Creativity Explored has done it again and pulled off an absolutely spectacular annual fundraiser. This year’s theme was, Dance Hall Party. I was informed that from 1908-1926; 3245 16^th Street (the current location for CE) was in full swing as ‘Findlay’s Dance Hall.’ It was not surprising to hear that Findlay’s quickly became the gathering place for raucous entertainment and offered dime-a-dance girls to men from every walk of life. So, in light of their building’s history, the group behind this Creativity Explored decided to turn their gallery & studio into a glittering dance hall for this special one night event.

As I walked in the doors, I was amazed by the transformation of the space. Twinkling lights were everywhere, a disco ball twirled up above, everyone was dancing in their best outfits. Suddenly it felt like the 1920s again. They offered delicious appetizers, beer, wine and the ever intoxicating Absinthe. The artist’s work was displayed proudly on the walls and each piece was tempting from every angle. I thought the ceramic cupcakes were especially tasty looking!  The evening went on to include a live auction and much more drinking and dancing and finally ending on a sweet note with some of our brownies. Everyone involved did an incredible job. If you have never had the chance to visit Creativity Explored, I highly recommend it. It is an experience unlike any other and the artwork is truly phenomenal.

UPDATE: Recchiuti Confections is thrilled to announce the release of a new collection of art-adorned chocolates. The third in the Creativity Explored series features the work of Vincent Jackson. As with the previous two collections, $2 from each sale goes directly to Creativity Explored, a Bay Area nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art.

Creativity Explored III will be available July 1, 2009. (8pcs; $21)

Click here to get invloved!

Click here to donate!

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We were gearing up all last week for another Taste Project event. This time it was our second installment of “Serious Chocolate”, a class about chocolate, for chocolate-lovers and featuring chocolate recipes and techniques from Michael’s book, Chocolate Obsession.  It was basically an all-out choco-fest, and the attendees got a chance to glimpse Michael in his element—mixing, molding, tempering, and getting generally elbow-deep in chocolate.

As people arrived in front of our kitchen for the tasting, we greeted them with a few scoops of Recchiuti Burnt Caramel Ice Cream that they had the option of pairing with some Stonehouse Olive Oil and Iburo Jio Cherry smoked sea salt from The Meadow in Portland.  Class assembled and ice cream devoured, folks then headed into our tasting room where Michael was grinding some cacao nibs, cocoa butter, vanilla and sugar to make chocolate, which he passed around for everyone to try.  Then everyone wiped off their chocolate mustaches, settled into their seats where a copy of Chocolate Obsession was waiting for them and got down to business.

Making chocolate confections is a fairly involved process, with many steps happening over the course of several days. The idea with the class was to make a few Recchiuti chocolates from beginning to end in order to give folks a really cohesive and seamless look at confectionary work.  Michael began by making a star anise and pink peppercorn ganache, followed by a smoky rose caramel filling.  Then came a rich lemon verbena ganache, and finally a piedmont hazelnut and milk chocolate gianduja. With each ganache and filling he explained the various techniques involved (“Don’t let your hand blender incorporate any air when emulsifying your ganache!”, “Be sure to taste your infusions for flavor before straining them”, “Don’t be afraid to make that caramel smoke a little”).

After a quick break, the class moved over to the kitchen where Michael worked on the various steps required to house the fillings he’d just made.  He began by decorating a rose caramel mold and a piedmont hazelnut mold; spraying and striping them respectively, and then molding them out in tempered chocolate.  He then filled them with the fillings he’d made earlier in the class, taking care not to over or under fill them and being sure not to get any filling around the edge of the molds, which affects how well they are sealed off later.  Finally he used dark chocolate to seal off the molded chocolates and carefully unmolded them.  Eh voila—two finished molded chocolates from beginning to end!

Michael used the star anise and pink peppercorn ganache he’d made earlier to pipe beautiful chocolate dollops onto small tempered chocolate disks.  These he set aside while he took a slab of lemon verbena ganache, backed one side of it with a thin layer of dark chocolate, and cut it into squares on the guitar cutter (resembles a very large egg slicer and named for its many wire strings).  Then Michael loaded up the enrobing machine with the lemon and star anise confections and the folks in the class watched as the little treats traveled under a rippling curtain of dark chocolate, under a fan that blew off the excess chocolate (as if there could be such a thing) and then onto a conveyor belt that took them through a cooling tunnel. Some of the class members even helped Angelica, the production manager, put the white willow leaf transfers on the tops of the lemon verbena chocolates.

