Chocolate Is My Boyfriend

February 16, 2009 5:59 pm

Who needs a man when you can have chocolate? Okay, so in a perfect world, you'd have both, but sometimes you have to make do with what you have and this Valentine's Day I had all the chocolate that my little single heart could desire.

When Divya approached me about taking a chocolate class with Kerry Heffernan, executive chef at South Gate restaurant, this past Saturday I was super excited. Then I realized that I would be sitting in a room full of lovey-dovey couples feeding each other sweets bites of caloric affection. Cue panic. How was I going to enjoy my chocolaty treat if I was to be constantly reminded that everyone else in the room was in love while I am perpetually single? With a huff of anxiety I walked down Central Park South anticipating a miserable two hours of nauseating cutesy couples.

All my worries washed away when I walked into South Gate. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. Crystallized glass and shiny marble received bright bursts of color from larger than life floral arrangements. Any one who picked out this activity for their Valentine got extra brownie points purely based on the beauty of this place. Class participants were escorted into the back dining room where five long wooden tables were lined up in front of a large counter, which was decked out with more chocolate than a Hershey's store. My initial excitement immediately returned.

We started off with an introduction into the great world of chocolate, in particular Valrhona chocolate. It was very informative, but the plate filled with six chocolate samples from Valrhona that had been placed in front of me was a tad more eye catching. My brain was telling me not to touch the plate, as we were instructed to hold off on the eating, but my taste buds had other ideas. I almost had to smack my own hand as it reached for a nibble, but thankfully the wait staff came to my rescue. Pieces of the coco pod, which is chocolate in its purest and most natural form, were being passed around for class participants to sample. The coco pod comes directly off the tree, meaning that unless you harvest the coco plant, most people will never have the experience of tasting the pod. The coco bean is encapsulated by a white membrane, which tasted to me like mild honeydew. It was interesting, but that plate of chocolate was still whispering my name.

Finally, it was time to taste the chocolate. We started off with the nibs, which were unsweetened bites of the coco bean. Next came white chocolate, which I learned is not actually chocolate, as it does not grow from the coco pod, but when mixed with the nibs becomes a member of the family. The square of milk chocolate, which is made with caramelized sugar, was divine. It melted on my mouth, making my concerns about being the only single in the room disappear. I may have been alone, but at least I didn't have to share my chocolate. Two bites of a dark and darker chocolate followed. The first was nutty and a tad bitter, but overall pleasant, while the second was far more mild and even in taste. I'm a milk chocolate lady, so while I did enjoy these two (because I enjoy all chocolate) I did find them a little less exciting than the heavenly bite of milky goodness. Two minutes later I was corrected.

Our final piece of coco was the Caraibe, which is a blend of the two dark chocolate pieces we had just enjoyed. Wow! It was so wonderful that I broke out into a little dance in my chair as I nibbled away. The Caraibe, which is Valrhona's signature chocolate, was a perfect mix of the dark chocolates as it was not as punchy as the first bite and more exhilarating than the second. Just in case I hadn't had my fill of chocolaty goodness just yet, the executive pastry chef, Morgan Larsson, greeted the class with his double boiler in one hand and a whisk in the other. As soon as I saw the double boiler, I knew we were in for some kind chocolate extravagance. Cue smile.

Chef Larsson whipped up heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and two types of Valrhona chocolate to create the most decedent thing I have ever eaten. This chocolate creation was served to the class with a layer of gooey dark chocolate on top covered with little chocolate crunch balls and coffee whipped cream. He calls is Chocolate Pot De Créme. I call it happiness in a bowl. If the Chocolate Pot De Créme were available to the masses, drug companies would go out of business as everyone's' depression, anxiety, and blood pressure issues would be immediately soothed from just one bite. I may have been flying solo in a room full of doting duos, but after all the chocolate, I couldn't have cared less. As I left South Gate with my bar of Valrhona chocolate, and wished myself a Happy Valentine's Day.

Alexis Popov