eggbeater

plated dessert IV - chocolate_licorice

 

chocolate-licorice delice {pot de creme}, caramel sauteed plums, almond cocoa chili wafer {pectin based tuile}, chantilly, chocolate granita.

plated dessert III - tropical_meringue

 

hazelnut meringue, coconut-guava-vanilla bean sorbet, tropical fruit salsa of mango, pomegranate seeds, pineapple, lime leaf, ginger, fresh coriander {cilantro}, palm sugar, mint, galangal and lemongrass.

Hot Chocolate in London

When it gets cold out, or suddenly chilly, or Autumn's leaves begin to whisper in, or scarves begin living around my neck, I think of Hot Cocoa & Hot Chocolate {no, they are not the same.}. I want to drink hot chocolate liquid for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I do, in secret or in public, as often as I can.

In London, part of the EU and in very close proximity to countries boasting the best chocolate making in the world, finding hot cocoa or hot chocolate worth a swallow, is harder than one might think.

But I have recently found 3 locations doing their best to convince me otherwise.

Pictured here on the right is Story Deli's little glass mug of deeply hot chocolate joy. Neither Novel, nor deli, Story Deli is a modern organic pizza restaurant deep within the folds of crazy manic super duper trendy Brick Lane madness.

When my ex pastry chef companion ordered it off the menu, we practically cried with happiness, after trial sips, at the fact that it was indeed real dairy & chocolate they had decided to put in that glass! Hot cocoa in London mostly consists of water, or skim milk if you're lucky, artificially flavored cocoa-ish substance and way too much sugar. {Can someone please tell me why a country producing some of the best dairy in the world has embraced skim milk for all of their cafes & restaurants?}

The second restaurant to completely take me off guard with it's organic milk and slow moving, practically ganache, river of chocolate wallop was Leon. With plenty of locations around London, I might have expected chain-like beverages & insipid concoctions, but no. I went to a knitting 'event' put on by Stitch & Bitch London last week, and when someone ordered the hot chocolate and the perfume attacked me from across the table, I knew. I knew I had inadvertently discovered another.

Pictured on the left is a hot cocoa worth runner up mention, for grace, poise and effort. Flat White's hot cocoa plate could be the best looking hot cocoa in London, but it was short on taste I am sad to admit.

So for third place I have to say The Modern Pantry is doing its very best to create a London hot chocolate worthy of mention. If you make it there, be sure to have a small one, at least, and tell me what you think. Being such a fan of theirs, I've secretly shared some of my opinionated thoughts with them.

Always on the lookout for fantastic hot cocoas & hot chocolates in London, please do share your favourite spots-- any list of liquid chocolate locations is a friend of mine!

The Espresso Room. London WC1

sometimes the littlest places
make the biggest impressions.
maybe because they ain't trying to sell you a bridge
or get on the cover of a magazine
or become the next hottest thing.
although I'm sure they wouldn't mind
having enough business
to stay in business.

 

if you
should find yourself
close to Holborn Tube, or wandering aimlessly down Lamb's Conduit Street
and you are in need of
one of the best damn espressos
you can get your hungry thirsty cold little paws around.
don't despair. liquid help is close by.

in the form of

The Espresso Room.
the tiniest 'coffee shop_cafe_espresso bar_' in London.

 

you might remember
how I came to 'meet'  Square Mile Coffee Roasters?

well,
suffice to say
that began a secret, not so sordid
love affair~

/one that The Espresso Room seems to have caught a whiff of too.

~an addiction
that began
years ago
in a land far far far far
away. heh.

the espresso room 31 - 35 great ormond street wc1n 3hz london m-f 7 am 'til 5 pm

p.s. i can't take any responsibility for finding this gem of a place. it was all bea vo. x

picnic at mine.

Inspired by Crozier Blue & Neal's Yard Dairy.

I never thought I'd pick a blue as my new favourite cheese.

But this one's exceptional. Creamy, bright, slightly acidic, easy to eat with sweet or savories.

Greengage Plums & Party Tomatoes

Greengage plums are my new love.

Anything you want to know about them, please read Jane Grigson's chapter on them in her ineffable, The Fruit Book. Her prose is educational & poetic.