Once the chocolates emerged from the cooling tunnel, they were collected on a sheet pan and brought to a table where boxes, candy cups, and ribbons were laid out.  Every member of the class packed their own boxes with the chocolates Michael had just made, and then went back to the classroom for a little Q&A session with Michael.  The class wrapped up with Michael signing books and talking chocolate shop!

Popularity: 3% [?]

Back in 2006, Michael Recchiuti helped the team at Nopa in San Francisco create some of their signature drinks.  One that sticks out in his memory is The Old Cuban.   It’s a vibrant mix of Flor the Caña rum, mint, sugar, lime juice and cava (Spanish sparkling wine).  I went last night to Nopa, thirsty and with my camera to remember what and old Cuban can really do.  It was a long June day and the remaining sunlight shined through the champagne flute in which the Old Cuban is served, illuminating the emerald cocktail in a most enticing way.  The aroma of mint and crisp white wine wakes you up.  Upon first sip, you enjoy the crisp blend of cava and fresh mint.  The Flor de Caña rum forms a nice base, but its delicate flavor doesn’t overpower.  Sugar is listed as one of the ingredients, but thankfully the drink isn’t sweet.  More than anything it refreshes and invigorates.  A perfect first drink of the evening.

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Taste Project attendee Lindsay Ferguson provided the play-by-play for Spirits & Chocolate with Lance Winters (St. George Spirits/Hangar One) and Michael Recchiuti.

Upon entering the second floor of an unassuming industrial building, the echoing cement halls lead to a warm welcome spread. Tastefully laid out, the spread featured thyme-black pepper gougeres, cheeses (Roaring 40’s Blue among others), salumi, fresh fruit and bowls of Recchiuti’s new chocolate dragée line. The delicious offering betrayed nothing of what was in store behind those black double-doors.

Michael Recchiuti and Lance Winters, chief distiller from St Georege Spirits (well known for their Hangar One Vodka) have outdone themselves in the preparation of this particular Taste Project…Spirits & Chocolate. While the guests take their seats around a large U-shaped table, Michael and Lance explain the first offering before us:  The Cherry Bomb–a miniature cordial made with Aqua Perfecta Kirsch Eau de Vie and topped with an Amarena cherry. It is a delightful confection of sour cherry cordial topped with the chocolate-encased cherry. Lance notes that the entire cherry is used to make the Kirsch, including the pit, which gives a slight nuttiness to the liqueur. When married with the Venezuelan chocolate, the chocolate-cherry-nut flavors of the tiny bite evoke hushed, delighted murmurs from the guests. 

 Next comes the Ovaltini—a crowd favorite—a chocolate cocktail made with Test Kitchen Cacao Nib Brandy, Venezuelan chocolate sherbet and barley malt syrup. It’s garnished with a chocolate cigarette, Olvatine rim and a pipette filled with cacao nib brandy! Guests are invited to add a little or a lot to their cocktail for an extra kick. Lance discusses how very special this Test Kitchen Cacao Nib Brandy is…clear as water but if you get up close and put your nose to it, a wave of rich chocolate hits you. Lance goes on to explain that it was very important to him to preserve that warm cacao nib flavor when distilling his brandy. To do so, he used 25 pounds of cacao nibs to create just one liter of the brandy. Michael picks up the thread and recounts the labor-intensive steps behind the creation of the Ovaltini, parts of which took two days to complete. The end result was a decadently rich drink, made better by the chocolate cigarette proudly adorning the delicious concoction.

Next we move on to the Six-Barreled Shooter: A flight of Agua Azul (Cristal, Reposado, Añejo) with matching chocolate poppers, served with lime wedges and artisan salt from The Meadow in Portland. Lance’s anecdote lightens up the hard-hitting “tequila” and he explains that since his Agua was not made in Tequila (Jalisco, Mexico), it is not technically tequila. It is however 100% agave…like tequila. This launches Lance into recalling his endless battle with the infamous agave plant–the spiny fruit from which the distillate is made. While it gave Lance quite a bit of trouble, the agave piñas (the tough core of the agave plant) woes gave every guest several laughs as he describes using everything from machetes to chainsaws to dogfood mills to extract the juice for the still.

