Lagusta's Luscious Bluestockings Bon Bons & Chocolate Truffles bluestockingbonbons.com are a cool and curious line of organic, vegan artisan chocolates made in honor of and named for a broad range feminists who inspired chocolatier and vegan chef Lagusta. She says she made the chocolates in part as a response to friends who voiced their opinion that no one else but Obama could have won the Nobel Peace Prize. "There are so many women in the world and in my life who are doing amazing things," says Lagusta. "There is a world of people out there doing valuable political work."
Lagusta also wants to reclaim the x-rated chocolate world she says is misogynistic in its portrayal of, for example, Santa's with giant penises, grossly exaggerated boobs and the like. "I'm kind of obsessed with chocolate molds and there are maybe four you can buy online that are vaginas, which are really vulvas anyway."
The 31-year-old jokes that she is "an old-fashioned radical man-hating feminist" except that she's in love with a man. Lagusta's Bluestocking chocolate project was carried out almost exclusively by women: the graphics were designed by, drawings made by, many of the ingredients were farmed by and the feminists the candies are named after are all women. For example, the name Furious Vulvas comes from Noel Furie, one of the collective members of Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant in Bridgeport, Connecticut where Lagusta worked to hone both her political consciousness and cooking skills.
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A women's studies major before she attended Natural Gourmet Cookery School Chef's Training Program in New York City, Lagusta says, "I think that women's studies is a very Ivory Tower and removed from on-the-ground feminist politics. Female genital mutilation is going on and women are talking about whether the word 'woman' is a construct-and it is-but there is talking and then there is doing the work."
About chocolate, Lagusta says she doesn't love it, but it does give her a lift when she works long hours. But, she really digs the spicy vulvas because they are both salty and sweet. "I'm also proud of them because in vegan cooking there are not that many luscious ingredients. With the vulvas-and other bluestocking treats-you can eat just one a day and be satisfied because they are very simple and not laden with artificial ingredients."
Lagusta's Luscious bluestocking bonbons:
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