Always a process

There are days when creating chocolates goes smoothly, then - there are days when the moon is in retrograde and nothing seems to be going...at all.  The whole process of tempering chocolate such that the crystals align and lock in like a chain link fence to create that beautiful sheen and exquisite snap is something I will never take for granted.  Whether by hand or machine, there always seems to be room for improvement - careful adjustments in temperature, adding just enough seed, agitate-agitate-agitate....check the temper.  Not in temper.  Take a deep breathe, walk away.  Begin again.

20 kilos - 44 pounds

We just received our shipment of chocolate from the distributor down in New Jersey.  To buy wholesale, the minimum order is 4 boxes, or a case, with each box weighing 5 kg.  Ergo the title.  That's a lot of chocolate.  We've been working with Michel Cluizel chocolate now for the past 6 months.  I discovered his chocolate during a chocolate tasting put on by a group at MIT called the Laboratory of Chocolate Science.  If you ever have an opportunity to participate in a tasting, it's worth going.  It's overflowing with students and we tasted over 30 different samples.  I was up all night.  But - I did discover this amazing chocolate by Michel Cluizel.  Extraordinary flavors.  I've seen Cardullo's carry it in their chocolate section.  I ran a similar tasting last spring with a small group of dedicated tasters (are there any other kinds when chocolate is concerned?) with 27 samples; flights of milk chocolate, 50's, 60's, and 70's.  Makers included Cluizel, Valrhona, Guittard, El Rey, Dagoba, Green and Black, and Ghiradelli. 

And the envelope please....

• Group / flight A – Michel Cluizel Grand Lait 45% ,Michel Cluizel Mangara 50%
• Group / Flight B – El Rey Bucare 58.5%, El Rey Mijao 61%
• Group / Flight C – Michel Cluizel Mangara 65%, E. Guittard Quevedo 65%, Valrhona Manjari 64%, Michel Cluizel Vila Gracinda 67%.
• Group / Flight D – Valrhona Guanaja 70%, Michel Cluizel Nori de Cacao 72%, Valrhona Araguani. 

Planning, calculating, losing notes

Finally sat down today and went through all the files and papers and bookmarks and brochures and catalogs...I realized that September is not far away and plans are to start our "Friends and Family" program.  Sorting out all the little details and realizing that I should have paid a little more attention in Microeconomics 101.  I'm learning all sorts of interesting new skills, like blogging....

Can't get away from the SALT

It's a big piece of chocolate - yes, I'd say about one and a half square, and no, it's not toffee.  Burnt caramel ganache with fleur de sel sprinkled on top.  It really brings out the caramel flavors and leaves that long delicious aftertaste, like you just have to take another bite, then another, then - oh - so sad, it's all gone.  And you just have to have the right amount of salty to sweet...oh, there goes another test batch.  Not sure how this would fit in our boxes, but we just had to try a big one once.

Getting the chocolate out of the mold

It is always a magical moment when we unmold our chocolates, particularly this chocolate which we used a magnetic mold where a transfer can be inserted underneath.  This batch is two layered - vanilla bean in white chocolate and a triple espresso.  Our testers were able to taste the vanilla bean underlying the espresso -  our very own vanilla latte.  The ratio of 2:1 - vanilla: espresso worked well despite the fact it was an accidental occurrence of too much vanilla bean ganache and not enough espresso.