Industry Night and Chocolate Tasting at Madame Chocolate

Last April, I was invited by Lauren Fricchione of Dossier Brand for a Media Industry Night at Madame Chocolate in Beverly Hills for a fun evening of chocolate and wine. This is actually my second visit to Madame Chocolate, but it was more of a short drop-in as opposed to a longer stay. Walking in, I could tell that this sweet shop was ready for Easter. One way to tell for sure was the 3 foot chocolate bunny waiting in the kitchen to be decorated.

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There were beautifully decorated eggs hanging from a crystal chandelier, colorful Easter baskets filled with treats and Easter themed candies abound on tables and shelves.

Along with all the Easter happenings, plenty of chocolatier, Hasty Torres' chocolates were on display, some of which were going to be paired with wine a little later on in the evening.

While waiting for other people to arrive, I was able to sample a couple of her chocolates ahead of time. One was a peanut butter bon bon in the shape of a ladybug while the other was a passionfruit bon bon. Hands down, that passionfruit bon bon was my favorite, even after sampling more chocolates by the end of the night. After a bit, Hasty came out to give some information about her culinary history and her inspiration for Madame Chocolate. You can read more about Hasty by clicking here.

She also talked about the tools of her trade, which included a Chocolate Tumbler. The chocolate tumbler is where she puts certain foods to be coated by chocolate like her chocolate covered cheerios, which are addicting by the way. We also got up and close and personal with her dark chocolate and milk chocolate tempering machines. Watching those tempering wheels turning round and round was a bit mesmerizing. I think some of us would have been happy to dive in, if it wasn't for the fact that no one would have fit.

Finally, we all settled in the kitchen, sitting at the tables for the rest of the evening where we were treated to a chocolate and wine pairing. To tell you the truth, I was more focused on the chocolate itself than how each individual wine went with each chocolate. For the most part, I remembered that of the 5 pairings, one wasn't my cup of tea.

The five chocolates we sampled included: Belgian White Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Caramel, Mendiant and Cocoa Dusted Chocolate Truffle. The Chocolate Caramel Heart almost stole my heart away, but I was still loyal to the Passionfruit Bon Bon.

Overall, it was a fun evening getting to know Hasty and enjoying her delicious chocolates. What was even nicer is that we left with a goodie bag of those addicting chocolate-covered cheerios I mentioned earlier along with other sweet treats. I was so impressed with Hasty, her shop and her chocolates that I actually set up a Chocolate Tasting with her for my dining group, a month later. This time around, Hasty was ready for spring. Check out the butterflies on the chandeliers that were evident when I walked in. By the way, Hasty mentioned that her Mom does all the decorating in the shop.

Like my last visit, Hasty also gave an overview of her background and information of how she started Madame Chocalat. During her talk, we were all enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, made by dipping either a milk chocolate or dark chocolate spoon into a cup of steamed milk and mixing it all up. I think some of us ended up licking the spoon as it melted more than anything else.

She also gave a talk about how chocolate was made and even brought out a whole cacao bean that was dry but gave us an idea of what one would look like. We even got to sample some of the cacao nibs which I found a bit too bitter for my taste.

Then of course, there's the beautiful chocolates on display. Some of them were the same from my last visit, but there were also a few new contenders, but all looked scrumptious.

My favorite was still the Passionfruit Bon Bon, but other tasty options included bons bons flavored with citron, orange juice and liquid caramel and rum. It was also my first time trying the Espresso Bon Bon shaped like a coffee cup. Orange juice and espresso bon bons actually brought breakfast to mind. It could be a breakfast trio if Hasty came up with some kind of maple bon bon to represent pancakes and at a media event we both attended, Christy of Pardon My Crumbs suggested a dark chocolate bacon bon bon. Wow! Now that's a breakfast I could stand behind. All I have to say is that if Hasty goes for it, Christy and I expect royalty fees or at least, as much chocolate as we can eat.

Something else that was prevalent throughout the shop and what definitely caught the attention of the ladies in the group were the Designer Solid Chocolate Heels that came in a gift pack that included chocolate sunglasses and a chocolate purse and were on a chocolate base. They looked amazing.

Hasty also gave my group a kitchen tour and was happy to answer questions. She even told us how to temper chocolate even if we didn't have a tempering machine of our own. In the kitchen, we also got to try her chocolate covered marshmallows and rice krispies. Don't get me wrong. They were good, but what I would have done for a whole bag of chocolate covered cheerios.

Towards the back of her kitchen were even more of those designer chocolate heels, including a pair for one of the new "Housewives" of Beverly Hills, in all its pink glory.

This was definitely a fun evening, made even more so by Hasty, a charming hostess, who was very generous and willing to answer any and all of our questions when it came to chocolate. It's easy to see why she was cast to be one of the judges on TLC's Chocolate Wars. So far, there's only been one episode, but hopefully, there will be more because from what I saw, Hasty was really fun to watch. So the next time you're in Beverly Hills, be sure to stop by Madame Chocolat for bon bons sure to impress and make your tastebuds happy.

