生存必殺技

????14年前，卡特里娜?馬爾可夫在芝加哥開設(shè)了第一家Vosges Haut巧克力店。此后，她的巧克力憑借咖喱、軟奶酪和培根口味等各種創(chuàng)新口味的組合迅速占領(lǐng)了大批巧克力店的柜臺(tái)。目前，Vosges在包括全食超市（Whole Foods）在內(nèi)的3,000家商店銷售；此外，主打低價(jià)優(yōu)勢(shì)的新品牌Wild Ophelia則在沃爾格林連鎖店（Walgreens）等商店銷售。無論是遠(yuǎn)赴瑞士購(gòu)買設(shè)備，還是在洛杉磯新成立的巧克力實(shí)驗(yàn)室開展研究，現(xiàn)年39歲的馬爾可夫自有一套自己的旅行法則。

酒店只選最酷的

????去洛杉磯出差時(shí)，我通常會(huì)住在Shutters酒店或馬赫皇家酒店（Casa del Mar）。我喜歡流連于沙灘。而在芝加哥是一種純粹的都市生活，大部分時(shí)間，我待在辦公室工作。所以當(dāng)我出行時(shí)，我喜歡親近大自然。它有助于清醒頭腦，使我的思維更具創(chuàng)造性。

提前規(guī)劃飲食

????我常常在出行前對(duì)飲食做個(gè)規(guī)劃。我有滿滿一柜子的雜志剪報(bào)，里面介紹了許多我曾經(jīng)去過或希望去的美食圣地，它們可以給我提供很好的建議。比如，每次前往紐約，我都會(huì)去吃下東區(qū)Apizz餐廳的意大利菜，而且喜歡在蘇豪區(qū)的Despa?a Vinos y Ma購(gòu)買葡萄酒。

舒舒服服做個(gè)SPA

????如果有空閑時(shí)間，我就會(huì)用來做spa。邁阿密的文華東方酒店（Mandarin Oriental）有一家非常不錯(cuò)的spa中心。在那里，我能享受到最令人放松的臉部按摩。在我出行時(shí)，我喜歡尋找能讓人徹底放松的環(huán)境。我非常喜歡這種放松心靈的方法。

讓孩子保持安靜

????我經(jīng)常帶兩歲大的兒子羅翰一起出行。他白天還習(xí)慣睡兩次覺，所以我盡量預(yù)訂上午10點(diǎn)和下午2點(diǎn)左右的機(jī)票，這兩個(gè)時(shí)間段正是他睡覺的時(shí)候，而我就可以處理工作。另外，我會(huì)在目的地城市朋友的幫助下，物色育嬰保姆。

攜帶生活必需品

????出差時(shí)，我總會(huì)帶一款無毒的MyChelle面霜，來保持肌膚的水分。另外，我身邊總帶著巧克力。如果旅途中有人問道我：“你是做什么的？”我覺得我應(yīng)該讓他們嘗嘗我的巧克力。每次旅行，我都能輕松地送出15塊巧克力。

????譯者：?jiǎn)虡潇o/阿龍

Survival skills

????In the 14 years since Katrina Markoff opened her first Vosges Haut-Chocolat store in Chicago, her product's innovative flavor combinations -- think curry, taleggio, and bacon -- have paved the way for an army of chocolate shops. Vosges is now sold in 3,000 stores, including Whole Foods; a new lower-priced brand named Wild Ophelia sells in places like Walgreens. Whether she is traveling to Switzerland to buy equipment or to a new chocolate laboratory in Los Angeles, Markoff, 39, has her rules for the road. A sampler:

Stay at cool hotels???

????In L.A., often I'll stay at Shutters or Casa del Mar. I like being on the beach. Living in Chicago is such an urban experience, and much of my time is spent at the office, so when I travel, I like to be near nature. It clears my mind and lets me think creatively.

Plan your meals

????I like to plan my meals before a trip. I refer to a file cabinet full of magazine clips of cool places I have been to or want to visit. Like whenever I'm in New York, I love to eat Italian at Apizz on the Lower East Side -- and shop for wine at Despa?a Vinos y Mas in SoHo.

Take spa breaks

????If I have time, it's all about the spa for me. There's an amazing one at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. I got the most relaxing facial there. When I travel, I like to find a place that has a pampering environment. I really get into that mental take-care-of-yourself thing.

Keep kids peaceful

????My 2-year-old son, Rohan, usually travels with me. He's still on a two-naps-a-day schedule, so I try to book my flights around 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. so he sleeps -- and I can get work done. I find babysitters through friends in the city I'm traveling to.

Bring the essentials

????I always bring this great nontoxic MyChelle face cream when I travel, to keep my skin hydrated. And I always have chocolate on hand. When fellow travelers ask, "What do you do?" I feel like I have to give them chocolate. I can easily hand out 15 bars on a trip.