Report: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionary Workshop 2019

[keychris]

4 hours ago, teonzo said:

Damn, making hard candies with this kind of machine is the thing I want to learn the most!

 

 

ditto. that machinery is just amazing.

[pastrygirl]

5 hours ago, teonzo said:

 

Damn, making hard candies with this kind of machine is the thing I want to learn the most!

 

 

I think finding the antique machines might be the hardest part.  This guy has several and makes nice videos.  I suppose the key is cooling the candy just the right amount. 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

6 hours ago, curls said:

I gave them chocolates! Wasn’t going to give up my caramel corn.  🙂. Bob thanks for bringing & making the caramel corn. Yum!

The hubby is already into the caramel corn.

 

 

[teonzo]

10 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

I think finding the antique machines might be the hardest part.  This guy has several and makes nice videos.  I suppose the key is cooling the candy just the right amount. 

 

Finding those machines is not easy of course, but neither really difficult, at least here. There were many artisans that made those candies in the past, most of them stopped for lots of reasons, so their machines are available if someone searches (and pays, more than all). The big problem is learning that craft. You can count on less than 2 hands the artisans in Italy who have the knowledge, they are not willing to teach to anyone, neither to their own employes, it's an art destined for dying here, it's really sad.

Learning to do those things is much more difficult than what it seems. It takes years of experience and tons of sensibility to master those candies. You can learn the basics in few time, but the step from making an average product to making a top class product is HUGE.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Smithy]

That's an amazing video. Not only is the machinery beautiful, but as pastrygirl and teonzo point out there must be quite a learning curve to learning to handle the material. I was especially interested in and surprised by the early stage on the slab, where the maker grabbed a cooling batch, lifted it, poured the inner contents back onto the slab and then set the outer skin onto it to remelt. It looked for all the world like he was pouring the stuff out of a cellophane bag, but then the entire "bag" (outer skin) went back into the mix!

 

I also think the splash guard made of dominos is cool.

[Chocolot]

Just a curiosity--Did TSA in STL open your checked bag? I know they opened mine and one of Kerry's. Ever wonder what they think when they see what we pack?:)

[RobertM]

2 minutes ago, Chocolot said:

Just a curiosity--Did TSA in STL open your checked bag? I know they opened mine and one of Kerry's. Ever wonder what they think when they see what we pack?:)

They wish they were with us, because we are an amazing, awesome and talented group!

[RobertM]

I’m hoping these aren’t duplicates, but, if they are, just think of them as a second serving of dessert....

 

Thursday Night dinner at Bulrush STL

 

[RobertM]

Corn flower, Sassafras pickled apple & cucumber; Pickled Cattail, Black locust blossom, Amazake broth, Yarrow pickled rhubarb 

white base, potlicker foam, wild onion, honey mushroom cracklin 

fried sweet potato pecan hand pie, apricot

Trottercheese/sous, Collard greens, Burdock root chips, carrot chowchow, bean miso, candied quince flowers

fermented persimmon donut, roasted sweet potato caramel, sweet potato in fermented elderflower honey, kitchen scrap chawanamushi, goldenrod cloud

pork, asparagus, ramp/morel sauce

Intermezzo: Elderberry pate de fruit

Persimmon vinegar pie, rice crisp, persimmon miso ice cream, oyster mushroom petite streusel

[RobertM]

A special thank you to John for the delicious wine selection!!  

[RobertM]

Master Class at Kakao.  We were shown their production of marshmallow, caramel, toffee and pate de fruit

lunch was from Bolyards....(I had the beef)

 

O

 

Edited May 21, 2019 by RobertM (log)

[RobertM]

Friday night before the regrouping some of us decided on BBQ, 

Pappy’s Smokehouse is about 2 blocks from Bulrush STL so it seemed like a good choice.....

turned out, it was a great decision 

As it turned out, if you’re famous, they have you sign a menu where it is put on the wall.  They didn’t recognize Kerry or Ruth, so, we need to go back.....

 

 

[RobertM]

Then...off to (back to) Bulrush STL for the ice breaker/meet and greet/grip and grin...

I was pulled off to a “special project” and didn’t get to mingle with everyone as much as I would have wanted...

as usual, there was some truly amazing things brought to Friday night, which just goes to show how truly creative and amazing our folks are.....

[RobertM]

Before we regrouped at the college, Kerry, Ruth and I headed West to Nathaniel Reids’ bakery, on a quest for Kouign Aman and to see what other delicious delicacies awaited .....

we were not disappointed, and while we were settling up our tabs and “schmoozing” the gal behind the register says....let me see if Nathaniel can take a break and come talk to you.....

[RobertM]

Saturday and Sunday at the Community College....

some worked alone, some worked in pairs, or groups, and everyone gave of their time and expertise.  We shared ideas, we shared techniques, we talked about concepts and we tested new ideas.....

[RobertM]

 

Saturday evening we had our dinner at The Chocolate Pig....

Chicken Fried Brussels Sprouts with a Buttermilk  sauce...

these (in my not so humble opinion) were the “hit” of the meal....

proclaimed by another eG attendee as “f......ing delicious”.....and everyone agreed (and I don’t like Brussels Sprouts)

 

[RobertM]

 

We have some AMAZING sponsors to our little group, and to each of them we hold deep gratitude.  We truly could not do what we do without their continued support!  

After dinner, we held our drawing for the things that our sponsors sent to us.....

 

[RobertM]

[rotuts]

@RobertM

 

sounds some exceptional for those who have a calling for

 

woking w chocolate , and making it a calling or an exceptional 

 

find calling at home

 

I , and only me , possibly

 

would enjoy 

 

a simple description on those items the members got to take home

 

just to put my personal individual perspective on Chocolat

 

{ed.:  there is a book :

 

https://www.amazon.com/Chocolat-Novel-Vianne-Rocher/dp/0140282033

 

and a movie :  the movie does decent justice to the  book :

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolat_(2000_film) }

[Kerry Beal]

So for the purposes of starting to plan next year - I wonder if the participants would give some thought to what we should be sure to have that they found lacking this year.

 

I’ll start the list with

1. sufficient silicone spatulas

2. Plastic bowls

3. Scrapers

4. Offset spatulas

 

thoughts also on what we should do the same and what we might do different 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darienne]

Spent what seems like most of the morning going through this topic.  Don't know how I missed it the first time around.  Wow!  Would I love to have been there, if only to try all those wonderful looking treats, both from the eG gang and from the various stores and restaurants.  Talk about a good time must have been had by all!  

 

Loved the Victorian candy machine video. 

Edited May 21, 2019 by Darienne (log)

[RobertM]

50 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

So for the purposes of starting to plan next year - I wonder if the participants would give some thought to what we should be sure to have that they found lacking this year.

 

I’ll start the list with

1. sufficient silicone spatulas

2. Plastic bowls

3. Scrapers

4. Offset spatulas

 

thoughts also on what we should do the same and what we might do different 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Scales

6. Acetate (sheets)

[curls]

 

3 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

So for the purposes of starting to plan next year - I wonder if the participants would give some thought to what we should be sure to have that they found lacking this year.

 

I’ll start the list with

1. sufficient silicone spatulas

2. Plastic bowls

3. Scrapers

4. Offset spatulas

 

thoughts also on what we should do the same and what we might do different 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, RobertM said:

5. Scales

6. Acetate (sheets)

 

7. Ladles

8. Knives

 

[RobertM]

Curls.....who needs ladels when we can use plastic cups....?....lol

Edited May 21, 2019 by RobertM (log)

[Kerry Beal]

4 minutes ago, curls said:

 

 

 

7. Ladles

8. Knives

 

What sort of knives you thinking?