Few and Far Between

Pop Quiz, hot shots.

The blog has been quiet these days because:

A: there is nothing new to write about.

B: I have no time to write.

C: I have writer's block.

D: I have been watching Point Break on a loop since Swayze's passing.

Although "D" might seem like the logical choice for those that know me, it is not. "A" is out, because there is lots to write about. The truth is that is an unfair question, and the answer lies muddled somewhere between "B" and "C". Sorry.

The last two months have been more hectic than not. And while the addition of new retail locations is part of it, Sir Walter Raleigh is more to blame. The little candy bar that I thought would be a nice addition to my lineup of products has taken on quite a life of its own.

With or without bacon, together, the two versions of the Raleigh Bar have become the most popular confection I have ever made. It is a great thing, and trying to keep up with the demand is a great problem to have. So to you devotees and new customers, thank you.

Getting to the new retail locations....

• Here in Portland, both Cork locations, NE Alberta & 29th and NW Lovejoy and 17th. Cork is a great wine shop with wines from all over the world and a large selection of wines under $20. They also have a great selection of craft beers, and of course chocolate! Cork is carrying all three chocolate bars, the Raleigh Bars, and the box of 2 bacon chocolates and 2 bacon caramels.

• For our friends down south in Eugene, Marche Provisions now has Xocolatl de David for sale! Marche Provisions, located inside 5th Street Public Market, is your shop for all of your specialty food needs, wine, and a bakery! Marche currently has the Piment d'Espelette and Salted Caramel Bars, both Raleigh bars, box of four Salted Caramels, and the box of 2 bacon chocolates and 2 bacon caramels.

• One of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Ned Ludd, now has Xocolatl as part of their dessert menu. Each week Xocolatl, along with Sahagun, Alma, and Neapolitan, will provide Jason, Ben, and the crew at Ned Ludd one confection for a dessert plate consisting of treats from all four local chocolatiers. The cost is $10, and the selections will change every week.

Last but certainly not least, as many of you may know, in October a portion of all of our sales benefited Children's Cancer Association here in Portland. Our goal was to raise $500. I am happy to say that it was the most successful month ever, and we raised just over $560! Thank you to all that bought chocolate in October, the money is going to a great cause!

There are lots of things happening between now and the New Year. Check back soon and often!

Vaya con Díos.

Pig's Blood Redux

Tis that time of year again to freak everyone out and challenge their love for all things chocolate. The Pig's Blood Chocolate is here for Halloween/Day of the Dead week!

If you have ever had blood sausage/blood pudding/boudin noir/morcilla then you, more or less, know the flavor profile. Ours is simple, cream infused with cinnamon and pimenton (smoked spanish paprika), then cooked with the blood, and finally combined with chocolate to create a smooth ganache. It is all enrobed in 72% chocolate and dusted with a little more pimenton. It's not for everyone, but trust me it is good.

It is just a little something to freak out your friends and family with, and then remorse about giving it away, because it is actually really good. I wish I could make some claims about its ability to combat H1N1 (Swine Flu), but it does not. Although a little extra iron never hurts.

They will only be available at Meat Cheese Bread, 1406 SE Stark. Come get some while you can!

Buy Chocolate and Help The Children's Cancer Association

It was a year ago last week that my nephew Zach was diagnosed with leukemia. I remember the night too well. The call came from my Mom in on a Monday night, I was working. I didn't know what to do, so I cried. Then in a moment of brashness I remember thinking that I would gladly switch places with him. If it were me with leukemia, I would beat it. I am stronger than him. I would have a better chance to fight it. I was wrong.

When they checked him into the hospital, his white blood cell count was off the charts, they had drawn so much blood from him he needed a blood and platelet transfusion, and as much as he was trying, he was not his normal extremely playful self. He was tired.

Day after day, hour after hour the doctors and nurses prodded him with needles and thermometers. They took bone marrow and spinal taps, and he showed little fuss.

In a day or two he showed signs that he was not going to let this leukemia spoil his fun. He greeted those that came into his room with a smile and his signature *ppttthhh*. He didn't understand the fight that was at hand, he just wanted to be with his mom and dad and play with his big sister, Avery. After all he was just a normal 14 month old boy.

A couple of days later the doctor explained to the immediate family Zach's condition and the long road ahead. It was all tough to hear, the intensity of the treatments, the time, the restrictions, my heart was aching looking at Zach, my sister-in-law Christy, and my older brother Chris. But Dr. Thomas, the Hematologist that was giving us the crash course in leukemia and chemotherapy, was trying to put all of our minds at ease. Though leukemia is not good in any form, the type of leukemia that Zach has, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL, is the most treatable. That was good to hear.

What was Z doing while the next three and a half years of his life were being mapped out? Sitting at the conference room table dismantling and devouring a turkey sandwich while trying catch eyes and elicit smiles from anyone paying attention to him. It is that kind of nonchalance that he has used to attack this terrible disease.

It has been a year with many ups and downs, but the news is good, as Zach is in remission and currently in Maintenance Phase of his treatment. He definitely has some tough days, especially after scheduled treatments, but he runs around and plays like a normal 2 year old.

Even though Z is doing well, his fight is far from over, and there are still many kids fighting leukemia and other cancers that are not as fortunate. No one should have to go through it alone, especially a child. Here in Portland a non-profit called Children's Cancer Association (CCA), works to bridge that gap. They offer assistance to children and their families who are fighting cancers. If you would like to read more about their programs, please check out their website, it really is a fantastic organization.

