Tea + Chocolate

admin — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:06:56 +0000

Pairings of Tea and Chocolate

I have been submerged in tea of late though my wont of combining tea + chocolate is not entirely new. I first infused jasmine tea in white chocolate when I started Vosges in 1998, it was in my list of first 21 truffles ever created, but it was cut from the exotic truffle collection launch. Then years later is was finally debuted in the spring Les Fleurs du Chocolat truffle collection. The Siam truffle combines jasmine green tea, lemongrass, fresh coconut and Dominican white chocolate and topped with a bright marigold petal (the combo based on an across the river, barefoot drinking tea memory at The Oriental Hotel’s spa in Bangkok). The fragrant jasmine tea against the sweet white chocolate is as refreshing as a honeysuckle spring gale.

Some years later, I added the Matcha Bar to our line of Exotic Candy Bars after attending my first Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto. Japanese Matcha Green Tea (a young green tea pulverized into poudre) is combined with 41% deep milk chocolate. The grassy and bamboo undertones of the green tea gently rise around deep milk chocolate, making this a can’t-stop-nibbling bar.

More recently, I have further immersed myself into tea + chocolate pairings through collaborations with tea experts. My friend Arsen is owner of Argo Tea, another Chicago-based food company and a neighboring boutique at O’Hare. There are many synergies between the two of us in our gathering of teas, spices and flowers from around the world, so Arsen and I decided to create a tea and chocolate series for his tea shoppes. The three new bars include Chai, Green Tea Ginger Twist and Tea Sangria. I am currently working on my favorite with their breathtakingly beautiful hibiscus pomegranate tea. Stay tuned.

Last week, in order to taste some teas from another tea friend, MLTea, I broke out my new Zojirushi electric water heater specifically for tea. It takes all the guesswork out of perfecting tea brewing. You just set the temperature for the proper tea and start infusing. If you are brewing all tea at the same temperature, you must get up to speed! Find a basic tea brewing temperature guide here. Or, just buy a Zojirushi to do all the work for you. Ahh… Japanese gadgets, I love you.

To pair tea + chocolate, gather a few of your favorite teas and a variety of chocolates. (The Exotic Mini Candy Bar Library will get you off to a good start.) I usually like to take a sip of the tea first to warm my mouth. Then, a nibble of the chocolate and another sip. It is good to experiment taking the chocolate in while the liquid is still in your mouth or after. Inhale deeply and become aware of the different flavors evolving on your tongue. In a proper pairing, the two will enhance each other.

Some of my favorite MLTea-Vosges Exotic Candy Bar pairings were the Kyoto Rice tea with Matcha Bar or the Naga Bar. The toasted rice adds a warm toasty flavor that is nice against Naga’s curry. The Verbena Mint Organic is nice alongside a straight Organic Dominica Noir dark chocolate.

Both tea drinking and Exotic Chocolate Bar tasting lend themselves to ceremony. This winter, break out your teacups and linens and turn a cozy afternoon into a tea pairing party.

Ricotta & Chocolate

admin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:10:32 +0000

Fresh Ricotta Cheese with Olive oil and Dark Chocolate

I first experimented with cheese and chocolate while developing the Rooster truffle. The dark chocolate truffle combines taleggio cheese with organic walnuts and anchors the Collezione Italiano. Included in the collection are four other savory flavors with Italian inspiration.

Ricotta is a much milder cheese but works just as well with dark chocolate. Ricotta is a fresh, snowy white cheese with the texture of cottage cheese. It has a rich but mild slightly sweet flavor and can be used for savory or sweet dishes. You must use FRESH ricotta for this recipe! If you have trouble finding it, you can always make your own.

Using quality ingredients is paramount. One of my favorite things to do is pair the perfect combinations of olive oil , salts, peppers and other ingredients. Finally, I match them to their chocolate mate. For this recipe, I crumbled a 65% Venezuelan dark chocolate atop the cheese.

Serve this Ricotta with an hors d’oeuvre plate. I included nuts, cherries, a few other cheeses and some black pepper crackers. The La Panzanella black pepper crackers might just be the best crackers I have ever had in my life!

Fresh Ricotta Cheese with Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate

2 cups (or lbs.) Fresh Ricotta Cheese
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (try Barilla)
A pinch Pink salt (try Murray’s River)
A pinch White Pepper
1 1/2 ounces Dark Chocolate (try 65% dark, Venezuelan)

Place Ricotta in a dish. Stir in salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Chop dark chocolate into fine slivers and sprinkle atop. Serve with crackers.

Peace Love & Chocolate » pairings

Tea + Chocolate

Pairings of Tea and Chocolate

Ricotta & Chocolate

Fresh Ricotta Cheese with Olive oil and Dark Chocolate