Chocdoc and Patris - Lunching with Laiskonis

[Kerry Beal]

So posted this teaser photo yesterday on the EZtemper thread - 

 

 

I sent this picture off to @Alleguede to make him a little jealous yesterday morning. Hadn't realized just how bad a picture it was on the small phone screen - but hey - it worked!

 

Yesterday morning at an ungodly hour @patris and I got up and boarded a flight to NYC with a carry-on containing a temper meter. As you may have noticed in the EZtemper thread - Michael is an EZtemper owner and posted a wonderful shout out on Facebook here. In discussion I asked him about whether he had a temper meter and he said it was on his list of wants. Turns out I had two - the one I purchased new for a huge amount of money when I was doing development on the EZtemper and a second one I picked up used because - 'hey it was so cheap compared to the new one I bought why not?' - it was actually quite useful having two on the go in those early stages but it was now starting to take up space in my chocolate lab so I figured I would see if he wanted it. 

 

It seemed like a good opportunity to combine delivery with a chance to check out his new chocolate lab at ICE - and of course to get my picture taken with him for my website - cause hey "he's Michael Laiskonis!!!!!"

 

The temper meter spent a goodly amount of time in the scanner and was the subject of discussion between a number of TSA agents until I let them stop guessing and told them what is was - of course the next question is always "so have you got chocolate"?

 

A quick flight, a couple of trains and we ended up in the newly opened underground of the World Trade Centre - much less dusty than my last visit. Michael met us and walked us back to the ICE campus. 

 

We poked our noses into a couple of labs - they were just starting to set out the cookies from a marathon 3 day baking session in one - we missed the milk and cookies unfortunately.

 

 

They have a lovely hydroponic room and they are doing some great sharing with some local restaurants. There is a huge strawberry plant in the corner which wasn't bearing fruit because there are no bugs in the room - so an electric toothbrush had to sub.

 

 

Next up - some pictures of the chocolate lab.

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

So in Michael's lab he is doing some interesting bean to bar work. Batches up to around 12 kg are possible with the lab sized equipment.

 

 

Starts by roasting the beans in this modified Vollrath oven.

 

 

Quite a variation in size in these roasted beans as they were from two different batches. Nice fruity nibs.

 

 

 

Lab sized winnower.

 

 

Nibs after winnowing.

 

 

I believe it is called a disc refiner - though I didn't write it down. The nibs go in a pot - successive screen sizes go between the pot and the discs.

 

 

 

 

Each pass gives successively smaller particle sizes. 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Small batches get processed in a Premier or Santha type grinder.

 

 

 

Larger batches in the ball mill.

 

 

Heated jacket, agitation, recirculating pump makes sort work of the particle size.

 

 

 

A strainer essentially through which the liquid chocolate liquor is poured to remove any particles.

 

 

This is filter paper - singed on one side. This is an integral part of the cocoa butter press.

 

 

The liquor goes in a vessel, it has filter paper on each end and these very heavy metal discs that are perforated. Many tons of pressure are exerted by the press and upwards of 60% of cocoa butter is extracted from the mass.

 

 

 

Molten cocoa butter.

 

 

The press cake - cocoa powder compressed into a solid puck.

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

A few other assorted items and toys -

 

 

He has made 70 batches in the small units so far - people found his hiding spots so apparently some he was keeping to test well out into the future is lost to posterity. While we were there several people came by and helped themselves to the little bars that live in the little box that is under the collection of odds and ends for demo purposes. I don't think they thought we saw them!

 

 

 

Vacuum cooker - this is made by the same fellow who makes the equipment for the PMCA demos (John actually made most of the other equipment in Michaels lab).  Note the TM 5 thermomix next to it!

 

 

A Bravo for ice cream - @Alleguede has no reason to be jealous of this one - his is bigger! Oh yeah and a Selmi!

[gfron1]

Of course I'm insanely jealous. He's always come off as a very nice and generous man.

[Kerry Beal]

I think that Michael must be my brother from another mother - he's a much of an equipment geek and junkie as I and then when he announced he was still working on perfecting a Twix bar I was convinced!

 

We were joined yesterday by the delightful Alexander Zecena who is the pastry chef at Batali's Esca. He has worked at Spago and Alinea. I didn't get to see and taste his work - but I'm looking forward to that opportunity in the future!

 

We played for a bit with the Temper meter before we headed out to lunch. Down stairs in the WTC building they have the French version of Eataly. The boys had Croque Madam's, @patris a salad of some sort (I know she ordered the beet salad but they were out) and myself - moule frite. Sadly no baguette to soak up the juice!

 

 

We bid our new friends good bye and hopped back on the train to head out to the airport for our painful journey back - apparently if the pilot doesn't show up - the plane can't fly.

[Kerry Beal]

8 minutes ago, gfron1 said:

Of course I'm insanely jealous. He's always come off as a very nice and generous man.

He is indeed - professional development for chefs is very important to him - he loves that pastry chefs in NYC get together and share. He notes that the chocolatiers aren't so warm and fuzzy (not like us here on eG!). 

 

I love that he has 'playdates' with fellow chefs in his lab.

[suzilightning]

Hey....thought you were coming to AC?  Or is that next week?

[Kerry Beal]

Just now, suzilightning said:

Hey....thought you were coming to AC?  Or is that next week?

Next Saturday.

[pastrygirl]

4 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

While we were there several people came by and helped themselves to the little bars that live in the little box that is under the collection of odds and ends for demo purposes.

 

4 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

He notes that the chocolatiers aren't so warm and fuzzy

 

I believe there may be a connection between these two observations ... in my kitchen, people sneaking treats get their hand slapped!

 

It's all sweetness until you steal my mise en place

[heidih]

I am not a chocolate person but OMG sharing the electric toothbrush pollination with  gardening  friends!!!