Clearly their efforts paid off. Our tasting featured a flight of the hard won distillates served from light to dark. The Cristal is as clear as water and made from steam-roasted agave piñas. It best represents the pure essence of agave. The Reposado (rested), made from smoked agave piñas,  has a fuller, almost caramel taste and pale gold color. Finally, the Añejo (aged) is fermented and aged in oak barrels which impart a deep gold color and a woodsy flavor. To go with each Agua of the flight we sample matching chocolate poppers filled with each of the three Agua Azul. A dash of salt. A squeeze of lime. And we’re ready to move on to the next adventure.

A brief intermission and tour of the Recchiuti kitchen give everyone a chance to settle their taste buds before being hit with Michael’s next creation, the Raisin’ Cain Panini: Zinfandel Grappa-soaked raisin and chocolate brioche filled with goat cheese, battered eggplant and a shallot-flamed grape-raisin compote. The complex, unlikely flavor combinations were incredible! A perfect balance of savory and sweet that soared when paired with a one-ounce pour of straight St. George Grappa.

The tone of our next course is set as Lance reaches for the ominous monster-sized beaker filled with green liquid which has been perched behind Lance and Michael all afternnoon. It has drawn curious curious looks from some and now is its time to shine. To highlight the occasion Michael presents a cacao nib macaron filled with Absinthe Verte and star anise buttercream. The whole thing is skewerd with a pipette of the green liquid.  The liquid, Lance explains, was test kitchen Stinging Nettle Brandy. He holds it up joyfully while we sample small drops of Nettle Brandy from the pipette. It begins smooth, like some brandy, but once it gets a chance to interact with your tastebuds, it goes crazy and may not be for every palate. Stinging nettle is the perfect way to describe the sensation this brandy creates. Sharp, licoricey, medicinal. After sampling the brandy on its own we are instructed to inject the remaining pipette into the Absinthe & Star Anise buttercream of the delicate cacao nib macaron. Once done and carefully dispatched to one’s mouth,  the nettle loses its sting, and compliments the sweet macaron with a slight spice. The Absinthe Verte’s licorice flavor, very smooth and soothing, is just the trick to calm the tastebuds down from the Nettle Brandy.

The Recchiuti Taste Project wrapped up with as much panache and delight as it began. Michael rolls out a cart ladened with a gas stove, cornmeal crepes and a frozen container of olive oil ice cream for the “En Fuego”–cornmeal crepes flambéed in Agua Azul Añejo and topped with a citrus-vanilla bean compote. We revisit the Agua Azul Añejo once more as a pairing for the dish. Each of the 29 guests receives their own crepe made right before their eyes—a tall order for any chef! The cornmeal crepe compliments the Añejo, while the olive oil ice cream deliciously meltis into the compote, mellowing out the intense flavors of the vanilla bean and citrus. The best way to go out is in flames, and that’s exactly what Michael and Lance did with this amazing Taste Project.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Lance Winters and Dave Smith at St. George Spirits in Alameda took Michael Recchiuti and me on a beautifully boozy ride today.   The sold out Spirits & Chocolate class is only days away so Michael and Lance are putting together the final touches on their “syllabus” for the occasion. 

I was lucky enough to taste some of cacao brandy that was specially made.  In its simplest form, it’s a brandy infused with real cacao nibs.  Like most dark chocolate on the market, the first inclination is to add vanilla and sugar.  We taste this delicious elixir with different proportions of those ingredients.   Michael’s aversion to overly sweet things and his love for cacao leads him to opt for the liquor in its simplest form, sans sugar and vanilla.   He’d rather let the lucky consumer decide how they’d like to doctor their beverage.  This is truly a treat, the mastermind of chocolate confections and the distilling king together mixing their expertise and I get to watch!  

