Jacques Torres Chocolate Tasting & Cocktail Party

Last Thursday, thanks to my obsession with checking Gilt City at precisely 10 AM every other morning, I had the privilege of attending a chocolate tasting and cocktail party hosted by Jacques Torres at his Upper West Side boutique. When I purchased my ticket for the event, I didn't really know anything more about the event other than what the title suggested, but knowing that there would be a chocolate tasting, cocktails, and the chance to meet Jacques Torres in person was more than enough for me!

 

Upon walking in, I was greeted by a friendly woman who then proceed to check the guestlist for my name via iPad - look how awesome technology is nowadays! The barista/bartender had a glass of chilled champagne already poured and ready for me, so grabbing my glass, I proceeded to explore.

 

Admittedly, the Jacques Torres Chocolate store on 74th and Amsterdam is not exactly as grandiose and spacious as his store on Hudson Street, but it definitely made for a more intimate setting. I made a quick circle around the room, spotting Mr. Chocolate himself chatting with a few of that evening's attendees, and beelined towards the spread of canapes I spotted in the back of the room!

After tasting each and every one (oh yes, I was hungry), I began to wonder exactly what format the chocolate tasting would be. Until I noticed...

Alas, people were requesting to sample the chocolates behind the display case; the opportunity to test out all of the chocolates on display was the chocolate tasting! Why did I have to eat those canapes??

Glancing at each of the chocolate descriptions, I was filled with excitement. There were SO many flavors I had always wanted to try - I was like a kid in a candy shop. Well, I literally pretty much was a kid in a candy shop. Anyways, I knew I had to quickly act on this golden opportunity before my stomach would realize it was too full to allow me to continue. 

I was able to get through maybe over a dozen chocolates (I know, it sounds even more gross when I write it out) before my stomach caught up with me. But I'm glad I at least made it through nearly all of the flavors I wanted to try! The European peanut butter was a lovely and oh-so-creamy blend of peanuts, hazelnut and milk chocolate. The menage a trois was delicious and exciting - even more so because they do not tell you which 3 flavors are being combined, though none are overly strong in flavor so that this chocolate can appeal to nearly all tastes.

 

The love bug was a pleasantly surprising mild yet delicious blend of key lime ganache and white chocolate; oftentimes key lime chocolates end up being overly tart or possess an overpowering lime flavor, but this chocolate maintained a good balance of sweet and sour. The chai tea was one of my last chocolates, and despite that I was already four chocolates past sugar and chocolate overload, the exotic blend of the Indian spices was really able to mix and complement the milk chocolate ganache.

There was no way I was ending the evening without sampling some of the infamously rich and sensational Jacques Torres cookies either. He so innocently described these cookies as being just an ever-so-slight deviation on the Nestle Tollhouse cookie recipe, but with more butter and different chocolate chips. Delicious!

As a side note, the donuts served that evening (which I believe is also sold in stores), was so deliciously light and fluffy with heavenly vanilla cream filling.

Afterwards, I took a luxuriously stroll around the room and admired all of Jacques Torres creations with a warm cup of satisfying illy cappuccino in hand.

 

At the end of the evening, I left with my parting gift from Gilt City - a Jacques Torres milk chocolate bar - and a stomach full of sugar (followed by a nice stomachache). If I were to ever get this chance again, I think I would have better paced myself and limited my chocolate consumption and probably thought of more brilliant conversation topics to discuss with Jacques. But even so, I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be welcomed into Jacques Torres chocolate store for a cozy evening of confections and champagne and to spend an evening in the presence of an amazing pastry chef.

Chefs Cook for Japan

On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of spending the evening in the company of amazing chefs including Masaharu Morimoto, Anita Lo, Daniel Boulud, and Marcus Samuelsson, to name a few. Okay fine I am exaggerating a little, but on Wednesday evening I did attend the Chefs Cook for Japan event hosted by Chef Masaharu Morimoto at the Harvard Club. This event consisted of an evening of spectacular food from a bevy of incredibly talented chefs, drinks from spectacular mixologists, and a live auction. We were so fortunate as to not only be graced with their presence, but some of them actually served us their dishes directly: watching Chef Morimoto slice tuna, form the nigiri sushi, then directly serve it to you = priceless. And of course, with the spectacular turnout and the proceeds from the auction, I hope we were able to play even an ever-so-slight part in helping the disaster relief efforts in Japan by donating to the Japan Society; our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami.

