Thinking of chocolate only as candy is too limiting (though a glass of Zort and Guajillo Chile chocolate IS a mystical experience). Chocolate candy represents less than 200 years of the thousands of years of culinary chocolate. In antiquity, people of Central America used cacao (thxoatl, chocolate) as a spice, and a beverage more akin to espresso. Milk and sugar were not in the recipes.
When we prepare our plate for Red Wine and Chocolate on Presidents’ Day Weekend we use Cacaó/chocolate as spice, sauce, and candy.
Ya wanna impress your sweet baboo at Valentine’s? Don’t make a reservation at an overbooked restaurant. Prepare a five-course, all-chocolate meal. Here is the menu that we will be having on the 14th.
- Brie lightly dusted with cocoa powder. We serve this with Rosé Paradiso.
- Smoked Salmon with Cacaó Nibs to continue the prelude with the Rosé.
- Chicken in Molé de Cacaó, served with Rojo Paradisos.
- Spring Greens, Apple, Toasted Nuts, Cacaó Nibs with Rojo Paradisos.
- Truffles are at the end. May we recommend some good chocolate from Intrigue Chocolate, and a bit of Zort or PMS!
1) Brie: Slice about 1 ounce of Brie per person onto a plain white plate. Sprinkle cacaó powder lightly over to dust cheese and plate. Practice on an empty plate to get cool fractal design patterns. Enjoy with a glass of Rosé and a kiss. We like crackers or good bread with the cheese. Not too much, there are courses to go and gorged stomachs interfere with love.
2) Salmon: Cacaó nibs are whole cacaó beans roasted and crushed to particles about rock salt size. Not likely to be at the grocers. Intrigue Chocolate can supply.
Press the smoked fish onto the nibs that are spread in a layer, a very light dusting of powdered Chipotle if y’all like a little heat. Chocolate and chili are a very ancient combo. Keep it light so it doesn’t overpower the Rosé. Kevin’s Jelly Bean Store can provide powdered chipotle; order from us.
3) Chicken: Thighs are best, brown them, then into the crockpot. Buy a jar of molé, reconstitute it with wine, add some cocoa powder, and pour over chicken. After an hour or so taste. Add more cocoa powder if desired, maybe a pinch of chipotle. Simmer another hour, adjust again. Four hours in the pot is good, six may be better. Start in the morning or even the day before.
Remove chicken from pot, debone, and return meat to sauce.
Make some tortillas when it’s time to serve, tortillas are easy to make from masa. Or warm some up.
Roll the sauced chicken in a tortilla, take a bite, lick your fingers, sip some wine, laugh. Might we suggest Rojo Paradisos? Repeat.
Click here for a tortilla-making video; it is really very simple to do.
4) Salad: Toss greens with a dried tomato vinaigrette. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and cacaó nibs, add some sliced apple, and have another glass of Rojo Paradisos. Giggle a bit, kiss your sweetie. 5) Chocolate: Hey this is the easy part. A romantic comedy, some good chocolate from Intrigue Chocolate, and a bit of Zort or PMS!