Scharffen Berger Seduction with The Essence of Chocolate
October 31, 2007 Chocolate afficionados will be overjoyed to receive the Scharffen Berger cookbook The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate as a stocking stuffer this holiday season. Written by co-founders Robert Steinberg and John Scharffenberger, this invaluable kitchen resource features 100+ recipes from some of the nation's top pastry chefs (Alice Medrich, Thomas Keller, Emily Luchetti).
Combining a crash course in the cacao bean's origin with an anecdote of the company's history, this amazing book is filled with decadent recipes and baking tips. Some highlights to watch for are the White Velvet Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache, Cocoa Cabanas (tasty recipe by Flo Braker - yes, I'm a big fan of hers and I loved this) and Chocolate Chinchilla.
There are some neat savory dishes to try, such as the Chicken Mole, Tortilla Soup and John’s Cocoa Rub. The 6 oz. Home Baking Bars (62% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate, 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate and 99% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate) would be perfect to use in any of these recipes.
Fudgy Brownies
Robert developed this recipe, but when the brownies came back from our test kitchen, they didn’t have their usual glossy, crackled top and fudgy texture. The cookbook crew asked Robert to make the brownies while they watched. We realized that an electric mixer doesn’t work for this recipe. The batter needs to be beaten by hand until it pulls from the sides of the bowl. There’s something homey and satisfying about stirring this thick, glossy batter yourself.
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for buttering the baking dish
8 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325.
Cut a piece of parchment with handles for an 8 by 8 by 2-inch pan. Butter the pan and line the bottom and two sides with the parchment, and butter the top side of the parchment up to the rim of the baking dish.
Place the chocolate and the cubed butter in a large bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
With a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat the sugar and the salt into the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and mix vigorously until the mixture is very glossy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
With your fingers, break the nuts into large pieces over the batter and fold in.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and tap the bottom on the counter top to even out the batter. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out moist, but free of uncooked batter.
Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment handles and cool completely on the rack before cutting.
Makes sixteen 2-inch brownies.
(Photo credit: Deborah Jones)
See you in the kitchen!
Tami
With the subtle and delicate use of piano, strings and waltzes, Desplat's restrained music essentially plays a supporting role while the actors do most of the storytelling. I love how the strings rise over the piano on the 'The Angel' track, along with the breathtaking "Falling Rain" and "Wong Chia Chi's Theme." It's a really beautiful score to a gorgeous film.
-Tami
Along with the endless chocolate demos and tastings, young chocophiles can delight in special activities in the KidZone. Still need more choco stimulation? Head over to the Chocolate Lounge and indulge in decadent chocolate cocktails created by top mixologists. There will also be book signings with new releases from top pastry chefs.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 TO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007
Metropolitan Pavillion & Altman Building, 125 West 18th Street
Opening Night Preview: Chocolate Fashion Show
Thursday, November 8th 6:30-10:30pm
Friday, November 9: 11am to 9pm
Saturday, November 10: 10am to 8pm
Sunday, November 11: 10am to 7pm
Tickets ($28) are available online at 
I'm in love with their Pumpkin Baking Pan and the Halloween Decorating Kit. The Pumpkin Carving Kit is almost half off, so what are you waiting for? Get yourself to their nearest store and stock up on these fun items. There is no excuse now to be unprepared for the little goblins running amok during this fun holiday...
Check out this 
VeeV Acai Mojito recipe:
2 oz. VeeV
1 Tbs superfine sugar
Lime wedges
Club soda
3 fresh mint sprigs
Muddle mint leaves, superfine sugar and lime in a mixing glass. Add 2 oz. of VeeV and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake. Strain the mixture into a tall glass and top with club soda. Garnish with fresh mint sprig and enjoy!
PFW will take place from October 19-24 at the Cascade Shipyard, 5555 Channel Drive on Swan Island in Portland. Several prominent sustainable designers will launch their new collections, including Lara Miller, Sameunderneath, Lizzie Parker, and Anna Cohen. Alice Dobson of sofada, named New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2006 “Best Debut”, and acclaimed designers Souchi, Poppi Swim, and Leanimal, will put their next season’s collections on the runway at PFW 2007.
At 99 cents each, it's a small investment towards your health and well-being. This small cup of goodness is packed with calcium, omega-3 DHA to nourish the heart and your noggin, probiotics for digestive health, and NutraFlora®, a natural fiber and probiotic that helps with calcium absorption. Made with natural milk from cows that have not been treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST free), it doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors or preservatives.
Rachel's will also be launching two new flavors very soon - Marionberry Guava and Pink Grapefruit Lychee. Oh, the bliss you will have in the mornings...
Kids will love the Great Pumpkin Parade, costume contest and the bone-chilling haunted house. As if that's not enough for you, there will also be a pancake breakfast and a 5K & 10K run/walk. For the music folks, there will be two stages of entertainment including the Unauthorized Rolling Stones, local favorites The Fabulous CruiseTones, and legendary electric blues guitarist Chris Cobb.
The event is free and open to the public:
On Main Street
between Miramontes & Spruce Streets
Half Moon Bay, CA
October 13-14, 2007
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
I just love the Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel, as it lifts off every spot of dead skin, revealing the perfect glowing visage underneath. An antidote to too much summer fun, it does a great job of getting rid of hyperpigmentation and sun damange. Best of all, if you get the Yam & Pumpkin Peel with the Chamomile Soothing Tonique (or Pumpkin Latte Masque), you also get a free fan brush as a gift!
To learn more, visit 