In honor of my nephew's one year anniversary in his fight against leukemia, Xocolatl de David will be donating a portion of the proceeds from all chocolate sales for the month of October to the Children's Cancer Association. So please support CCA by purchasing chocolate at one of our 12 retail locations. For those of you not near one of the locations, our web store will be up and running next week.

Thank you for your support!

Jumping the Shark, or: Like Watermelon For Chocolate

Last Saturday I had the privilege of participating in a Plate & Pitchfork Dinner at Ford Farms on Sauvie's Island. Plate & Pitchfork is a series of dinners in which a farm, a winery and two chefs (in the case of our dinner, three chefs) come together to create a five course meal. The produce is sourced from the farm, and the whole thing takes place in the field of the farm. It is all designed to raise the awareness of local farms, benefit local food based causes, as well as highlight some of the talented chefs in the area. It is truly a unique experience, and also very fun.

I joined my old boss, Scott Dolich from Park Kitchen, and Adam Sappington of Country Cat, in creating a five course meal. They did most of the leg work, creating all of the savory items and I finished it off with the dessert course. The exciting thing about this dinner is that we were paired with Sauvie Island Organics, and Ford Farms. Ford Farms, owned by Rich and Kristin Ford, is not only an apple orchard, but a cattle ranch as well. Now what would a chocolatier care about a cattle ranch for? A couple of reasons, actually. The dessert was be a chocolate panna cotta with watermelon and apples.

I was hoping to procure some milk from Ford Farms' Highland cattle but it was too hard to get the ladies to give it up. I was, however, able to use the gelatin in the bone marrow from our butchered cow to set the panna cotta. I know it sounds a little gross, but trust me it only adds a richness, there is no beef flavor. The extra fat from the bone marrow (which is actually really high in mono-unsaturated fat!) creates a texture that is more pudding like. To counter that richness I made some yogurt, it gave it a little tang, and made it not so cloying on the tongue.

At the start of all of my brainstorming for this dessert I had an idea to use watermelon. I was convinced that it would work. Somewhere in the middle planning stage I abandoned the idea; but in a last minute fit of dissatisfaction I returned to it, again convinced it would make the panna cotta better. The solution was simple: fresh watermelon juice, thickened with some agar agar (a powder derived from seaweed, that has gelatin-like properties). Combined with the tart-sweet apples from Ford Farms, I almost forgot how rich the panna cotta was.

I was extremely happy with how the dessert came out. Scott was pleasantly surprised, as was Adam and his wife Jackie. The results from the diners was, as it seemed to me, a little more middle of the road. Kristin Ford, who loved it, thought it was a little over most people's heads. Maybe she is right, but in the end deciding to name it on the menu as Chocolate Bone Marrow Panna Cotta, instead of, Chocolate Panna Cotta, may have put people off from the start. And while I like to challenge people's perception of chocolate and freak them out a little, the main reason for using bone marrow and highlighting it, was to revert to the former butcher in me and use as much of the animal as possible. I hope that everyone there at least appreciated it for that reason, if not for being a delicious dessert.

I have never posted any recipes, so this will be my first.

Here is the recipe:

16 oz Whole Milk

8 oz Whole Milk Yogurt

2 oz Sugar

4.25 oz Bone Marrow

9 oz 72% Chocolate, melted

1 t Fleur de sel

Method:

• Warm the marrow bones in warm water for 20 minutes. This will make it easier to remove the marrow. Remove the marrow from the bones by scraping a thin butter knife along the inner wall of the bone. Then push the cylinder of marrow out the opposite side.

• In a large non-reactive saucepot, render the bone marrow over low heat until it has melted completely. Strain the to remove any solids.
• In another non-reactive pot add the marrow, milk and sugar and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile melt chocolate over a double boiler, or in the microwave on low.
• When the milk-marrow has cooled to 120 degrees, whisk in yogurt. Then whisk in melted chocolate. finally add fleur de sel.
• Check the thickness and "set" of the mixture by letting an ounce cool on a plate in the refrigerator. It should hold together like a pudding. If it is still too liquidy, bloom half of a packet of gelatin in cold water and add to the mixture.
• Portion 4-5 oz into each glass and chill for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.

NOTE: This recipe can be made without bone marrow by substituting one packet of powdered gelatin, bloomed in 2 oz of cold water.

For the Watermelon sauce:

16 oz Watermelon juice

2 T Sugar

1 T Lemon juice

1t Agar agar powder (available online and many asian grocery stores)

Method:

• Juice about half of a large watermelon with an electric juicer. You may want to juice more just to drink, it is delicious!
• Put 16 oz of the watermelon juice, the sugar, and lemon juice in a non-reactive sauce pot and place over medium high heat. Whisk in agar agar powder and heat the juice until just before simmering.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a container and place in the refrigerator without a lid. Allow to cool and set. About 2 hours. You can speed up the process by cooling over an ice bath.
• It should look like a thick watery jello mold. Using a hand blender or regular blender, quickly mix the watermelon juice so that it turns to a fluid, sauce consistency.
• Spoon 1-2 oz over the top of each panna cotta before serving.

Finally...

