LET’S TALK CHOCOLATE

Light, dense, liquid, and bark

PHOTOS By noushin nourizadeh

There’s nothing quite like the rich aroma and flavor of chocolate. With more than 600 flavor compounds, it engulfs the palate and adds a new dimension to any recipe.

Chocolate starts out as a bean. Raw cacao (or cocoa) beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground to an oily paste, which can be separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In its most natural form, chocolate tastes bitter until we add sugar. From there, the possibilities are endless. Chocolate is as versatile as it is delicious, inspiring chefs to whip up remarkable concoctions all about town.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Traced back to the late nineteenth century, chocolate mousse has many stories about its origin. The dessert was originally called mayonnaise de chocolat. French post-Impressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who also dabbled in the art of cooking, is credited with creating one of the first recipes. Throughout the twentieth century, recipes for the fluffy dessert evolved and today, chocolate mousse is a classic. From light and frothy to creamy and dense, chocolate mousse is a favorite which can be served in many ways.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING
Food historians trace the history of bread pudding to the High Middle Ages, as frugal cooks created ways to use stale, leftover bread. Back then, bread pudding was known as “poor man’s pudding.” Bread that was hard to chew was soaked in sweet liquid until it softened, then baked in the oven until golden and served warm. While initially a dish associated with England’s lower class, bread pudding eventually moved up the ladder of culinary esteem. Somewhere along the line, this dish was introduced to chocolate, and voilà! Chocolate bread pudding is a perfectly moist, custard dessert with a not-too-sweet taste.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MARTINI
The story behind the espresso martini is that British mixologist Dick Bradsell invented it in the early 1980s for a top British model. Legend has it that she wanted a cocktail that would wake her up and the espresso martini did just that. The chocolate espresso martini is one ingredient better, adding a chocolate liqueur or crème de cacao to enhance the bold espresso flavor. Cocoa beans are set atop the frothy foam to represent powerful affirmations such as health, wealth, and happiness.

CHOCOLATE BARK
Simple in theory, chocolate bark can be made lickety-split. Start with a chocolate base, add a layer or two of almost anything, and you have something that qualifies as chocolate bark. But the deliciousness lies in the details, like tempered chocolate. Tempered chocolate has a shiny, flawless appearance and makes a firm, crisp snap when broken. It also overwhelms the tastebuds with chocolate flavor. With the base in place, chefs let their imaginations run wild to make exciting layers of textures and mind-blowing flavors.