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Its been sixteen years since Ive seen my friend Bessies cousin, Bessie, but I had the chance to catch up with her this weekend at Jean-Paul Hevin's salon de th.We were modest and French enough with our mealsquiche for Bessie, salad for me, wine for us both. Less so with dessert. Its a chocolatier, after allmy favorite one at that. We had to have chocolate cake.For all its poshness, the salon has these weird oversized, laminated menus with pictures and descriptions of the cakes on itlike something youd see at a carnival. But they were admittedly helpful in narrowing down the selection. From the 30+ varieties of cakesmost of them chocolate-basedBes chose the Choco Passion, and I went classic with a Chocolat Framboise.My chocolate-raspberry cake was gorgeous. Layers of fluffy chocolate mousse and dense chocolate cake rested atop a cacao biscuit and beneath a layer of raspberry preserves. But for all its beauty, it lacked that famous je ne sais quoi. It had nothing on Bessies Choco Passion. The Choco Passion was rich and complex, nutty and fruity. A flakey praline base and dark chocolate ganache made for a thick, savory base that was offset with chocolate mousse whipped with tart passionfruit. It had so much depth and was so irresistible, I just wanted to keep sneaking bites of Bessies cake. But I figured that wasnt very French of me.231, rue Saint-Honor1eme

I don't know much about this topic but it doesn't look good.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/5119145/Diseases-hurting-chocolate-crop.html

Last year I was excited for Peeps from Bethlehem . This year, Im enjoying the over-the-top molded chocolates in Paris.To be clear: Im not sampling every chocolate bunny or chickI have to show some restraint. Besides, seeing the elaborate window displays around town is almost as satisfying as tasting the edibles within.Michel Cluizel has chocolate eggs by the dozens. Not to be outdone, Lenotre created an Easter egg tree. Rocher and Dalloyau also put their eggs front and center, the former under beautiful cherry blossoms, the latter, coupled with teddy bears. Hmmmm I love Jean-Paul Hvins wacky giant hen. But, as always, the cake goes to Patrick Roger.I would call this more of a celebration of spring than Easter specifically. His sculpted display at the Avenue Victor Hugo boutique has a thatch-roofed shed and anthropomorphic vegetable garden. Smiling chocolate leeks or cabbage, anyone?

I must share with you one of the most incredible tours of anything I've ever been on, a rare tour through the Guittard Chocolate factory in Burlingame!Mark Hodgson, Pastry Chef Instructor at City College of San Francisco has been working with me on product development for the last few months. He works with someone who is friends with Gary Guittard. It's always who you know and that allowed Mark 25 spaces for a tour of the factory. Since he knew I used their product he asked if I'd be interested. Well you didn't need to ask me twice. I had heard they didn't give tours often and to see how much work and preparation went into it, I understand why.To begin, we were asked to take a big sniff of the air which smelled of roasted beans.Unfortunately no picture-taking was allowed inside "We don't even allow the FDA to take photos" stated our tour group leader, Alvin, Guittard's Safety Manager. So you will just have to use your imagination...Most of the factory was hot with small spaces of air-conditioned rooms such as the "big panel room" where they control the formulation and the "Mint Room" that holds pallets of mint flavored chocolate. Because chocolate easily absorbs scents, the flavored chocolates must be separated from the rest of the factory. I was almost left deaf by the end of the tour. Lots of big, loud, hot machinery to make that scrumptious little chocolate bar.We started with the sorting room where pallets of burlap-bagged beans were being poured into an industrial grader. They must separate the beans from other foreign objects like stones, concrete, nails and knobs of beans that had been stuck together during the fermentation process. Next, it was off to the roaster. The roasted beans are removed of their skins by winnowing. Most were on their way to becoming chocolate liquor, about 1:1 cocoa mass to cocoa butter, but some were saved to be sold as cacao nibs. These are the nibs I use to top my Crushed Bittersweet Nib Truffles!Then on to the grinder where the beans are ground down into tiny particles to create a smooth texture. Although the factory was very clean there was evidence of Oompa-Loompas at work. You can't go to a chocolate factory without thinking "Oompa-Loompa". We had been warned about the slippery cocoa butter floors so I wasn't surprised when I noticed the tourists in front of me taking tiny steps as we walked through the pressing machines extracting the cocoa butter from the cocoa powder.One of the highlights was climbing up to the top of the conching machine and taking a deep breathe. A slightly acidy burn cut through my sinuses, but the essence of the roasted bean was there. I thought of the history and origin of conching by Rudolphe Lindt...We did a taste test with coverture. Do you know how you tell if your tasting coverture vs. chocolate? Before this test it was an indescribable yuckiness but now I have the vocabulary, sticky (from the replacement of cocoa butter with oil) and a lack of depth of chocolatey flavor. All in all, I think the world would be just fine without coating chocolate.Tempering: Amazing to see 10 pound bars being made! We got to see these large bars being poured, slowly passed through refrigeration and gently turned out and boxed to be aged in their case.At the end of the tour Alvin scored us each a 2oz, Sur del Lago 65% bittersweet chocolate bar as they were being wrapped and boxed up. Then he asked us if we had any last questions and started to escort us out of the building. But right next to the door was a stack of big white cardboard Guittard boxes and we were astounded when Alvin announced that we each got to take one home.

