点击中文

Storytelling through Chocolate

A plate of chocolate truffles

Storytelling through Chocolate

 

 – By Diane Lochner, vice president

 

Good chocolates are a wonderful indulgence. But chocolates that have a story behind them as rich and wonderful as the chocolates themselves somehow sooth the soul in the most profound way.

I have always loved chocolate. My mother says it is because she ordered and ate the most wonderfully rich, decadent chocolate cake at a dinner with my father at the Four Seasons in New York while she was pregnant with me. I believe her.  And there is a love of the art, the infused care, and the detail of a beautifully crafted dessert.

9202311620_70747cd509_o

But something even more wonderful has emerged in our culture at PGAV. Chocolate Storytelling. A few years ago a group of coworkers gave Katherine a chocolate making kit for Christmas. Little did any of us know she had a hidden and un-investigated talent. The kit unleashed a passion that would take hold and, with her creative mind, attention to detail, and love of story. would transform this newly found hobby.

Katherine confessed, “For me, half the fun of being a chocolatier is in finding inspired and completely original ways to tell stories. Chocolates are universally loved as a delicious treat, but when they are used to tell stories they become a rich and meaningful experience.”

4312681756_18a5b3e23e_o

Handmade chocolates can be beautiful little jewels of flavor, color, texture, and aroma. They can be combinations of very different flavors, they can be crunchy, silky smooth and burst open with tangy liquids. Katherine’s chocolates are all of these things. But Katherine’s chocolates are unique and deeper. They are also infused with storytelling.

“…the real excitement is in devising clever concepts to represent various themes, story lines, and characters. I’ve created collections ranging from the literary (The Great Gatsby) to the biographical (Benjamin Franklin) to the cinematic (Mad Men, Downton Abbey).”

Her recent creation was the Benjamin Franklin. Ben was a foodie in his day. If alive today, Ben would have a show on the Food Network, probably called “The Founding Foodie.”

BenFranklin1

“He believed in embracing the local bounty rather than relying on foods imported from abroad. Some of his favorite native foods were apples, potatoes, maize, honey, turkey – he lobbied for the turkey to be our national bird! – and of course he was very fond of ales, wine, and cider.”

So through her research Katherine combined the favorites of the historical, the mining of information about Ben and turned into Ben’s Apple Cider Caramels. The recipe contains locally produced and sourced ingredients as Ben would have wanted. And as storytellers we know presentation is key.

BenFranklin2

“The presentation must also advance the story, so the way that the collections are plated or packaged is also essential to the storytelling process. A successful collection combines all of these elements in a richly layered expression that engages and delights both the mind and the senses.”

And in my new self-proclaimed official role as “Chocolate Taste Tester,” I know we achieved success with the delicious story and delightful chocolate.

Ben Franklin’s Apple Cider Caramels

Ingredients:

  • (2) Jonathan apples, peeled and pureed
  • (1-1/2) c. heavy cream
  • (2) tsp. unsalted butter
  • (1) tsp. Bekemeier’s honey
  • (1/4) tsp. cinnamon
  • (1/4) tsp. nutmeg
  • (1) bottle Crown Valley Brewing Country Carriage Cider (reduced over medium heat until syrupy)
  • (2-1/4) c. sugar
  • (1/4) c. corn syrup
  • (1/4) c. water
  • Askinosie dark chocolate for tempering

4610268042_029c0aed47_o

Share Button