For those in the know, which is probably anyone that I have come in contact with in the past three months, I have been working on getting my on line of chocolate bars out in stores. What I thought would take 4-6 weeks took 12. The packaging being the hiccup, every step of the way. Well, I finally received the boxes last Friday, and as of last night the first batch of chocolate bars were all wrapped and ready to go to market.

The ideas for the bars is to continue my views of chocolate into bar form. Dark, bittersweet chocolate, savory/less sweet ingredients, and a little salt. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I do. Let me introduce you to the bars:

Salted Caramel:

The go to bar when you cannot make the choice. Made with a 72% chocolate from Ecuador that is smooth as it is dark, this bar is sure to please most any chocolate lover. And with small chunks of our signature salted caramel laced throughout, how can you go wrong?

Almond and Pimenton:

If sometimes you feel like a nut, then this bar is for you. Olive oil fried marcona almonds, seasoned with pimenton (smoked spanish paprika) and fleur de sel. The chocolate in this bar is quite special. It is a 68% chocolate from Bolivia that is made from wild cacao trees (almost all chocolate is made from cultivated trees). Truly unique in flavor, the chocolate is a lovely addition to the salty and smokey almonds.

Piment d 'Espelette:

When I had the great pleasure of visiting the French and Spanish Basque region last year the one thing that stood with me the most during my chocolate tastings was Piment d'Espelette. Piment d Espelette is a Basque chile pepper named after the town Espelette in the French Basque region, and every chocolatier in the region makes at least one thing with it. It is usually dried and sold whole or in powder form, and it is on the medium side in terms of heat, but it also has a slightly fruity smokiness to it as well.

It just so happens that Leslie and Manuel from Viridian Farms in Dayton, Oregon grow this wonderful chile, and I feel that this is the perfect use for it. Matched with 74% organic chocolate from the Dominican Republic and a little bit of fleur de sel.

I will be dropping them off tomorrow, Friday, July 3rd, at Steeve's Cheese and Foster & Dobbs here in Portland. The online store will be up hopefully in a week or two, and I hope that the bars will be a some of my other retailers in the next week.

Butterflies

When I came to Portland 5 years ago, my plan was to work in restaurants for about two years, then figure out another way to make a living centered around food. I was 28 at the time, and since working as a line cook is, for the most part, a young man's game, I figured I would be growing weary of the hours and the grind. A funny thing happened, as it so often does, my plans changed. I couldn't get enough of working in restaurant kitchen. I am not an adrenaline junkie, but the satisfaction and happiness I was getting from cooking night in and night out was intoxicating and addicting.

In 2006 Park Kitchen was performing at the top of its game, and although I am a little biased, I feel it was the best restaurant in Portland at the time. Being on the stoves then, I felt responsible for the overall happiness of each and every diner that came into the restaurant. And because of that pressure I put on myself, everyday at 4:45 pm the butterflies set in. That good, nervous tension you feel before you start something you want to go well, be it a job, an interview, or a date. I feel if you don't have that nervousness you either don't care, you are too arrogant, or you are not prepared; and if that is the case you will fail in some capacity. The best part is once that first order comes into the kitchen, or interviewer asks you a question, or your date's smile comes your way, you forget all about the butterflies and everything (hopefully) falls into place.

Now, my days do not have the nervous tension of dinner service fast approaching, but the nervous tension of do/will people enjoy these chocolates. A totally different feeling, and definitely not as fun. Negative or damaging as it might sound, it keeps me motivated and the creativity flowing. But yesterday that old friend came calling, and I had butterflies at work for the first time since leaving Park Kitchen.

Since I have set out to do chocolate full time, I have been working towards one thing, and that is the release of my chocolate bars. Now that I have received the packaging, I began production yesterday. As my chocolate tempering machine was working away, I stood ready and waiting. The idle time kept me thinking to myself, "you have been waiting three months to do this, so don't screw it up." My stomach was doing cartwheels and I was a lightheaded, but there was a smile on my face. After the first mold of 8 bars was finished I settled down and got to work.

Today, I finished the last of the three kinds of bars for the initial release (I will talk about the bars themselves more on Thursday). On Friday the first bars will be dropped of at Steve's Cheese and Foster and Dobbs. The cost will be around $10, which may seem high, but it is actually average for chocolate that is premium quality as are the ingredients. And remember they are all made by hand, by yours truly.

Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival

This Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, from 12-7pm, the Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival will be taking place. It will be a showcase of Oregon wines and culinary arts. This is the first year of the event and I am sure it will be a success. The price of admission is $25 will all proceeds benefitting Doernbecher Children's Hospital at OHSU. Doernbecher is a great cause, and a place that has been wonderful to my family. So please go out and support Oregon food and wine, as well as Doernbecher Children's Hospital! Plus you could win the Xocolatl de David door prize with chocolates, caramels, Raleigh Bars, and more! It's worth over $75!

For more info:

www.bestoforegonfoodandwine.com

True Blue

Blue cheese and chocolate is not exactly a new idea. Cheryl over at Pix Patisserie here in Portland, has been doing it for about 5 years. Lauded British chef, and molecular gastronomist, Heston Blumenthal (the same chef that sent me into a whirlwind of bacon and dessert experimenting 7 years ago), had a scientific analysis of chocolate and blue cheese done, and found that the two foods have a large number of flavor (or flavour) molecules in common. They also share 60% of their ketones, making them an ideal match. As much as I wanted to follow suit, without the proper angle in which to approach it, I felt like I would just be copying everyone else. So I left it alone, for 3 years.

