I feel lucky to live in Nashville right now. There are all sorts of neat and wondrous things percolating everywhere.  I drove down West End yesterday and saw The Grilled Cheeserie truck; I swear I would have U-turned in the middle of the road, except I was completely out of cash.

So when a friend called me to say, do you know that woman who makes homemade marshmallows – she lives in your neighborhood?  I thought, “now that’s a compelling idea.”

 

A box of four-beautiful

 

Guilty admission — I love, with a capital “L”, homemade marshmallows, especially on top of great hot chocolate.  My father was our Chef Boyardee growing up, and crafting real hot cocoa was his specialty.

I rang up Sarah Souther (a nod to Sarah’s Irish roots) last month to introduce myself. She is the founder of The Bang Candy Company. Love and music brought Sarah to Nashville and I’m pretty sure marshmallows and hot cocoa will keep her here.

 

Sarah serves up her delicacies

 

She started her company less than a year ago with tremendous success. If you believe in instant addictions, her cult following will attest to the magical powers of Sarah’s marshmallows. You can find her homemade marshmallows in  Fido, Mitchell’s Deli, The Green Wagon, The Belcourt Theater and if you are lucky enough, at the window of the Cocovan.  That’s right — The Cocovan (a 5-star name!), a gourmet hot chocolate truck fashioned after a log cabin and equipped with all the fixings.

 

The Cocovan

 

Sarah’s homemade mallows come in a variety of flavors — be prepared to experiment with flavors like Rose Cardamon,  Espresso Praline and Toasted Coconut.  My test team, my two daughters and I, bought a box of Espresso Praline marshmallows from Fido’s yesterday.  Each box is wrapped like a gift with four delightful marshmallows inside.  Their first reaction was, “they’re so pretty” then, “they taste really good” and finally, “can I have another one?”  Then, of course, we get to fight over the last one!

 

Perfect treat for Valentine’s Day

 

Sarah will be at the Farmers’ Market Night Market, this Friday from 6PM-8PM serving up hot chocolate cocktails. If you have never been, the Farmers’ Market hosts an after-hours party where you will find your favorite Saturday vendors, great sampling opportunities and all the usual restaurants with special menus.

If you want to follow the whereabouts of The Cocovan, check out The Bang Candy Company Facebook page.  The Cocovan is available for private parties and events, just so you know!

Seriously, aren’t there some cool things going on in town?