Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category

Chewy Crispy Chocolate Thins- the perfect wedding cookie

May 30th, 2011

My first wedding of the season, held at Osborn Castle also known as “Catrock” in Garrsion, New York,  brought a beautiful bride in which a careful and thoughtful hand in planning all the details were part of her enjoyment.  When we first met, she said, “I know …I look like Reese Witherspoon”.  And she did, and as we began to work more and more together the famous Oscar winning celebrity image ceased to exist in my mind, and was replaced by a sincerely excited and somewhat nervous bride. All enjoyable.

People often ask if we do just the chocolate…the answer is “NO” we are a full service boutique agency as my career started as a pastry chef and caterer…we continue to cook and serve and manage the entire wedding, and received a really lovely and thoughful thank you note- and a “WOW” text the next morning.  For me,  during the entire day I always focus on the end…at the time when most guests are thinking nothing can “best” the dinner- what’s left- bad wedding cake? Forget it- lets keeping dancing and have another cocktail.. We strive to give them a delightful dessert or a really scrumptious piece of wedding cake made from scratch.  The compromise you ask?

We use only the best of quality ingredients, bake and mix from scratch and refuse to add or use ingredients that make the cake more stable for highly detailed decor- but taste like crap.  Sorry, but you have all had a slice of that before…the cake can stand out for two days and nothing happens to it- but the inside is sugar paste and scary taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MILK GLASS ROBYN COLLECTED FOR THE FLOWERS

Robyn and Kevin and I tasted and planned out all the details of the cocktail party along with the seated dinner down to the cake which was two tiers on a hob nail cake stand she owned as part of her collection. During the rush – I forgot to snap a photo of the cake- so for that I apologize in advance, but will make it up to my readers with a cookie recipe that i never give out…the wedding cake photo is by  Maggie Henzel-Neel www.photosforyourwedding.com

CRISPY CHEWY CHOCOLATE THINS


RECIPE: makes about 4 dozen

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR- 1 1/2 CUPS

DUTCH PROCESS COCOA POWDER- 1/2 CUP

SALT- 1/2 TEASPOON

UNSALTED BUTTER- 2 STICKS SOFTENED

CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR- 1 CUP

PURE VANILLA EXTRACT- 1 TEASPOON

EGG GRADE A LARGE- 1

COARSE SANDING SUGAR- FOR SPRINKLING

METHOD:

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside

Put butter, sugar, egg and vanilla into a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce speed and gradually add flour mixture until just combined.

Transfer dough to a 12 x 16 piece of parchment and roll into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and chill 2 hours till firm enough to cut into disks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, brush tops with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until set about 15 minutes. Cool and store airtight up to one week…

if you can stop eating them.

 

Have a slice of cake Robyn’s cake:


 

 


 

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Chocolate Monopoly- the NEW RULES of enjoyment

April 13th, 2011

THINK ABOUT IT- WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
Each player uses a chocolate token as their playing piece. What to use? Molded bon bons make excellent playing pieces. Another option, and somewhat less smear prone,are miniature bars used for tasting – these are often elegantly wrapped. I have seen them from Valrhona, Amedei, Michel Cluizel and others chocolatiers too.

    There are four opportunities to EAT your token.

One may not nibble without justified cause, as they throw the dice to play the piece around the board but must instead adhere to these four distinct moments of play and possibility:
1. DRAW A “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE” CARD
2. LAND ON FREE PARKING
3. PITCH $100 INTO FREE PARKING FOR EACH TOLKEN CONSUMED
- that’s right pay as you munch- eat all you want while enriching the game
4. BUYING A HOTEL- the reward is to enjoy your token. Go for it- you are in a new tax bracket!

Should a player max out on their chocolate intake (how could that happen?) they have the right to assign consumption to any player of their choosing.

What more is there to say? You tell me.

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THE CHOCOLATE MEDITATION GETS “KICKED” BY DR. OZ

April 3rd, 2011

The secret to complete mindfulness with overeating and chocolate is to learn to love what you are eating…

“You can learn to eat 40% less by visualizing the chocolate first”.

This was just discussed on the Dr. Oz show the other day in terms of breaking the habituation of eating too much of anything at one time.