But nothing beats eating these mysterious green fruits! Honey, syrupy summer, sweet, meaty. And tiny enough to pop the whole thing in your mouth at once.

Roast them to keep the colour & if jamming keep the flame really low. Cook too far and you'll lose the colour.

I found all this fruit at my local, the Newington Green

greengrocer. I feel ecstatically lucky because London neighborhood shops aren't famous for having fresh fruit, especially seasonal & local British grown fruit & veg.

Party Tomatoes are not a real name. They were renamed by Melanie, my First Assistant, when we worked together at Citizen Cake. They are striped (pronounced with 2 syllables) and also green. I love them muchly and will eat them out of hand, maybe garnished with a pinch of salt, as much as I can in summer.

plated desserts, in words

devil's food cake
crunchy buckwheat
amedei milk chocolate cream
chocolate-almond-buckwheat dacquoise
hot fudge sauce
dark chocolate granita
milk chocolate-cocoa nib-crunchy buckwheat-maldon salt 'candy'
        --plated on a plate

crunchy buckwheat is buckwheat groats simmered in oil until toasted
'candy' is made by melting cocoa butter & chocolate, rolling between layers of parchment & chilling
dacquoise is not a true dacquoise because I've added buckwheat flour as well as crunchy buckwheat, but it still has that light but unleavened quality indicative of an egg white cake

spicy thai coconut soup sorbet
cilantro (fresh coriander)-kalamansi lime-cucumber-thai basil soup
mango slivers, diced jicama, cherries, nectarines, watermelon triangles
        -- plated in a bowl

coconut sorbet is infused with galangal, ginger, green & red chillies, fresh & dried coriander, mustard seeds, basil, and dessicated coconut, then mounted with coconut milk
dessert is inspired by highlighting summer fruits & veg in gazpacho

ginger jelly
forbidden black & sticky rice
coconut cream
coconut caramel
fried sticky rice, two ways, sprinkled with amchur-salt-sugar
fresh dice pineapple
        --plated in a glass

ginger jelly has a kick from a long infusion/boil
forbidden black rice has one of the most amazing flavors & colours of any ingredient i've come accross. it's purple and black & blue mixed. while it is not 'sticky,' it works well with a sticky rice because both have their own distinct personalities
sticky rice is fried after it is cooked and sheeted single layer. it is also fried after sheeting much finer between two pieces of lightly oiled parchment, left to dry on stove & fried. the former method created little crunchy bits, the latter creates a rice 'cracker,' ---- light and aerated, like a puff

Royal Blenheim Apricots. buy & eat me now. Northern California & beyond.

Now is the time.
The time is Right Now.
If you live in California, USA or anywhere close by, and you love apricots

{photo by Anita Crotty of Married ...with Dinner}

The Royal Blenheim Apricot is in season right this minute.

AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM GO EXTINCT IN YOUR LIFE TIME

support the few farmers left growing them.

All this information just in from my favorite group, Bakers Dozen.

Dear Bakers Dozen Members:
The Blenheims are Here!  If you’d like to organize a carpool to pick some up, here are some sources:

 ♦Apricot King—Patty Gonzales’ orchard
Email:  info@apricotking.com
Phone:  831/637-1938

Visit their farm in Hollister, or check them out at these local farmer's markets:

Santa Cruz
2:30 to 6:30 Wednesdays – Lincoln & Cedar, one block off Pacific in downtown Santa Cruz
Los Altos
4 to 8 p.m. – Thursdays, downtown Los Altos
Palo Alto
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Sundays (California & El Camino)
Mountain View
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Sundays (Hope & Evelyn Streets)

 
♦Andy's Orchard
1615 Half Road
Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Store Hours:
10:00am - 5:00pm Weekdays
10:00am - 4:00pm Weekends
(408) 782-7600 and ask for Lorene

or
•    Sigonona's Market (Palo Alto)
•    Cosentino's (San Jose) carries Andy's fruit
•    Local Farmers Market @ Garden Accent
•    11155 Lena Ave, Gilroy, CA 408/846-4555 Thur  2-7 pm
or look on the local harvest website.

More lovely photos can be found on Flickr of Royal Blenheim Apricots on the branch, taken by Spidra Webster.

Tamarillo! my new favorite fruit.

