Well, I had my first "show" this past week-end, and although it was not a well attended show, there were people that came by along with the vendors. I gave out samples of my wonderful truffles, pieces of my almond bark toffee and the chilli truffle for people who liked "heat" with their chocolate.
After a while, it was fun to just watch the reaction of people who thought they were going to taste some ordinary chocolate. Their faces changed, they smiled and then their expressions lit up as they realized they were tasting something quite wonderful. The comments - anything from "wow" to "you MADE these" was wondeful to hear.
I knew my truffles were delicious, and so unique. But hearing it from so many people was such a giddy feeling. I almost felt like Sally Fields - "you like 'them', you REALLY like them!" I sold quite a few chocolates including a variety of truffles, individual chilli truffles, almond bark and sourdouogh pretzels dipped in caramel and then, milk chocolate - YUM!!!
Now I will focus on my next show - in Prescott, Ajugust 14, and 15 - at the Mountain Fine Arts and Crafts Show. Hopefully, I will do well with this show also.
I am also going to check out some of the Farmer's Markets up north where it is cooler so I can keep protecting my marvelous chocolates!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ouzo
Well, I have been experimenting with different flavors. Cat Cora, the only female Iron Chef on Food Network was coming to a book signing close to where I live. After researching her likes and dislikes, my son reminded me that she is Greek and that her team salutes the end of each competition with Ouzo, (a Greek wine that has sort of the taste of black licorice)! Wow , I thought. How do I make a truffle with an Ouzo flavor????
I went back to my little test kitchen with a good bottle of Ouzo and went to town. I made dark chocolate ganache, and white chocolate ganache and used Gittard's white chocolate for the shell. Some had a dark chocolate ganache with a layer of dark chocolate shell inside the white shell, some just had dark chocolate ganace inside the white shell, then there was white chocolate ganache inside the white shell and white ganache with a layer of dark chcolate shell inside the white shell. I painted each different mixture with a special blue mark (Greek's colors are Blue and White!)
The next step was to bring my "experiments" to my friends who are always anxious to taste my new flavors and give their opinions. A lot of people liked the dark chocolate ganache inside the white shell, but when people who REALLY liked Ouzo tasted all four of them, the best flavor was the white chocolate ganache inside a white shell. I must say that while I am not a big fan of Ouzo, this truffle was really good!
I went to the bookstore, bought her wonderful new cookbook, and stood in line with a box of my chocolate truffles, with the white Ouzo truffle in the center. As timid as I was to be facing the only female Iron Chef of Food Network, I was delighted when her eyes lit up at hearing that someone had made her an Ouzo truffle!
She has my card and hopefullly she will try the chocolates and rave to the whole Food Network about how great my chocolates are. And hopefully she will not be able to live without my Ouzo truffles!!!!!
I went back to my little test kitchen with a good bottle of Ouzo and went to town. I made dark chocolate ganache, and white chocolate ganache and used Gittard's white chocolate for the shell. Some had a dark chocolate ganache with a layer of dark chocolate shell inside the white shell, some just had dark chocolate ganace inside the white shell, then there was white chocolate ganache inside the white shell and white ganache with a layer of dark chcolate shell inside the white shell. I painted each different mixture with a special blue mark (Greek's colors are Blue and White!)
The next step was to bring my "experiments" to my friends who are always anxious to taste my new flavors and give their opinions. A lot of people liked the dark chocolate ganache inside the white shell, but when people who REALLY liked Ouzo tasted all four of them, the best flavor was the white chocolate ganache inside a white shell. I must say that while I am not a big fan of Ouzo, this truffle was really good!
I went to the bookstore, bought her wonderful new cookbook, and stood in line with a box of my chocolate truffles, with the white Ouzo truffle in the center. As timid as I was to be facing the only female Iron Chef of Food Network, I was delighted when her eyes lit up at hearing that someone had made her an Ouzo truffle!
She has my card and hopefullly she will try the chocolates and rave to the whole Food Network about how great my chocolates are. And hopefully she will not be able to live without my Ouzo truffles!!!!!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Back from France
Well, I know I haven't written any updates in a while. Part of the reason was that I was preparing for my trip to France, then I was in France, and now I'm back!
After completing the online Chocolatier's course last November, I decided to take the Master's Course arranged by the online school. The course took us to France, and down to a little village in the Rhone Valley near Lyon, called Tran Hermitage. This is the headquarters of one of the most pretigious chocolate manufacturers - Valrhona. If you google Valrhona you will learn that this chocolate company actually has fair trade arrangements with cocoa plantations, some of which are kept secret because they produce some of the best cocoa beans ever!
I landed in Paris, met up with my assigned roommate, Tessa from the UK and then with the other 9 students and our instructor, Pam. Students came from all over - Bejing, Canada, Switzerland, and of course the US. We took the train to Tran Hermitage, were treated to a wonderful dinner and then the next morning met with the chefs from Valrhona.
Here I must mention that Valrhona usually only offers chcoolatiering courses to chefs from France and other countries. We were the only group that was different.
We were met by two chefs, Chirstopher and David. David wore a red, white and blue collar on his chef's coat. We learned later that he had earned this special ecoration dbecause of the competition offered in France every three years for Pastry Chefs, Chocolatiers and Ice Cream Chefs. Sometimes no one wins this award if they don't meet up to the standards of the competition. David won his award for all three!
For the next three days, we were in teams making about 40 different recipes with chocolate. It was a demanding and challenging three days with David expecting perfection from us AND we achieved it!