Their highly habitual and addictive food choice was …you guessed it !!       M & M’s.

Were the show producers genuinely unaware of what M & M’s are , or reaching for the main stream of America’s secret chocolate habit?  You have to tell me…I cannot figure this one out by myself.

I’ve always thought that M & M’s are supposed to be enjoyed in large amounts- without regret- not one or two at a time with significant self control and appreciative restraint. Not counted in a test study.

When chocolate candy is sold in a bag- it is not meant for anything other than recreational pleasure. From the bag to your mouth. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat as often as desired.  It’s a pre-agreed upon decision, you and the bag have both decided to be together. The same agreement applies to potato chips- you shouldn’t have to eat just one.

Fine chocolate like fine perfume is an experience to be appreciated everyday without going too far or having to feel regret.

Start with a high quality chocolate bar or fine artisan truffle if you wish to begin to practice the art of meditating with chocolate. You’ll only need one or two tastes to experience appreciation and awareness.

THE CHOCOLATE MEDITATION…

Begins with the first aromatic breath of cacao.
Take the time to taste, breathe in the chocolate as it melts slowly and superbly on the tongue, become fully present and aware while flavors develop, appreciate what you have and where you are right now.

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Hot Chocolate relieves Spring Fever

March 14th, 2010

The last of the murder mystery novels have been long read, public television hasn’t scheduled enough translated British novels onto the TV screen to satisfy your boredom. You know that you need something rejuvenating to refuel the hope that soon winter will die by the warm hands of spring. It is time to prepare a steaming bowl of hot chocolate that will highlight the March calendar day marked as “cocoa fix needed”.

Hot Chocolate is a way of life and may well be the most democratic food in the world, because it does the job to satisfy the most people. It is said you can enjoy hot chocolate every day of the year without repeating a single thought of guilt. The art of making cocoa by hand is mixology art – not science as for baking a chocolate cake. Homemade cocoa is well worth the effort.

RECIPE FOR TWO CUPS OF HOT CHOCOLATE
16 ounces whole milk
2 TAB COCOA POWDER 16-22%
3 TAB LIGHT BROWN SUGAR

* using soy milk, almond milk or rice milk- increase the fat content by adding 2 Tab coconut milk

Heat the milk until steaming and stir in the cocoa powder and light brown sugar. For an additional kick- you can choose to add 1 Teaspoon of one of the following:
Powdered Ginger
Matcha Green Tea
Cinnamon
Cayenne Pepper
Instant Coffee

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Chocolate Oscar Drama

March 6th, 2010

Ohhhhh myyyyyyy, I do love Oscar night, love just love it. I’ll be finished with the Orlando Chocolate Festival at the Science center and will have retreated to a big TV screen with Elli and friendly company for the evening. Chocolate and champagne until the last star receives the last award.

What’s with the title and what’s my point? And, I do have one.
Three years ago, I sacrificed my checkbook to fame and purchased a chocolate oscar mold on Ebay from an out of business belgian chocolatier. The award it created was the actual size of the statuette itself. To elaborate matters even further we gilded it in 23 karat gold dust. It look utterly amazing.

My saavy guru PR person posted the Oscar on the website and we sold exactly – how many you ask…TWO.
What? How? Why not more-you may inquire with disbelief.
We had the buyers lined up- with Black American Express Cards in hand too.

From a land, far, far away in a place called Hollywood, the Academy of Motion Pictures maintains an entire modern shiny building of attorneys who search the world for copyright infringement of any kind regarding the Oscar image, word, title or any reference to the title.
And they found little me.
I was contacted and threatened with severe legal action – no kidding – if I did not surrender the names of the purchasers, quantity sold, revenue made and to complete the package- give them the mold! The very mold I owned.

Yes- it’s all true- apparently I had unknowingly purchased a chocolate mold stolen from Wolfgang Puck’s chocolatier used to create confections for the oscars! Good God in Xoxolatl !

I mailed the mold to the Beverly Hills legal team with complete adherance to all requests.

During the Oscar celebration this year we shall all enjoy a tea party of chocolate red hearts and white chocolate rabbits themed in honor of the opening of Tim Burton’s -”Alice in Wonderland.”

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