Report: eG Chocolate and Confectionery Workshop 2016

[RobertM]

A great day Saturday, learned even more, and now, I've got new ideas to order and mull,over on the plane ride home tonight as well as in the days to come.  On Sunday, once again Rodney and Kat arrived early and prepared us a breakfast that was, in one word, amazingwonderfuldeliciousinsanelyoverthetop.   (Yes, the bottles were leftover from Saturday dinner and we're still there for breakfast....no one availed themselves)

 It was so amazing that we only left crumbs...and some of us were fighting over those 

 

 

 

 

[RobertM]

Saturday was our typical flurry of activity.  There were two or three "breakout" groups going on at the same time as well as individuals working on projects...

 

 

[RobertM]

Of course, there was time for a #BLB before dinner

[Kerry Beal]

Tomric donated those two interesting Italian molds.

[RobertM]

Saturday nights feast was unbelievable....

 

 

[RobertM]

[RobertM]

Sunday began with.....more amazing pastries

 

 

 

[Anna N]

@RobertM

 

 Thank you.  Thank you.   I was so waiting for photographs of the Saturday evening dinner.   It truly looks amazing.

[RobertM]

Sunday was a day filled with experimentation; lessons, such as "capping" and finishing the panned goods...

 

[curls]

I think this was the first workshop without someone making PDF... am I correct or did someone make one and I missed it?

 

Should be able to post my pictures tomorrow.

[RobertM]

I think you're right - I didn't see any PDF 

[RobertM]

I would like to,extend my thanks, and gratitude, to Kerry for her amazing work coordinating an amazing weekend! . It was, and continues to be, her vision that formed our workshop and takes us where we are going.

thanks to Rodney, Kat and Jess for being such amazing hosts and hostesses - you made us all feel like we were "home" the very moment we entered the shop.   Your efforts behind the scenes did not go unnoticed.  I feel,as though I have made new lifelong friends.

Rodney, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!  I learned many new things this past weekend - thanks to you!  

 

[jim loellbach]

Hey, great meeting everybody this past weekend.  I learned a lot and want to get home and try things out.  And huge thanks to Kerry, Rodney, Kat, Jessica, Jess's dad for his food, and all the people who taxied me around!  Erika, I owe you for an Uber ride, I can pay you back when you're in Chicago this summer. 

 

My wife and I have been eating our way through Toronto since.  Heading home today.

 

Thanks again, such a generous group of folks.

[Kerry Beal]

Jim - where did you eat?

[dhardy123]

Sounds like a great time. I'm sorry I missed it this year. Kerry, as usual, sounds like she put on an excellent workshop!

[curls]

Thursday, 12 May 2016, A Cacao Barry Chocolate Demonstration with Ramon Morató at George Brown college. Meant to take more pictures but the talk was very interesting. Here are photos of the bon bons that were passed around. Everyone was also gifted to a bag of Cacao Barry chocolate! If you ordered Ramon Morató's new book, he would autograph it. Quite a number of people went home with Ramon Morató's book.

[curls]

Thursday night Thai dinner at Mengrai Thai - garlic shrimp. We also ordered a few appetizer platters to share. Hopefully others will share their pictures of this delicious dinner.

[curls]

Thursday - 12 May

visit to Soma's factory - bean to bar

 

[curls]

Thursday - 12 May

visiting Toronto's Distillery District

 

It was a beautiful sunny day. Those who were not attending the master class at Goûter enjoyed lunch at Cluny Bistro and surprise dessert trays from their amazing pastry chef (a friend of Rodney's). We visited a number of shops in the Distillery District and I purchased some items at Soma and Roselle. Stephanie Duong, one of the co-owners of Roselle, worked at Jacques Genin and makes caramels in his style (more about Roselle).

 

[curls]

Saturday's dinner!

 

So many thanks to Rodney and Kat for all the amazing meals! The breads, pastries, passion fruit ice cream, everything was delicious! Thank you for welcoming us into your shop and being so willing to share your knowledge with us.

And Saturday's dinner, oh my! Thanks to Jessica's dad, Rodney's mom, Rodney, Kat, Jessica, and anyone else who helped with this amazing meal.

 

[curls]

And we made (and ate) a few chocolates & confections.  :-)

[curls]

And of course there was some swag from some very generous companies (much more than is pictured here)!

 

Last but by no means least, thank you Kerry! Yet again, you have arranged one of the most wonderful gatherings and made it appear effortless. Brava!

 

[curls]

Ah yes, and on the drive home, I stopped for some maple syrup and enjoyed some good meals in the Corning, New York area -- Jelly Beans, The Restaurant and Sorge's.

 

[Jim D.]

Curls,

Any chance Morato revealed how he got that perfect thin stripe on the dome (second photo down in the post on Morato)?  You know, the perfect stripe so many of us have tried to achieve?

[Kerry Beal]

11 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Curls,

Any chance Morato revealed how he got that perfect thin stripe on the dome (second photo down in the post on Morato)?  You know, the perfect stripe so many of us have tried to achieve?

I wondered the same thing - after the rug rat is in bed I'll pull out his book and see if it's in there.