Comments on: Chocolate followup http://www.illation.net/travelblog/2008/10/06/chocolate-followup/ Observations and meditations upon peripatetics Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:13:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Amanda Westbrooks http://www.illation.net/travelblog/2008/10/06/chocolate-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Amanda Westbrooks Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:04:40 +0000 http://www.illation.net/travelblog/?p=145#comment-77 Chocolate a la taza! *tears of happy* It has the consistency of pudding, and I've only seen it with a pirouline standing upright in the middle, but I'm in Chicago (though I first met this delicious evil in New Orleans), not Madrid. ;) Did you know there are more chocolatiers in Chicago than any other large city? It actually smells like chocolate out here most days. Not for much longer, but I digress. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1159401,00.html It really is bar chocolate that is melted into milk and sugar with a little water and corstarch to thicken it. The Spanish chocolatier, Valor, makes a bar chocolate specifically for a la taza and it's a-ma-zing if you can find it. Really, you can use any high quality semi-sweet chocolate - I have a personal preference for Scharffen Barger and there's a chocolatier in my office building who carries a variety of their products. You can likely use a powder, but I doubt it would provide the same amazingly smooth texture as the melted bar chocolate. :D Chocolate a la taza! *tears of happy* It has the consistency of pudding, and I’ve only seen it with a pirouline standing upright in the middle, but I’m in Chicago (though I first met this delicious evil in New Orleans), not Madrid. ;)

Did you know there are more chocolatiers in Chicago than any other large city? It actually smells like chocolate out here most days. Not for much longer, but I digress.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1159401,00.html

It really is bar chocolate that is melted into milk and sugar with a little water and corstarch to thicken it. The Spanish chocolatier, Valor, makes a bar chocolate specifically for a la taza and it’s a-ma-zing if you can find it. Really, you can use any high quality semi-sweet chocolate – I have a personal preference for Scharffen Barger and there’s a chocolatier in my office building who carries a variety of their products. You can likely use a powder, but I doubt it would provide the same amazingly smooth texture as the melted bar chocolate. :D

]]> By: Jenny Foss http://www.illation.net/travelblog/2008/10/06/chocolate-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Jenny Foss Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:29:26 +0000 http://www.illation.net/travelblog/?p=145#comment-30 Hey, I totally get the importance of having it all made together to-order. Yeah, one could buy some churros, bring them home, and make ganache, but it wouldn't be the same. Donuts and similar deep fried pastries deteriorate exponentially with time after cooking. I'm guessing the churros served to you there were made to order, which makes so much difference. It's a lot like Beignet. There's nothing special about them, except that you get to eat them totally fresh. Hey, I totally get the importance of having it all made together to-order.

Yeah, one could buy some churros, bring them home, and make ganache, but it wouldn’t be the same. Donuts and similar deep fried pastries deteriorate exponentially with time after cooking. I’m guessing the churros served to you there were made to order, which makes so much difference. It’s a lot like Beignet. There’s nothing special about them, except that you get to eat them totally fresh.

]]> By: Agate http://www.illation.net/travelblog/2008/10/06/chocolate-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Agate Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:49:28 +0000 http://www.illation.net/travelblog/?p=145#comment-21 So you need to meet me in Auckland where they serve this ganache in a large cup with chile powder and call it hot chocolate. :) but yes I think that would be hard to come by in ABQ and once had a bit of a let down with it. hmmm. So you need to meet me in Auckland where they serve this ganache in a large cup with chile powder and call it hot chocolate. :) but yes I think that would be hard to come by in ABQ and once had a bit of a let down with it. hmmm.

]]> By: Alyse http://www.illation.net/travelblog/2008/10/06/chocolate-followup/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Alyse Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:20:48 +0000 http://www.illation.net/travelblog/?p=145#comment-19 Well I have to admit to not having tried the Schokinag, its on my list to though. I saw a food-network type thing on it - and I remember some of them talking about prepping it hot and drinking it cold/room temp. Well I have to admit to not having tried the Schokinag, its on my list to though. I saw a food-network type thing on it – and I remember some of them talking about prepping it hot and drinking it cold/room temp.

]]>