April 19, 2008 at 6:32 am (Shows and Samplings)
Tags: chocolate.salon, chocolate.show, fort.mason, marco.sanchez, sampling, san.francisco.chocolates
Obama looked a little blue at the Salon, but that didn’t stop people from devouring these confections over at the Cosmic table. The 2nd Annual SF Chocolate Salon was held in the way too small Fort Mason Conference Center building. Fortunately, our table was located in the smaller front room, which was cooler, but still as hectic. There were long lines to get into the salon, only to be put in another line once you got indoors. I finally got to take a break at 2pm for lunch and sat on the curb across the building’s entrance and saw that the lines weren’t letting up. Not to worry, talks of a larger space with more chocolatiers for next year’s venue is already in the works.
Overall the Salon was an extremely great experience for Jade Chocolates. Many people struck up a friendly conversation with me wanting to know more about the company and myself. I was all smiles for the interest. Our tablescape got compliments, as well as for our packaging and tasting experience. The photo to the right is our fan sampler packs and single fans.
I’ve got to mention one 10-year-old boy who didn’t have such as great chocolate experience at our table. He came up to the table and popped a Dragon’s Breath sample in his mouth without reading what he was eating. Usually, I warn parents that Dragon’s Breath is a little smokey and spicy for the youngsters, but he came alone, and I just wasn’t paying attention. He had the long awkward look of eating a raw olive or maybe a sour lemon. I should have taken a picture, but I 
was too busy laughing and enjoying the moment. The small photo of Dragon’s Breath was taken by Marco Sanchez with a more sophisticated palate, who contrary to the young boy’s experience, enjoyed this bar. Marco says, “The combination of flavors is just right. Not too much chili and the sesame seeds suprises your palate when you bite one.”
Demonstrations were held in the larger room, and fortunately, I got a hold of the recipe for chocolate eggrolls from the restuarant Shanghai 1930. Scroll down to the next posting for the recipe.
These venues are a great way for other chocolatiers and chocolate makers to meet each other. Here’s chocolate maker Sacred Steve of Sacred Chocolates posing with Yanti and Danna who both just started with Jade a week ago. Sacred Steve makes organic chocolates from bean to bar. I wasn’t able to taste any of Sacred’s chocolates but I did go over to Christopher Elbow’s table to admire his truffles. I kept dodging the crowd and finally reached in and grabbed a truffle on the corner of the table. It was caramel and lavender and oh so divine. It wasn’t until the day after that someone told me that the sample truffles were on the other side of the table and I had grabbed a truffle that was for sale. Sorry Chris, I guess I owe you a dollar!
Below are a list of blogs and online photo albums that mentions Jade Chocolates at the Salon. More will be added, when they become available:
Chocolate Snob-review of Mango Orchid
Chocolate Snob-review of Dragon’s Breath
Cooking with the Single Guy
YumSugar
Chowhound
Gourmet Walks on Chocolate
dnagrl’s chocolate salon album
marco sanchez’s chocolate salon album
Chocolate All the Time
The Chocolate Monster
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April 16, 2008 at 1:40 am (Recipes)
Tags: chocolate.recipe, shanghai1930
This recipe is courtesy of famed San Francisco restaurant, Shanghai 1930 who demonstrated this recipe at the 2008 SF Chocolate Salon.
6 Spring roll wrapper (you can use store bought wrappers, about 8″x8″)
6oz. Valrhona Dark Chocolate
3/4 heavy cream
Sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Raspberry Sauce (see below)
Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Put aside. Cut chocolate into small pieces. Bring the heave cream to a boiling point over a double boiler. Add in chocolate pieces. Stir with a whisk until chocolate is melted and well blended. Remove from heat.
Divide chocolate into 6 equal portions and form each into a 7″ tube. Place tubes on sheet pan. Place in freezer overnight.
Take one spring roll wrapper and place a tub of chocolate diagonally about 1/3 way from corner. Fold the wrapper over the chocolate tube and keep rolling until about 1/2 way through, then fold in both ends to form a firm and tight spring roll about 7″ long. Brush the egg wash on the inside of the remaining end of the wrapper to seal.
Preheat vegetable oil in wok or deep fryer to 300 degrees F, the deep fry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels. Place on serving plate with raspberry sauce.
Serves 6
Raspberry Sauce:
2 1/2 cups raspberries, washed
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Place berries in a large bowl. Add sugar and mix gently. Add lemon juice and mix again. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree. Pour mixture into a fine sieve over a mixing bowl. Push solids through with a spoon. Keep refrigerated until used.
