Recchiuti Confections - The Olive Oil & Chocolate Taste Project

I just love my hometown. Only in San Francisco do you get to attend some of the most exciting culinary events. I was real lucky to snag a spot at last weekend's Olive Oil and Chocolate tasting at Recchiuti Confections. As part of the new "Taste Project" series, chocolatier Michael Recchiuti partnered up with olive oil expert and cookbook author Fran Gage to lead us in a multi-sensory food experience.

Tasting the oils: Arbosana from California Olive Ranch, Bozzano A2, Apollo Mistral, McEvoy, and The Olive Press Blood Orange oil.

Fran, author of The New American Olive Oil, led us on this tasting adventure. We started off with a flight of six olive oils. My personal favorite was the blood orange one from The Olive Press. We also tasted oils from California Olive Ranch, Bozzano, Apollo, and McEvoy. We learned the right way to warm the oil up, smelling the aromas (what to look for), and how to properly taste the oil. We even learned how to detect a rancid oil and was told that sediment in the bottle signified an inferior-quality oil.

Minted corn salad drizzled with Bozzano A2 oil, roasted nibs, and cherry tomatoes.

We then got to try a few unusual savory-sweet food pairings. The first one up was a warm Savory Olive Loaf made with Apollo Mistral oil, pecorino cheese, and green olives (from Fran's new book). If I had the entire loaf in front of me I'd finish it. It was paired with a cool minted corn salad drizzled with Bozzano A2 oil. Delish.

Then, to our delight, we tried the olive oil Ice Cream Push-Pop with caramelized cacao nibs and green olive toffee. This was totally over the top. Everyone cleared their plates, even the tiny nibs. To seal the deal in, we then tasted the Pan Con Chocolate and Blood Orange Macaron. The chocolate ganache was made with California Olive Ranch Arbosana. It also had a neat little pipette that contained drops of the blood orange olive oil to enhance the flavor. I could feel my eyes rolling backwards as I nibbled on the macaron, which was filled with a blood orange olive oil ganache.

Olive oil ice cream push-pop with caramelized cacao nibs and green olive toffee

To add more fun, we also went next door to watch Michael run the enrobing machine. He placed a slew of blood orange olive oil-chocolate ganache pieces so they can be properly coated into truffles. And yes, they tasted absolutely amazing.

To send us off into a sugar coma, we each got to take home a pint of the delicious and floral McEvoy olive oil ice cream. Very drool-worthy. You can get some next week if they make more - follow them on Twitter.com/Recchiuti to find out when, where, and how to get it.

Michael running the enrobing machine to coat the truffles.

Unfortunately for you, the next few tastings are all sold out. There might be last-minute cancellations, so see if you can be wait-listed. They might also have new tastings next year, after the holiday rush.

Fran Gage & Michael Recchiuti

www.recchiuti.com