Need Ideas for an Advanced Chocolate Course - what would people want to learn?
Posted in: Chocolate Education
I can easily get a bunch together, and 5 mins from the beach so can you run to my neck of the woods?
Forum Activity for @Ilana
Help support local business
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Thank you. I may do that although I am kind of shy to-especially long distance abroad calls!!Thanks though!!
Help support local business
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Looks very nice! I like the bars- the packaging is very nice. I have been searching for a source for those gold inserts that are a base behind the bars. I need them for chocolate teaspoons that will be in a cello bag like your bars. Is it possible to refer me to a source for these gold card sheets?Anyway, best of success!
Chocolate Technique: What would you like to learn more about?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Such wonderful ideas!Recipe development is crucial. Taking into account all the ingredients we can include, I don't think there is an excel sheet that accomodates all. Say, a bonbon with cream, glucose, alcohol, nut paste, fruit, etc- say with milk chocolate. Now what is the best balanced recipe in terms of taste and decent shelf life? All the fats and sugars-percentages etc. I know Morato has some info but not at all all- inclusive.I also think a really fun chapter would be the "Home Made Devices" we can use. An example would be gluing a tray onto a dental vibration machine. Or things found in hardware stores that have great use for the chocolatier. Homemade tempering machines and guitars I have read about...Much luck! Sounds quite amazing.
updated by @Ilana: 06/20/15 22:31:03
What do you make/grow/do by youself?
Posted in: Uncategorized
so the cb in your dark choc is the cb from your beans?
What do you make/grow/do by youself?
Posted in: Uncategorized
Hello JeffWe have conversed in the past. I asked about a shipment to Israel but it was too difficult and costly. I am sure one day when I visit the states, it will be one of my goals, as well as tasting the other micro batchers like Amano and DeVries etc. I am so glad my "friend" is so wrong! I have also made pistachio marzipan but have yet to figure out the perfect recipe. Macadamia and pecan gianduja sound heavenly. Do you adjust the quantities based on the fat content of the nut? I assume you do! Do you use special machinery or as Cheebs? Cheebs have you heard of the thermomix? This seems great for small micro batches of nut pastes etc.I am going to plant a passion fruit hedge, which grows fast and gives lots of fruit.Cheebs, the cocoa butter pressing is incredibly interesting. I know it is hard to describe, but how does it change or improve the overall taste? Is it non deodorized? I will have to ask Jo Zander here about his bean to bar and cocoa butter. (Jo, do you press cb?)Thanks for sharing both of ya!! I so enjoy reading this stuff.
What do you make/grow/do by youself?
Posted in: Uncategorized
I am excited to read this. A dream come true! I also thought that my "friend" is full of hot air! What a good way to put it! Do you feel the fruit and nuts you process make a difference in taste? I think that even it if doesn't-which it probably does, it shows how much you care about your product and is very dedicated and cool. I do not yet have the equipment I need to make my own purees and pastes. I want to get into it eventually. Does pressing your own cb make a difference in taste?Thanks.
What do you make/grow/do by youself?
Posted in: Uncategorized
I am wondering how far people go with their chocolateries. I understand that the most extreme side of the graph would be from growing cacao and everything else and to making the actual confections. That would include, nuts, cream, butter and all other ingredients . Hard to believe that this happens somewhere! Somewhere in between could be buying cream, chocolate, and other ingredients. But this is also a wide spectrum. One can make his/her own nut pastes, gianduja etc or buy them ready. I know of a person who claims you cannot make your own gianduja and he is quite annoyingly adamant on this. What do you people out there do/make grow?
updated by @Ilana: 04/11/15 20:12:44
Online buying/selling?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Ok, so how do I contact you to do it? May I ask if you have ever been required to have an export license or something for any country? You don't have to answer, you can just ignore if you so desire!! What is the benjamins?! I guess an expression-I'll look it up.
Online buying/selling?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
I did not know you shipped internationally! Long ago I think I asked you... Humph!! I will PM you later!
How do I have better bases?
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
Hello and welcome. I don't use fondant but from your pictures the bottoms do look very thin. It can be an issue as it causes oozing, stickiness and may harm shelf life quickly. I know that some people who make their own truffle balls pipe the filling onto coin sized discs-there is a special rubber sheet for this and is quite simple. And then when the filling crystallizes, you just dip in chocolate. This gives a nice base-not thick but not overly thin. If you need a link to the sheet let me know.Best of success!
