ArtMills

I've got lots of finished product shots and can post them later. Meanwhile here are a couple of panorama overview shots of them. And the kitchen at the end.

Dinner Panorama at Niagara College. Great spread - Thanks to chef David Gibson and his Crew.

Chocolatier Ruth B. working on her chocolate tree stump sculpture.

Panoramic shot of the Show & Tell table.

Thanks to everyone - especially Steve & Kerry! I came away with more thoughts and great ideas than I can ever act upon - but even if I can filter out and make some progress with just the top 5% of them it wil have been more than worthwhile for business. It was already worthwhile personally - meeting the new attendees and reconnecting with the repeaters. The one best thing for me was Caramel Balls dipped and rolled in nut or other coating. Some recipe experimentation and shelf-life analysis awaits me. We'll bring the final product to next year's event. It'll be nice to head home - but it has been very relaxing to "disconnect" from our busy routine. Today, we decompressed afterwards with a short nap and and then took a meandering drive towards DC down the Clara Barton Pkwy. We strolled the banks of the Potomac and drove down embassy row. For dinner we lucked out by being hungry and observant at the same time - we happend across what must be a DC favorite - Fantastic Tex-Mex at Cactus Cantina on Wisconsin Ave. We'll be back there again for sure next time we're down this way. Sweet Dreams everyone!

OK - all the photos that I am posting from the weekend are posted now right through to this afternoon. If anyone wants higher-res copies or any of my many other photos just e-mail me at: art@chocolatefx.ca with as much detail about the photo, person, item or technique that you are looking for. Enjoy! 2010 conference pics (3 days)

As I upload pics from the conference (only the first day at Albert Uster so far, they can be found here: Day One Photos (Albert Uster)

RE: Cars / Transportation We'll be coming from northern MD/VA Friday morning, so I think that is wrong direction for helping with incoming Airport transfer. But we are quite happy to help with dinner caravan and outbound airport run. Our SUV has fold up seats - after we unload Kerrys stuff We have room for up to 5 EXTRA passengers (as long as 2 of them are somewhat slender for the third row seating). We are staying at Springhill. - Art & Wilma

Hi Kerry, Yes we are driving down leaving Thursday afternoon for Friday late morning arrival. We'd be happy to load up a couple of items for you. You probably have a better idea of what is needed - is there anything specific from our equipment we shoud bring? You know we have lots (couple of small table top temperers, guitar cutter, all kinds of molds, etc.) - just don't want to bring stuff unnecessarily. I've abandonded the idea of visiting Blommer Chocolate factory on the way down - Philly is just too far out of the way. But we will visit a winery just over the river in Virginia on the way down or on the way home Monday. Whatever you want - just drop it by the house a couple of days ahead of time. - Art

OK - It's official we've booked our room at SpringHill Suites, so you can move us up to the "definite" category. Look forward to seeing you all there! Art & Wilma.

You can put Wilma & I into a new category "Very strong maybe AND desperately wanting to" Thankfully it is after the big bunny weekend, so we are 98% sure that we can make it. We'll firm up our plans in March. Art & Wilma Chocolate F/X

I've gotten a sample of Amoretti Eiswien - I never used it as the aroma didn't suggest a real ice wine characteristic. Besides I am dealing with wineries and winemakers - I want to remain true to the product. I have added just a touch of alcohol before but again I don't want to destroy a flavour I am working so hard to preserve. So, I think it is lab time: split into mini-batches of each method, control, milk pwder, invert, ascorbic and a franken-batch combining a little of each. I'll keep notes and do an ambient and refrigertated shelf life on each. The best performer(s) will go to an outside lab for micro analysis.

I'm pretty happy with ours - I've made poor ones - almost always due to inferior ice wine when the client has insisted that I use theirs (now I know to blend so I can still say that theirs is in it). I would love to make them a little stronger (currently 200 ml in a 1.9 kg batch gives about 1.5 ml per 14g truffle), but higher would not only be cost prohibitive, I would also be concerned about finished consistency/mouthfeel. I think Pillitteri (a market leader) is best flavour per $. Watch out for off-brands pedalling near ice wine as the real thing. I am doing some new work this weekend with a Cab Franc Ice Wine for a couple of clients. CabFranc is a little more fruit forward and very chocolate-friendly, so I am hoping it will have more punch. Any thoughts on how best to extened shelf life. I will reduce cream and increase alcohol a little. I don't want to use preservative (like PotSorbate), but maybe some ascorbic acid (anti-oxidant) might help. Any other ideas? Have you ever tried with powdered whole milk instead of cream? That lower moisture content could work wonders. Thanks.

Thanks Steve - yes we definitely would. A day's drive to the DC area would be perfect for us, and this time of year (AFTER Easter rush) works well. If you do, let me know and I could arrange a field trip, for example: > We could go on a winery tour just an hour away across the river in Virgina (Kerry will be happy to know we pass through Beallsville, lol). The winemaker there is Canadian - a graduate of Niagara College's teaching winery. > For anyone travelling from the North by car, I could arrange a private tour of a very large chocolate supplier in East Greenville, PA. It is about 3 hours away from DC, and would add about 2 hours in driving to the trip from Buffalo (it's more enroute from NYC). They are not open to the public or set up for tours, so it would have to be a small group (12 or less). You would be able to see the whole process from bean roasting, winnowing, butter pressing, cocoa grinding, conching, tempering, depositing and molding (10lb bars).

Bread was supplied by local Ravine Bakery Cafe (& winery). Christina one of the students who helped us on the weekend works at the bakery that is run by the Olsons: Anna ('Sugar' on Food Network) and husband Michael works with the Niagara College Culinary program.