Chew-Wow!

If you have been afraid to make your own chocolates because you thought it was too hard, a chocolate class might be the perfect thing for you. Here in San Diego we are fortunate to have our very own artisan chocolate maker, Chuao (pronounced “chew-wow”) Chocolatier.  During regular hours at the Chuao main location in the Encinitas Lumberyard, customers shopping in the store can see the chocolates being made in the production area just behind the glass display counters.  But if you really want an in-depth look into how their chocolates are made, sign up for one of their beginner’s courses, held on Wednesday evenings just after the store closes.

Last night I attended a Level I class, which introduces the cacao bean, details the origins and manufacturing of chocolate, and offers a hands-on lesson in rolling and dipping truffles.

The class began with a short 10-minute documentary explaining the history of chocolate and Venezuelan chocolate, in particular. The video was produced by Chocolates El Rey, a Venezuelan maker of premium chocolate and one of the first companies to follow cacao production all the way from beans to finished chocolate.   

A lifelong chocolate lover, I thought I knew everything there was to know about chocolate.  But I learned a few new facts.  Did you know that cacao beans were once so valuable that they were used a means of currency to pay taxes and buy slaves?  Ten beans could buy you the favors of a woman.  (Even back then, some women would do anything for chocolate.)

After the video, Michael Antonorsi, one of Chuao’s owners, led us through a quick tasting.  We started with a “typical Venezuelan” 58% chocolate, very fruity and sweet.  Then we tried a Guittard 61 % chocolate made from African forastero beans.  This chocolate was less sweet and more what we are accustomed to eating, since much of the world’s cacao production comes from Africa.  Venezuela, once a major producer, now only accounts about 1% of world chocolate production. (For more information, see the International Cocoa Organization website.) 

We moved on to a 73% Venezuelan chocolate.  This dark chocolate was earthier, with higher acidity, and intense chocolate flavor.  Finally, we tried a 100% chocolate from the Chuao region of Venezuela.  As anyone who has unwittingly eaten unsweetened chocolate knows, the experience is similar to eating chalk—gritty and bitter. 

Finally, we passed around a bowl of cacao beans still in their shells. The fermented, but unroasted, beans had a sharp, acidic smell.  (This, incidentally, is the form in which they are still traded on the international cocoa market.)  We each took one bean to taste.  Shelled, the dark nib inside had a raw, nutty flavor. 

Now that we had learned about the history and process of bringing chocolate to the market, it was time to make some of our own.   Michael went over to the chocolate melting machine (below), filled a huge bowl full of molten chocolate, and poured it out onto the table in front of us. 

As the milk chocolate puddle began to ooze precariously close to the edge of the granite table, Michael handed us spatulas and explained the process of tempering.  As we continuously redirected the flow the chocolate from the edges back to the center of the table, we cooled the chocolate from its initial temperature (over 100) to about 85 degrees.

Then it was off to the back kitchen where we watched the praline being made.  Using an enormous copper bowl over a gas flame, Michael made caramel, adding one tablespoon of sugar at a time and stirring vigorously with a long wooden spoon.  As smoke rose from the bowl, he explained that he always brought the mixture nearly to the point of burning in order to achieve the dark caramel color and taste he desired.  (Indeed, the finished caramel, shown here spread out on a sheet pan to cool, was as dark as black coffee.) 

Roasted hazelnuts were then added and the mixture was placed in a freezer.  Once cooled, he broke the brittle into large chunks and ground the mixture in a food processor for 10 minutes, until it reached the consistency of nut butter. 

To make the ganache, he brought cream (to which he had added glucose as a stabilizer) to a boil and poured it into a bowl of chocolate pieces.  Vigorous stirring transformed the mixture from an oily, gritty mess to a velvety smooth liquid chocolate.

Wearing our white plastic aprons and having washed our hands (per health department regulations), we separated into three groups of eight and began rolling truffles.  The idea, as demonstrated effortlessly by Michael, was to lightly coat your hands in cocoa powder and then roll the ganache into a perfect sphere. My first attempt was a little less than perfect.  As I rolled the ganache between my palms, it absorbed the cocoa powder and became a gooey mass that stuck stubbornly to my hands before finally plopping onto a waiting sheet pan lined with parchment paper.      