As I wait for the new packaging to get finished I have had some time to experiment, and the other day I was inspired to try and make the one ganache I have been wanting to do for a long time. And I finally realized I have the proper angle to tie it all together.

My great aunt lives in the tiny Vermont town of Peacham. A beautiful old town seemingly untouched in the last 70 years by modern progress. Our family would visit there about every other summer growing up. My brother and sister and I, along with any cousins around, would spend every waking hour outside. With nothing to do but go for walks, play in the fields, identify old relatives in the graveyard, and visits to nearby Martin Pond (named for a relative), I have great memories of my visits to Peacham. I kind of thought of it as my summer camp.

In the picture below you see the old Church, and to the right you can see part of a house, that is my Aunt Nancy's house. The other picture is of the Peacham Store and was taken by my grandpa in 1957.

Anyway, as you know Vermont is known for its cheese. One of the best is Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. It just so happens that Jasper Hill makes a wonderful blue cheese called Bayley Hazen Blue. It is absolutely delicious, and the blue cheese I have chosen to use. And while taste and flavo(u)r, are the main factors for choosing it, what puts it over the top is the roundabout connection I have to it.

The name Bayley Hazen comes from an old military road of the same name commissioned by General George Washington, and was to be used in case a second military assault would be needed out of the north in Canada. But enough history. Bayley-Hazen Road runs through Peacham on its way north to Greensboro. That is connection one.

The second roundabout connection to Jasper Hill Farms, and more important, is that one of my Aunt Nancy's neighbors supplies milk to the Jasper Hill for their cheese. I know it is a little reaching, but it's there nonetheless.

I really love this new chocolate. I guess I would have to in order to sell it, but it really is great. It is garnished with a little cracked black pepper. It will be offered starting this weekend at Park Kitchen as part of the selection of chocolates, and will be available next week, at Steve's Cheese and Meat Cheese Bread (Pictures coming soon).

Rhubarb: Oh, how I love thee.

It used to be that my benchmark for spring was the arrival of the first asparagus, rapini, peas, morels, and rhubarb.  But that was during my time at Park Kitchen, now I can only await the arrival of rhubarb, at least from a chocolate standpoint.  (Sorry no chocolate and asparagus; asparagus makes your pee smell.)  

One of the better combinations I had on that fateful trip to Spain last year was rhubarb and chocolate.  It was at the restaurant Hisop in Barcelona (which I highly recommend).

Rhubarb ice cream, chocolate cake, sichuan peppercorn blossoms.

Besides wanting to immediately try and source some sichuan peppercorn blossoms, I could not wait to return to Portland and play with some rhubarb.

That was a year ago, and I can honestly say that this Spring I was looking forward to the arrival of rhubarb more than any other item.

It takes a little coaxing with sugar, but rhubarb and chocolate is one of the more inspired combinations I have ever come across (and I kinda wish I had thought of it!).  Floral, fruity, and tart, for me, it just works.  It is a good thing that it is a vegetable too, otherwise my favorite fruit and chocolate combination: orange, might have been knocked down from it's 20-year run at the top.  

The resulting creations are two, a simple, but delicious rhubarb ganache, and the more complex rhubarb chocolate preserves.  

In essence the two are the inverses of each other.  The chocolate rhubarb ganache is about 75% chocolate and 15%  rhubarb, the rest cream and sugar. While the preserves is about 75% rhubarb and 10% chocolate, the rest being sugar, fleur de sel, and sherry vinegar.  And while it is easy to know how to eat the ganache (it is enrobed in chocolate), the preserves is may not seem as obvious.

Of course, it can be used just like any other fruit preserves, on toast or a biscuit.  But, (cue the over excited infomercial voice) it is much more exciting when used with yogurt, oatmeal, or on ice cream, pancakes and waffles.  Use it in crepes, as donut filling, or on crumpets.  It is so versatile you could use it on anything!  Available soon at selected retailers and at our new online store!

The Raleigh Bar

To anyone recalling my post from January (which is maybe one of you) about "new things rolling out"...behold the Raleigh Bar!  

A top layer of my salted caramel with pecan chocolate nougat underneath.  All enrobed in 72% chocolate. There is a bacon caramel version too!

About 8 months ago, Kevin over at Pine State Biscuits was bugging me about coming up with something to sell there, other than my normal chocolates.  I agreed, as I never felt it would be a great place to sell my individual chocolates, like I do at Cacao or Steve's Cheese, but a singular product (besides Champ's Chocolate Milk), that might be the best idea.

I think that I am like a lot of cooks or chefs in that most of my ideas do not come from idyllic walks though nature or romanticized trips for new ingredients.  No, it just doesn't work like that.  For me, a lot of the time it is a serendipitous thought in my head, reading about food and a non-related idea will arise from it, or it could be eating someone else's food and deriving something from that.

So Kevin kept bugging me, and inspiration had not struck, and I was too busy to try and force it out by constant experimenting.  A couple of months had gone by and still nothing, until one day, and I do not remember the exact details, but nougat, chocolate, pecans, caramel came to me.  It seemed like the right way to go.  Sounds kind of Southern, at least to a Northerner like me.  And maybe I have eaten way too many "traditional" candy bars, but when I think of candy bars, I think chocolate, nuts, caramel, nougat.  So the trials began.  

