Report: eGullet Chocolate and Confectionery Workshop 2024

[RobertM]

I began this journey 2 days ago; thought it might be fun to document the journey up to see some of my favorite people.

left Orlando at 5:00 p.m. on Mother’s Day on the AutoTrain.  
sadly I totally forgot to photograph dinner on the train; but my visual is a cello wrapped Hot Dog microwaved inside the wrapper and a Diet Coke….

arrived in Lorton, VA at 9:00 a.m. Monday and hit up Wegmans first thing.

met up with a friend for drinks and the had Dinner last night at a lovely restaurant Patsy’s American

 

i had a Chicken salad with pecans; crasins; avocado and a buttermilk dressing.  Barb had a goat cheese salad; our daughter had the Rockfish and son-in-law had Jambalaya 

Edited May 19 by Smithy
Capitalized "Report" in title (log)

[RobertM]

Today we start our journey further North with a stop at a local landmark Bob and Edith’s”.   I had two eggs over easy and Barb (as you can see) was hungry….scrambled eggs; bacon; hash browns and toast

[RobertM]

Forgot our libations From yesterday 

Doug had a local dark beer; I decided on a Meiomi Pinot Noir and Barb had a Pinot Gris … yes; we are also paying homage to our other group D3 - 

[Kerry Beal]

About all I can add to this is the running back and forth and packing all sorts of stuff in my car.

 

If I drop a load off today then fill the car up again - I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to get it all home again on Sunday!

 

Setting up with all the amazing donations we received from our sponsors -

 

                                                          

 

Barry Callebaut provided us with pretty much all the chocolate we will use for the this weekend along with a bucket of Cara Crackine which will be fought over I'm sure.  The Selmi's will be getting filled. Around 5 melters will have milk and white, some Ruby to use for ganaches etc. Also some wonderful nut pastes from Rodney's good friend 'The Gelato Guy'.

 

There's a lot of moving things into place then tucking them away somewhere - it's a shame we don't have a nice clear shelf to put all our ingredients on, where everything can be easily seen and all left there through the entire event. 

 

 

Edited June 6 by Kerry Beal (log)

[rotuts]

@Kerry Beal

 

this one might help:

 

 

its been reviewed  here before :

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/156882-manitoulin-—-change-is-in-the-air/#comment-216028

 

 

good luck

 

 

 

Edited May 14 by rotuts (log)

[RobertM]

In Johnstown, PA (known for their floods) to see family - 

dinner was a mishmash of Chinese and Pizza - no picture of the Pierogi Pizza (?????) 

 

[curls]

10 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

About all I can add to this is the running back and forth and packing all sorts of stuff in my car.

 

If I drop a load off today then fill the car up again - I'm starting to wonder how I'm going to get it all home again on Sunday!

 

K

If you need help getting stuff home Sunday I can take a batch of stuff to your place in my car.

[Kerry Beal]

7 hours ago, curls said:

If you need help getting stuff home Sunday I can take a batch of stuff to your place in my car.

You still driving that lovely little sports car?

[curls]

57 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

You still driving that lovely little sports car?

Sadly she is long gone. While my Outback can't haul as much your car, it is much bigger than the little sports car.

[RanaMN]

I will join the fun. Just had dinner at MSP Airport. It's hit or miss at the airport, but the shaved beef sandwich was actually good. Jake's Peanut Porter smelled heavenly. We will be exploring the Lawrence/Distillery District tomorrow. If anyone has suggestions for restaurants there, let me know. Looking forward to meeting everyone on Friday!

[Kerry Beal]

Distillery district a bit touristy - Rodney likes a mexican place there El Catrin Destileria

[RanaMN]

18 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Distillery district a bit touristy - Rodney likes a mexican place there El Catrin Destileria

Any suggestions for places that aren't touristy ? 

[Kerry Beal]

Not me sadly - haven't eaten out since 2020. 

[RobertM]

Breakfast in Johnstown, PA….aka Flood City.  We had breakfast at a small diner next to the ACE Hardware, supposedly run by a fellow who retired, left Johnstown, but came back and was so bored (but, then, who would not be bored there?) so he opened up Jax’s diner….

the food was quick, hot, and quite tasty…

 

Really not to bad for $7.99….itmwould have been better if they had real Vermont maple syrup instead of Maple Syrup flavored Karo

[RobertM]

Some of you who have been to several previous Workshops may recognize this place.  It’s where we are hanging our hats for the night.  It’s here, in the lobby, where Kerry and I met the inimitable, wonderful Ruth, who became a close, lifelong friend….

but, i digress.  
We hit the road and enjoyed several (I stopped counting) glasses of wine from various NOTL vineyards.  (We were sent on a mission to bring Icewine home for several friends)

of course, we had to sample other varietals as well….

 

[RobertM]

[RobertM]

A little behind - 

dinner last night was in NOTL at a little place owned by Twin Sisters winery

ribs with broccoli….

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by RobertM (log)

[Kerry Beal]

And it begins - starting the first morning with a demo by Daniel Stubbe - a German trained konditorei (?sp) who has a lovely little shop here in Toronto who is showing a couple of his recipes with a long shelf life and talking business at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the Or Noir - exclusive chocolate designed by Daniel and made in France at the academy - one of the things that Barry Callebaut is able to do for chocolatiers.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 6 by Kerry Beal (log)

[curls]

Some photos from the first day of the workshop. Great to be here, seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

A delightful young man who was baking his product at the Cake Collective kitchen today left us a box of his product to try when he rushed out today. 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the products that Kriss Harvey organized for us - along with Boiron Purees - was vanilla from a company called Prova. They are represented in Canada by AB Embulluxe in Quebec. They sent us samples of nice fat vanilla beans, some paste and a new product - this Fusion Vanilla, Fusion Rhum and Fusion Cafe. These are strong extractions of flavour in a cocoa butter base so they can be added directly to chocolate and other fat based products without adding any water. 

 

I put them in the EZtemper to soften up to make them easier to incorporate. 

 

I did a small experiment with some milk chocolate leftover from a dipping session - I added the Vanilla Fusion to it, along with some crushed Trader Joes Vanilla cookies. I forgot to take them out of the fridge before I left - so there might be some condensation in the morning. 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Dinner at Gouter. 

 

First there was the show and tell - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wasn't very good at taking dinner pics - I'm a little out of practice. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful gelato dessert. 

Edited May 19 by Kerry Beal (log)

[rotuts]

@curls

 

what's in the iPod ?

 

are you making marmalade ?

 

steaming orange slices for eventual dipi9ng in chocolate ?

[Kerry Beal]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

@curls

 

what's in the iPod ?

 

are you making marmalade ?

 

steaming orange slices for eventual dipi9ng in chocolate ?

She’s making candied orange rind 

[curls]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

@curls

 

what's in the iPod ?

 

are you making marmalade ?

 

steaming orange slices for eventual dipi9ng in chocolate ?

One of the workshop attendees is showing us how she makes candied orange peel in the Instant Pot. The orange peels will go thru a series of 10 minute natural release cooks in sugar syrup. Should get additional pictures today of the orange peels.

[rotuts]

Id like to hear more about that O.P. technique

 

I have iPot(s).  might not be able to dip them in chocolate 

 

but maybe maple syrup ?