Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

The name that Chocolatier Milène Jardine gave to her premier collection of couture truffles is "Live By Love," and that tag line runs throughout her website and social media posts. If I hadn't met her and understood that she is a healer at heart, I would have thought that she simply makes chocolate because she loves it and she wants to share that love, but that is only part of a much larger and much more beautiful story. There is nothing simple about Milène Jardine's truffles - they are individual artworks made with much time and care and handcrafted with the finest of all natural ingredients selected and blended with an eye and palate attuned to flavor and beauty and sublime sensory experience.

The first time I met Milène, she was at a culinary event at the City Opera Thrift Store along with some of the other food entrepreneurs who work out of the wonderful Entrepreneur Space in Queens that I have written about in these pages before. As I went from station to station I was delighted with the quality and personality of each person presenting, and when I found Milène, it was a dream come true. I have always loved Valrhona Chocolate - I have written before about a wonderful class I attended at their workshop in Brooklyn, and how that has long been my favorite chocolate to cook with. And here was this petite powerhouse of a Chocolatier with a display of the most beautiful truffles I've ever seen, and the chocolate she was using is my favorite Valrhona. I tried the one she calls Serenity that day, made with Irish whiskey, natural maple and Sea Salt - as she describes it herself, her collection "takes you on a journey to five countries across diverse continents" and Serenity reflects her experience of Ireland, with the exquisite merging of flavors meant to "carry you away to tranquility" which I can certainly say that at the end of a long, hot and busy summer day in Manhattan, they did.

I followed up with a meeting out at Entrepreneur Space to talk a bit more, and then visited her in the kitchen one evening when she was joined by the wonderful Chef Esteban Arias, who in spite of his busy schedule traveling all over to share his amazing chocolate and ice cream skills in some of New York City's finest kitchens is always a faithful help and support in Milène's truffle production. Her energy is contagious and I would have loved to have stayed there for the full length of time, but the end of her day would be some time around midnight and I needed to be well on my way home long before then. I did have a chance to see some of the wonderful activity and smell the gorgeous scents of the ingredients she uses. In addition to that perfection of Valrhona chocolate, she adds the finest fresh cream, real butter, and again in her words, "herbs and spices to heal the body." If chocolate can ever be healthy, Milène Jardine is making it so. The full line-up in her premier collection, in her own words, is as follows:

"Tradition - Harvey Wallbanger - A tribute to my grandfather’s celebrated Harvey Wallbanger cake, with a zest of orange and splash of herbaceous Galliano Liqueur. These flavors remind me of family, humor, and my home in the USA.

"Sanctuary - Ginger/ Turmeric/ Black Pepper - Influenced by the peace and divinity I found while exploring the temples of Japan and India. Ginger and turmeric are heated to bring chocolate and black pepper to an intense yet subtle flavor that balances and calms the body.

"Goddess - Hibiscus/ Mint – Honoring the female rulers of ancient Egypt, these chocolates were inspired by the Nile Valley tea of the pharaohs. Hibiscus, known for its refreshing and cooling effects on the body, is accented with sweet mint.

"Puriste - Dark Chocolate - Channels the passionate and devoted love of chocolate by the French people. Every time I create a batch of Puriste, I am transported to my favorite chocolate shops in Paris where art and food meet like lovers on the Seine River.

"Serenity - Whiskey/ Sea Salt - Inspired by the beauty and peaceful nature of Ireland where I fell in love with my father’s Irish heritage. Let the rich flavor of whiskey sweetened with natural maple contrasted with savory sea salt carry you away to tranquility."

In addition to these always perfect delights, as she travels and explores and blends and is inspired, she creates new taste sensations to inspire us all. The newest addition is "Lionheart," which is available in the "Winter Collection" gift box. A mixture of hops flower, cloudberry and real beer inspired by a hiking trip to the summit of Norway's Preikestolen, it will lift you up to float in the clouds on the happiest of mountain peaks while reminding you of the strength and courage it takes to get there. Combining her childhood love of making sweets with a history of travel, business experience and intense high level training at Macy's renowned Private Label Headquarters, the artisanal chocolates Milène Jardine creates are priceless. Available in five piece or fifteen piece boxes that are so freshly made they are perfection, as special gifts, business gifts or a beautiful gift for yourself. Follow her online, send an email, and sign up for her mailing list for special events. Her knowledge and expertise combined with her joie de vivre and love make every event she's involved in a memorable one.

Milène Jardine
Creating Deliciously

At Entrepreneur Space
http://espacelic.com/

www.milenejardine.com