Choco-Me-Crazy Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment Recap

 

Twas the day of the Chocolate Experiment
And all through the Bell House
Chefs busily prepped their stations
With hopes of obtaining some ”wow’s”

 

Savory creations led the way
Their aromatic flavors filling the air
Succulent, tasty, and umami
They fearlessly challenged and dared

Yours Truly

Bonnie Suarez's Umami Chocolate Black Beans with Roasted Cauliflower & Pork Belly (My personal favorite)

Jill Strominger’s Ole! Mole, (And the sweetest "neighbor" I could ask for!)

The sweet and scrumptious treats

Each more decadent and sinfully rich

They lured you with their siren song

And your tastebuds they bewitched

 

Roopa Marcello's Winning Thai Chili-Lime Chocolate Ice Cream (Sadly, I didn't get to sample this!)

Jordon Goldstein's Mango Sticky Rice Lolipops (sweet and slightly tangy, and delicious filling)

Pervaiz Shallwani and Rebecca Marx’s Chocolate Hush Puppies (My personal sweet favorite – just the right amount of sweetness with a satisfying crunch!)

Lily Olive’s PB & Hot Chocolate Truffles (A nice dude brought these over in exchange for samples of my dish. The cayenne really gets you at the end and I found that to be a pleasant surprise)

Attic Sugar Bakery’s Hazelnut Brownies (Again didn’t get to taste this, but who am I to contest Andrew Knowlton & judge’s 3rd place pick?)

The voracious chocoholics came streaming in

Seeking the holy chocolate grail

The chefs didn’t disappoint

The chocolate poured in without fail

 

 

With a beer in one hand and plate in other

The crowd casted votes on a chocolate high

The judges sniffed, tasted, savored and licked

All the chilis, cookies, cakes, and pies

 

My plate of goodies brought over by one of my gracious helpers. Too bad it was knocked over before I could finish it all

The judges deep in deliberation

The vivacious hosts Nick and Theo

Charmed the crowd with banter and cheer

The winners were announced

And congratulated with prizes and beer

 

 

An afterparty followed

Of which the Experimental Chef missed

Tired from the long long day

And a sick sous chef at home to kiss

 

So ends another Experiment

Hope you had your fill of cocoa craze

“Oh chocolate, how do I love thee

Let me count the ways”

 

Winners:

Judges Award
3rd – Attic Sugar Bakery – Hazelnut Brownies
2nd – Bonnie Suarez – Chocolate Black beans with cauliflower and pork belly
1st – Roopa Marcello – Thai Chocolate Ice Cream

Honorable Mention Sweet – Alyssa Lees – Deconstructed Truffles
Honorable Mention Savory – Lei Takahashi – “Pig in Drag”

Nick and Theo Prize – Pervaiz Shallwani + Rebecca Marx – Chocolate
Hush Puppies

Audience Award
3rd -  Team Peanut – Chocolate Chipotle Chili
2nd – Lei Takahashi – “Pig in Drag”
1st  – Roopa Marcello – Thai Chocolate Ice Cream

*Photo credits: The Lovely Irene, and The Effervescent Aurelia

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Chocolate Confessions and The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment

I have a confession to make.

“My name is Shelly, and I am NOT a Choco-holic.”

Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy my molten chocolate cakes and my hazelnut Ferrero Rochers from time to time. But unlike 99% of the female population, my face does not transform into a look of sheer bliss at its very smell; my lips do not part with the anticipation of that first taste with my tongue, and I do not make sounds of orgasmic pleasure as I savor its decadence in my mouth.

Yes, I am that 1% anomaly. Call me peculiar, call me crazy, but I rather snack on a bag of 90 calorie Popchips than devour a chocolate brownie square. My friends love sharing desserts with me, because I’ll take 2 mini bites before the chocolatey richness overpowered my taste buds, and then turn it over for them to ravage in ecstacy.

So I was the last person who would bet that I’d one day compete in a cookoff featuring chocolate, but indeed on November 15th, I will be a proud contestant at:

The Brooklyn Food Experiment is brainchild of Theo Peck and Nick Suarez, 2 brilliant cookoff competitors themselves, and the chocolate experiment is the 3rd in the series.  Amateur chefs will compete in 3 categories (sweet, savory, & drinks). Judging will be at the mercy of the audience as well as an impressive panel of judges including Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of Food52, Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit, and Nick Fauchald of TastingTable. It’s an event not to be missed. So if you live in the NYC area, please come out to join the ranks of competing chefs, or just to sample the succulent chocolate dishes and…support me!

With my lack of patience and the meticulous skills required for the art of pastry-making, I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I will be entering with a savory creation of my own. I’m still tinkering around to perfect the recipe, so I’ll wait until after the event for the unveiling here on this blog, but here’s a clue: It’s a comfort dish that’s spicy, rich, hearty, & warm, with just the right hint of chocolatey smokiness. So come out and taste for yourself!

More details can be found on the website http://thefoodexperiments.com/. See you there!

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The Appetizing Bon Appetit Supper Club

This week, I went to check out the Bon Appétit Supper Club (http://www.basupperclubandcafe.com), a pop up restaurant located conveniently in Midtown Manhattan ~10 blocks away from my office! I am a huge fan of the “pop-up” phenomenon – the thrill of catching a limited engagement just makes you feel so…”in the know”.

The Bon Appétit Supper Club is only open to the public from 11AM to 3PM this week only, and it features simple cafe dishes (sandwiches, soups, desserts) from top chefs like Rick Bayless, Cat Cora, and Daniel Boulud. There are also cooking demos, book signings, and Q & A sessions throughout the day to keep you entertained.

I snuck out during lunchtime to try to get a taste of all the culinary delights. 

As you can see, the space was set up just like any other NYC lunch spot, but the difference is that for the same price (under $10 a pop) you get food designed by renowned chefs! I headed straight for the sandwich section and snagged a yummy vegetarian sandwich with marinated peppers, zucchini and smoked ricotta by Nate Appleman. It was really simple,  yet the pepperonata (made with fennel, capers, red pepper, and red wine) gave it such a complex savory flavor that I was sad to finish it off.

Next I hit the dessert section for a treat. And with all the selection under the $3 mark, it was indeed a hard decision to choose only one! I settled on a fluffy looking Venetian Apple Cake by Gina DePalma, and it certainly did not disappoint. The muffin/cupcake texture was moist, with just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of cinnamon spice. It tasted like a hybrid of apple pie, carrot cake, and pumpkin bread – deliciously appropriate for fall!

The Dessert Section

All in all, a wonderful break from the daily grind! I caught a glimpse of Daniel Boulud, who came in for his book signing at 1:30, but alas, had to rush back to the office for a meeting and could not stay

You can read more about the event from High Low Food Drink’s blog here. They were able to get a picture with Chef Boulud (I feel my eyes turning green). Anyway, they gave a great recap with some fun pictures. Check it out! http://highlowfooddrink.blogspot.com/2009/09/bon-appetit-supper-club-and-cafe-our.html

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