Chocolate Tulips in Bloom

Chocolate tulips, photo courtesy of Chocolot Artisan Chocolates.

Love tulips? Love chocolate? Me too.  Ruth Kendrick of Chocolot has been playing in chocolate and these are some of her spring blossoms. It's gives a new meaning to the term, "edible flowers," but these are just too pretty to eat. 


The International Chocolate Salon recently named Ruth a Grand Master Chocolatier for 2011. (Click here for more info on the awards.)


You can learn some of her secrets at a class taught May 19, 5-8 p.m. at Gygi Culinary Solutions, 3500 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City.  This is a hands-on class,  “Chocolate Tempering and Candymaking,” where you learn how to temper chocolate, and then dip and coat passion fruit-flavored marshmallows and homemade ganache. Everyone will leave with a box of their own creations to take home and enjoy.


The fine art of tulip-making takes a lot more expertise and isn't taught in this class.


The cost is $65. Registration, 801-268-3316 or www.gygi.com .

AMANO CHOCOLATE TAKES TOP INTERNATIONAL HONORS

Utah chocolate maker Amano Artisan Chocolate has taken top honors at the 2011 Academy of Chocolate Awards in London. Amano received five awards for its chocolate, including one gold, three silvers (two in the same category) and a bronze as well as a sixth award for packaging. The awards include:

* Gold for Amano Dos Rios palet d’or in Best Filled Chocolate – plain category
* Silver for Amano Dos Rios in the Bean to Bar Best Dark Bar category
* Silver for Amano Chuao also in Bean to Bar Best Dark Bar category
* Silver for Amano Ocumare in Best Milk Bean to Bar category, and
* Bronze for Amano Cinnamon pecan in the Best filled chocolate – nuts category
* Silver for Amano bar packaging

The company will be recognized at the annual Academy of Chocolate awards ceremony on May 18, 2011, at Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly, London, England.

These awards are the second international competition won by Amano, which in 2009 became the first American chocolate maker to win The Academy of Chocolate’s Gold Medal for the Amano Madagascar Bar along with five other awards.

Amano’s confections are made and sold in the company's Orem factory store by executive pastry chef Rebecca Millican. Before joining Amano, she was an instructor for the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City. She appears regularly on the Food Network’s “Challenge” show in addition to competing as team captain in the National Pastry Championship.

Amano is one of only a handful artisan chocolate makers in the U.S. It sources its beans directly from Madagascar, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Ecuador and turns it into super-premium chocolate.  For more information, visit http://www.amanochocolate.com.

Free Chocolate Dipped Strawberries at Gastronomy

 It used to be called "National Secretaries Day," but now it's Administrative Professionals Week. Whatever the  title, The New Yorker and all Market Street Grill and Oyster Bar locations will offer complimentary chocolate-dipped strawberries at lunch this week, April 25-29.

 “These are the people who keep our offices and businesses running smoothly, and this is our way to recognize their service,” said Tom Guinney, Gastronomy partner, in a company press release.

 Created in 1952 to honor secretaries, Administrative Professionals Week is now one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays.

 Since 1991, Gastronomy restaurants have prepared chocolate-dipped strawberries for this special week. Last year, more than 4,500 berries were served, according to Guinney.  

Chocolate Lovers Can Win Big!

Chocolate lovers have until April 30 to submit their most unique chocolate creations as part of the first-ever Callebaut Chocolate Recipe Contest.  The grand prize is a trip for two to the Callebaut Chocolate Factory in Belgium, among other prizes. Second place winners receive $500 and a year’s supply of Callebaut chocolate.