Sea-Salted Chocolate and Pecan Tart

Last week I met an extremely talented London chocolatier named Paul Young at the New York Chocolate Show. Paul has two chocolate shops in London and recently released a book, Adventures in Chocolate, in Britain. After tasting three varieties of his chocolates, I was so impressed, I just had to know more about this young Brit. With a thick Yorkshire accent, ebullient 

personality, and somewhat unusual taste in clothing, he was a breath of fresh air at the Franco-centric Chocolate Show. The most memorable of Young’s chocolates that I tried was a Port & Stilton truffle. Generally I hate these gimmicky flavor combinations, but this one was different, because it was perfectly balanced and extremely subtle. Not too bleu-cheesy at all. He originally created it 

because it was a flavor that epitomized Christmas for him—Stilton and Port were mandatory luxuries at the Young household around the holidays. The first batch he made was a Stilton truffle enrobed in chocolate, but unfortunately the truffles literally exploded sometime during the night. The spores in the cheese expanded, you see. So he added some Taylor Tawny Port and, aside from calming 

the spores down, it gave the truffles a slightly fruity flavor which worked beautifully with the Stilton. The other truffle that blew me away was his Sea Salted Caramel Truffle. Yes, we’ve all had this a million times, but this one was amaaaaaaaazing! Made with Muscovado sugar, French butter, double cream and a generous pinch of flaky Maldon sea salt, the silky smooth filling just flowed 

over my mouth, a tight-rope balance between salty and sweet that hit the mark just perfectly. I wanted to buy Paul’s cookbook right then and there, but it wasn’t available at the show. I did, however, find the most popular recipe from his book on the Internet, and it seemed ideal for Thanksgiving. It’s a Sea-Salted Chocolate and Pecan Tart, and it’s quite delicious. By the way, Paul will be opening up a chocolate shop in New York next year, so you won’t have to hop across the pond to enjoy his incredible chocolates.

Chocolate with a Hump

The one product that really stood out in my mind at this year's New York Chocolate Show was the Al Nassma Camel Milk Chocolate, billed as the "World's First Camel's Milk Chocolate." Yes, it is made with camel's milk. (Who even knew that camels had milk?) And yes, you can buy a big, hollow chocolate camel to serve as the centerpiece of your child's Easter basket (talk about confusing). Or scatter some mini solid camels amongst the jelly beans. This unique milk chocolate is the brainchild of Martin van Almsick, a very pleasant German man who is the former manager of the Chocolate Museum in Cologne. You may well ask how this chocolate tastes. Well, it has a mild flavor that is slightly tangy. Not as tangy as yogurt, but tangy-er than cow's milk. In short, it's not bad. If you found yourself in the middle of the desert and found a piece of Al Nassma in your pocket (probably a little melty), you would most certainly devour it.

Al Nassma's product line also includes five 70-grams bars in these flavors: Arabia (flavored with local spices); Date; Macadamia Nut and Orange; 70 percent Cocoa; and Whole [Camel] Milk. The hollow chocolate camels are available in two sizes,130- and 730-gram. For more info, visit www.al-nasma.com.

NYC Chocolate Show 2009, Day One

Today I went to the Chocolate Show in NYC, where Dessert Professional magazine presented the Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America. These outstanding chocolatiers handed out samples at the Dessert Professional booth throughout the day (and will continue to do so for all three days of the show), allowing show-goers to get a taste of their craftsmanship and learn more about each company. The list included one of my favorite chocolatiers, Markus Candinas (his Elderflower bonbon is pictured above) from Verona, WI. His philosophy about chocolate is simple: “ We use the best ingredients, make our chocolates fresh, and use methodology that others have either not yet discovered or simply neglect to employ.”

The result is a small assortment of chocolates that are perfectly balanced in flavor and texture. I told Markus today that I suspected he was a perfectionist, and he reluctantly nodded. “Sometimes that can be a problem,” he said. Not for us, though! To learn more about Markus and his chocolates, visit www.candinas.com. The remainder of the list of Top Ten Chocolatiers includes: Jacques Torres (Jacques Torres Chocolates), Drew Shotts (Garrison Confections), Thomas Haas (Thomas Haas Chocolates), Jeff Sherpherd (Lille Belle Farms Hand Made Chocolates), Julian Rose (Moonstruck Chocolates), Norman Love (Norman Love Confections), Michael Recchiuti (Recchiuti Confections), Jin Caldwell (Ethel's Chocolate) and Pat Coston (2 Chicks with Chocolate).