Cooking together, romantic dinner, breakfast in bed

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Keep the fire burning


If you recall, during the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, I was wondering why we are building up anxiety, excitement, passion, sexual desire and so on and then comes Tuesday, the day after Valentine’s Day and we start to talk about business, office issues, financial problems, school events, but nothing about love, loving relationships, or planning for the next love-in-the-afternoon event.

I think it is important to “keep the fire burning” throughout the year. It takes so little time or effort, but the rewards are tremendous.  All you need to do is carve out some time from your busy schedule and spend it with your mate. This can be as simple as setting up a “Table for 2” in your dining room with soft lights, flowers, a bottle of wine and a meal prepared in collaboration. You will not only keep the lines of communication open, but also delight in each other’s company as you prepare a meal together. Perhaps for extra effort, you could set the table with your good china and flatware and use fabric napkins to add a “touch of class.” You may place votive candles on the table and some taper candles nearby to enhance the romantic atmosphere. I recommend odorless so that you and your partner can fully enjoy the succulent aromas wafting up from your dinner plates. You know what they say, “the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.

Heating up the kitchen together can help to heat things up between you and your partner, as well. If it gets too hot, just open the bottle of wine while you both preparing the ingredients and begin to cook your meal for just the two of you (and if needed, you can have a second bottle at the table). Relish this time together in the kitchen, working side-by-side chopping veggies, measuring spices, inhaling the aromas and all the while sipping a glass of Pinot Noir – can it get any better?

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CHOCOLATES YOU MUST KNOW – TOP TEN CHOCOLATIERS IN THE US

January 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

We arrived at the Top Two Chocolatiers in the US – or What I Would Call: The Creme-De-La-Creme of  Chocolatiers. So, Here is Number Two: La Maison du Chocolates

Great Tasty Gift


The Artisan/Robert Linxe/La Maison du Chocolates:

Robert Linxe, the creator of La Maison du Chocolates,  learned his profession in Bayonne, before enhancing his knowledge and perfecting his artisic talent in Switzerland. He opened hist first chocolate boutique in 1955 in Paris and sold it in 1977 in order to establish the first Maison du Chocolat shop on the famous rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the basement of a former wine cellar. He selected this location specifically because it provided the ideal conditions to preserve chocolates—much like wine. He installed his laboratory and worked there for more than ten years. By 1987, Linxe’s shop became such a hit that he was able to open a second shop and three years later, he expanded to the U.S. and opened his first shop on Madison Avenue in New York City. To date, he continues to devote himself to his passion of creativity and share with others his dedication for perfection. No wonder that his colleagues and his customers consider him “The God of Chocolate.”

The Chocolates/La Maison du Chocolates:

Robert Linxe, the creator of La Maison du Chocolates,   specializes in creating chocolates with the creamiest ganache, the most harmonious and balanced use of ingredients, and enrobed in the thinest couverture; there isn’t any comparable chocolate in the world (as of now).  When you walk into the store on Madison Avenue, in New York City, you feel as if you must take a deep breath (inhale the air) and hold it, and hold it and never exhale; that is how wonderful the aroma that radiates from the chocolates that are displayed on the glass shelves so elegantly.  Most of the time I try to get a seat at one of the limited number of tables and order their aromatic espresso (and if I really want to indulge, a gorgeous piece of chocolate cake next to it) to sip very slowly, so that I can extend the joy of the “chocolate high”  you get while you are in the store.  It is really hard to describe the ambiance where chocolate lovers must pinch themselves to feel if they alive or just arrived to chocolate heaven (which they do not mind at all).
Linxe’s passionate involvement in the creation of his pralines and bonbons are evident in every single piece.  This is the only chocolate company (aside from Richart’s) that no matter how hard you try, you will never succeed to find a chocolate that you do not care for, or that the combination of ingredients do no work well with the chocolate.
As I said repeatedly, I always prefer dark chocolates with very deep and complex flavors but Linxe’s milk chocolate creations are not far behind with respect to feel, flavor, and texture; therefore, Linxe’s and Richart’s milk chocolates are the only ones that I enjoy almost as much as the dark chocolates.
Linxe categorizes his chocolates into groups, so as much as I could, I was attempting to select samples from each group. In general, all of Linxe’s bonbons and pralines appear to be elegantly simple (he does not need any extravagant designs, colors and other hoopla); the statements of Linxe’s creations are created in your mouth. His chocolates are also among the very few, that when you cut the piece into half, the ganache appears be perfectly smooth, no air bubbles, or “holes” between the ganache and the cover; just perfect. La Maison ships the hand-made chocolates from France several times a week to assure their freshness.
The Timeless Ganache
Caracas - as its name states made with Venezuelan beans and the feel of the chocolate certainly reflects that. This is the perfect example of a dark chocolate with deep complex flavors and a touch of light fruity aroma that lingers in your mouth for eternity following melting (and we are delighted that it takes that long for the chocolate to melt )
Quito -I have no idea what this name means but the ganache created with a combination of Venezuelan, Trinidadian, Ecuadorian and and Madagascarian beans, feels real special; once again, you get that deep, complex flavor, mainly from the Venezuelan bean, but here the vanilla is more prominent, I believe due to the beans from Madagascar.
Sylvia - This chocolate is one of the examples of a milk chocolate creation that, although a bit too sweet for my taste, its silky-smooth ganache melts sensuously in one’s mouth and the subtle, light touch of caramel notes are just icing on the cake.
The Timeless Pralines
In this group you can see that Linxe likes to name his chocolate creations after operas, arias  and/or lead characters.
Traviatta - This chocolate is as playful and “ready to party” as the early scenes of the opera with the combination of  crackling roasted, finely ground almonds and a tease of caramel notes; it could be the perfect accompaniment to a great glass of buttery, pink Champagne. I am glad that Linxe did not complete the creation with a tragic ending.
Figaro - Figaro here/Figaro there – hazelnuts here/almonds there and here comes the caramel; both nuts are roasted to perfection then added to the caramel and crushed together. The taste is perfect because the caramel was prepared to perfection (as Linxe describes it on the website: if the caramel overcooked, it becomes bitter and if it is undercooked it is too sweet – it is neither in this piece.
Pistachio- I love pistachio, so of course I had to taste this one. The way Linxe added the crushed pistachio to he ganache is quite unique – it does not effect the creaminess of the ganache yet it allows the full enjoyment of the light crunchiness the pistachio provides – and those perfect bright-green-colored morsels are unbelievably beautiful,  WOW!
Fruited Chocolates
Malaga - Now this milk chocolate I could consume everyday (and you should too); the aroma of the powerful, well-harmonized taste of bergamot with the hint of the bitter orange taste that will linger on your palate indefinitely, is just heavenly – add to it a very light crunch that the hazelnut brings to the velvety sensuous ganache and you can feel the ultimate joy of a flawless chocolate creation.
Jolika - What can be better than the combination of almond paste mixed with bright green pistachio slivers throughout the ganache – nothing. It is beautiful, it is delightful to your palate and it is a memorable experience to allow it to melt slowly on your palate.
Intoxicating Ganache (I love this name)
Faust - Once again, it is the perfect name for this chocolate (if you know the story of Faust); under the very thin milky coverture lies a beautiful, silky milk chocolate ganache flavored with flambéed aged rum that enhances the flavor; however, it dissipates quite rapidly once the chocolate melted on your palate and leaves only the feel of the somewhat sophisticated smooth milk chocolate ganache.
Bacchus - created with a Valrhona’s  venezuelan mix. The ganache is flavored with Smirna raisins from Turkey (the best in the world) that is steeped in hot water before flambéed with Caribbean rum. WOW! When the flame burns from red to blue, as the last alcohol drop is vanishes, a lid is clamped on and the raisins are left to macerate for 15 days. I never had a rum-raisin like this one. Talking about a memorable experience; I must try to recreate this one; this chocolate is not only out of this world, it is the world.
The Champagne Truffle is something you must experience personally.  I cannot find the words in the English language that would do justice to describe the mouth-feel of this truffle. In addition, you can feel how the top quality cognac used in the creation is trying to exert itself during the melting process but the dark chocolate allows it only to partner with it for an end product that takes the best qualities of both and present it to your taste bud for one of the most remarkable experience.