After we finished at Valrhona, we were priviledged to visit another famous chocolatier's factory just outside of Paris - Patrick Roger. While this chef usually never allows anyone in to his factory, he met us and graciously gave us a tour of all his productions. Another awesome expxerience!!!
Now I am home, and working to market my chocolagte business. I have an exceptional product, with reasonable prices. I have also developed some "designer" chocolates like Cayenne pepper truffles which are very good, if you like spice with your chocolate. I am also working on developing wine flavored truffles as well as bacon flavored truffles!!!
Please think of me when needing gifts or just wanting some exceptional cocolates!
After completing the online Chocolatier's course last November, I decided to take the Master's Course arranged by the online school. The course took us to France, and down to a little village in the Rhone Valley near Lyon, called Tran Hermitage. This is the headquarters of one of the most pretigious chocolate manufacturers - Valrhona. If you google Valrhona you will learn that this chocolate company actually has fair trade arrangements with cocoa plantations, some of which are kept secret because they produce some of the best cocoa beans ever!
I landed in Paris, met up with my assigned roommate, Tessa from the UK and then with the other 9 students and our instructor, Pam. Students came from all over - Bejing, Canada, Switzerland, and of course the US. We took the train to Tran Hermitage, were treated to a wonderful dinner and then the next morning met with the chefs from Valrhona.
Here I must mention that Valrhona usually only offers chcoolatiering courses to chefs from France and other countries. We were the only group that was different.
We were met by two chefs, Chirstopher and David. David wore a red, white and blue collar on his chef's coat. We learned later that he had earned this special ecoration dbecause of the competition offered in France every three years for Pastry Chefs, Chocolatiers and Ice Cream Chefs. Sometimes no one wins this award if they don't meet up to the standards of the competition. David won his award for all three!
For the next three days, we were in teams making about 40 different recipes with chocolate. It was a demanding and challenging three days with David expecting perfection from us AND we achieved it!
After we finished at Valrhona, we were priviledged to visit another famous chocolatier's factory just outside of Paris - Patrick Roger. While this chef usually never allows anyone in to his factory, he met us and graciously gave us a tour of all his productions. Another awesome expxerience!!!
Now I am home, and working to market my chocolagte business. I have an exceptional product, with reasonable prices. I have also developed some "designer" chocolates like Cayenne pepper truffles which are very good, if you like spice with your chocolate. I am also working on developing wine flavored truffles as well as bacon flavored truffles!!!
Please think of me when needing gifts or just wanting some exceptional cocolates!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Webite
Well, I am back on the blog world. I finished my web site - chocolatesbymj.com. I am really excited because I can now expand with this website. Now I can send some of my chocolates to people all over. There is a website that will feature my chocolates if thye like them. Now I can send them and see if I make the "cut".
This Saturday I will make a marathon of trufflesw and other fillings. I need to have a stock on hand for the coming orders.
Someone told me that I should tell you all why my products are so special. First of all I start with Belgian and French chocolates. Then they are tempered - without that process, everything would be mush! After tempering the chocolate is put into decorated molds. In the meantime, while the chocolate is tempering I make the centers. I use only fresh heavy cream, more of the Belgian and French chocolates and sometimes fresh butter. Then this is flavored with different natural oils, alcohol or other delicious flavors. When the shells are set, the centers are pippe into them by hand. Then more waiting until the centers set. Then the truffles are capped with more tempered chocolate. It's a fine dance tol keep the chocolate temperede and the fillings at the right temperature but when they come out of the molds, all shiny and beautifully decorated it is all worth it!
This Saturday I will make a marathon of trufflesw and other fillings. I need to have a stock on hand for the coming orders.
Someone told me that I should tell you all why my products are so special. First of all I start with Belgian and French chocolates. Then they are tempered - without that process, everything would be mush! After tempering the chocolate is put into decorated molds. In the meantime, while the chocolate is tempering I make the centers. I use only fresh heavy cream, more of the Belgian and French chocolates and sometimes fresh butter. Then this is flavored with different natural oils, alcohol or other delicious flavors. When the shells are set, the centers are pippe into them by hand. Then more waiting until the centers set. Then the truffles are capped with more tempered chocolate. It's a fine dance tol keep the chocolate temperede and the fillings at the right temperature but when they come out of the molds, all shiny and beautifully decorated it is all worth it!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tomorrow is a new day
Well, tomorow I start movoing all my "stuff" into the commercial kitchen. I get a key and then have to organize a big production. Now I'm in the "bigger" leagues. Have figured out how many I have to make in one run so that the chocolates don't cost $5.00 each - lol.
It's a little scary but fun trying to learn how to successfully run a business AND enjoy making the beuatiful chocolates that I love to make.
So far everyone who has tasted them, raves about their delicious flavors.
Please pass the work around that people can start ordering them from me. Will have a Valentine's line going, and start preparing for Easter, as well as just making my wonderful truffles.
Well that's all for now. Gotta go and get some sleep.
It's a little scary but fun trying to learn how to successfully run a business AND enjoy making the beuatiful chocolates that I love to make.
So far everyone who has tasted them, raves about their delicious flavors.
Please pass the work around that people can start ordering them from me. Will have a Valentine's line going, and start preparing for Easter, as well as just making my wonderful truffles.
Well that's all for now. Gotta go and get some sleep.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Next big step
Well this week I move all my equipment to the commercial kitchen. This way I can now make chocolates and sell them to restaurants, catering companies and anyone else who wants them. I have a food handlers card and know all the sanitary rules. Now it's one to sellling lots of my delicious chocolates to the world!!!
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