A smart move for the company as they recognized that the culinary students were future buyers of their products.

The first time I bit into a Bespoke truffle , I was instantly smitten. But the first time I met Rachel Zoe Insler, I was wowed. She's got the smarts and talent of a chocolatier trained in London, but the cool down-to-earth vibe of someone who's passionate about the city and can cop to loving Tasti-D-Lite. Growing up, my favorite sweet was: Honestly, I think I've always been a salty girl, but a quick call to my mother indicates that I had a serious thing for Baskin Robbins' bubble gum ice cream, which I received whenever she and I went to the laundromat together. My favorite sweet now is: A mini coffee eclair purchased from a Parisian patisserie. It's one of the few sweet things I actually crave. My personal Bespoke favorite: The Southampton tea truffle. I give the credit to the tea, which is so wonderfully aromatic. The good folks at Amai introduced me to it, and I've been using it ever since! What I love about the East Village is: How dynamic my neighborhood is...which is 100% due to the people who live here and have set up small businesses here. Since I both live and work here, there are full weeks where I don't leave the East Village but want for literally nothing in terms of fun, food, drinks, entertainment or people-watching. Plus, it's close to Brooklyn, where so many of my friends have migrated! Truffles or pralines: Truffles to make....pralines to eat! White, milk or dark: Dark Caramel, ganache or cream: Caramel....salted, if possible. Plus, sugar is so fascinating to the latent scientist in me. The perfect pairing: A night off with my fianc and a bottle of red wine. I'd love to create a flavor for: My mom. She doesn't really like chocolate, but I think if I make something with enough nuts and salt, I'll win her over! Kitchen essentials: Spatula, ladle, palette knife and scraper. Induction burner and chocolate melter are non-essential but SO helpful! Style essentials: I usually work in yoga pants and clogs, so I'm not all that stylish, but I have been loving my lavender bandanna from Montana Knox, my new neighbor on Extra Place. It's nice to cover my hair in style when I'm in the kitchen. Chocolatiers I admire: My mentor, Keith Hurdman, and Kee Ling Tong, who is my one-woman-chocolate-shop-pioneer inspiration. I'm most inspired when: I'm spending time with my amazing friends and family. How much is too much? When the mail carrier you've never met tells you look exhausted....it's too much. Favorite movie snack: Popcorn with copious amounts of salt and a "small" diet Coke that is about 36 oz. Guilty pleasure: Tasti-D-Lite and Diet Coke. I try to eat only real food....but Tasti-D and DC are so fake and yet SO GOOD. Other favorites: Music: Jack Johnson on a day off...nothing says "relaxation" like that; Gnocchi, eaten preferably in Italy; New York, Paris and Montalcino; the movies, Clueless & Clue.

Please do not reply to this blog post or to me. The contact information is at the bottom of this post. If you have something, please reply directly to that e-mail address.Summary: Mothers Day Gift Ideas for AustraliaCategory: Lifestyle & EntertainmentName: Kirsty LawsonEmail: kirsty@prezziexpress.comTitle: EditorMedia Outlet/Publication: Prezzi MagazineAnonymous? NoSpecific Geographic Region? NoRegion: Australia & worldwideDeadline: 6:00 PM PACIFIC - April 31Query:"I'm looking for ORIGINAL and HIGH QUALITY Mothers Day gift ideasfrom gift websites or shops in Australia AND worldwide... as longas you can deliver to Australia.In particular, I'm looking for shops and websites selling productsfrom up-and-coming designers and artists.However, if you stock quirky and original gifts, I'd also love tohear from you.Please write a 200 word description of a gift or gifts you thinkwould be suitable for Mothers Day, plus a maximum of 2 photos. Alink to a website is best, because we can download the pictures weneed.If you are a shop in Australia, I'll need the full address and aphone number. We're doing a city by city gift guide.Thanks."CONTACT:Name: Kirsty LawsonE-mail: kirsty@prezziexpress.com

To the French, April 1 is Poisson dAvril. The idea is generally the same as April Foolsto play practical jokes on othersbut they do so by attaching fish to unsuspecting others backs ( la a kick me sign).But what really interests me about the French interpretation of the holiday are the chocolates everyone gets to celebrate. You can find dime store bags of molded fish, clams, seahorses and the likeeither in milk, dark or white chocolate. But the top-notch chocolatiers also get in on the fantasy and fun.Indeed, these are Patrick Rogers molded chocolates. And here are some beauties from Jean-Paul Hevin. Youll notice this poisson de bon thon is 28 eurosa $37 chocolate fish. Your neighborhood patisseries offer less expensive treats. They just dont have same omigod factor as the masters.

Awards for the 2009 San Francisco International Chocolate Salon came out on Thursday. Neo Cocoa did quite well taking First Place in the BEST TRUFFLE category!BEST TRUFFLEFirst PlaceBEST TRADITIONAL CHOCOLATESSecond PlaceTOP ARTISAN CHOCOLATIERSecond Place - sharedMOST LUXURIOUS CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCESecond Place - sharedBEST IN SALONSecond Place - sharedNEW PRODUCT AWARD - sharedWe are so proud to share some of the awards with chocolate makers and fellow chocolatiers. Congratulation to all!

