Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

I love to cook, and I love chocolate. My mother is a wonderful cook, and so was my father, and they both taught me some very basic recipes that they thought were fundamental, as well as giving me training in understanding the importance of using and identifying quality ingredients. One of the first recipes I learned was for a dessert that was a variation on chocolate mousse. In addition to learning how to separate eggs and beat egg-whites until they are stiff, making chocolate mousse involves working with chocolate as something that you melt and then fold in and then allow to cool into a delightfully velvety and fluffy mixture that is both rich in chocolate and light as air. The recipe I learned used the now old fashioned cookies called lady fingers to enclose the mousse in a parfait dish and be used to to make layers throughout. I haven't made that recipe in years, but I still use the techniques my mother taught me in the making of it when I make individual chocolate mousse in ramekins and for so many other delightful deserts and dishes.

When I first started putting together my own kitchen, one of the first things I bought was a double boiler to make sure I could melt chocolate properly. Over the years I discovered the sauce pans I now use that are copper lined with stainless steel. Although my pans have changed, my preferred chocolate has not. Since the moment I discovered Valrhona Chocolate, it's perfect texture and rich and intense flavor have kept me captivated.

A few weeks ago I received an invitation to attend the La Maison du Chocolat holiday preview and special "chocolate atelier" with Master Chef Nicolas Cloiseau. The invitation alone had my mouth watering, and when I read that it was to be held at L'Ecole Valrhona, I was in heaven. The opportunity to spend the afternoon with the best chocolatier in the best chocolate factory in world is the stuff that dreams are made of. If you are a chocolate lover and you have tried Valrhona, I know you will understand, and if you have not tried it you have a treat of a lifetime coming. Just make sure you buy a bigger piece than you think you'll need for your recipe because the the taste is so divine you'll want to nibble it all by itself. And as for La Maison du Chocolat and Master Chef Nicolas Cloiseau, there are no words to describe how delightful they are. By the first few sips of the wonderful hot chocolate that greeted me at the door I was tipsy with happiness, and throughout the rest of the day the joyfulness shared with each taste of chocolate brought me such a profound sense of fulfillment that I felt my cup truly runneth over.

La Maison du Chocolat Holiday Preview And Special "Chocolate Atelier"

With Master Chef Nicolas Cloiseau

At L'Ecole Valrhona

222 Water Street

Brooklyn, NY

www.valrhonaprofessionals.com

www.valrhona-chocolate.com

www.lamaisonduchocolat.us

Two Varieties Of Hot Chocolate To Delight The Palate