Indulge your love affair with chocolate

Whether it’s milk or dark, baked in a cake or sipped in a martini, many of us harbor some sort of chocolate addiction.

Inspired by our love for it, Cliff Young — host of public station KVCR’s “Out to Eat” — decided that a chocolate event was the best way to get involved with his hometown.

“I was looking for something that everybody loves,” he said. “There are plenty of food events in the valley, but few of them are dedicated to chocolate.”

Saturday’s Chocolate Affair at the Spa Resort Hotel in Palm Springs will feature notable guests from “Out to Eat,” which starts filming its third season in November.

Young, 52, is also the owner of Grounds for Enjoyment, an Inland Empire-based coffee company. “Cupping coffee or tasting chocolate have some of the same basic elements,” he said. “Take two people, give them the same coffee or chocolate and you’ll have two different experiences. This expo is about the experience.”

The lineup of shops and restaurants for Saturday’s event is a mix of local and Southern California companies that specialize in all things chocolate.

“We brought in companies like CholatiQue from Los Angeles and David Bacco of San Diego,” Young said. “They’re both award-winning chocolate companies.”

But he also sought out some of the top chocolate outlets in the Coachella Valley, too.

“There are a number of local companies, and I don’t think enough people know about them,” he said. “I love the story behind Brandini Toffee, and that’s part of what I wanted — to tell the story behind the products.”

As much as Young loves chocolate, he won’t be imbibing in many of the treats. “I recently took off about 75 pounds,” he said. “I won’t be doing a lot of sampling.”

Young moved to Palm Springs in 2010. Since he’s hoping to make The Chocolate Affair a twice-a-year event, donating to a local cause is part of the business plan.

“I chose AIDS Assistance Program as the first recipient because of the wonderful work they do,” he said. “We’re looking for other charities that can use a hand to include in future events.”

For this event, “We want to get out to the community that we’re here,” Young said. “It’s a chance to educate people about what’s out there in terms of all things chocolate and have a little fun too.”

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Chocolate with Bill & Sheila