TAMARILLO !

The Mystery Fruit is Solved.
Thank you to all who participated! Many of you were spot on. The rest of you were close or had great guesses.

The lovely Tamarillo is sweet & savoury
tomatoey & melony
elusive like a papaya,
enigmatic fruit like cucumber,
gorgeous to look at
deeply scented like a handsome farmer,
"rich in vitamin E but low in carbohydrates,"
photogenic
sexy



Tamarillo. Tamarillo. O Tamarillo!



Tamarillos are
edible
raw
or cooked



seedy, crunchy, jelly-like
voluptuous
strong
quirky
strange

Tamarillos straddle many fences.
Not everyone will like them.

Tamarillos will keep you on your toes.
And tease you
taunt
with their
je ne sais quoi
flavour.

What is the Tamarillo flavour?
Sun ripened tomato  melon  papaya  guava  red beet.



Tamarillos are the pride of New Zealand.
Yet another reason to go there.

*


This post is dedicated to Keith, who first introduced me to the Tamarillo with his poetic words about Tamarillo Jelly (jelly is something very different outside of the States) and then brought me to The Modern Pantry where I experienced poached tamarillo in Greek yogurt, garnished with New Zealand's famous Manuka honey. After that I was never the same. Obsessed.

So, thank you Anna Hansen for introducing London, and me, to this magnificent fruit!

This post is also dedicated to Bea Vo of her eponymous bakery, Bea's of Bloomsbury. Last week I had the honour of playing in her illustrious kitchen and she sent me home with a flat of raw tamarillos!

And you? Do you have a fondness for this fruit? What do you love about it? What do you do with it?

Mystery Fruit: What am I & What do I Taste Like?

MONTEREY MARKET NEEDS YOUR HELP!! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD

PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.
PLEASE go to Friends of Monterey Market and show your support/read about what you can do.
PLEASE WRITE A LETTER.
PLEASE DO NOT SHOP AT MONTEREY MARKET AFTER JUNE 3rd UNLESS BILL FUJIMOTO takes back his resignation.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THAT MONTEREY MARKET NEEDS EVERY ONE'S HELP to make it clear that Bill Fujimoto IS Monterey Market and his resignation is not an option.
PLEASE MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE ENTIRE FUJIMOTO FAMILY that you will not support a market that places its bottom line before family.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.

If you have eaten ANYWHERE IN THE BAY AREA, you have supported Monterey Market.
If you have ever shopped at ANY FARMERS MARKET, you have supported Monterey Market.
If you have ever blogged about new fruit in season, new fruit available in the USA, climbed upon the great pumpkin interactive sculpture in North Berkeley, or made anything in any home kitchen or restaurant or catering kitchen with any fruit or vegetables, you have supported Monterey Market.
If you believe in farmers, chefs with integrity, great produce, eating seasonally, eating locally, supporting local business YOU BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING MONTEREY MARKET.
AND YOU WOULD CONSIDER SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT TO A MARKET, A TEMPLE, A STORE, AN INSTITUTION that was in need of help.

MONTEREY MARKET NEEDS YOUR HELP.
PLEASE BLOG ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW AND LET GOOGLE AND THE FUJIMOTOS KNOW WE WILL BE HEARD.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT BILL FUJIMOTO'S RESIGNATION.
WE WILL NOT SHOP AT THE STORE IF THE FAMILY ACCEPTS HIS RESIGNATION.
PLEASE TWEET ABOUT MONTEREY MARKET and the petition.
PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

I love Monterey Market.
I always have.
I always will.
I support Monterey Market from accross the USA and into the United Kingdom.
BUY EAT AT BILLS AND WATCH IT WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW PILED INTO THE LIVINGROOM if you don't believe me when I say this is a place that must be saved!!!!!!

**If you have time to leave a comment here, you have time to write a letter to the Fujimoto's.

Baking Classes in London. Bea's of Bloomsbury 2009 {POSTPONED}

You heard it right !



