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I admit I am an addict; I can not say no to either great champagne or great chocolate.
Last night, the gracious Madame Chocolat (aka Hasty Torres), invited me to her Decadent & Delicious event to introduce her new champagne truffles. Her new milk chocolate truffles are infused with Domaine Carneros Champagne, a winery whose founder, Eileen Crane, thought she knew me from one of my former lives on the East Coast. As women who follow their passions, it is very fitting that they have now combined their talents into a new unique treat for the senses just in time for Mother’s Day, the day of celebration for women who create and nurture new lives.
The truffles are dusted with gold glitter which add a very festive note reminiscent of the bubbles in sparkling wine. I’m normally not a milk chocolate fan, but the the smooth creamy 43% Belgian chocolate ganache filled truffle was a smooth compliment to the balanced brut champagne. I ate two in about two seconds and had to move away from the table to restrain myself from eating the entire tray.
Gift boxes with 12 champagne truffles and a bottle of 2007 Domaine Carneros are available for delivery on Mother’s Day (or any other day) for only $55 and will begin shipping May 4, 2012, so place your order here now.
It was fun to be behind the counter of the shop for the first time! The new glitter heeled shoe chocolates were also beautiful to behold (they had literally just been finished that day).
The heavy duty machines kept working even though all the guests were drinking and eating chocolate!
There were delicious savory bites catered by Chris Brugler which were not only beautiful to behold but delectable to eat. The Watermelon Feta Mousse Bites with Aged Balsamic was both refreshing and rich with complexity.
The Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna Topped with Sweet Chili Avocado Mousse was one of my favorites.
The Sweet Potato Cake with a Black Bean Salsa and Chipolte Aioli was a surprisingly sweet and savory delight with a nice smoky flavor.
My favorite of all the small bites was the aged Prosciutto with Burrata served on Crostini finished with Aged Balsamic. I loved this so much I ate three!
I didn’t taste the Black Mission Fig Challah Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion & Thyme with Brie Cheese, but it looked amazing.
Chris is the Challah King and sells his breads at Nate n Al in Beverly Hills, but his catering is impeccable and professional.
Thank-you and gros bisous to Hasty and Eileen for a fun, festive, and fantastic event launching their new joint venture of decadent and delicious champagne truffles!
I prefer the European style of chocolate because it is less sugary and more intensely chocolate than the American style. Since the chocolate supply I brought back from Paris’ Debauve Gallais is now gone, I headed over to Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills to get some truffles from my favorite local chocolatier for a friend’s birthday this week (and a few pieces for myself).
With Easter coming up, the store window and interior are both filled with delightfully whimsical and mouthwatering creations. Whether you are looking for a traditional chocolate Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs, or marshmallow “chicks”, they have them all, ranging from small kid friendly sized, to a gigantic decadent party centerpiece size. Her Glitter Truffles have been featured on television and you can have them shipped to you if you don’t live nearby.
Madame is famous for her beautiful (chocolate) shoes and handbags, so if you would like to get something truly unique for your favorite shoe-a-holic who also happens to be a chocoholic, the perfect gift of Blahnik, Louboutin, or Valentino heels can be had for a fraction of the inedible version! For the men, there are watches, golf balls, and cigars, and for the kids (even grown up kids), there are chocolate S’Mores, chocolate covered Oreos, and cheerios.
In a romantic chocolate love story, Madame Chocolat, Hasty Torres, is married to Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres, so some of his creations are also in the store like the Wicked (pictured above), made with a spicy chili, and Love Potion #9 (pictured below) made with dark chocolate ganache.
Fortunately, the love of chocolate does not involve the possibility of heartbreak, with the exception of not having enough, so make sure you stock up before the holidays.
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One of the gifts I received for Valentine’s Day was a box of chocolates from the Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini, whose motto is “Courage is the gateway from dream to reality’”. Unfortunately you can not order these for delivery to the US (yet), so you must travel to either Belgium, France, or the UK to taste these jewels.
The presentation in the stores and in the packaging is done in the style of a joallier (jewelry store) and the flavors range from exotic saffron, four spice, mango, and cardamon, to the more accessible Earl Grey tea, black currant, and fleur du sel caramel. The unique specialty ganaches from Madagascar, Brazil, and Venezuela are among my preferred pieces, but my favorite of all was the signature Pierre Marcolini combination of chocolate from Venezuela, Ghana, and Peru.
What better reason is there to travel than to discover (and taste) wonderful new treasures?
