Some say that chocolate is best enjoyed on its own. Poppycock! Tasting your way through Vancouvers Hot Chocolate festival over the past month would prove otherwise. Next time youre in the kitchen and need a treat, perhaps these professionals can lead you to a new taste sensation. From classic to crazy, the combinations run the gamut and remind us that inspiration can be found just about anywhere.
For something beautiful to behold, Wayne Kozinko, pastry chef at Bel Café, created Pretty in Pink. Using the classic pairing of white chocolate and fruit, this drink was inspired not by Molly Ringwald, but by the Ispahan dessert from the famous French pastry chef Pierre Herme, containing rose, raspberry and lychee. A very feminine combo, Pretty in Pink was attractive to the eyes, a delight to the taste buds and a little bit funky with freeze dried raspberries and mint microgreens to garnish.
Move over red wine and chocolate. Mary MacKay, the head baker for Terra Breads, has developed a new passion for stout and its ability to pair with many flavours especially chocolate. Stand Up And Stout was her brawny hot chocolate infused with Cacoa Barry Extra Brute Cocoa and R&B Brewing Co. Dark Star Oatmeal Stout. She believes that the deep toasted flavours of the stout enhance the rich chocolatey flavours of the drink.
Rachel Sawatsky, chef and owner of CocoaNymph Chocolates and Confections, got inspired for the festival from the people in her life and what they love. For example, The Noah was a tart and sweet balsamic drinking chocolate topped with cherry marshmallows and The Emily Rose offered a citrus kick with a gentle finish orange drinking chocolate topped with rose-coconut marshmallows.
Familiar combinations are no less tantalizing than inventive ones. The crew at Rubens chocolate all agree that anything hazelnut combined with chocolate is the way to go. Their hot chocolate Rockin Rocher was inspired by Nutella and was a rich and creamy milk hot chocolate with hazelnut flavouring. A dollop of Nutella would be a welcome addition to a cup of hot chocolate anytime.
Because bacon goes with pretty much anything, answered chef Greg Hook of Chocolate Arts when asked how he came up with his When Pigs Fly. Hard to argue with that. Just dip the bacon marshmallow in the maple infused chocolate and bite the peanut butter cookie. Chase with a sip of Cacao Barry Oropucce chocolate. Amazing!
At Leonidas, a family business, there are always plenty of preferences, ideas, and feedback to balance between the sisters in the kitchen. Boho Secret is a mint flavoured dark chocolate with a twist: turmeric, honey and pepper. According to the age old wisdom of Ayurveda, a healing system the girls grew up with, turmeric and pepper pack a powerful punch against cancer, and turmeric and honey are commonly used to cure a sore throat which one of the sisters, Aisha, had when she was creating their mixes.