SHUNA LYDON
LONDON BAKING CLASSES
!
AT BEA'S OF BLOOMSBURY
Cake Shop Extra Ordinaire
44 Theobald's Road
London WC1X 8NW




Premiering Class ~

Meringue etc.: A Myriad of Egg White Possibilities
Egg whites are the backbone of dozens of recipes both sweet and savoury. Egg whites help cakes rise, make souffles turn into clouds of flavour, and play the leading role in meringues. Knowing how to work with egg whites well can lead to endless possibilities in the kitchen, including countless wheat & gluten-free desserts.

But egg whites are tricky. Come to this class and you could leave confident in ways you never imagined! Learn the 'Hows' and 'Whys' of egg whites and their mysterious ways from me, Shuna Lydon, student of the egg & consummate pastry chef, in the sweet kitchen laboratory of Bea's of Bloomsbury cake shop.

29/05/09 ~ THIS CLASS HAS BEEN POSTPONED!
SORRY FOR THE LATE NOTICE
JUNE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY...

Sunday May 31, 2009
4:30 - 7:30 pm
£115*

*This price is negotiable.
As we are just starting out, please do not be afraid of emailing me to negotiate.

1 spot reserved at discounted price for 'assistant' position
----> email me directly if you think this should be you

Shuna Lydon has been teaching baking & knife skills classes for the last 5 years in North America.
Classes link documenting all of these.


Photo by Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes
from my last Egg Whites class.

See you soon?

come one, come all, come hungry to learn!

dessert poems. IV

black sesame dacquoise
roasted banana mousse
macadamia praline
peach & apricot matchsticks; quick saute
tahina foam

lemon gelee
lemon sherbet
lemon confit slice
water caramel
grapefruit supremes
dots of lemon cream
black pepper-vanilla-rosemary shortbread halfcircles; baked until deep golden

very thin layer chocolate souffle-cake
peanut-feuillitine-milk chocolate-vanilla salt crunch
cocoa nib dentelle
milk chocolate-butter caramel cremeaux
another very thin layer chocolate souffle-cake
cocoa powder
slow roasted peanuts

dessert poems. III

buckwheat sable grissini
kasha pot de creme
toasted pumpkin seed-comice pear salad

raw almond milk gelee
toasted israeli cous cous
vanilla salt, long pepper, one caraway seed toasted & crushed
green almonds & cucumber seeds
peeled, sliced and halved green seedless grapes

pink grapefruit
yuzu marmalade
citrus blossom souffle
goat butter shortbread

dessert poems. II

warmed pinenuts, minced golden raisins, moroccan lemon
fromage frais
mint chiffonade
white balsamic gelee

butter caramel
milk chocolate cream
grilled croissant
peanut hot milk
maldon

brunoise lime
roast pineapple
sheep yogurt granite sprinkled over soft yogurt
pistachio-macadamia honey brittle crunch
smoked salt

dessert poems

sucre
genoise
peach leaf syrup
sesame seed mousse
peach slivers layered like peonie petals
peach poach miroir

brioche
goat curd, minced rosemary, sel gris, orange blossom honey
caramelized blood oranges, raspberries
brunoise of raw rhubarb, nicoise olive oil
demerrera sugar

alphonso mango slivers
coconut toasted jasmine rice
vanilla bean sugar
coconut water caramel
fried taro
stolen kiss of fresh lime

Vegan Baking. Substitutions, Solutions & Advice For Flavourful Alternative Baked Goods.

As you know, I belong to the bestest baking group the world has ever seen, The Bakers Dozen. If you love to bake, whether you make money at it or not, you can join. We have 4 meetings a year, and they're all worth calling in sick for. A wealth of inspiring information buzzes through the meetings, and questions and answers and friendships and better cakes and jobs and cookbooks are just a few of the benefits of being a member.

One of my favourite parts about being part of the Bakers Dozen is the opportunity to be in a room full of my heros and heroines, and becoming the same for others. Eggbeater's Guest Author of today's post, Anastasia Kellow, Bakers Dozen member extraordinaire, is one such person!

I feel forever grateful to be in her field of vision. I have no idea where she came from, but Anastasia has been a support and mentor and idea maker for me for a few years now. Not to mention that she brought her entire family to one of my classes a few years ago.

The Bakers Dozen has a Yahoo Group for sharing ideas, asking & answering questions, finding equipment and professional kitchens to rent, looking for staff and announcing wondrous events within the greater Bay Area baking community. (No I am not being paid to do PR for the BD.) recently someone started a thread based on "alternative baking," and Anastasia's answer/comments were so down-to-earth, funny, practical and knowledgable, I asked her if she would be willing to expound more and give a piece to my blog.

