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Crossing Max Brenner's off my list, I went back to what I knew... Naked Chocolate Cafe. Right away I noticed a difference in quality. I've never seen chocolate shine this much. And despite it being dark chocolate, there was no grit at all. I had a tiny cup of sipping chocolate. That's basically melted chocolate with a spoon. I was quite pleased, though it was hard for me to tase anything specific. I think that's because it was crowded, and noisy. Or maybe my palette wasn't properly cleansed from the pretzel I ate before it. I couldn't taste any notes other than chocolate. I'm not sure if some chocolate is just like that, but I think I prefer that to certain notes - fruity ones particularly. And I expected the dark chocolate to have a stronger flavor than the milk, but I don't think that's necessarily the case with this drink.
I bought a chocolate bar to bring home with chocolate nibs on it. I don't know what nibs are, but I'm excited to find out! I'm saving that one for Easter.
ChocoVision introduces the capacity-increasing Holey Baffle for commercial units
Poughkeepsie, NY February 2010 ChocoVision, manufacturer of innovative chocolate processing equipment, has announced the latest advancement for the Revolation X 3210 and Delta chocolate tempering machines; the Holey Baffle , which increases their chocolate capacities from 10 to roughly 18.5 Lbs.
The advantage this new Holey Baffle brings begins with a series of strategic louvered openings that allow chocolate to flow throughout both (the probe and non-probe) sides of the bowl. There is no compromise to the tempering process while nearly doubling the capacity of both the Revolation X 3210 and Delta units.
Along with the capacity increase, ChocoVisions Holey Baffle provides substantial performance improvements due to more direct heat reaching the entire pool of chocolate at all times.
I was skeptical about this new Holey Baffle after speaking with industry authorities because none had heard of anything like it being done before, stated Joe Crevino, ChocoVisions Chocolate Consultant and New Products Beta Tester, but the Holey Baffle indeed doubled my machines capacity and maintained the chocolate in perfect temper.
ChocoVisions new Holey Baffles are available for immediate shipment at the low introductory price of $99.00 (retail price will be $199.95 ). Please contact sales@chocovision.com , visit our website at www.chocovision.com , or call (800) 324-6252 to order yours today.
Double your capacity, not your budget!
Lets start with the old master. Nestled between the luxury boutiques flaunting fine lingerie and crazy haute talons, <a href="www.chocolatmichelcluizel-na.com "><span style="font-weight:bold;">Michel Cluizel</span> </a>(201, rue St.-Honor) has been making chocolate since 1948, though his daughter Catherine now manages the store. Among the delights for you to discover: a wall-mounted fountain spewing molten chocolate, giant bowls filled with truffles and macarolats (a chocolate version of the macaron) and 99% cacao chocolate bars. Pas mal!
Further up the street is <a href="www.jphevin.com "><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jean-Paul Hvin</span>s</a> modern and refined tea salon/chocolate shop (231, rue St-Honor)top 3, if not my very favorite, chocolatier. Dainty macarons and pretty cakes welcome you along one wall (or you can indulge upstairs in the tranquil salon de th), but the bonbons are hidden in the back. With cocoa sourced from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Madagascar, and ingredients like cinnamon, caramel and champagne whipped into the dark chocolate ganache, theyre nothing if not sublime.
The selection at <a href="www.pierreherme.com"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pierre Herm</span>s</a> 4 rue Cambon boutique is more limited than at rue Bonaparte, but dont despair. While you wont find towering cakes like the Plenitude or Isaphan, you will find all the incredible macarons and chocolates your heart might desire.
Finish off the decadence by sitting firmly on your butt at Angelinas (226, rue de Rivoli). You might have to battle some tourists and none-too-friendly waitresses for a seat, but a pitcher of their chocolat Africain more than makes up for it. Its rich and chocolaty, smooth and velvety, thick enough to coat your tongue, and almost thick enough to stand a spoon up in it. Its, oh whats the word heaven?
