Plenty of Nevada-made goodies to go around

Max Jacobson

Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2000 | 9:44 a.m.

Nevada is home to 230 companies that manufacture products. Thirty of these companies make food products, the main focus here.

Made In Nevada is a statewide program intended to boost commerce and to raise awareness levels about these companies. It is sponsored by the Nevada Commission for Economic Development, in partnership with MAP, an acronym for Manufacturing Assistance Partnership. The program started as Nevada's Best 10 years ago. In November 1998 it became a full-fledged program with a website, madeinnv.com.

Art Nadler is program coordinator. According to Nadler, "a product must be manufactured or assembled in Nevada in order to be eligible for the organization." He talked about Medallic Arts in Dayton, a company that makes medals such as the Pulitzer and the Peabody awards. He also mentioned that most other states have similar organizations.

Nevada's food manufacturing companies (five of which are in Las Vegas) distribute their products both locally and nationally. In the case of one company, Panchitas Killer Salsa, of Minden, distribution here didn't last.

Panchitas is a fresh salsa maker. A line of the salsas were sold at Las Vegas Raley's stores, but didn't do well enough for the chain to pick it up permanently. Perhaps more awareness about the Made In Nevada program would increase demand in Las Vegas for products such as the salsa.

This article is the first in what will be an ongoing series about Nevada food products. Two local entrepreneurs, for whom the holiday season is indeed sweet, are a logical starting point.

Executive Sweets, 3720 W. Tropicana Ave.

Sandie Victor started in Cleveland in 1979, and moved her business here four years ago. You may have seen her products in Strip casinos such as the Mirage. She specializes in items such as chocolate-covered potato chips (they're great), foil-wrapped chocolate roses, solid-chocolate golf balls and similar novelties.

Victor creates large gift baskets for clients such as medical groups and other companies, but you can walk into her store and buy anything. A 1-pound deluxe assortment of her chocolates, assorted chocolate creams, chocolate- covered chips, pretzels, nuts and fresh dipped fruits, is $12.95. Gift trays range from $27.50 to $55.

Everything is made by a handful of skilled chocolate makers in a back shop. Along with Ethel M Chocolates, this is one of the only chocolate makers in Las Vegas that does its enrobing on premises.

Peek into the back of the store and you'll see someone working a contraption called an enrobing machine, stocked with 10-pound slabs of Swiss-style chocolate primed for melting. The molten chocolate comes out a spout atop the machine. Chocolate sandwich cookies, almonds, creams and other items are held under the flow and coated with the chocolate.

Victor smiles as she shows off her machine. "Did you see that famous 'I Love Lucy' episode, where Lucy is working the candy machine and the thing starts going too fast? She starts catching them in her mouth and in the front of her blouse. This is the same kind of machine."

It takes restraint to shop in here. There are lots of quirky specialty items for sale -- chocolate champagne bottles, M&M-topped chocolate pizzas and giant cheeseboards stocked with assorted goodies such as Jelly Bellies, mixed fruit and chocolate-enrobed chips. In addition, Victor does custom orders, often presented in baskets made of solid chocolate. She makes gold coins for the Alan Waxler, a destination management company, and hand-dipped chocolates for specialty events at MGM Mirage properties. She'll create anything you want, if you give her proper notice.

All chocolates come enrobed in a choice of milk or dark chocolate, or a mix of the two. A price list is available upon request.

Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call 796-0455.

Simply Sinful Brownies, P.O. Box 3315 E. Russell Rd., H-155, Las Vegas 89120

Ruthie Confeld, by contrast, got a less conventional start. She was a legal assistant and single mother in 1968, living in Encino, Calif., and raising two little girls. One rainy afternoon, she decided to do something special.

"I'm going to make brownies," she told herself, "but differently." She rummaged through her pantry and saw that she had walnuts, caramel and chocolate chips in addition to the necessary components. What she made turned out wonderfully, so she sat on her recipe -- for 26 years.

Fast forward to 1994, after Confeld and second husband Jim semi-retired and moved to Las Vegas. She asked herself, "What am I going to do for the rest of my life?" She was inspired to revive her dormant brownie recipe.

This is a good time to describe Confeld's dense, rich brownie. Picture two layers of brownie, sandwiching walnuts and suspended in creamy, soft caramel. The top layer is crusted with crushed walnuts. The brownie batter is laced with chocolate chips.

Confeld started small, selling her brownies in paper cupcake holders and taking them around to various restaurants. Things just didn't take off as she had hoped.

But then she had an epiphany. "I need to create 'eye appeal.'" So she went to a trade show, where packaging and ribbon specialists showed her how to wrap and market the brownies. Today the brownies come in colorful shapes and sizes although they are all, essentially, variations on the same recipe.

The brownies are cut into squares, rectangles and cubes, wrapped in colored foils adorned with ribbon, packaged in designer bags and creative forms. Confeld sells Sinful Strips (edges of the brownies), Sinful Pops (chocolate-covered brownies on sticks), Sinful Squares, Sinful Rectangles and Sinful Morsels -- all cut and wrapped with style.

Most of her business is wholesale, but brownies can be mail ordered directly from Confeld by calling (800) 451-9962. She will gladly send you a retail-price list (bulk prices begin at around $36 per case). The brownies may be frozen for up to a year and thawing in about 20 minutes at room temperature.

The brownies are available in smaller quantities at the Sweet Factory at Forum Shops at Caesars and at Candy Caravan in the Aladdin's Desert Passage mall. Confeld also works though the Basket Case, a gift-basket producer. Call Marie Hanlon (399-8585) for prices.