Cookbook: La Maison du Chocolat: Transcendent Desserts by the Legendary Chocolatier

Robert Linxe’s Cookbook is the best chocolate book I own and the only chocolate book I read from cover to cover. If you ever had the desire to learn anything and everything about chocolate, to understand how to work with this temperamental product, how to create your own masterpieces, and what ingredients work the best with which type of chocolate, then look no further.  Robert Linxe shares his phenomenal chocolate-making knowledge in this beautifully photographed volume. He shares his use of the purest ingredients, his secrets for creating incredible truffles and pralines, as well as cakes, cookies and other desserts where chocolate is the star. It is the best gift that you can give to a gourmand, a bride and/or a chocophile.

Where to buy:
La Maison du Chocolat has locations in Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and Cannes, in addition to seven retail stores in Paris and four in New York. The chocolates are also available at Bergdorf Goodman department stores. Its products can also be ordered online and are deliverable to 31 countries. The cookbook is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and Borders bookshops.

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CHOCOLATES YOU MUST KNOW – TOP TEN CHOCOLATIERS IN THE US

December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

HAPPY HOLIDAYS – HAPPY NEW YEAR

TIME TO CELEBRATE

AND HERE IS NUMBER FIVE: KNIPSCHILDT CHOCOLATES

This summer, I attended the Global Fancy Food Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. This was a wonderful opportunity in getting oriented to new products and taste a significant number of sweets and other “foods of interest” that were presented at the show.  Knipschildt Chocolates were one of the booths that I made an unplanned stop.  They were not listed under my “must visit” category, because I do not care for golf-ball-size truffles. In this case, larger is not better.  However, they were offering to taste one of their fruit-based syrups (I had  the raspberry with peppercorn) reconstituted with champagne and served in a flute. I could not resist and I did not regret it. This was one of the best champagne cocktail I have ever poured down my throat. In fact, I would compare the experience to drinking one of those “super-thick, super-rich” (as described by Nibbles) full-bodied, real chocolate-based hot chocolate in Cambridge, Mass at L A Burdick. Yum.

Since I was standing at the front of their booth and their truffles were staring right at me, I decided to sacrifice myself and taste one of the dark chocolates. I must admit that right after the first bite, I was ready to be converted and ordered two boxes to be shipped to my office. It is not a total shock, however, since they are using Valrhona chocolate for the ganache, and the cream that is added to the chocolate to create the ganache is infused with vanilla pods for 24 hours prior to use.

Knipschildt’s best chocolate is the Green Tea Truffle. Each bittersweet chocolate ganache truffle is rolled in matcha, the fine green tea powder used for the Japanese tea ceremony; true green tea is the first flavor that tickles your palate and the flavor lingers ever so pleasantly for quite awhile. With this product Fritz Knipschildt created the true interpretation of a green tea truffle. Moreover, their presentation in a beautiful pastel-green box sealed with a bamboo pick is a genius design. Other flavors at Knipschildt include pumpkin, caramel sea salt (this one is excellent), passion fruit, pear, rose water, black currant, apricot basil and other exotic flavors, as well as some classic favorites like softly roasted hazelnut and Manuka honey from New Zealand.
Knipschildt’s “La Madeline au Truffe” was recognized by Forbes Magazine as the most expensive chocolate in the world. It is based on 70% Valrhona chocolate for the ganache with authentic truffle oil and ends with the same for dipping. The ganache is shaped around a French Perigord Truffle, aka French Black Truffle (this truffle alone costs up to $1,000 per pound) and completed by dusting it with Valrhona’s cocoa powder. Can you imagine to have a bite of this gem? It is only a mere $2,100/pound. But you can get one truffle, weighing nearly 2 ounce for $250.00. A real bargain. It is delivered to the lucky recipient placed  on a bed of sugar pearls in a silver box tied with a beautiful ribbon. Sheer extravaganza!