Any other places I should include? For those with more than one shop, is there a particular location I should visit? Is it feasible to walk the whole way or should I plan on taking the Metro? Helpful chocolate vocabulary? Thanks!
So, I went to Max Brenner in Philly for the first time, today. I decided I'm going to try to review what I have their. That way I can keep track (have something new every time), learn about chocolate, and feel like I have a good excuse to spend that much money on food.
I ordered an italian thick hot chocolate. It comes in one of their hug mugs (that doesn't have a handle, and is more wedge-shaped than round). I expected it to be really thick, like sipping chocolate (basically a melted chocolate bar), but it wasn't. It was thicker than regular hot chocolate, but I think that was due more to the cream in it.
I got the milk chocolate (other choices were dark, and white). It came very hot, but I was able to sip it with my spoon. Very smooth, warm flavor, that reminded me of chocolate pudding cake straight from the oven. Know how chocolate baked goods have that different flavor when they're hot enough to give you a severe burn? It had that quality, which I enjoy thoroughly.
But I was so excited to try using the hug mug for what it was designed for. After being burnt once or twice (I have a lower tolerance for heat than most people), it was finally cool enough that I didn't have to hold it on the wedge-shaped plate it came on. So, I sipped the warm, creamy drink, and was happy with the result.
Though it wasn't the most chocolaty drink, I thought it was very pleasantly flavored. If I try the italian thick hot chocolate again, I'll go for the dark, to see if it has stronger flavor.
For about $6 plus tip, I thought it was worth the try.
What next? Maybe the truffle, I'm not certain yet.
Has anyone else had this? What did you think about it? Is there something out there that's like this, only better? Share your thoughts! Blogs are no fun without comments!
I live in the tropics - Trinidad - where some of the world's best cocoa beans allegedly come from and have quite a bit of cacao trees on the land left from a time that Cadbury owned the entire area. My husband and I decided that it was time to rehabilitate the existing trees and replant new ones and we ended up with quite a bit of cocoa pods. the seeds were picked, fermented and sun-dried in our good, HOT and dry weather that we are experiencing now and we ended up with about 100 lbs for the first set.
I decided to try a home made batch. I roasted the beans on my stove top and shelled them after finding a recipe on line for 80% dark chocolate. It was fairly simple - put 8 pts beans and 2 pts sugar in a grinder and grind. Well, I used my Magic Bullet, but it seems to be on the way out (and now I think it's dead). I added some mexican vanilla, cardamom, a pinch of nutmeg, and some cinnamon and tried to "mortar and pestle" it. The end result was quite good - a chocolate with a nutty flavour and not too bitter. It formed a good bar that was pretty tasty! But all in all, better for making hot drinking chocolate.
Now I need some proper equipment for my next try. Any suggestions for me?
I am working on a project for Conservacion y Desarollo (CyD) here in Ecuador. The project is related to physical, chemical and organoleptic analysis of Ecuadorian cacao. There are 11 growers associations from various regions of Ecuador participating in the project. INIAP (instituto nacional de investigaciones agro-pecuarios) is also involved in the project and we are using their cacao laboratory in Quevedo. INIAP is akin to the dept. of agriculture.
My first assignment was to head to Guayaquil to a presentation of cacao processing machinery put on through the Italian embassy on the 16th of December 2009. It was in some ways disappointing. Basically the presentation was a sales pitch for large industrial Italian machines complete with various bank representatives who would eagerly provide financing. Most of the equipment was for large scale industrial enterprises and out of the reach of most of the growers associations. There is a lack of availability of machines for smaller scale processing. This is an opportunity that equipment manufacturers are overlooking. At any rate the event was worthwhile and I did meet some interesting people.
After the event I visited some farms and centros de acopia (collection centers where fermentation and drying take place) and spent a few days discussing post harvest techniques and cacao in Ecuador in general.
I then spent the last week and a half of 2009 travelling up the coast of Ecuador visiting small beach towns before getting back to work in January.