I think I have said it once before, but things do not necessarily come together on the first trial.  Yet the Raleigh Bar did.  Now it was kind of cheating, since I was essentially combining two products that I already make, but I was excited nonetheless.  Phase two was making it with Bacon Caramel...a no brainer.

"So that was 6 months ago, what the hell took you so long?" 

Good question, and the only answer I can give you is packaging.  They needed to be packaged, and I wanted the packaging to look good and befitting.  Other than that, I do not have a better answer. 

"Why the name Raleigh Bar"

An homage to the capital of the Pine State, North Carolina.  Since it was Pine State Biscuits that got me working on the idea. Plus, it sounds nice.

"So, where can I get them?"

Pine State Biscuits has them right now! Most everyone else I sell to in Portland will have them by next weekend.  They will retail for no more than $3.

Outlook Portland

A few months back, I was asked, along with Sarah Hart from Alma Chocolate, to take part in a discussion of chocolate on "Outlook Portland" hosted by Rick Emerson.  It was fun to do, and since most of you were not up at 6:30 am on a Sunday, you probably missed it.  Well the good people over at KRCW put the show on YouTube, so here it is...try not to laugh at me.

Not a good freeze frame shot.

Asador Etxebarri

Asador Etxebarri has been written about quite a lot in the year since I have been there, and before that it had obtained cult status amongst international foodies.  If you are not in the know you can watch the most recent Spain visit by Anthony Bourdain on No Reservations (the same episode with Arzak), or read this article in Food & Wine.

I was looking forward to the drive through the Basque country, I was looking forward to seeing the tiny town of Axpe that it is located in, and of course I was looking forward to the food.

Even though I got a little lost, which is pretty normal from what I hear, I was still a few minutes early.  The building it is in houses the local pub on the ground floor, with the restaurant upstairs.  I sat at the bar and had a beer eagerly waiting for the restaurant to be ready to open.

When I was brought upstairs I was sat next to a window looking out on the incredible rocky hills that encircled the town.  The server handed me a menu and rattled off a bunch of things in Spanish that was too quick for me to pick up.  So I asked her about doing a tasting menu, which is not on the menu.  She smiled and disappeared.  Moments later a man appeared next to my table speaking in a familiar Australian accent.  His name is Lennox and he is the sous chef and defacto intermediary for english speaking diners.  After chatting a bit about Oz (Australia), I had lived there for a year growing up and have family there, he asked me if there was anything that I did not eat, to which I quickly said no.

What happened next would become the best meal of my life. 


The most important thing to note is that everything is cooked over an intricate set of grills with housemade charcoal from oak, apple, grape, orange and olive woods.

Here is a picture log of each course with a brief description of each:

Housemade smoked sweet cream butter with smoked sea salt on grilled toast.

Gamba with olive oil and sea salt

Grilled oysters with seaweed

Fresh Iranian Caviar, yes it was grilled too!

Baby Octopus(the size of a thumbnail), red wine onions, ink

Baby sea cucumber with fava beans

Beets, grilled artichokes, and beet greens

Grilled egg, purple potatoes, shaved mushrooms (forget what kind)

Kokotxas (hake collar), clam, peas, and mint

Angulas (baby eels), olive oil, sea salt.  A true Basque delicacy.

Housemade fresh chorizo, served rare.

Chuleta.  Best. Steak. Ever.  Galician beef.

Strawberry tartlet, smoked ice cream.

Fromage blanc flan with raspberry.

Without hyperbole, every dish was transcending, amazing, unbelievable.  They were all simple dishes, with top ingredients, perfectly cooked.  The smoke from the grills was never overpowering, and always complimentary.

To try and pick a few favorites, the caviar, angulas, baby octopus, and the chorizo stood out the most in my mind, but all of the other dishes were no too far behind.  It truly was the best meal I have ever eaten.

I want to note that this was the lunch the day after my meal at Arzak, so in less than 24 hours I had the best dining and eating experiences of my life.  For the next 72 hours in San Sebastian, it was almost impossible to top my first 24 hours.

Restaurante Arzak

I arrived in San Sebastian during an intense, driving rainstorm. As I got to my hotel located on la Playa de la Concha (above),  I noticed that one of the glass panes of the bus stop had been blown out due to the winds. I was worried that it was going to be a wet stay in San Sebastian. But if I had to sacrifice a hike up Monte Urgull or spending some time on the beach for extended periods in the many restaurants and pintxo (Basque tapas) bars then it wouldn't be so bad.
But before I could do all of that I had a reservation at one of the best restaurants in the world, Restaurante Arzak.
Arzak is a three star Michelin restaurant, owned and run by Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena Arzak. It is number one on many diner's list for eating in San Sebastian. And while Ferran Adria may be the poster child of modern Spanish culinary excellence for most of the world, Juan Mari is probably more famous amongst Spaniards. While Juan Mari is still Chef Emeritus of Arzak, his daughter Elena now runs the kitchen. She has maintained the standards set forth by her father, and helped usher in an integrate the new modern Spanish style.

This was my first dining experience in a Michelin three star restaurant. I was really excited, with the exception of not having any of my real clothes and wearing stuff I had been washing in the sink of my hotel room.