Why...Oh Why....Am I Having Such Difficulty Tempering My Valrhona Feves?
Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself
I use Valrhona most of the time. The reason they suggest 12 hours is to ensure that all types of crystals get totally melted out. This is not really necessary though. I use the temperatures on the bag and it is beautiful and easy to work with. I find Callebaut too thick compared to Valrhona. Perhaps the specific kind you are using? Perhaps it got moisture in it? How was it stored, and where did you get it from...
Teaching young children about chocolate
Posted in: Uncategorized
I completely agree. This workshop is a two hour one. There will 150 children moving from station to station. Total 7 stations-3 are on hands and 4 are activites connected to chocolate. So I don't think this is the right opportunity to teach moderation! BTW, this moderation is true for many areas in life, and many adults were not taught moderation...Have you had too much fudge cake that you choose this example? Just joking, of course!!Thanks for a reply. Still searching for coloring pages.
Teaching young children about chocolate
Posted in: Uncategorized
I am running a workshop for the families of beer factory nearby (!). The activity is mostly children oriented. One of the activites will be a table where kids can draw. I want coloring pages with chocolate related pictures. I found very little-a cacao pod, the mayan wall mural of a tree, a leaf. Does anyone here know of a source I can find? I attached what I found.Thanks
updated by @Ilana: 04/18/15 05:30:27
Women and Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
Agreed-too many hang ups. We are over judgemental in general. Imagine being the wrong sex, race, size, hair color with reputations, wrong country and yellow teeth!! "Luckily" I only fulfill some.I bet someone out there has all this- and yet against all odds is successful.Small mindedness is hard to tolerate.
Women and Chocolate
Posted in: Opinion
hmmm. Men are still more able to emerse themselves whole heartedly and totally into their careers. Less juggling. Not right but still true. That is my 2 cents.
polycarbonate half shpere moulds
Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted
Brian! Thank you! I saw this on their site, but then there is no info or pictures. I will write to them- I may have already and don't remember!! Thanks a bunch!!
polycarbonate half shpere moulds
Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted
Hi thanks. I have their natural colors, but I am looking for transfer sheets made with natural colors.
polycarbonate half shpere moulds
Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted
Hello Brian. Not exactly on the issue but does Tomric have any natural colored transfer sheets? Thanks
Best chocolate school
Posted in: Opinion
I assume you don't have to go to school to be some of the things you have been...but do you have to have done them in order to be chocolatier? If so, I have less hope of success. What have we others done? For me:waitresshostess at restauranthigh school teacherholistic masseusepolitical analyst (amateur)momstudentpsychocolgisteternal autodidactgardeneraromatherapy (amateur)Or is annoying mom with hippie-like behaviour the key?Can I order chocolate?
Chocolate Fountain
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
I assume your chocolate absorbed moisture. I have heard that cb should be added. Or some other oil, which is less preferable.
Documentary on chocolate ...PLEASE!
Posted in: News & New Product Press
I can save some for you till we meet - let's do it again in May. Eli called Rinat the day after we met him...
From David Lebovitz: Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch
Posted in: Recipes
Ok! Excellent!! Can you BELIEVE those over on Tapuz?! They have no idea of the importance of place or chocolate! I hope I get time to make these matzos. I will use chipotle powder.
From David Lebovitz: Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch
Posted in: Recipes
Is it possible to give me more exact instructions! Sounds fab! I am making green frogs and pyramids, too!!
From David Lebovitz: Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch
Posted in: Recipes
yes it does look yummy. Maybe I should make some for our seder!!
Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?
Posted in: News & New Product Press
LANA!!!! WOW! I have been waiting to see your works of art and just knew they would be perfection. Absolutely lovely! I am truly excited for you. I am also thrilled that you gotit right with the wine!!! I would love to taste your things. Everything has days and days of thought put it-every detail. I am so happy for you!!! HUGS and congrats!!
Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?
Posted in: News & New Product Press
Well!! I will reveal that I am making blood puddles using freeze dried pomegranate powder to color the white chocolate red=the Nile turns to blood...Each family member will get a frog upon a blood puddle and a pyramid.Oh and thanks Lana and Jeff!
Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?
Posted in: News & New Product Press
As I mentioned, frogs (for the plague) and pyramids (Egypt)
Calling all Chocolatiers: What are YOU Making Special for Easter This Year?
Posted in: News & New Product Press
I am scared to imagine what you will come up with for Halloween... With your imagination! And I thought green frogs with strawberry ganache (blood?) would be daring... innocent me...
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I would love to tell THEO that the only REAL chocolate maker is GOD, they are just one of those people that roast, shell and crush so that people can buy it from them to make confections. No offence meant to chocolate makers other than those rude ones among the nice ones. I am tired and in a sarcastic mood, forgive me.
updated by @Ilana: 09/07/15 17:45:39
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Exactly!! I wouldlove to be able to "make" chocolate as you do! I need to be younger for all these dreams! I do love creating though and I get very upset when I am not at the level I "see" in my mind! I feel very muchthe same about the jacket, and mostly wear an apron! BTW on my site I do say which chocolate I use and most people say "But Belgium is the best, we want Belgium!" Where do I begin? I pay 3 times more for my "raw" material!!!Perhaps one day I will be in Canada and will come to buy your chocolate! All I have had is Callebaut, Valrhona and holycacao's (which is very nice). I did order 5 kilo of claudio corallo out of curiosity. But no one here was interested.Thanks for the interesting discussion! I hope I didn't sound too ruffled (as in my feathers)!!
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
Perhaps the issue is that of the phrase "making chocolate"- perhaps by connotation it refers to making chocolate confections. In other languages you find the same thing- chocolates can refer to those beautiful creations. When somebody asks me what I do, being a rather new chocolatier I feel sometimes hesitant about using "chocolatier" so I say "I make chocolates". I in no way mean to disinform anyone. (When can on say with full confidence that she is a chocolatier?!) I mean chocolates as in sweets from chocolate. Anyway, most people here have no clue either way and don't even know that the cacao bean is what it is...
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
I do not think that most chocolatiers ("re melters"??) just melt and re label their chocolates. I need not repeat what I have previously written. which is along the same line as what others have written on this thread. I also do not think that most of us lied. Some do happen to mention the chocolate they use, some do not, but not in order to trick their customers. Some use a few different kinds, some blend to get a certain profile, some don't.Just like a chef doesn't tell his customers that he raised certain cattle and bred them and fed them this and that. He buys his meats or products and then creates recipes.If it weren't for us bean to bar would not fair so well.I can certainly appreciate the amount of learning, effort and thought that went into your baby, and nobody should think otherwise. But, those chocolatiers that you bought chocolate from did not just melt and wrap their name aroundtheir goods and so trick you. Each field deserves its due.I think it is obvious that chocolatiers do more than just melt. I think most do not trick or lie.
updated by @Ilana: 09/11/15 08:52:06
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
They can be called re-melters, yes, but this term only includes that portion of their profession. Other parts are involved in attaining a final product. Confection Recipe inventers would be an appropriate term as well, as would Decorators of confections, Blender of various chocolates...The problem with "re-melter" is that it causes an assumption that the chocolatier just melts the chocolate (can even exclude tempering), pours it in a plain bar mold and sells this product. It does not include all the many facets and thought involved. The part of their job that most chocolatiers love is the creativity and invention and this is why the term "re-melter" is annoying.
Chocolatiers = Re-melters?
Posted in: Opinion
It does sound like it is intentionally used to degrade an artisan chocolatier. It sounds like it skips out on the many processes and stages of making "chocolates" from chocolate. I guess some like feel superior by making others feel inferior. Not kind.
Deconstructing Cocoa Content
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques
This is what I do know, however, where it gets confusing is the on the tech spec sheet:1. cocoa content- this is what we call cocoa powder and cocoa butter - right?2. cocoa mass - can you define this for me? (18%) I think itis the cocoa powder?3. added cocoa butter - 25% of the cocoa content, right? So this means it is above 50% of total cocoa content?4. equation -41% = ? 25 +16?? but it should be 18?I am so sorry I don't get it right away!! I understand all about the benefits of different percentages and the gimmicks and all but the specs confuse my awful math abilities.I completely appreciate your devotion to chocolate and this site as well as you immediate help-you have no idea! Thank you so very very much.