Culinary Muse

SWEET WEEK

It has been quite the sweet week for the Culinary Muse. After the mention of our ‘How to Taste Chocolate’ parties hit the internet via DAILY CANDY the phone has been a’ ringing. Click here to view Tuesday’s live segment on ABC’s VIEW FROM THE BAY . It was a great glimpse into what live television is all about. And let us tell you that it is not for the faint hearted or slow witted. To watch a television production crew arrive and figure out how they are going to present their information to an audience, live, in less than two hours, is something to behold. It is always a thrill to watch professionals in action which is what made Tuesday even more exciting.

If you are interested in learning more about the ‘How to taste chocolate’ class given by ‘Cocoa Tutor’ Karletta Moniz send us an email at km@culinarymuse.com

Noe Knit is the wonderful knitting shop that was featured and can be contacted at www.noeknit.com .They just received their shipment of luxurious fall yarns. Even if you are not a knitter today you will want to be by the time you leave the shop. Guaranteed.

SOLD OUT Chocolate Success Story

Our ‘Chocolate Sundays’ at NOE KNIT continue to be a sold-out success. And why not? What could be better than sitting down at a table with a few other folks who share a passion for chocolate? There are so many more chocolate choices than there were just five years ago. With chocolate bars going for $6.00 each I knew that chocolate lovers needed a way to understand why they prefer one chocolate over another. The more information we have the better able we are to make informed decisions. And this goes for chocolate, too. You may know that you prefer dark chocolate but do you know if a 72% cacao content is just too high for you? 60% might be just perfect. How about mouth feel? Silky, quick melting or gritty? And is it time to give milk chocolate a chance?

After a brief explanation of how chocolate gets from the equator to us we learn how to taste five different chocolates using all five of our senses. We look, we touch, we listen, we smell, we chew. And then we discover amazing things. We discover that the chocolate from France is sophisticated and refined. A chocolate from Spain smells like coconut but tastes like brewed American coffee with too much sugar in it. And an American chocolate is not so great to eat out of hand but would probably make killer brownies.

If you would be interested in having the Muse host a chocolate tasting class for you and your friends just contact km@culinarymuse.com. What a great way to entertain guests at your next soiree or shower!

And a good time was had by all

What could be better on a cold and rainy Sunday than the warmth of new friends getting together to enjoy an afternoon of knitting and chocolate? Here was a group of like minded souls whose passion for knitting was surpassed (perhaps) only by their passion for chocolate. We tasted, we knitted, we tasted more, we finished a row, we laughed.

It was so clear by the end of our hour at NOE KNIT that the real connection between knitting and enjoying fine chocolate was really about mindfulness. Stopping and savoring each piece of chocolate to find out what secrets of terroir it held for us to uncover in the same way that we discover what secrets a skein of yarn reveals once knitted into a scarf or sweater.  But the best part of all was the discovery that any serious knitter also keeps a stash of chocolate in their knitting bag. Kindred spirits indeed!