I guess that is what the republicans meant when they were demanding a tax cut for those making $250,000 or over – they will support the economy while indulging in life’s super-delicacies, unattainable by others.

By the way, Knipschildt Chocolates won the coveted Sofie Award at the Fancy Food Show with their Hanna Mini Signature Chocolate Box (Burnt Caramel with Hawaiian Sea Salt). The Sofi Awards are the highest honor in the specialty food industry.

Hello my friends! – I still did not hear from anyone about your favorites. I would love to create another reference list developed by the readers of this post.

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CHOCOLATES YOU MUST KNOW – TOP TEN CHOCOLATIERS

December 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Recchiuti Chocolate Samples

INTRODUCING THE SEVENTH CHOCOLATIER:

RECCHIUTI, SAN FRANCISCO

The Artisan:

The Bay Area is the epicenter of great artisanal chocolate products. Michael Recchiuti is one of the top masters of the trade and his chocolates are a true works of art.  He has a production facility in the southeastern section of San Francisco, and a successful, high profile shop in the Ferry Building.

The Chocolates:

The truffles and bonbons contain a perfectly smooth and silky-textured ganache with intense flavors and elegant presentation. We highly recommend that you do not miss out on this one if and when you are visiting the San Francisco area; however, if you can’t get there personally, you can make your order online and enjoy the entire box upon its arrival to your home. I can’t imagine a more elegant and extravagant gift than these delicate and perfectly balanced chocolate creations.

Michael Recchiuti produces a sublime Champagne Truffle with 2001 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine and a delicate touch of powdered sugar, which is a must – and you will never buy truffles from anyone else. His crunchy sesame nougat is another stunner with its earthy depth, and addictive texture that lingers in one’s mouth for eternity. The Tarragon Grapefruit is a leap of faith into the unknown, but every bite is a reaffirmation of Recchiuti’s extraordinary talent. The Fleur de Sel (salted with French sea salt) contains a pleasantly chewy burnt caramel coated with dark chocolate; the flavors are nicely balanced and the burnt caramel is one of the best we have ever tasted (and we tasted plenty). In fact, we can honestly declare that Michael Recchiuti should be imitated by anyone that wants to create the perfect burnt caramel (not to mention, he should be inducted into the Hall of Fame as the World’s Best Burnt Caramel Producer)

Lemon Verbena is an extra-bitter, dark chocolate ganache with a bright and clear taste of Lemon Verbena, coated in dark chocolate with a beautiful white leaf pattern adorning the top surface. The chocolate is rich and refreshing at the same time. The Force Noir is made with extra-bitter chocolate ganache infused with whole vanilla bean. It is absolutely out-of-this-world; the extra-bitter chocolate gives a pure, clean, intense chocolate experience and the vanilla bean adds that sweetness you need to balance the bitterness. I cannot complete this review without mentioning the Piedmont Hazelnut chocolate. It is a beautiful piece with silky, buttery texture of the gianduja ganache complemented with the light crunchiness of the Piedmont hazelnut (the best in the world). We also ordered their Dragee Sampler which comes with Burnt Caramel Almonds, Hazelnuts, Peanut Butter Pearls, and Cherries Two Ways – WOW! Talking about indulging.

I own a copy of Michael’s book: “Chocolate Obsession” and I am glad I do. At first, I hesitated to purchase it because, being a chocolate snob, I decided that I had enough training; I do not need another book to tell me how to temper chocolate. I was surprised, however, that despite my resistance, I still learned  a few things or two from his book; not to mention the experimentation of creating some his recipes was truly events to remember.  Although I do not reproduce his creations in my repertoire (I do not think it would be fair), some of his techniques assisted me in developing my own master pieces.