As I walked through the door I was greeted by the maitre d', Urku Mugsrtegi (a good Basque name) and I told him my name in Spanish.  He replied to me in perfect english, "Ah, you are the chef from the States, no?" (I must qualify that I used my Xocolatl de David e-mail address when I made the reservation, but I said nothing else, made no mention of my profession. That is not my style).
I replied, surprised and a little hesitant, "Yes."
The ordering was mere formality, the tasting menu was the only way to go, and I asked them to pair some glass pour wines with every two or three courses. I figured it was my first time so why not splurge a little, plus with the wine list over 40 pages you could spend a half hour trying to find something. While I was waiting for my first course and my wine Urku returned and we chatted a little about my time in Spain so far and what else to do while I was in San Sebastian, and as he was leaving my table to tend to some other diners he said that chef Elena was looking forward to meeting with me. Maybe they say that to everyone, or maybe not. Now I was nervous.
The first little amuses arrived, a shot of warm potato and apple soup, a tiny salt cod fritter wrapped in fideo(a catalan pasta), a fish mousseline sandwiched between fried lotus root, and some saffron rice crackers.

 

The next courses arrived with some explanation from my waiter or Urku. The food was getting better, but I was really enjoying the restaurant being run so smooth. And Urku was entertaining to watch as he moved from table to table speaking whatever language he needed to. He conversed in japanese to the couple to my right, french to the table to my left (they smoked and talked on their mobile phones throughout the meal and almost ruined my experience), he spoke german with a table across the room. When he came back I asked him how many languages he spoke he said he could converse in at least 9 and he was fluent in 5, including his native basque.  Crazy!
By my third course I noticed Elena Arzak making the rounds in the dining room, which is a must for Michelin starred restaurants. When she made her way over to my table she smiled and said, "And you are the chocolate man."
It was all very funny to me, as well as a testament to the level of service that Arzak provides. Someone, and I believe it was Uruk, saw my email address and took it one step further to see what it was all about. He then informed both Elena and Juan Mari about my arrival and maybe some quick info about my chocolates, because the next thing out of Chef Elena's mouth was, "you are doing some very interesting things with chocolate."
She was asking me about my use of salt with chocolate and my leaning towards savory ingredients. I shared with her my belief in keeping the sugar content to a minimum, because it can hide the true pleasure of chocolate. She was extremely gracious, and her interest seemed genuine.

While she was at my table the fourth course arrived (above), and it was lobster with edible flowers and a giant oblong foam ball off to the side on a separate plate. She stopped our conversation so that the waiter could drop the foam ball on top of the plate. In an instant it was gone. The foam had dissipated, and become part of the sauce on the plate. Elena had a smile on her face and it seemed like that moment when the foam collapsed onto the plate was exciting every time it happened. There was a slight language barrier as I asked her about the process, but it was exciting no less to hear about it, even if I could not understand all of the words.
She stayed a longer at my table than the others, I kind of feel like she was feeling bad that I was there alone, but no matter, it really was great to speak with her. Just before she left my table, she said that they had prepared some special chocolate tastes for me, and she was looking forward to hear my thoughts. Again, it was all too much.
The meal continued, and the dishes were each better than the previous. Elena cam out twice more to check and see how everything was. The second time she had her father, Juan Mari, in tow. He speaks very little english, but he too showed knowledge of my chocolate work, and we chatted briefly about the fantastic food I was having. He is a very jovial man, and if you have seen the recent episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, know that both Juan Mari and Elena are exactly as they appear in the show. That is how the are the consummate hosts and two outstanding cooks.
As the dessert courses rolled out Elena came table side to share the some of the special chocolate tastes. One was a spicy chocolate ice cream that was fantastic. The other was a malted chocolate ice cream, and while I don't usually enjoy malteds, this was quite subtle and very enjoyable.
The end of my meal was rewarded with a tour of the kitchen with Elena, and a final goodbye with Juan Mari.
It was the best overall dining experience I have ever had. I have immensely understated the food, and for one reason only, the service was out of this world.  And part of it could have been the ego stroke I got from the attention and conversation from two world renown chefs, but still It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.  

Jamonísimo

There is nothing the Spanish do better than the pig. And if you want proof, sit down to a tasting of Jamon Iberico de Bellota. Jamon Iberico de Bellota is ham made from pigs fed entirely on acorns. The meat is so exquisite, so fantastic, it is almost impossible to put into words.

It was during my endless research of culinary destinations in Spain, where I first read about Jamonísimo. Or maybe it was in the back of my mind from Anthony Bourdain's documentary on Ferran Adria, Decoding Ferran Adria, where the heralded spanish chef took him into Jamonísimo. Either way when I read about the tasting menu of textures, I knew I had to go there.

One thing about Barcelona that I noticed were the large number of automatic sliding glass doors. I am not sure why there are so many, maybe it's a status symbol of some kind? But upon finding Jamonísimo my second day in Barcelona, and seeing the automaic sliding glass door, I felt, immediately, like I was in for something special, and I was almost giddy.

There are many things going on on the inside, meats, cheese, wine, olive oil, but that is all secondary to the counter right center as you walk in. It was then that I was introduced to Albert (a Catalan name pronounced "Al-bear"). I spoke to him in my best spanish, and he did his best to understand me. When I asked him about the menú degustación, he smiled and showed me to one of the small tasting rooms in the back, offered me beer or cava, and then began to slice away.