I was happy to have had the chance to meet Jeff from Aequare Chocolates in Quito, Ecuador. We came in contact with eachother through Thechocolatelife, arranged to meet up at his shop and spent an afternoon sampling his delicious creations and discussing cacao, chocolate and Ecuador. Since then he has been helpful with advice and putting me in contact with other people in the cacao world here in Ecuador. I hope to visit with him again when I go back to Quito and am also sending him samples of the different batches of cacao licor that we are making in the cacao lab.
Next I was sent to spend a week with a growers association in Vinces, Ecuador. The association, APOV (associacion de productores organicos de Vinces), is one of the smaller associations involved in the project. There are approximatly 250 member producers, the majority of which have less than 10 hectares under cultivation. APOV is working in unison with the Universidad de Guayaquil and there are several students doing cacao related studies with them. I spent the week getting to know the people involved and helping to improve their fermentation and drying processes. APOV faces several obstacles including a shortage of resources to invest in infrastructure. Also, they are at peak harvest time in terms of quantity and are working hard. We did several tests batches of fermentation, experimenting with various influencing factors such as time, quantity, and technique. The samples from those tests are drying as I type this and Im looking forward to analysing the results.
After my time with APOV I returned to Quevedo and experimental farms and cacao laboratory at the INIAP center. INIAP has recently renovated and refurbished the cacao laboratory.
February 2010 has been a busy month thus far and I have been visiting growers associations in the Bolivar, Orellana and Sucumbios provinces of Ecuador. At each association I meet with the administrative staff and visit centros de acopio where the post harvest processes (fermentation, drying, sorting by size and storage) are carried out.
This month Ive visited the associations CORAGRICACE, UCOCS, and San Carlos. The associations are at differing levels of development. Some have good infrastructure and good post harvest processes in place (fermentation, drying, traceability). Fermentation is one of the key post harvest processes we are looking at and providing consultation and capacity building, helping to implement good fermentation techniques.
Some of the associations have certification as organic, fairtrade, and/or Rainforest Alliance while others have no certifications or are in the process of getting certifications. There is a wide range of feeling about certification programs among the growers associations and the burden of payment for certification and annual recertification.
I am currently writing association profiles that associations can use to promote themselves and find markets for their cacao and/or other products. The associations involved in this project are:
-APOV. (Asociacion de Productores Organicos de Vinces) in the Los Rios province.
-Buena Suerte. Guayas Province.
-Fedecade. (Federacion Nacional de Productores de Cacao del Ecuador). Guayas Province.
-UCOCS. (Union Cantonal de Organizaciones de Participacion por la Justicia del Canton las Naves) Bolivar province.
-San Carlos. Orellana Province.
-Miss Ecuador. Sucumbios Province.
-Forteleza del Valle. Manabi Province.
-COCPE. Esmeraldas Province.
-APROCA (Asociacion de Productores de Cacao Organico del Canton Atacames.) Esmeraldas Province.
-Eloy Alfaro. Esmeraldas Province.
-CORAGRICACE
These associations represent a large geographical area of Ecuador. As I continue to get to know the associations and the people involved I will add to the profiles I am writing. If anyone is interested in learning more and/or getting in contact with the associations I will send you the profiles and help connect you directly.
We are still in the early stages of this project and are doing analysis of cacao, later this summer we will be processing the beans and making chocolate which the individual growers associations will then use to promote their product and seek markets.
I made impish chocolate cupcakes with a black current balsalmic ganache and since, Ive kind of had it with the snow and decided to get away for the weekendsort ofIm going to be at TheStockton Market. Featured on Bucks County Taste , you can see whats there, is amazing. Have you been there yet? Its like a European Market as you wander through the aisle and appreciate the Artisanal quality goods of local business. Its warm with the lighting filtering in from the outside and the variety of things to buy is growing each
weekend. When youre done shopping you can go through to the River Arts Gallery and see what brings a lot of people to the area-inspiration and the creative spirit channeled into art of all kinds. Its easy to imagine that youre
somewhere else when youre in the Market, because it buzzes with energy and life.
So The Chocolate Bar and The Chocolate Muse are getting away...
