elevate and be elevated by good chocolate. The best combination is a dark chocolate with a Belgian Lambic. These are brewed with healthy amounts of raspberries, called Framboise Lambic , or sour cherries, called Kriek Lambic. The sweet and sour brew makes for a wonderful contrast to the rich, smooth chocolate and each draws out unexpected flavours in the other.