Madame Chocolat
212 North Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5302
(310) 247-9990


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Chocolate Tasting at Compartes

Walking into Compartes for a chocolate tasting I had set up, I wasn't sure what to expect. For the past few months, I've reading off and on about chocolatier, Jonathan Grahm and was definitely curious as to how someone in his early 20s had already made quite a name for himself in the very competitive world of artisanal chocolate making.

Soon the rest of the group arrived and it was time for Jonathan Grahm to start off our tasting event by giving us some background about himself and Compartes. With his talk, we found out that Compartes was originally owned by Mrs. Compartes and had been around since 1950. Back then and up to when Jonathan took over, Compartes was more of a traditional candy store than a real chocolate shop. When Jonathan's family, of Bonny Doon Wine fame, purchased the shop, at first they weren't quite sure what to do with it, but at age 19, Jonathan volunteered to take it over and because of his creativity, Compartes reached new heights.

Even at such a tender age, he knew not to completely throw out the old and replace it with everything shining. Compartes' signature line were chocolate dipped fruits, everything from apricots to orange peels, so that stayed and what he added to the mix were truffles and ganaches utilizing exotic combinations of various spices, nuts, fruits, etc. Also, since his passion is dark chocolate, that's generally what Compartes sells.

What impressed me throughout the rest of his talk was how some of his chocolates were limited because he would only make them if he was able to get the ingredients directly from the source. For example, you aren't seeing umeboshi plum truffles until he's actually made a trip to Japan and picked some up to bring home. Now that's dedication to your craft. He finally ended with telling us that at the age of 23, he finally bought the business from his family and now it was really all his. I think that's pretty cool.

Now it's time to taste chocolate and we tried 8 different ones. Here's the run down:

1) Love Nuts (vanilla roasted and caramelized nuts sprinkled with sea salt, covered with chocolate and dipped in cocoa powder) - There was quite a cornucopia of ingredients, yet the combination of sweet-salty flavors combined with a nice crunch worked well together.

2) Brown Butter and Sage Truffle - Don't ask me why but the ingredients of brown butter and sage reminded me of a roast turkey with stuffing. I wasn't quite sure how it would translate with chocolate, but it did. The nuttiness of the brown butter and the slight peppery kick from the sage really complimented the dark chocolate.

3) Cup of Coffee Truffle - I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so I wasn't expecting much from this truffle. After my first bite, I decided that it should be called Perfect Cup of Coffee Truffle because if coffee tasted like that, I'd probably be drinking (or eating) a lot more of it.

4) Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel - I really don't have much to say. It was tasty and of good quality, but too "classic" for my taste.

5) Chocolate Covered Candied Apricot - Ditto.

6) Lavendar Violet Marshallow topped with Sugared Violet Petal - I love lavender and I've had it a few different ways from ice cream to chocolate, but a lavender marshmallow was something quite unique and how can you say no to a lavender marshmallow dipped in dark chocolate? You'd be a stronger person than me. What worried me was that the lavender might be overpowered by the dark chocolate, but it wasn't. The lavender certainly wasn't in your face, but I think the concentration of it was just enough in the marshmallow that you could appreciate it.

7) Bonny Doon Dessert Wine Truffles - These particular truffles were extremely limited in that once all the dessert wine was used for this chocolate recipe, you wouldn't see these particular truffles back on the shelves. I can't quite remember the story, but it had something to do with those dessert wines not being produced anymore, so there was only a small number of them left.

I'm not much of a wine drinker, so while I remember liking it, it didn't stand out as much as some of the other chocolates we sampled.

8) Smoked Salt Truffle - Of the 8, this was my hands down favorite. I've had chocolates sprinkled with sea salt before, but not smoked salt. It was something different. The name of the truffle really describes how it tasted to me - a little smoky, a little salty, but just the right amount of sweet from the dark chocolate somehow balanced all the flavors together.

The range of chocolates we sampled really showed a good example of "traditional" Compartes as well as a more "forward-thinking" Compartes, a company that is willing to take culinary risks, all in the name of chocolate. Throughout the tasting, Jonathan would talk about how he likes to experiment with new ingredients. Here's a hint for you. If you walk into Compartes, look into the display case and if you see chocolates without a label on the front of the tray, more than likely, the "Mad Chocolate Scientist" was at work again. If you're feeling brave, ask about those unmarked chocolates. You'll never know what treasure your palate might experience.

After the tasting, Jonathan gave us a tour of his "chocolate factory" with factory being quite a misnomer since it brings to mind automated machines belching out items from a mechanized production line. Instead, all the chocolates are hand made and hand-dipped in chocolate tempering machines and they're never refrigerated, with the exception of the original line of Stuffed Fruits, where one or more of fruits like grown apricots, dates, figs and prunes are combined with almonds and walnuts.