Walking into the event, I was overwhelmed by all the action and excitement around me and didn't know where to begin! Also, as soon as I pulled out my camera, I realized I had left my memory card behind and would have to make do with using the camera on my phone. So I grabbed a glass of champagne from the nearest waiter and headed to the first station on my right.

 

This first dish was a lobster taco with avocado tomatillo sala presented to us by Bell Book & Candle. The lobster filling was definitely a nice start to the event and the avocado tomatillo salsa was a refreshing condiment to the tortilla wrap, but I felt that the tortilla wrap rather overwhelmed the flavors. Overall though, still a pleasant way to kick off the evening!

Next up was the cornbread with tomato jam from Red Rooster by Marcus Samuelsson. And oh boy, it was GOOD. Definitely different from any other cornbread I have ever eaten, the bread was moist - like a cake - and had hints of maple syrup soaked within the bread, all the meanwhile maintaining the delicious corn flavor. In fact, it was so good, I had to go back for seconds. Yum!

We decided to go a little out of order, but if you had seen the Morimoto dessert station, you would've veered off the path as well! Our greedy selves were worried that the dessert station would be wiped out before we got a chance to sample, so alas, it became our 3rd dish. Highlights of the spread included the tofu cheesecake, which was an extremely light and refreshing rendition on the traditional dessert, with the added bonus of being so light and tasting (ironically) healthy, that you don't feel the need to run a a few laps after eating! Another favorite was the chocolate hazelnut crunch cup (I'm completely making up names here, by the way), which was basically a cross between a Ferrero Rocher and those praline-filled wafer cookies (think Pirouettes), all piled into a delicate chocolate cup. The wasabi chocolate truffle also had a nice spicy kick to it, especially since it took a few seconds for the wasabi flavor to actually come through. The chocolate truffle was one of the smoothest I have ever had, with a beautifully rich and creamy texture.

While waiting in line for Sushi Zen, we decided to pop over to sample the potted duck with foie gras mousse and orange gelee by Jose Garcis for Amada. The potted duck was Many people actually complained that the dish was too salty for their tastes, but I soon discovered that if you took a proper ratio of duck to foie gras mousse (which meant taking a full spoonful - all the way to the bottom - instead of just halfway through the duck like most people had been doing), the flavors mixed together wonderfully, with the rich flavor of the duck and foie gras blending together to produce what I can only describe as a delectable duck reduction flavor.

I suppose you could say Sushi Zen, our next stop, was the belle of the ball (excluding Morimoto's sushi station, of course), as this station had the longest lines - lines which remained long even 2 hours into the event! But people had to have been lining up for a good reason, and it was obvious why. The sushi display was immaculate, with a lovely ice sculpture and an extremely bountiful spread of sushi and sashimi. Part of the reason why the line was also so long was because each of the chefs would carefully assemble each plate of sushi/sashimi - and no plate was ever the same! The fish was fresh and delicious, especially the Shima Aji. The rolls were interesting and fun, like the salmon and Chinese yam roll shaped like a checkerboard, but the sashimi was really the knockout from this station.

The next station literally took my breath away - never in my wildest dreams did I think Chef Morimoto himself would be slicing bluefin tuna, forming the nigiri, and serving it directly to us, all while we stood there and watched! We were served two cuts of tuna - medium and fatty - in nigiri, roll, and carpaccio form. The nigiri was absolutely to die for; the delicate tender fish was literally melting in my mouth. I also like to believe that while Chef Morimoto was dabbing the wasabi and tenderly swiping the fish with 2 brush strokes of soy sauce, he was imparting his love into that piece of sushi. I woke up the next morning and all I wanted to eat was that sushi again. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

When I walked to the next station, I thought to myself how unfortunate it was for this next chef to be placed immediately adjacent to Morimoto. But alas, I was proved wrong, and this dish really held its own. Ken Oringer from Clio Restaurant/Uni Sashimi Bar presented us with an amazing toasted foie gras and unagi with kinome and sweet and sour rhubarb. I actually did not eat the rhubarb with the dish, but the foie gras and unagi alone were so rich and so tender alone that I can only imagine what new level the dish would have been elevated to with the addition of the sweet and sour flavors of the rhubarb. The foie gras melded with the unagi almost like butter, and the sweet flavors of the unagi excellently complemented the salty flavors of the foie gras.

