Chocolot

I used to use honey all the time before finding invert. Only objection was too much "honey" flavor and cost.

You can use a propane torch to clean off cocoa butter and chocolate from marble or granite.

I like Glarus Gourmet. You get an ounce more for the same price as Chef Rubber. I am a proud owner of an EZ temper and I can tell you it is a game changer. Don't know what I did before I got one.

Didn't say. JMA had his in the spray room and it was HOT!! Thought that was strange.

Atelier Melissa Coppel. Beautiful facility. In the group photo, the arms in the back belong to our own Kerry Beal.

A visit to Jinju Chocolates, then a class with Jin at her kitchen. She is meticulous in her work. #jinju

Melissa put a piece of plastic wrap on her granite to place her used thermometer, spatulas and such so they didn't get the granite messed up. I think she wiped with damp cloth first so it stayed in place. i also learned that some chocolatiers alphabetize their flavorings:)

If I don't put these down, I will forget. When you have chocolate left in a bowl after scraping, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. That releases the chocolate so you can reuse, but also keeps it from going down the drain. Don't leave in too long or it will pick up moisture.

Someone correct me, but I didn't see any of them temper the cb. They just put the bottle in the freezer for a few minutes until it was at the right temp. 32C ?

What I learned after watching three experienced and successful chocolatiers spray and shell molds this weekend: Each used a different method of spraying colored cocoa butter, one used an airbrush, one a small gun and one a large gun. They all got great results. Takeaway---There is more than one way to get the results you want. Do what works for you. There is not ONE correct way to do something. The thing they all did, was temp their CB. They all chilled the bottle until it was the correct temp for spraying. They didn't do what i sometimes do and just heat, shake, pour and hope. Another thing they all differed on was how to clean their molds. Some washed, some sprayed with alcohol, some just heated and polished.

Depends on how much pigment is in bottle. Just experiment I guess:)

We learned at Jin Caldwell's to thin down your colored cocoa butters with plain cocoa butter. This gives a better shine. It also saves money. Melissa Coppel told us colors like the metallics have so much pigment, that they don't shine. Also need to thin them down.

Here are my Raspberry Lemonade for Vegas. They are actually yellow, not green:)

Blackberries, blueberries,

I accidentally bought a whole bottle of black cardamom pods. Bad mistake! They are black because they have been smoked. They smell like a bonfire. I'm sure someone might enjoy them, but not me:)

Eat is wonderful for breakfast and lunch. It is up town. Kerry, Bob and I ate there last time. Very, very good.

In the past, people have brought unwanted molds to sell or trade. I'm not sure how successful this is. Last time I ended up bringing a bunch of leftover molds because whoever brought them didn't want them and neither did anyone at the workshop. I just couldn't bring myself to tossing them even though I have never used them. If you can generate some interest, be my guest:)

I found this photo from 2011. I sprayed all the molds the same. Yellow and pink. Some I shelled in white chocolate, some in dark. It was interesting to notice the color change with the shelling chocolate.