Please brew a cup of tea with almond milk and give a warm welcome to Anastasia Kellow, first time guest blog author to eggbeater ~

Vegan Baking Tips

I am not a vegan. I was born with heavy cream coursing through my veins. My grandmother had a Hobart in the garage, and would buy unsalted butter in huge 20 kg blocks. I had a diet rich in both animal and plant sources. One day my body betrayed me. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, it started panicking and doing crazy things. In order to appease it, I started following a whole food, organic, plant-based diet for nearly a year. I’m no Nazi though– I follow a 97/3 rule: 97% of the time I’m on the straight and narrow and 3% is for when, for instance, I’m at Ubuntu, and I have to have the lemon parfait with citrus granita. I've used gelatin for panna cotta, and sometimes eat butter on popcorn. You can eat whatever you like. I may judge, but I’ll never mention it.

I am not a baker. I was formally trained and have worked in professional kitchens, but I can no longer eat any of the primary building blocks of baking. No butter, sugar, eggs, or wheat. In baking terms, that’s like trying to build a house from sand. It’s risky, and you need to approach it very, very carefully.

Clearly these are Shuna’s top two reasons for asking me to post my vegan baking tips.

Vegan baking can be rough going. Most of the cookbooks are written by vegans in search of baked goods, rather than by bakers in search of vegan alternatives. This can mean the focus is not on flavor and texture; it’s about creating a faux product.

In the real vegan world, Earth Balance butter is a rock star. Substitutions like Earth Balance and Ener-G egg replacement are easy, and are the crux of many recipes. If you use margarine in your every day life, have at it. But if like me you’re of the “food should taste great” camp, these sorts of ingredients fall short.

I don’t eat faux meat, and I’m certainly not eating what I consider to be faux cookies!

Rather than rely on vegan baking books, I have found it much more satisfying to create my own recipes based on excellent conventional recipes I trust. 

Below are some starting points for converting recipes. Many of the ingredients are expensive, making them unsuitable for most production baking. You have to rely on your knowledge of baking science, instinct and some amount of tinkering. In the case of substitutions like tofu for eggs, you may also need to alter your technique.

Basic Points:

Focus on flavor. Use best quality fats, spices, grains, chocolates, extracts, etc.

Have all your ingredients at room temperature.

Don’t try to make crazy stuff like angel food cake or soufflé that totally rely on eggs for their execution.

You are creating a new recipe. Don’t expect the same result when you’re altering ingredients.

Aim for deliciousness by any standard. Vegan food should not have a lesser standard.

Feature fruit. It’s super easy and delicious to roast fruit, or make a vegan pie or crisp. Fruit at its peak of flavor takes some pressure of your other elements. Fruits and veggies add moisture and flavor. Pumpkin, zucchini, apples, bananas, and carrots are all good additions..

My disclaimer is that I have not done vast testing. I only bake once or twice a month (see 97/3 rule). I don’t use all-purpose flour and mostly use agave nectar. Multiple substitutions often mean trouble, so start with one element at a time.

Keep in mind that these are all substitutions that work well for me. Plant-based diets are a very personal thing. They range from super healthy to shockingly unhealthy. Please use what works for you, and leave the rest behind.

My Substitutions

For butter, substitute 75% oil or coconut oil.   (1 cup of butter – ¾ c. oil)

Butter is not just a fat – it is a huge flavor enhancer. Consider how much flavor butter usually brings to the table when making your substitution.

Nut oils lend a great flavor if you can afford them. I use walnut oil over something like grapeseed. I don’t use canola, because I find it coats the tongue. If I use oil, I fall back on the quick bread technique – mix liquids, sift dry ingredients, fold together.

Nut butters, like almond, hazelnut, or peanut, can be substituted for a portion of the fat.

Coconut oil is delicious, and can be creamed like butter. It does have an underlying coconutty flavor. Despite being called oil, this fat is solid below 76 degrees Farenheit. [click here for a farenheit to celcius converter] I believe the melting point for butter is 90-95F, so it’s going to bake differently.