The book primarily discusses the simple forms of chocolates (i.e. truffles, dipped and moulded chocolates), for the home maker, but I was delighted that he included his signature creation: the s’mores. In general, what I liked most about Michael’s book is the tone of his writing. When you reading the recipes, or the stories attached to it, you feel as if an old friend wants to share his knowledge with you in the most  intimate manner possible. Anyone interested to learn and experiment in working with chocolates should own a copy. Moreover, it is a great conversation opener when placed on your coffee table in the family room.

How to Order:

One can always order online: http://www.recchiuti.com. Recchiuti’s elegant signature is also evident on his website.  Every box is appealing and  every chocolate is described in the most tempting manner. They are listing their gift boxes, as well as their individual bonbons, from which you an create your own personalized candy box. They also sell sauces (see above the writeup about their burnt caramel); and chocolate bars  (We will review the bars in another upcoming post).

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CHOCOLATES YOU MUST KNOW – TOP 10 CHOCOLATIERS

December 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH CHOCOLATES

THE EIGHT CHOCOLATIER: CHRISTOPHER ELBOW CHOCOLATES

The Artisan:

Christopher Elbow began perfecting his chocolate-making skills while working as a Pastry Chef in Kansas City and that is where he started his own chocolate company. His passion for working with chocolate allowed him to be highly creative. His hand-painted sparkling jewels are not only one of the best work of art (excluding Norman Love’s work, of course), but most carry well-balanced flavors, ingredients in perfect harmony and aroma that can fill a dance hall. He worked with such famous TV chefs, as Emeril Lagasse and he is featured in many print publications, including Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, InStyle and Oprah.

The Chocolates:

Chef Elbow’s use of Vietnamese cinnamon, rosemary with a hint of caramel, or sparkling bubbly flecked with shimmering gold are just phenomenal. We could not stop eating them until we realized that the box is empty.

I must add, however, that not every piece is “perfect”; we did find some misses, but from such a large selection of uniquely flavored bonbons, he is allowed to have a few that may not be to our liking. For instance, in the Rum Raisin chocolate, the rum overpowered the entire product and we did not think that Mango was the right fruit to be used with caramel; he high acidity of this fruit altered the taste of the caramel, and not in a good way. On the other hand the crunchy caramelized hazelnut filling with the smooth, creamy milk chocolate shell was just delightful and the Raspberry, with a layer of the pate and the dark ganache are divine.  The Venezuelan Spice where dark chocolate center spiced with chile and enrobed in a thick dark chocolate shell and the Orange Pekoe Tea with aromas that infiltrated our entire surroundings are both complemented the overall presentation. At first, the Venezuelan spice tastes like the regular dark chocolate ganache; rich and velvety, however as it slowly melts away on the front of your tongue, you can feel the spice catching up to you as it leaves a fiery kick on your palate. You must try the Champagne bonbon if you want celebrate the season by washing down the combination of milk and dark chocolates with the bubbly. The Cappuccino tastes as if you are sipping a nice cup of coffee accompanied with a piece of smooth milk chocolate.

We believe, however, that seven caramel-based creations of the total of 25, creates  an imbalance in their otherwise unique and tasty inventory.  I love a well-made caramel but if it is nearly one-third of the choices it reduces the selection options. I addition, some of the caramels are either too sweet or the caramel a bit overdone which accentuates the bitterness of the bittersweet. I don’t want to give the impression that Chef’s Elbow creations are anything other than top of the line but requires a careful selection.

Since I taste (and create) many chocolates, my critical palate has a couple of cons but please keep in mind that everyone has their own preferences and tastes  and to enjoy these chocolates requires a fairly sophisticated palate.  I also like to make my doctors unhappy, because I believe in all those reports about the beneficial effects of dark chocolates, they don’t.

Chocolatiers at Chef Elbow’s level work with top ingredients (for those who keep track, he uses El Rey couverture). We just don’t know what technique creates this kind of palate magic.

How to order:

It is a good idea to visit their website: http://www.elbowchocolates.com/shop_online and review your options (even if you live nearby). Every chocolate piece is a work of art and they presenting them in their gift box. They also sell chocolate bars, (actually 17 different variations), drinking chocolate in a tin and chocolate coffee.

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