Report: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionary Workshop 2017

[Tri2Cook]

I have a love/hate relationship with Brazilian steakhouses. Lots of tasty meat delivered to your plate as often as you desire. Sounds perfect until you add in my complete inability to say "no thanks, I've had enough" when they come to the table... so I end up eating entirely too much and become pretty much useless for the remainder of the evening. 

[Kerry Beal]

 

Negroni for me

 

 

squid bits

 

 

flatbread

 

 

bruschetta

 

 

stuffed mushrooms

 

 

house salad

 

 

caesar 

 

all at the Italian restaurant in the Tuscany Hotel 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

veal picatta

 

 

ny strip

[curls]

We made a few chocolates & confections. Will post more photos after I get home.

[Smithy]

I'm so pleased to see Gulley immortalized in the custom silk screen.  Did a finished product feature that print? If so, is there a closeup?

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I'm so pleased to see Gulley immortalized in the custom silk screen.  Did a finished product feature that print? If so, is there a closeup?

Wasn't as successful as we hoped - perhaps a side effect of making such a small screen - I'm going to have to fiddle with it when I get home. @curls has one pic I think.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Kerry Beal]

 

Exciting offerings in The Club lounge at the airport.

[curls]

37 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Wasn't as successful as we hoped - perhaps a side effect of making such a small screen - I'm going to have to fiddle with it when I get home. @curls has one pic I think.

 

 

 

I took a few photos of our Gully silk screen and transfer. Will post them this week.

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

Much better experience going home.

[Chocolot]

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

[Chocolot]

Atelier Melissa Coppel. Beautiful facility.

 

 

In the group photo, the arms in the back belong to our own Kerry Beal.

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, Chocolot said:

In the group photo, the arms in the back belong to our own Kerry Beal.

 I would recognize those arms anywhere.

[pastrygirl]

Chocolat, do you know if Melissa has the enrobing line in a separate room on purpose,  like for temperature control? 

[Chocolot]

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

[Kerry Beal]

6 hours ago, Anna N said:

 I would recognize those arms anywhere.

I notice you can't see my damn face though!

[curls]

I apologize, may be repeating some photos. Here are photos from Jin Ju's chocolate shop. Next batch of photos will be for @Smithy -- the Gully silk screen. Tomorrow (or sometime soon) I will post pictures from our demo with Jin.

#JinJuchocoholic

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by curls (log)

[curls]

On 5/22/2017 at 1:00 PM, Smithy said:

I'm so pleased to see Gulley immortalized in the custom silk screen.  Did a finished product feature that print? If so, is there a closeup?

 

A few photos from the silk screen process & a shot of our most successful print.

[Bentley]

I have Selmi envy

[Shelby]

Everything looks so good...but I find myself really wanting a chocolate covered gummy worm more than anything.

 

Don't judge lol.

[curls]

5 hours ago, Shelby said:

Everything looks so good...but I find myself really wanting a chocolate covered gummy worm more than anything.

 

Don't judge lol.

@Shelby those chocolate covered gummy worms are just too cute!  :-)

 

[curls]

Photos from Jin's demo at her production kitchen. Jin concentrated on decor since she knew our demo with Melissa Coppel would include airbrushing and bon bon decorations.

 

The entrance

 

all those lovely marble tables & equipment

 

some melters & and the assistants (there were two assistants working on items & helping Jin they day we visited)

 

demo of making various custom transfer sheets

 

making various chocolate cigarettes -- Jin discussed various color & flavor combinations & let us try to make some -- she makes it look so easy!

 

marbling chocolate

 

other decor pieces

 

interesting & fast way to make leaves -- made a cardboard template to stamp these out

 

and the amazing Jin (with @lebowits in the background)

[Smithy]

Are these mostly intended as decor for cakes or other pastries?  If not, how would the curlicues be used?  I'm thinking of the curled ribbons that seem to be alternating stripes of chocolate and clear (3rd photo above this post) as well as the chocolate coils (and green ones) immediately above this picture. For that matter, what happens to the marbled chocolate?  It all looks delightful, but doesn't seem like something that would go atop a bite-sized confection.

[pastrygirl]

14 hours ago, curls said:

interesting & fast way to make leaves -- made a cardboard template to stamp these out

 

Pipe the two colors of chocolate first then smush it down?  Or dip into and stamp with the chocolate?

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

Are these mostly intended as decor for cakes or other pastries?  If not, how would the curlicues be used?  I'm thinking of the curled ribbons that seem to be alternating stripes of chocolate and clear (3rd photo above this post) as well as the chocolate coils (and green ones) immediately above this picture. For that matter, what happens to the marbled chocolate?  It all looks delightful, but doesn't seem like something that would go atop a bite-sized confection.

 

Jin makes most of those to be used as decorations on desserts, especially at the big hotels in Las Vegas. She spoke at some length on the difficulties of transporting them from her place to, for instance, the Bellagio. The marble/wood grain piece was a transfer sheet that she made. I agree that the grain is probably too large for the pattern to show up on a bonbon, but it was quite beautiful and I plan to try to make the grain "finer" so as to be usable as a transfer sheet for chocolates. If anyone remembers the eGullet thread on achieving a marbled look by pouring chocolates of different colors from a bowl into molds (which took incredible coordination and a large amount of chocolate), this is a much easier way of achieving something similar.

[curls]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

Are these mostly intended as decor for cakes or other pastries?  If not, how would the curlicues be used?  I'm thinking of the curled ribbons that seem to be alternating stripes of chocolate and clear (3rd photo above this post) as well as the chocolate coils (and green ones) immediately above this picture. For that matter, what happens to the marbled chocolate?  It all looks delightful, but doesn't seem like something that would go atop a bite-sized confection.

@Smithy most of the decorations that Jin demonstrated for us will be used on various desserts in the Vegas hotels... there are so many hotels & dessert buffets.

 

As for the spirals with alternating strips of chocolate and clear, those are multiple chocolate decorations... the pastry chef will most likely use one chocolate spiral for each dessert.

Edited May 26, 2017 by curls (log)