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April 15, 2008 at 7:10 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: chocolate.meetup, sfsupperclub, tubemogul, vermeer
This pre-Chocolate Salon event was sponsored by Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur. Complimentary liqueur on the rocks was served up and naturally brought out the inhibitions of several bar patrons. Vermeer also passed out pearl studded earrings, like the ones seen on the painted lady on the front of their bottles. it was a mixed crowd of software techies and chocolate lovers.
The SF Supperclub offers dinner and a show while you sit on comfy king sized beds complete with fluffy pillows. Enter the mighty reddened bar, bedazzled with a dozen hanging disco balls and red padded walls which is juxtaposed by the light airiness of the all-white main dining room. The restrooms were also lined with padded walls but with added industrial screw eye hooks in the center of each pad. What goes on in here after hours anyways? I’d love to come back here and experience what I can only imagine as pure hedonism.
Like chocolate bars and truffles, Vermeer chocolate liqueur makes people happy. I struck up a conversation with a couple from Boston who was just tickled pink that I was a chocolatier. After a good 20 minutes into the conversation, I reached into my purse and gave them samples. Alissa (pictured on the right) thanked me for the chocolates and said, ‘YOU’RE delicious and I haven’t even tried your chocolates yet!’ Other photos were taken of my new friend, but this one here is the most family friendly……
There were more software techies chocolate lovers than non techies. Here’s another new friend, David, marketing manager of tubemogul, a blog on online videos. The combination of chocolate on the rocks and a sample of my bars, brought on this reaction, ’I'm almost aroused!’ Why yes David, there are recent studies suggesting that natural chemicals in chocolate brings about such pleasures. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! That night at the Supper Club brought about interesting people. Chocolate flavored alcohol and chocolate bars, a lethal combination. Cheers.
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April 10, 2008 at 6:39 pm (Shows and Samplings)
Tags: Add new tag, clay.gordon, copia, death.by.chocolate, dragon's.breath, napa, peju, sampling, tcho
Death by Chocolate Walk Around Tasting occurred this February 23rd in Napa, CA. This was Jade Chocolates first sampling event at Copia.
There was great admiration for the packaging of the fans and for the earth friendliness of the chocolate bars. As most chocolate vendors were sampling out truffles, I was ecstatic to hear from people that the bars with my unique inclusions were a refreshing and most interesting change of pace amongst the chocolate samplings. Timothy Childs from Tcho came by the booth, as well as Clay Gordon, author of Discover Chocolate and blog moderator of The Chocolate Life and Chocophile came. Both of these guys raved about Dragon’s Breath. I traded chocolates with Timothy, and got a beta batch of ‘chocolatey’. I felt like I was in grammar school all over again, trading my prized Lisa Frank stickers for an equivalent. I gave away the Genmai and the Dragon’s Breath bar to Clay in exchange for his autographed book. The book sits on my bookshelf, along with Alice Medrich’s recently signed book. Autograph signing is big with me, and I’ll continue to get signed items even when I get up to that upper echelon of chocolatiering.
Clay mentions Dragon’s Breath in a blog on the chocolate life, that you can read by clicking here, The Chocolate Life This is a new chocolate blog with just a few hundred members. It’s a interesting read and a great place to connect with other chocolate lovers.
UPDATE: 4/20/08. I just found another blog where Jade Chocolates is the only vendor mentioned! The blog is called, Looking for a few good ideas
Thanks to all the people who came out and tried our Jade Chocolates products. See you at Copia next year!
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April 6, 2008 at 4:40 pm (Product Information)
Tags: daughter, half.dipped, mango, mango.orchid, orchid, patience
Jade Chocolates’ Mango Orchid was created after a family trip to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. My daughter often stops to smell flowers and I knew bringing her here would be a fantastic experience. As adults living in a hectic world with responsiblities, sometimes we forget to take things slow, and enjoy the world around us. As a mother, I’m learning more about patience and understanding. Life is to be enjoyed at the present moment, a key to personal happiness.
The half dipped Mango Orchid is a simple pleasure, a reminder to takes it slow and enjoy the world and the people around you. Share these edible creations with loved ones. It will bring a smile to their faces!
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was too busy laughing and enjoying the moment. The small photo of Dragon’s Breath was taken by Marco Sanchez with a more sophisticated palate, who contrary to the young boy’s experience, enjoyed this bar. Marco says, “The combination of flavors is just right. Not too much chili and the sesame seeds suprises your palate when you bite one.”
