Dilettante

P.S. regarding the thin stripe on Morato's chocolate... It is my recollection that during his lecture he stated the mold was first sprayed with the dark color, then he (actually his assistant) went back and with a tool of some sort scraped out the center line, then sprayed the yellow/gold color. Dilettante

Hello All, The wife and I made it back home with no difficulty (except for long security lines) after spending a couple of extra days exploring downtown Toronto. Word to the wise - do NOT miss visiting the Aga Kahn museum. It is breathtaking. The restaurant is great, too. We had lunch there but they also serve dinner, I believe. Be sure to sign up for the 12:30 pm daily architectural tour of the building. You will thank me for insisting on this! Many many thanks to Kerry, Ruth, and Rodney for all the work it takes to undertake a project such as this. And thank you everyone for extending such warmth an courtesy to a newcomer (and wife). I understand why everyone makes it a point to participate each year. We both had a great experience. I look forward to being with everyone again next year in Las Vegas. Warm regards, Dilettante (Greg)

I, too, will have a (rental) car during the weekend. Will be staying at the Holiday Inn Yorkdale and have room for two (three if willing to squeeze) to get to SOMA Fri. am. i don't know exactly what we will be doing after the SOMA tour so take note that riders might be on their own after the tour. We will pass in the Thai dinner Thursday. Heading to Toronto from Algonquin Park tomorrow so likely will just go to the hotel to check in after Morato. Diletante (Greg)

Mengrai Gourmet Thai, 82 Ontario Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2V3, Canada Appears to be just 500 m - 6 minutes walk - from the Morato session @ George Brown College, 300 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON, Canada https://www.google.com/maps/dir/George+Brown+College,+300+Adelaide+Street+East,+Toronto,+ON,+Canada/Mengrai+Gourmet+Thai,+82+Ontario+Street,+Toronto,+ON+M5A+2V3,+Canada/@43.6530083,-79.3691566,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d4cb3096a5a77d:0xff842766d81d6343!2m2!1d-79.369778!2d43.652062!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d4cb39ba35f65f:0x3a3a6bc7adf0d42!2m2!1d-79.3671394!2d43.6540794!3e2

Just checked. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed until Monday May 16 (school break). http://www.thechefshouse.com/ Thank you for your interest in The Chefs’ House. Please be advised that we are currently closed for our inter-semester break. We will re-open on Monday May 16. For lunch or dinner reservations please use OpenTable, call 416.415.2260, or email chefshouse@georgebrown.ca.

Thanks a bunch ! See y'all soon.

Kerry, We will presumably meet one another at the Morato event on Thursday evening. However, in case something untoward occurs: 1) What is time and location for the SOMA tour on Friday? (my guess is @ the factory location - 35 Golden Ave.) 2) Time and location of Friday Pizza night / show & tell? Thanks, Dilletante

If space is available, count both of us in for the Soma tour / visit. Thanks.

Count both of us in, too. We will be fine with whatever the cost is determined to be.

No restrictions or allergies here.

Add us to the dinner Saturday list, please. Dilettante + wife

Hi Kerry, I will also take you up on the IR thermometer offer. Thanks.

Kerry, i received the invitation from Cacao Barry for the Morato event May 12 was and have purchased my tickets. Yay ! Dilettante (Greg)

Procedural question... How does one go about sending a PM? Dilettante (Greg)

Kerry, The Callebaut / Cacao Barry's Chocolate Academy website appears to have a registration page for Ramon Morato's May 12 demonstration. However, it appears that a corporate affiliation is needed for registration. Is this where we are supposed to sign up for the evening event? http://www.chocolate-academy.com/us/en/calendar?oper=detail,course=4295&courseDate=3381 Thanks, Dillettante (Greg)

Kerry, Don't take it so hard. Cacao Barry is in the business of selling product, and clearly dilettantes such as myself are not #1 on their collective corporate mind. We will rightfully, and cheerfully, stand last in line for attendance. Dilettante

Hi Kerry, Two hands going up here -> my wife and I will attend. $30 does not seem unreasonable for an evening with Morato. It will also be interesting to have the opportunity to visit George Brown. Dilettante (Greg)

Wife and I will be coming in on Thursday May 12 for the Morato demonstration. Airline tickets secured; and Holiday Inn Toronto-Yorkdale reservations made (in Thurs. 5/12/16 - out Sunday 5/15/16). Very excited about the event and looking forward to meeting everyone. Thanks, Kerry, for all your efforts in setting this up. Dilettante (Greg)

Many thanks, Kerry. I am really looking forward to the gathering. GregV.

Hello Kerry and all, A long time lurker here. I have been jealous of all your past chocolate gatherings and have decided to jump in with both feet and see if I may join ya'll in 2016. In brief, I am retired from a career in science, but have had a long interest in cooking particularly baking/pastry and, of course, chocolate. In order to get a better handle on professional cooking I enrolled in culinary school 1 1/2 yrs ago to pursue a AAS degree in Baking/Pastry with a side order of Culinary. Don't know where, if anywhere, this will lead me, but I am having a ball doing it (and it is a hoot to drive the 18 and 19 year olds in the program nuts by asking lots of questions of the instructors. Most of the youngsters just want to keep their heads down and not be noticed.) I have not been to Toronto in probably 30 years and would love to return to that beautiful city. My wife would like to tag along with me if that is acceptable. Tentatively would plan to arrive on May 11 in order to see a bit of Toronto and be at the Ramon Morato demo at Humber College on Thursday May 12. My wife would enjoy visiting SOMA on Friday, but she will most likely be out shopping/touring Saturday and Sunday. Let me know if I can crash your party. I sure would like to. Thanks, GregV.