La maza, babilla, y punta. That is all you need to know about the above photo. One leg of Jamon Iberico de Bellota from Salamanca, and three different textures, from three different parts of the leg. Each part was so different from the others, in taste, sweetness, and texture. At first I liked La maza (the top in the photo), but then it was la punta (bottom right). I really didn't know what to decide on my head was spinning at how good it was. I wanted to move into the back room where I was eating and live the rest of my life feeding on this jamon.


Albert and Me.

I do not want to be too latent with hyperbole, but it could be the most transcendent tasting of any one product in my life. Simply, delicious.
When the tears of joy left my eyes and the last of the Estrella (the local beer) was gone, I returned around the corner to talk with my new personal hero, Albert. I told him about my travels, and that I would be back in about a week, ready for more. As I left he smiled and said, "Buen viaje". I couldn't wait to get back there.


Chorizo, Lomo, Salame.

I returned a week later, this time with my boss from Park Kitchen, Scott. I had already talked Scott's ear off about it and I was a little worried that I had hyped it up too much and that he would not be as impressed as I was.
Albert, was happy to see me again, I introduced him to Scott, and asked him to set us up with the tasting of JIdB. To make things short we were back the next morning for a little mid-morning breakfast. This time we tried the something different and ordered the chorizo, lomo, and salame (above picture). It was outstanding as well. Scott was more than impressed, and I felt somewhat vindicated that I had found the place of places in Barcelona. while I enjoyed the chorizo and lomo, I felt I could not live with myself if I didn't return once more before I left. So for my final meal in Spain, I sat down once again to the textures of Jamon Iberico de Bellota, this time from Andalucia, a glass of Estrella, and some toasted bread. If I was to have one last meal, this would be the appetizer.

When I make it back to Europe, I will make sure that I stay in Barcelona, if only for a day, just so that I can go to Jamonísimo. It is that good. No need for a map, I know how to get there. 85 Carrer de Provenza (@ Viladomat). That is where I will be, hopefully catching up with my friend Albert.

Espana: el pais prometido

A year ago I had the great fortune of traveling to Spain. It was part business, part pleasure, but when you consider that my business is making pleasure, then I think you could say it was all pleasure.

I chose to go to Spain because of its recent rise to the top of the culinary world. With the help of lauded chef and master molecular gastrominist Ferran Adria, Spain has set itself apart from the rest of the world. The chefs of the Iberian peninsula are creating food currently unmatched in innovation, style, aesthetic, and most importantly taste.

Spain is also the country that brought the cacao bean from the New World to the Old, and was instrumental in its development to the product we all know now as chocolate. To the chagrin of the chocolatiers to the north in France, those in Barcelona, too, are leading their craft.
With the exception of the airlines losing my luggage (for 10 days mind you), It was 14 days of culinary bliss. Most of it not immediately relevant to chocolate, but because I still think of the food I had there often, I wanted to share a few of the experiences that I had. The posts will for this coming week will touch on my time in Spain. Vale.

PK

Almost five years ago, towards the end of my time at the Culinary Institute of America, I sent a resume to Scott Dolich at Park Kitchen. I was thinking of moving to Portland after graduation, and Scott had just been named one of the 10 best new chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine. I sent Scott a resume, and he called me the next day. We set up a date for me to come in, which was about a week after I was to graduate. I raced across the country so that I could get to my interview and tryout.

Things went well, and Scott offered me the job on the spot. I waited a couple of days to tell him yes, but that was only to try and bilk more money out of him. My stalling did not work, and I started a week later making barely enough money to live. It was fine with the sacrifice of having less money because I really wanted to work there, and I figured I can do it for a couple of years and then move on to something else.

I busted my ass for a long time working my way up the ladder to the saute, or "hot side", station, scared that every cook that was hired after me was going to move ahead of me in the rotation. It was this fear, that kept me going, trying to work harder, faster, and smarter. I often got teased for being too serious.

After two and a half years my hard work was rewarded with a promotion to sous chef, which is the position I held until I left at the end of February. The funny thing about it, I never wanted to work more than two years at a restaurant. I didn't want to get worn down and jaded like some of the older line cooks I knew. I went so far as to make a pact with a friend of mine, making her promise to shoot me if I was still working the line when I turned 32. That was one year ago, and I am still alive. Thankfully, I think she forgot.

Why bring all of this up? Because there is one reason that I stayed so long at Park Kitchen, and that is Park Kitchen. Through all of the ups and downs, good and bad, it is the best job I have ever had.

It all starts with Scott. He is the most generous boss that I have ever had. He was never able to give me the wage that I really wanted, but that didn't matter. As long as you work hard he will do anything in his power to help you in whatever capacity you need. It was his idea to have me start making a version of my chocolates for the check treats so that I could get my chocolate business more visability. He even had his graphic designer create the information card that is dropped with the check treats. It was all more than I could ask for, but he was happy to do it. That was just the tip of the iceberg and I could go on, but it would bore you, and you might not even believe all of it.