Overall, it was a great event. Jonathan really impressed me with his passion for what he does. After all, it's obvious that only someone who is quite dedicated and inventive can come up with truffles like Sichimi 7 Spice (Japanese spices), Lemongrass, Olive Oil Vanilla, Peach Rosemary and Raspberry Pink Pepper. Like I said earlier, he's only in his early 20s. I think it'll be amazing to see what else he comes up as he continues to evolve. I, for one, am looking forward to tasting the end results of all his hard work.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603274176536/

Compartes Chocolatier
912 South Barrington Avenue
Brentwood, CA 90049
(310) 826-3380
www.compartes.com

Chocolate Tasting at Edelweiss Chocolates

The event started with owner, Madlen Zahir, giving us a short talk about Edelweiss' history and about chocolate itself. For those of you who didn't know, Edelweiss has been a Beverly Hills landmark for over 60 years.

First, some history. The original owner, seen in a black and white picture on the shop wall, came up with the idea of chocolate covered marshmallows in the first place, which currently are Edelweiss' top sellers. In fact, she actually would make the marshmallow herself after hours, just to ensure the secrecy of the recipe.

After her retirement, the business was sold to a Swiss chocolatier, whose chocolate recipes comprises the majority of chocolates sold in the shop today. For 5 years, Shirley Jones took over but for the past few years, Edelweiss has been in the hands of the Zahir family.

Madlen also gave us a brief talk about how chocolate is made, which I elaborated on in the next few paragraphs to give additional information. First, the cacao beans have to be roasted so that their shells become brittle. Then they go through a machine that will remove the shells and remove the seeds which are now called cacao nibs. Now the cacao nibs have to be ground into a paste called "chocolate liquor."

Some "chocolate liquor" is pressed to remove cocoa butter, which is used to make white chocolate. Further processing turns it into cocoa powder, but it's the unpressed "chocolate liquor" that is used to make chocolate. To make chocolate, the manufacturer blends unpressed chocolate with condensed milk, sugar and extra cocoa butter.

This raw mixture becomes a coarse, brown dough called "crumb." The "crumb" needs now needs to be refined to make the chocolate silkier so it's pressed through giant steel rollers to do the job. You now have a creamier batter of chocolate; yet, it still needs to undergo still another process before it's ready to use. Finally, the chocolate can be tempered (heated) to give it a glossy sheen and smoothness and than used to hand dip various items in or poured into different kinds of chocolate molds.

After Madlen's introduction, we went into the chocolate factory and as she talked more about their chocolate making process and showed us the various "tools of the trade" so to speak, we started our tasting of 8 different chocolates which were:

- Dark Chocolate Caramallow (with an inside layer of marshmallow and caramel) - loved the thick layer of caramel and the sponginess of the marshmallow.

- Milk Chocolate Toffeemallow (with an inside layer of marshmallow mixed with toffee pieces) - a little too sweet for my taste, but I appreciated the toffee pieces.

- Geraldine (ground apricot with caramel) - My favorite of the bunch and with a great story. Apparently, this chocolate had caramel added to the ground apricot by mistake and it was such a delicious accident that they named this new chocolate after that employee who made that error, Geraldine. I really liked the combined flavors of tart and sweet.

- Dark Honeycomb Sponge Chocolate (burnt sugar and honey) - I liked the flavor, but burnt sugar makes for a harder candy interior so be prepared to take a hardier bite.

- Milk Chocolate Coconut Snocap (with moist coconut) - That coconut was definitely moist and better than any Almond Joy or Mounds out there.

- Alpine Snow White Chocolate Truffle (rolled in cocoa powder) - What was nice was that the white chocolate wasn't overly sweet.

- Dark Chocolate Turtle (caramel & pecans) - Apparently a fav of Katherine Hepburn and even mentioned in her autobiography. I really liked the sweet-slight saltiness of this chocolate

- Milk Chocolate Maple Pecan Cream - A favorite of Frank Sinatra and members of the Sinatra family to this day will send out boxes of these chocolates to family & friends. This was my least favorite just because it was just too sweet and sugary for my palate.

...but we weren't done yet....Madlen's husband, Steve surprised as with a 9th chocolate which was dark chocolate with a brandy liquer inside along with a cherry that has been soaking in brandy for 3 months. I normally don't like these types of chocolates, because I find them overally sweet, but this particular chocolate I wouldn't mind having a second piece of.

Some of the equipment we saw were over 50 years and almost as old as the shop itself. Madlen also showed us some of the various molds used to make their molded chocolates. One last bit of Hollywood history I'll mention before ending is that Lucille Ball, a faithful Edelweiss Chocolates customer actually used the chocolate conveyor belt that's part of the Edelweiss' factory as the inspiration for an "I Love Lucy" episode and I'm sure you know which one.

Overall, it was both a learning and tasty experience!

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157601764686605

Edelweiss Chocolates
444 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 275-6003

http://www.edelweisschocolates.com/