A Chocolate Love Rekindled

As I look around my kitchen I realise that I’ve been invaded by chocolate. There are books on chocolate: how to make it, how to bake with it, explaining its history and origins. There is chocolate in all forms: bars of chocolate, different flavoured truffles, delicate chocolates with exotic fillings from lemon verbena to Douglas fir and a variety of fruits and nuts dipped into chocolate. There are also old metal moulds for forming chocolates. Not so strange you might think after all this is the month of love and chocolate. But I am no longer a serious chocolate lover. Months can pass without me even thinking of chocolate let alone eating a piece. Is my love of chocolate being rekindled?

Early on in my career I was much more passionate about chocolate. I met the French chocolate master, Robert Linxe and sat in a class watching amazed as he dared to melt his chocolate over direct heat. I paid attention to his technique as he created smooth creamy fillings and then enrobed them in liquid Valhrona chocolate. And not just the Valhrona chocolate that mere mortals like you and I buy but, a chocolate created by the company exclusively for him according to his blend of cacao beans.

When I was in Paris, I’d make a pilgrimage across the river to his store La Maison du Chocolat on rue François 1er in the eighth arrondissement where they serve hot chocolate. Yes, I’ve been to the more famous Angelina’s but for my taste M. Linxe conjures up superior hot chocolate. He offered a choice of five, but on my last visit this was trimmed to three, but it was still worth the trip and the chocolate correctly presented in fine china and accompanied by whipped cream and a glass of water. I’d never leave the store without something chocolate for later, usually an exquisite éclair or a sublime macaron.

I pursued my love of chocolate at the Ritz Escoffier School in Paris, discovering the secret to liquor centres, making figures in chocolate, whipping up my own chocolates topped with gold leaf. I even learnt to dip delicate truffles without entirely covering the kitchen and myself in tempered chocolate.

However, all this early passion for chocolate faded with time and I can’t even recall my last visit to La Maision du Chocolat. Chocolate sits in my kitchen, unloved, uneaten, and gathering dust.

Well I’ve decided to pull myself out of my chocolate lethargy. The first step was talking to an extraordinary chocolate maker here in Toronto, which is why I have so much chocolate at hand. His fervour was contagious and snacking away on my stash of his chocolate made me want to renew my relationship with this wonderfully versatile ingredient.

Not just eating it I want to cook with it. My first step was to go savoury; the dark chocolate was a brilliant addition to my game stew balancing the cranberry gastrique. Next I added a mere ½ ounce (15 g) to my sauce for a lamb roast, to round out the flavour and thicken it.

But this is the season of love and sweetness and when my husband made an impassioned plea for chocolate mousse how could I refuse?

Of course I can’t just make a simple chocolate mousse that wouldn’t be challenging. I’m going to take it one step further by making a moulded mousse and pairing it with a slightly tart pomegranate syrup. The complex flavour of chocolate will be enhanced by the touch of acidity. And best of all this dessert will be pretty to look at with its splash of red – the perfect chocolate dessert for my husband and a way to renew my passion for chocolate - happy Valentine’s Day.

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