Lance and Dave show us their beautiful distiller in action.  They were working on a batch of orange peel infused liquor.   I saw for myself the real orange peel mixed with brandy, brought to a boil and run through the copper cylinders and out through a small spout.  We got to taste the batch as it poured out, taking note how the batch evolves in flavor as it emerges in a small, steady stream.  I find it delicious at every stage, but that’s the kind of lush I am.  Sometimes the alcohol numbs your tongue and the orange flavor comes after. Other times the orange pops out and the alcohol is tamed.  Truly fascinating.   The batch all goes into the same barrel where the flavors age for a few months. I can only imagine what a few months of age will do to this already heavenly liquor.  While the distiller was heating up, Dave and Lance let us taste one of their recent projects, a foie gras liquor.  Dave cleverly describes it as a happy journey that starts with one liver and ends up in another.  

We leave St. George with a nice bottle of cacao brandy that Michael is going to use to develop cocktails for the very lucky guests of Saturday’s Taste Project.   I have a feeling this class will go down in Recchiuti history.

Popularity: 3% [?]

As the week draws to a close, Michael Recchiuti and the kitchen crew are gearing up for the next Taste Project event–a Spirits and Chocolate tasting with the folks from St. George Spirits. We’re really excited about this event and the kitchen is working with Michael to prepare a host of sumptuous goodies for people to taste. Here’s a blow-by-blow look at the days leading up to the tasting:

Tuesday 6.9.09

Michael goes to St George Spirits in Alameda and picks up two boxes of lovely booze for the kitchen to play with. Among the offerings are three Tequilas, Zinfandel Grappa, Kirsch Eau de Vie, Absinthe Verte, and a spectacular cacao nib brandy made just for us!

Wednesday 6.10.09

Today we’re making Tequila Shooters featuring St George Spirit’s Cristal, Reposado and Añejo Tequilas and Cherry Bombs–a combination of St George Spirits Kirsch Eau de Vie and Recchiuti Italian candied cherries.

Thursday 6.11.09

We’re finishing off the Tequila Shooters today (we’re making extra for folks to take home) and finalizing the details of the tasting menu. We’re really excited about the menu, and those of us who will be working the event are going to have a hard time not hitting the sauce in between platings. The cacoa nib brandy alone is enough to tempt even the most disciplined of our crew to stray from the path. Pair that with the killer brioche Panini Michael’s developed and you’ve got a meal fit for a king!

Friday 6.12.09

Today is our big prep day and we’re making cornmeal crepes, star anise buttercream, cacao nib macarons, citrus compote, milk chocolate straws, and much more. Michael was here late last night perfecting his recipe for the chocolate cocktail we’ll be serving, and also whipping up a batch of brioche with chocolate and grappa-soaked raisins. We baked off some tests of the brioche today and tasted it, you know, for quality assurance. Sigh, life in the kitchen is pretty grueling.

Tomorrow is showtime! Michael and the tasting crew will be prepping all morning for the event. Once we’re all set we’ll have a sip of the chocolate cocktail and then open our doors to the public! Pictures and a full report to follow. Stay tuned!

Popularity: 5% [?]

On Monday, June 8^th I sat down with Michael Recchiuti to talk music.  As a loyal fan of Kings of Leon, I couldn’t help but pick Michael’s brain when I heard he’d recently seen them play. You might not think that a man so passionate about chocolate would have any room left in his life for other passions. You’d be surprised.  This self-trained master chocolatier of Recchiuti Confections is also a classically trained jazz drummer and avid live and local music fan.  Here’s what he had to say on the subject.

I heard you went to a Kings of Leon show here in San Francisco at the Bill Graham. I know you’re not that familiar with them, so how’d you end up seeing them play?

Our friend Tom Seawell (who also does all the Recchiuti photography) is a fan and invited my wife Jacky and me to join him. We rarely turn down an invitation to a show.

Have you seen KOL before?

Nope.  I’ve only heard a little of their music but  I was excited ‘cause I’d heard good things about their live shows.  

So, how was the show?

I liked that even though I don’t really know their music well, they were still able to draw me in.  Their performance seemed genuine and musically organized.  Everything was very put together, but they still found a way to improvise.  I was happy because the band really sounded great…the Bill Graham doesn’t usually sound that good.

