This Thursday evening will mark a significant point in Salt Lake’s chocolate history. We are having some people from Amedei, one of the world’s absolute premier chocolate producers, come down to the Downtown Caputo’s store. We are having chefs and cooks from award-winning establishments locally. And we are going to have A LOT of chocolate.
Utah already offers a unique chocolate experience compared to the rest of the country. America’s most award-winning chocolate producer, Amano, is just down the road in Orem. Crio – another Orem producer, but of roasted and ground beans fit for brewing a la coffee – stands alone in its offerings. And their chocolate-covered cocoa beans are what I refer to as an, “attitude adjustment in a bag.” My favorite raw chocolate producer is located right on 900 S (Chocolate Conspiracy). Mill Creek Coffee roasters are jumping into the chocolate game and showing real promise.
And then there’s Amedei. Their headquarters are located in Italy. Their style is wholly unique and unmatched. And their award list is equally so. How many producers can say that their chocolate has been at the top of the most prestigious award list in the world for 5 straight years? And recently, at that?
Fine chocolate is a realm of extreme passion, and Cecilia Tessieri’s passion shines through with every product they make. There are no diluted, entry-level chocolate bars from Amedei. At the “low” end you find awesome, and it goes on to supernal from there.
Amber, award-winning pastry chef at Vinto, once made some chocolate stracciatella gelato using Amedei’s 9 (a life-altering blend of beans from 9 places in bar or bulk form) for my Chocolate Society, and people literally got misty-eyed upon tasting it. Of note: 9 was the most recent of Amedei’s world-dominators. I hear she is making more for Thursday; sign me up!
Letty Flatt – you’ll know her work from Deer Valley Resorts – will be on hand with several pastries and treats using Amedei chocolate. Lya Luna, of Caputo’s, will have multiple offerings. Matt Harris of the Heirloom Restaurant Group and Ruth Kendrick of Chocolot will also be on hand with desserts and pastries using among the best chocolate in the world.
Other local producers and purveyors of fine beverages and other products will be on-hand as well to demonstrate pairings. Epic Brewing Company, Libation, and Slide Ridge Honey will all be available to lend their expertise to our cause.
This is a milestone because it is a step to spreading fine chocolate further into fine foods in the area. There are currently only a handful of places whose dessert and pastry options contain any fine chocolate. With Utah already being the “epicenter” of American fine chocolate (as Matt delicately puts it), the logical next step is to have Utah be the place to go for fine chocolate in recipes. I look forward to the proliferation of the good stuff showing up on menus all over the city – and the state.
Call ahead for better pricing ($10 in advance for just chocolate and $15 at the door – $5 more for beer and wine pairings), and come out on Thursday evening at 7:30 to join us in the celebration and further discovery of fine chocolate!
Molten Lava Chocolate Cake RecipeBecause so many people love mint cholcoate lava cake, we’ve included a variation with this recipe. * 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet cholcoate, chopped * 4 large eggs * bd pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chopped * 4 tablespoons unbleached all- purpose flour * bd cup sugar * 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg* * bd teaspoon ground cinnamon—or for a mint version, substitute 1bc teaspoons peppermint extract for the cinnamon * Whipped cream for garnish (1 pint heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract) * Raspberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)*We use a nutmeg grinder and a fresh nut; you also can use the nut with a plane grater.Preheat the oven to 350b0F. Grease eight 4-ounce cake molds or ramekins.Over a double boiler, melt the cholcoate and butter, stirring constantly. Once they are completely melted, set aside and cool.Combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until pale and fluffy. Stir the cholcoate mixture into the egg mixture until completely blended. Whisk in the flour, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix well. Pour the batter into the cake molds and bake for 14 minutes at 350b0F. While the cakes are baking you can whip the cream. To one pint heavy cream add 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar as the cream begins to thicken, plus 1 teaspoon vanilla and a few grains salt. Unsweetened or barely-sweetened whipped cream is also delicious, so feel free to reduce the sugar or add none at all.Remove the lava cakes from the oven and cool for 2 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert the molds onto individual dessert plates, garnish with raspberries and mint leaves and serve immediately. We prefer to pass the whipped cream in a bowl so guests can help themselves to the amount they prefer.