Plattsburgh, NY March 26, 2009 Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates , an Internet-based gourmet chocolate retailer, will be participating in the 5th Annual Northeast Family Chocolate Festival from 10 am 5 pm on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at the Washington Avenue Armory&Sports; Arena in Albany, NY. Proceeds from the festival will benefit The Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc. (ACCA), a community-based nonprofit substance abuse treatment and prevention education provider. For specific details, visit www.theacca.net/events.David Pearce, President of Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates said, We are very excited to be part of this years Family Chocolate Festival. I have seen firsthand the effects of substance abuse and alcoholism and what it can do to individuals and their families. Being part of the 5th Annual Northeast Family Chocolate Festival is a great way to lend a helping hand to help people struggling to overcome the effects of alcoholism and substance abuse.Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates is eager to work in conjunction with not-for-profit organizations by offering fund-raising opportunities. Interested parties should contact David Pearce for additional details.The Northeast Family Chocolate Festival is the primary fundraiser for The Addictions Care Center of Albany, Inc (ACCA). For over 40 years, ACCA has improved the lives of men, women, families and children healing from the effects of alcoholism and substance abuse. Through intensive, proactive educational programs aimed at preventing substance abuse and through state-of-the-art treatment services customized to individual needs, ACCA helps thousands of people overcome addictions and touches the lives of more than 6,000 Capital Region residents every year.Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates is an Internet-based gourmet chocolate retailer featuring gourmet chocolate bars , chocolate truffles , chocolate confections , and Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates specialty, chocolate samplers . Chocolate Gourmet Chocolates offers gourmet chocolates from top regional gourmet chocolate makers such as Chocolove , Chocolate Bar NYC , Garrison Confections , Knipschildt Chocolatier , Lake Champlain Chocolates and Perfection Chocolates with free Priority Mail shipping available on all orders within the continental US.###

Now Try This # 4 (b) Espresso Infused Cream based Filled ChocolatesThis recipe is for a cream based chocolate ganache (not condensed milk based) and the cream has been infused with espresso flavor. How is it possible to get the coffee flavor into heavy whipping cream and hence the ganache without making coffee? Chop up the roasted coffee beans and put them in the cream of course. But what if you dont want any coffee beans or grounds in the confection at all?Lets look at peanut butter. Which is most popular; creamy or crunchy? I like crunchy but that is not the question. I looked at the grocery store shelves and there was a great deal of space taken up in the peanut butter section by jars of creamy Jiffy. Someone likes creamy better, lots of people in fact.Some people just dont like crunchy espresso chocolates either. They would buy a nice creamy, intensely espresso filled chocolate truffle. I dont mean coffee with cream taste but dark, strong espresso that is smooth and creamy on the palate. How to do it?Heres a technique that I like and the nice thing; its variable. You can make the espresso taste stronger or less intense as you like. And, you can use decaffeinated coffee also.Lets just sum it up in one word: Quench.Thats it. Use the simple method that I showed in Now Try This #4 (a) to roast the green coffee beans in a hot-air popcorn popper like the Pop-Lite. Roast to the same level, not to overdone. And then, while the beans are still hot, dump them in a sauce pan partially filled with heavy whipping cream. This cream neednt be pre-heated as you would do with an infused cream because the coffee beans will be about 450 degrees F. when they hit the cream and it will boil up with the quenching process. I then cover the sauce pan with a sheet of plastic wrap to contain the flavor oils and steam. (For larger batches of coffee beans there are counter-top roasting machines made. Some operate on electricity, some on natural gas or propane.)Now, let the coffee beans and cream cool. When youre ready to make the ganache of chopped chocolate, re-warm the cream so it doesnt stick to the coffee beans. Pour into the espresso cream through a strainer onto the chocolate. And continue to process as you would any ganache.I usually dont at butter to my chocolate ganaches because the home roasted chocolate that I make still has all the cocoa butter in it and I even add several ounces of cocoa butter per 4.5 lb batch of nib liquor ; so I really cant taste any improvement if butter is added to the ganache. In your system, you may add butter if it helps.For decaf espresso, just buy decaf green coffee beans from the same source as regular beans (Now Try This #4 (a).What really amazed me with this method is the intensity of the espresso flavor in the cream. Its hard to describe how strong the coffee flavor is. Because the creamy ganache melts in your mouth you get a real rush of flavor on the first bite. Try it, youll love it.Until Next Time,Mr. WineCandyPS: on a second trail, I used Madagascar Sambriano Valley chocolate; what I call light milk which is 47% Cacao rather than the regular 55% Cacao milk chocolate. I used Sumatra Lintong Grade One coffee beans; about 2/3 cup of green beans then roasted and quenched in one cup of heavy whipping cream. This with the Madagascar chocolate did not have the intense chocolate/espresso flavor as with the Mexican chocolate. Also, the zingyness of the chocolate detracted from the espresso flavors. A less acidic chocolate than Madagascar would work best for this espresso cream method.