Scott was just one peice of the puzzle, in fact the entire front of the house staff since I have started making chocolates has been more supportive and helpful than even they know. Always willing to go into detail with customers about where they can purchase my chocolates, even when I have told them they did not have to. Chatting up store and business owners with the potential to become clients of mine, and being more complimentary of my chocolates than I ever could, even if I was egomaniacal. They often thought that I could not hear them because of the hood vent in the kitchen, but little do they know that the hood vent only works to shield the sounds of voices directly under it, not far into the dining room. Plus, I have crazy good hearing. So to Anna, Rick, Kevin, Michael, Jenny, Jack, Holly, Jaime, Holly, Shane, Karla, and all those I cannot think of right now, thank you.
The congratulatory train doesn't stop there, because former PK'ers Steve Jones, Kevin Atchley, and John Stewart have used their businesses to help promote mine in anyway they can. And I know there is more help from others that I don't know about, and to them I say thank you as well.

This all seems weird to be writing about, and may seem weird to be reading it. It is, in essence, one big thank you to PK, in detailed form. But I guess I am trying to convey that Xocolatl de David does not happen if I did not work at Park Kitchen. Period. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about the previous statement. The creative influence, the inspiration, the confidence to tackle something I have no real idea about, and the very modest success I have had doing it. All of it is due to working at PK. It is all about the people that I have worked with, the cooking I saw and performed, the unique products we got in from our farmers and purveyors. All of it. And in my mind I cannot ever say thank you enough, or repay everyone enough. And to all of you that came to my going away brunch party, and wondered why in the hell would I cook for 70 people at my own going away party?
Well now you know, and I still feel it was not enough.

Return of the Mack

It has been almost four years since that rainy, early spring day when I made my very first chocolate confection, a straight peanut butter ganache rolled in poorly tempered chocolate. Since that fateful day I have played around with the formula a little. Most notably, adding chocolate to the ganache to make it easier to work with. I was happy with it, but I always wanted to sell it like the originator. There is something about have having the peanut butter and chocolate separate and having the two mix in your mouth for a layered flavor effect. I used to do it every once in a long while, but now it has been even a longer while. Well after a long layoff I am pleased to say the XocoCup in back. Better than ever? Sure if you want me to say that. But who can resist 74% chocolate with fresh creamy, salty, salmonella free peanut butter? I know I cannot, it is by far my favorite chocolate pairing. Look for it to hit some of my retail locations by next week.

Cochon 555

Tomorrow is the Cochon 555 event at the Ecotrust building.  Cochon 555 is a traveling pig showcase of sorts.  The organizers, Brady and Carolina, are going to different cities around the country, pulling together 5 chefs, 5 wineries, and 5 heritage pigs from each city with some of the proceeds going to a local charity.  The chefs each have a 70 pound pig to cook with for a competition, and the wineries showcase their wines.  There are other things going on too, like a side by side tasting of five different heritage breeds of pig, local cheese donated by Steve's Cheese, and a Swine n' Sweets course provided by yours truly.  

One of the sweets has been a recurring theme in each of the cities, caramel corn with bacon bits.  I am making mine with my bacon caramel, pecans, bacon, and fleur de sel.  The other sweet has been something with chocolate and bacon.  I was all for it, but since the bacon and chocolate is a little overplayed these days, I pitched my more interesting pig confection: Pig's Blood Chocolate.  Brady was all for that.

The even better news for those living in Portland's big brother city to the north, Seattle, I will be providing the Swine n' Sweets for that event on Sunday March 8th.  I will also have the honor of being a judge for the chef's competition.  

I am very excited about being a part of both events, and if you live in, or are visiting either city on these dates, you should check it out.

New Year's Resolution

This is hardly a New Year's resolution for me, since it was resoluted almost four months ago.  But for the those not in the know, which is 99.99% of you.  I have decided to leave Park Kitchen.  It has been a great 4 1/2 years there, but it is time for me to move on and nurture and cultivate this small chocolate company I have started.  Plus it is a no brainer with the economy soaring like it is.

Those of you that have enjoyed my chocolate and confections, or are maybe enjoying some right now, should be as excited as I am about all of the new things that will be rolling out in the next six months.  And for those that have not had the pleasure, hopefully that opportunity will arise, even if you are not in the Portland metro area.

For now, I will not say much of anything about what is on the horizon, except that I have asked Portland's best unknown baker to join me in creating a dessert club that will convene once or twice a month.  The format will be 3-5 courses small bite desserts revolving around my chocolate knowledge and her baking prowess.  I would look for the announcement of the first event in the next month.

I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

The gift that keeps on giving

I love Christmas time.  Family, friends, Christmas trees, and music always put some cheer into my mood.  So much so that holiday shopping does not bother me at all.  I have found that for the most part, those out and about are in good moods and are enjoyable to be around.  Plus I have good parking karma.  

I have always taken pride in my gift giving, trying to find something unique and enjoyable for each person on my list, but buying a gift for someone is not always the easiest thing. Sometimes it takes clairvoyance or a serendipitous moment to figure out the perfect gift, and sometimes that doesn't even work.    Three years ago I decided to give the gift of chocolate, initially it was for one, but I was so happy with the results that I decided that everyone was going to get some.

Everything went as well as it possibly could have.  People were surprised at how good the chocolates tasted and looked.  Even I was surprised a little.  It made me happy beyond belief to see a smiles someone's face as they ate them, or to get a phone call saying how wonderful they were.  It sounds cliche and cheesy, but that happiness, theirs and mine, was the best part of Christmas 2005.  

So as I close out on Christmas 2008 it is good to reminisce about that first year, and realize that it is truly better to give than to receive.  Because if you look at it, in the end, one could make an argument that I received far more than I gave.  I will not say that just yet.

Merry Christmas!