This next dish was my friend's favorite dish of the evening, a taro taco with salmon tartar and salmon roe. I believe it may have also been served with tuna tartar, but I am not even too sure which type of fish was in my taco (rather than look at it, I ate it almost instantly...oops). The taro shell was such a pleasant alternative to the typical corn shell, with the taro adding a sweetness to the dish and a fragile, delicate crunch. The dish was composed of both sweet and salty flavors, of crunchy and tender textures, and of light and dark colors - beautiful! And the salmon roe provided a nice surprise to each bite, with the salty juices spilling out with each crunch to add a new dimension of flavor and texture.

Next up was a ligurian octopus salad from Bartolotta. I have to admit I am not a huge fan of octopus or beans, so I did not eat very much of the dish. But I have to say the octopus was cooked beautifully, tender with smoky flavors and just enough acidity from the lemon and olive oil to keep it fresh.

The chilled avocado soup with unagi and shiso from Anita Lo for Annisa was so delicious and creamy and a nice break from all the solid foods we had consumed up until that point. The avocado and unagi flavors mixed to create a salty and milky, yet at the same time light, soup with hints of shiso flavor popping in to add a new dimension of flavor and give the soup a little alternative kick.

Next up was the Asian meatball with herb consomme from the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The meatball was so tender, with bits of crunch and texture from shrimp and what tasted like water chestnut keeping the meatball exciting and not monotone. The herb consomme provided a nice sauce/bath for the meatball, keeping the meat moist and adding a little bit of juice to each bite.

From one of the most beautiful stations of the evening, we were served a hamachi tartar roll from Daniel. The roll was beautifully plated and the flavors of the tartar were delicious yet still very light and fresh. Once I got to the daikon component (which was pickled, I believe), the flavors of the daikon overpowered the fish slightly and inhibited my enjoyment of the fish, but overall still simple and clean flavors.

Next up we had a beautiful quail egg with suckling pig and black bean sauce from Yuhi Fujinaga for Bar Basque. This dish had possibly the cutest presentation, with a syringe full of a garnish to sprinkle on top of the dish. Honestly I am also not a fan of quail egg, especially not runny, but once I got past that fear, the dish was quite a pleasant amalgamation of flavors. I happened to be so unfortunate as to have the suckling pig left behind in the boat after I had downed the other ingredients, but the suckling pig on its own was so tender and so flavorful that I didn't really mind.

Jonathan Waxman was adorably slicing bread at his station for the vegetable crudo served at his station. The flavors were simple (and the bread was actually quite tasty in fact), but after having been served so many amazing dishes at the event, this one did not really do much to excite me.

From Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur for Devi, we were served a Goan shrimp and grilled asparagus with mustard leaf curry. Unfortunately, it appears I did not receive any asparagus in my portion, but the shrimp with the curry sauce was pleasant enough on its own, exuding sweet flavors with a mild kick from the curry.

Kathy Heffernan from South Gate served a chilled english pea and ramp soup with a tarragon and  crab salad. This dish offered beautifully contrasting flavors between the soup and salad, with the salad offering a nice change of texture and delicate sweetness against the creamy pea and ramp soup.

I concluded the night with an assortment of macarons from Francois Payard bakery. Each macaron featured a unique Asian flavor, such as shiso leaf, red bean, green tea, and even wasabi. The macarons were delicate and fun and overall quite satisfying.

Overall this was an extremely enjoyable and fun evening - I am so grateful I was able to attend! I was able to eat amazing food, see amazing people, and contribute to an amazing cause. Thank you, Chef Morimoto, for hosting this spectacular event!

Rituals Series II: Scents for Foodies at MiN New York

The last time I visited MiN New York, I was there for the Aphrodisiacs session of their Rituals Series II. I left that event with a handful of interesting information about aphrodisiacal (is that a word?) foods, flavors, and aromas (as well as a nice alcohol buzz). So obviously there was little doubt in my decision to sign up for my next session, Scents for Foodies!

I showed up at the event and was greeted with a scattering of attendees - FYI in case anyone plans to attend in the future: the first 30 minutes are usually set aside to mingle and wait for all the attendees to show up. The interesting thing about this session was that the audience primarily consisted of women, though I suppose that really isn't much of a surprise. The aphrodisiacs session did have a stronger male presence, but my guess is that their wives/girlfriends/spouse/friend/whatever dragged them there.

Before I begin my recap of the flavors we were introduced to at the event, I want to state that I was very cautious this time about how much I actually drank...and that I don't have the greatest affinity for heavy alcohol flavors. Now that that's out there, let's begin!