Also, Coconut Oil is a saturated fat. There is much brouhaha these days about the nutritional viability of saturated fats. Harbinger of death or nutritional messiah? I can’t say. My nutritionist says it may be a lesser evil than butter, but even she’s not sure.

Coconut butter is not the same as coconut oil. It includes both oil and coconut meat, making it drier and slightly textured. In baking, coconut butter needs to be supplemented with extra moisture. I have used it successfully in pie crust, but mostly I stick to the coconut oil.

For eggs, 1 egg = 1/4 c. firm silken tofu = 1 T ground flaxseed + 3 T water whisked together. I have only done up to 3 eggs.  

Tofu adds more structure than flaxseed. I like it better for cakes and some muffins. The tofu needs to be blended until completely smooth so you don’t end up with lumps. I usually blend all the liquids together, and then fold them into the dry ingredients. I despise the smell of tofu (and most soy products), but the flavor and aroma mostly bake out (or are at least camouflaged by other elements.) Though, as of yet I have not been able to make a successful vanilla flavored item.

Flaxseed is more of a binder than a leavener. It has an earthy flavor that's not always desirable. It works well in cookies that can take the unique flavor-- oatmeal, nut, spice. You can grind up flaxseeds in a coffee grinder, then whisk in the 3T of water. Whisk until you get the gloopy egg white-like consistency. If a cookie has only 1 egg, you can usually go commando.

For buttermilk, 1 c = 1/2 c almond milk + 1/2 c soy yogurt

For cream, equal part (= direct conversion) coconut milk.  This works well for ganache as well as caramel. I have never attempted whipping it up like cream, but I think it would work if you removed some of the water. David Lebovitz has a great recipe for chocolate-coconut sorbet in The Perfect Scoop.

For milk, equal part alternative milk. I use almond milk because I like the flavor.

Grains: before going off wheat, I was using sprouted spelt flour, sprouted wheat flour, oat flour and barley flour. Alternative flours can have strong flavors, which can be a benefit or detriment depending on your perspective.

I often substitute up to 1/3 nut flour, which helps bring some added flavor to the final product. You can certainly stick to AP. If you switch up flours, expect some adjustments in your liquids. Different flours absorb moisture differently.

Though not technically baking, pancakes are an excellent place to start substitutions. They come together quickly, so you can see and taste your results in minutes. If they fall flat, there is still time for toast.

Here is my go to pancake recipe ~

Sprouted Grain Pancakes

-- makes around 12 4” pancakes

½ c. sprouted spelt flour

½ c. sprouted wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

1T agave nectar

¼ c silken tofu

¾ c. plain or vanilla soy yogurt

3/4c. almond milk

2 T coconut butter, melted

½ t vanilla

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour all the liquids (agave nectar through vanilla) into a blender, and mix on high speed until tofu is completely smooth. This might take a couple minutes. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients, folding gently, taking care not to overmix.

Heat a non-stick griddle over medium low heat until water beads dance on the surface. Pour 1/3 c. (or any size you like) pancakes on the grill and brown on each side.

Serve with genuine maple syrup.

Damian Allsop Re-Invents Chocolate.

A few years ago I came across a story in the Wednesday NY Times food section about a man I once met who was doing something very interesting with bread. I read and reread the article and each time became more excited, and better educated.

And then the Internet caught fire. And every blogger made that recipe; one woman made it dozens and dozens of times. No Knead Bread.

Who Knew?

Yesterday, in The Guardian, journalist Lucy Cavendish interviewed Damian Allsop, chocolatier extraordinaire, on the subject of making chocolate in a completely new way.

Anyone who knows anything about chocolate making, candy making, ganache and truffle and mousse and cake making knows this: water is the enemy of chocolate.

Not anymore.

Allow me to step aside humbly, and allow you to read the words yourself, Damian Allsop has forever changed the way chocolatiers think, create, muse, ponder and enhance their elusive, exquisite, enchanting, beguiling, delicious and intense creations.

Alchemy will never be the same.

Thank you people like Jim Lahey and Damien Allsop for continuing to make discoveries in this field I call home. I think I can speak for Pastry Chefs and chocolate eaters all over the world when I say without people like you the world would be a far less delicious place to inhabit.