After making a dozen spiky blobs, however, I slowly began to get the hang of it.   The trick was to work quickly, before the warmth of my hands could soften and melt the chocolate.  Once all of the truffles had been shaped, it was time to dip them in melted chocolate, creating another tasting opportunity.   

Still, there are worse things in the world than having your fingers covered with chocolate, aren’t there?  After we had finished rolling and were waiting to wash our hands, the boy standing in line front of me, as slowly and methodically as a cat, licked all the chocolate off his palms.

The praline truffles were made in a similar manner, using powdered sugar rather than cocoa. 

Once dipped, the pralines were quickly rolled in toasted almonds and pistachios. Throughout the class, Michael encouraged us to eat as many truffles as we wanted (provided we wash our hands before continuing).

The class concluded with a wine and chocolate pairing, where we had the opportunity to eat yet more chocolate.  We sampled four different Chuao bonbons (Rio Caribe, Framboise, Candela and Picante) served with both red and white wine.

I loved the spiciness of the Picante, made with pasilla chile and cayenne pepper, paired with the late harvest Zinfandel.  Another wining combination was the Pumpkin Spice bonbon with the white wine.  Although it’s not in the regular catalog, the pumpkin bonbon is one of Chuao’s monthly-featured flavors. 

Assisting us in the class was Tricia, Chuao’s new pastry chef, who is developing and testing a line of baked goods for the stores.  Look for those to be on sale by the end of the year. 

By the way, if you happen by the store today hoping to spot some of my spiky misshapen wild truffles, you are out of luck.  All of the truffles we made last night were divided evenly among the class and sent home in our sticky fingers. But if you want to make some of your own, classes are offered every week.  It’s a lot of fun and a great excuse to eat chocolate for dinner.

Be sure to check out Michael Antonorsi (far right) and his partners at the Celebrate the Craft event this Sunday, October 9.

Comments

[Beth - The Zen Foodist]

Wow. I've heard about these chocolate classes at Chuao. I'm so impressed that you attended one. And thanks for the great photos and info. Are you going to take any of the more advanced classes?

[yi]

It looked so good. There are nothing better than a cup of good coffee or tea and some fancy chocolate. Little piece goes a long way. Love those pictures. I am about ready to lick the hand that in the picture. BTW, what camera you are using, your picture always look so perfect.

[Kirk]

Hi Angie - I'd just been to the UTC shop this past week to pick up some "stuff" to send home, and even have the flyer for chocolate classes for the Missus, I must say, the shop is pretty impressive. Sounds like you had a blast!

[Angie]

Beth--

I went with my daughter and we had a lot of fun, although next time I'll eat dinner before I go. Sure, I would be willing to do another class. I'm not all that interested in making fancy decorative chocolates myself, but I enjoyed seeing how it's done. And eating them!

Yi--

Yes, one or two pieces is usually enough for me. I think it has more to do with flavor than quantity. One piece of really good chocolate can be more satisfying than a pound of the mediocre stuff.

Thanks, I love taking photos and that's what usually inspires my writing. I have 2 cameras. Well, er, actually my husband bought them for his work, but since I use them much more often, I have kind of appropriated them.

I use a Nikon D70 at home and when I know I am going out to take photographs. The closeup of the truffle at the top was from the D70.

I also have a Sony Cybershot DSC-U20 which I keep in my purse and carry with me at all times. It's smaller than most cellphones and it's great for those impromptu shots or when you don't want to attract too much attention. I used that for all of the chocolate class photos above.

[Angie]

Kirk--

Yes, it's amazing what Chuao has done in the 3 years since they started. They have expanded pretty quickly. But Michael Antonornsi told me they have done enough for now. It's still pretty much a family-run business and they want to stay local.

[sam]

just discovered you - nice looking blog!
where were you when I visited san diego??!
look forward to seeing more

sam

[Angie]

Thanks, Sam, and welcome. I enjoy your Becks & Posh blog (http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/).

Guess you'll just have to come back and visit San Diego again. In terms of being a food town it's no match for San Francisco, but in the 15 years I've been here things have certainly come a long way.