Here is the latest Agenda: LAS VEGAS EGULLET WORKSHOP AGENDA Thursday, May 18, 2017 1-3 pm Shopping at Jinju Chocolates and Pastries 7345 S. Rainbow Blvd., Ste 130 3-5pm Chocolate Decorations Jin Caldwell will show us chocolate decorations and sample bon bons. No charge. This will be at her production kitchen. 4040 East Post Rd Suite F5 Las Vegas NV 89120 United States 7:30 pm Lotus of Siam 953 E Sahara Ave A5 No host. Don’t be late. Reservations won’t hold. Places to visit Crunch Donuts 1220 E. Harmon Ave Las Vegas, NV 89119 Eat -- Wonderful breakfast and lunch 707 Carson Ave, Ronald’s Donuts 4600 Spring Mountain Rd Friday May 19, 2017 CLASS DRESS: Chef jacket or apron, closed toe shoes, NO hair covering necessary. 9:30-11:30 am Tasting at Melissa Coppel Studio 9001 West Sahara Ave. She will give a one hour spray demo, a directed tasting of 4 of her bon bons. Cost $20 per person. Please bring cash. Lunch on your own 1-5 Master Class by Jean Marie Auboine 4780 W. Harmon Ave. Ganache 2 ways-slabbed and shelled Caramel Nougat PDF 7-8 Meet N Greet Tuscany Hotel 3rd Floor Building H Bring some confections you have made to share with group. There will be about 35-40 attending. Grab a quick bite before event, or plan on dinner after. Saturday May 20, 2017 CLASS DRESS: Chef jacket or apron, closed toe shoes, NO hair covering necessary. Breakfast on your own. 8:30 am, Be at JMA classroom ready to go. 4780 W. Harmon Ave. Work on your own projects, or participate in our directed activity by working in teams to make Ganache with water, milk and cream. We will finish on Sunday and taste for differences. Peer teaching: tempering, croquant, toffee, dry and wet caramel, cocoa butter spraying and other techniques. A sandwich lunch is provided. Clean up at 4:30, leave by 5 Sunday May 21, 2017 Breakfast on your own 8:30 am, Be at JMA classroom ready to go. 4780 W. Harmon Ave. Finish projects or start new ones. Enrobing A sandwich lunch is provided. Photo’s of products we made. Clean up at 3:30, leave by 4

I agree that for a beginner, the At Home series is great. Peter "dumbed down" the recipes not only in quantities, but in available ingredients. Instead of PDF pectin, he calls for grocery store pectin. He simplifies a lot. All three of his books are great.

No one new yet. I'm sorry, but don't really have time to repost. Dinner rezs is set and they won't let me add. There is probably space. Won't know until day of.

What Bob said. We always have too much candy to sample, but more is always welcome:) 30 pieces or so, but like he said, don't overthink it. As far as lunch, we will have some veggie sandwiches for those who prefer. On Chef Rubber, yes, whole store closed. They never did have much of a showroom. You can still order online. Only 4 weeks to go!

Bad news from Chef Rubber: Unfortunately, the showroom has been inaccessible as we are beginning an exciting new remodel project. This remodel is going to take a good while so the showroom will be inaccessible during your May 18th classes. There is literally nothing in it right now. We apologize for the inconvenience and always appreciate you bringing everybody down here. We sadly are not going to be able to accommodate them on this go around as we continue to get this new remodel underway. We appreciate your understanding.

All good info. Melissa will have moved into her new, larger space by the time we get there.

I'll start, but invite others to add or correct. 1. Haven't set a time. You basically can go whenever you want. Last time they offered a discount and hope they will again this time. Someone will have a car going when you want to. 2. Most of the places from last time were not too exciting or relevant to what most of us do. Some are no longer in business. I left time open so that people can plan their own activities. 3. There should be lots of cars available for carpooling. we tend to meet just outside the door to our building and divide up. I don't think there will be a problem getting a ride where ever you want to go. 4. Time for the Meet n greet is flexible as far as I am concerned. You can either grab a quick bite or go after. Most don't eat a ton at this, just try a few and take a bag to eat later. I have never had a problem with chocolate in my checked bag or carryon. Be aware that a block of chocolate looks like C4 when they Xray. You might be questioned. My checked bag ALWAYS gets opened and inspected. I pack a lot of strange items when I am "chocolating". 5. Marilyn's Cafe at the hotel is a typical cafe. Ok food and service. We will try to have some fresh fruit and donuts at the class. JMA usually has coffee for everyone. There is also a little coffee bar at the hotel. In your room, you will have a fridge and small dinette area with sink. If you ask at check in, they will bring you a microwave. It is free, but you need to ask. 6. We usually just get together and head out to a place for dinner. Last time someone was in the mood for Vietnamese and we googled and headed out. It was very good. We want to stay a bit flexible so that you can do what you want and not have to go as a group unless you want to. You might want to check out Eat. It is downtown but very good. Don't think it is open for dinner. Vegas is spread out, but it is not a large town. You can get most places fairly quick, depending on traffic. There is also a monorail that runs up the strip. You can walk to the Paris from the Tuscany and hop on. Don't take a cab from the airport. There is a shuttle that is less than $10 that will take you to the Tuscany. Looking forward to meeting you and tasting some if your tasty treats.