Notes From The City

Sunday, February 11, 2018

An Abundant Life - Sweetness And Love

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

With Seasonal Help

Including Thomas Jardine

Or As Milène Describes Him

"Pa/Best Father Ever"
Following Six Photographs
Courtesy of Milène Jardine

Fresh Zest of Orange

Whisked With Galliano And The Finest Cream

For "Tradition - Harvey Wallbanger"

Video Courtesy of Milène Jardine

"Goddess"

Made With Fresh Hibiscus And Mint

Photograph Courtesy of Milène Jardine

An In-Flight Tasting

Photograph Courtesy of Milène Jardine

Five Piece Gift Box

Photograph Courtesy of Milène Jardine

Fifteen Piece Gift Box

Photograph Courtesy of Milène Jardine

"Lionheart"
The Newest Addition At Home

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

Sunday, February 4, 2018

An Abundant Life - An Irish Dream

Several months ago I read about an event at a restaurant where Guinness would be having pouring contests. I was very busy that day and couldn't be there that evening, but I love Guinness so much and have for such a long time, that I wanted to stop by the place where it was being held and see if I could find out more about it. It was being held at Hibernia Bar & Grill, and so after my first appointment that day, I stopped by on my way to the next and found the most inviting Irish neighborhood bar I'd seen in New York City in years. There are sports bars, and Irish themed bars, there are pubs and places where you can find Guinness on tap, but there are very few if any left any more that have remained of the places where you could just stop by and have a bite to eat, a perfect pint and some good conversation. The first day I went there it was cold and wet, with an unseasonable chill that made the warmth of the people who welcomed me seem all the brighter. I explained why I was there, and Sean Burger introduced himself to me and said that I could come back on another day and learn how pour a perfect pint from the lovely bartender Jordan Carey who welcomes new friends and old with a beautiful smile, and though I wouldn't be able to go behind the bar, that was perfect for me because I wanted to take photos to post in the blog and on Instagram. Before I left, Sean Burger showed me a mural that had just been completed on the front gate by the wonderful artist Jeremy Wolff for the upcoming UFC match. It was Conor McGregor in fighting glory, a tribute fit for a king and an out of doors covering that would protect this palace's windows during UFC matches and the other special sports events that Hibernia hosts throughout the seasons.

When I came back the second time, a few weeks later, Jordan took me through the steps of pouring a pint of Guinness, sharing that there really is some specific timing to pour and sit and pour and sit again until you top it off. She also pointed out the harp on the Guinness glass and explained how integral that is to the pour because at one of the steps you pour to the harp before you let it sit again before topping it off. I've had more than my share of pints of Guinness and though I've always enjoyed them in the past and thought I'd had some of the best, the pint that Jordan poured me that day was sublimely perfect. Though Guinness is so rich and dark, the pint Jordan poured was creamy and light, the richness and fullness of the flavor more refreshing than any I'd had. As I enjoyed my pint, I listened to the ebb and flow of conversation around me and I understood that people came into Hibernia to feel at home.

As I talked to Sean Burger and Jordan Carey, I saw that there was really delicious looking food being served, and when I asked to see a menu I was pleasantly surprised. The kitchen is located in an area not visible in the bar, so I hadn't realized that they had such a full selection to offer. They told me that they served Irish Breakfast, something that I've never had anywhere, and when I heard they served it all day I told them I wanted to come back to try that before I wrote the blog post. It took me a few months because I wanted to save my appetite for a time when I was really hungry, and then one night when I was meeting a very dear long time friend on 9th Avenue I decided that it was the perfect time. My friend and I weren't sure what we were in the mood for, and as we walked I remembered that Irish Breakfast. It was 6:00pm on a cold day after Thanksgiving, and I couldn't think of a better way to share some time with a good friend. It was perfect and delicious and of course more than enough, and with a perfect pint poured by the lovely Jordan, my Irish dream of an evening was made complete. Whether for the big games, the big fights, the larger special events or smaller more intimate afternoons or evenings, Hibernia Bar & Grill is always a wonderful place to find yourself.

Hibernia Bar & Grill

401 West 50th Street

New York City

www.hiberniabar.com