The crowd was a good mix of people.  It reminded me of when I was in high school in Philly and there was a “show of the year” that everyone went to.  Yeah, it was like that, everybody went to Kings of Leon.  The crowd was really into the band.  And the encore was long, five songs I think!

Do you have a favorite KOL song?

I wasn’t too familiar with any in particular, but they definitely had some songs that were big hits—they were good!  Maybe if I knew which songs were big radio hits I wouldn’t like them as much. Fortunately I don’t really listen to the radio, so I don’t know which ones are hits. 

How do you feel about the music scene in SF?  What is unique about it?

The music scene is good here because bands want to play in San Francisco and there’s every type of venue.  You get really big bands that’ll play in a huge venue like the Warfield and then the next night play in a smaller one like the Independent.  Performers seem to like the fact that the city has a lot to offer.  I’ve even found that sometimes the headlining band is in the audience watching the opening band play before their set, which is cool for everybody!

Any upcoming shows you plan on attending?

Tonight I’m going to see Low Red Land at the Elbow Room.  Peter, who works here in the kitchen, turned me on to them.  They’re a local band that’s kind of got a singer-songwriter feel but with a hefty rock-edge, and every once in a while a country twang.  Loud and noisy—energetic live.   They released a new album that’s about 8 months old.  I like supporting local bands, I think that’s key.  There are just a lot of great local bands. 

I’d really like to see a lot of other shows.  I’m heading to NY at the end of June so I’m sure I’ll go and see a show or two there. 

How does your knowledge of music affect your experience at concerts, such as KOL?

I don’t think it does.  I try to set the analytics aside and not criticize the way the drummer is drumming.  If the vibe’s good and they’re playing well, then I like it.  On the other hand, if I don’t like or connect to the music, I get a little bored and start analyzing. My enjoyment of a band is really influenced by the vocalist and how well their voice suits the style of music they’re singing. If the voice doesn’t match it can ruin everything.  For instance, I may really dig what the band is doing but if the vocalist is a female with too willowy a voice for what they’re playing, I just can’t get into it.  I guess do analyze quite a bit after all.

Aside from chocolate, I know your other passion is music and that you’re known to leave your gourmet chocolates behind for the bands.  Do you really do that?

Yeah, if I really like the band I bring them chocolate.  Even if I don’t get a chance to see them I leave a note and a box.  They’ll sometimes respond with hand written letters—that’s really cool.  Both parties are sharing something that they love. 

I originally saw this one band, Earlimart, at the Bottom of the Hill 8 or 9 years ago.  I dropped a bag of chocolates at the bottom of the stage and the singer ran after me.  We’ve kept in touch ever since, and it’s turned into a friendship.  I’ve had them over to my house and cooked dinner for them.  The lead singer got married last year and Jacky and I baked a cupcake wedding cake for them.  

Check out Between the Buns Special Report featuring Michael and his cupcakes:

http://earlimartmusic.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/PWDA.woa/wa/page?id=8500

 Is there anything else you want to add?

Well, I’m really looking forward to setting up the room next door to the Recchiuti kitchen for my drums.  Some friends are going to drop off a PA. A keyboard. Some amps.  It will be a great “release” space within the world of Chocolate.  Long awaited.  Stay tuned for an update on this development.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Michael Recchiuti, master chocolatier and owner of Michael Recchiuti Confections, led twenty-four pastry-loving members and guests in an exploration of new techniques, recipes and methods to kick off our official SFPFS Master Class series. To combat the excessive heat, Michael’s wife, Jacky, greeted us with an intriguing cold drink made with raspberries, radishes and a lemongrass “foam.” We knew we were in for an innovative and palate-expanding afternoon!

Read the entire article here. http://www.sfpfs.com/calendar/recent%20events/masterclass_chocolate.htm 

Popularity: 9% [?]

“This has everything to do with stuff I’d like to do, but could never do on an industrial level,” said chocolatier Michael Recchiuti last night as panini fungi of shiitake chocolate-malt ice cream on grilled brioche were served….

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2009/05/recchiuti_launches_the_taste_p.php

Popularity: 9% [?]

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/05/chocolate-and-insert-edible-noun-here.html 

Popularity: 9% [?]