The session kicked off with the introduction of a perfume called "Havana Vanille" by L'Artisan Parfumeur. To capture the essence of Havana, the perfume featured notes of vanilla, cloves, and tobacco. To pair with this scent, our mixologist designed a drink featuring bourbon infused with cloves, fresh papaya, brown sugar, mescal, vanilla pods, sugar, and orange bitters served alongside a dried date. I felt that this drink nicely matched the concepts of the perfume, with the heavy and musky feel of Havana. I had originally hoped that the vanilla essence would be the dominant flavor, but instead it was presented as a very subtle flavor, sort of an afterthought to the heavier bitter and clove notes.

Next up, we were introduced to "Malabah" by Penhaligon's, a scent featuring earl grey, lemon, cardamom, and rose amongst other notes. The drink we were provided with was a mix of vodka infused with earl grey and cardamom, limoncino, lemon juice, simple syrup, rose water, nutmeg, and topped with a dehydrated lemon wheel. For this drink, I again felt that the flavors of the vodka and limoncino were too strong for my taste, but I liked that the infusion of earl grey provided the drink with a nice subtle undertone, followed by a slightly bitter lemon note. And much to my delight, the drink was paired with a scoop of delicious earl grey gelato from il laboratorio del gelato. The gelato was a rich and creamy infusion of earl grey tea flavors, yet not overwhelmingly sweet or strong in flavor.

The next perfume (and drink) were quite beautiful and pleasant, with strong fruity and floral tones - the perfect summer perfume and drink combo! The perfume was "Liasons Dangereuses, Typical Me" by Kilian. The corresponding drink was a blend of gin, peach and plum puree, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and pink peppercorn. The drink was sweet (finally!) and the peach and plum puree provided a nice fruity, summery touch, invoking feelings of lying on white sand beaches with the bright sun and blue sky overhead. The drink was served with breaded shrimp and a black currant brandy sauce. The sauce was sweet and rich in brandy flavor, and to me, presented an entirely different feel from the drink and perfume - more of a mysterious, dark, romantic tone.

 The fourth perfume was "Caravelle Epicee" by Frapin and quite honestly, I cannot remember what it smelled like...at all. But there is a reason for this - the corresponding drink was SO good! When I first heard the ingredients of tequila infused with habanero pepper, thyme simple syrup, grapefruit, and cilantro, I was dreading the first taste. After all, those ingredients simply do not sound like the type of drink I would like (i.e. sweet, fruity, and fun!). But upon first sip (through a silver straw, in fact), I was pleasantly surprised. The tequila flavor was completely masked by the beautifully contrasting flavors in the glass. The habanero pepper gave the drink a fun little kick, the thyme simple syrup blended in notes of sugary sweetness, and the cilantro at the bottom of the glass allowed the drink to end on an alternate, herbal note. The lamb that we were served was also quite delicious, very tender with a slight spicy kick, cooled off by the raita drizzled on top.

Again, my apologies for not remembering this perfume, but the last perfume in the series was "Angelo di Fiume" by Linari Fine Fragrances. I keep thinking this is the perfume that gave the impression of walking into a sweet smelling cupcake bakery (kind of like the scent that exudes out the doors of Magnolia Bakery),  but I can't actually remember now :( But again, there is a reason! This time, the drink was definitely way too strong for me, with whiskey infused with jasmine tea, dried cherries, orange peel, vermouth, cherry bitters, and fresh raspberries, but for those who are more tolerant of alcohol, it could be a nice finishing touch after a satisfyingly large and festive feast. Anyways, what I was so distracted by was the salted caramel macaron from ChikaLicious. I've always known ChikaLicious to serve delicious desserts, so how could I expect anything less from their baked goods? The macaron was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, with a delicious salted caramel filling (and even better when smeared ever so slightly with salted caramel sauce).

I definitely enjoyed coming to MiN New York for the Journey of the Senses Rituals Series II, however I found that there were more drinks I was actually able to drink (note: sweeter and lighter) in the Aphrodisiacs session. If you are interested in attending any of these events, I don't think you should think too much about what will be presented at each session (i.e. aphrodisiacs versus scents for foodies) because in the end, you will leave pleased (and possibly drunk) regardless of which session you attend. Actually the only thing you might want to consider is what sort of perfume flavors you would prefer; for instance, I preferred the scents at the Scents for Foodies session, but preferred the drinks at the Aphrodisiacs session. In summary, if you are presented with the opportunity to visit MiN New York for any of their special apothecary sessions, don't hesitate - go and have fun!