Tasty Tips
Chocolate and Beer Pair Suggestions: We’re not talking Budweiser with Hershey’s Kisses here. In order to appreciate fully the Epicurean possibilities of this combination, I recommend a look at the wider spectrum of beer styles.
Beyond the millions of barrels of homogenous light lager consumed in the U.S. are at least a dozen other beer styles that can be very suitably paired with chocolate. Be mindful that chocolate, ion most any form, is rich, flavorful, and has a palate-coating consistency. For a beer to stand up to the richness of chocolate, it must be big and bountiful, with an equivalent malty flavor and creamy texture (lots of mouth-coating viscosity).
So, look beyond the standard pale and watery fare produced by the breweries with instantly recognizable names. Forgo the American megabrews and high-visibility imported beers in green or clear bottles (read: Miller, Molson, Foster’s, Beck’s, Heineken, Corona, etc.). Darker, richer and heftier beers are needed. Avoid happy beers and seek out malt-accented lagers like Märzenbier (March beer, aka Oktoberfest beer) or bock beers, depending on what’s available in the current season, and dark, roasty ales such as porter or stout. Other fine matches are throat-warming barley wine and Trappist or abbey favorites such as Dubbels or Tripels. I heartily endorse tart and fruit lambics, such as kriek (cherry) or framboise (raspberry), or other fruit-infused beers for mating with all sorts of chocolates.
Also consider American craft brews under the Samuel Adams, Pete’s Wicked, or Sierra Nevada labels, and imported brands such as Guinness (Ireland), Hacker-Pschorr (Germany), Samuel Smith (England), or Lindemans (Belgium). These beers run from amber to ebony color, and they fare well with anything from milk chocolate to chocolate-covered caramels. For bittersweet or fruity chocolate confections, the rich, dark, roasty aromas and flavors of porters, stouts, or Schwarzbier (black beer) pair wondrously.
From “Nectar Meets Ambrosia” by Marty Nachel at www.epicurious.com.
Chocolate Monogram: Here is a simple and personal way to add instant flair to any special occasion or homemade gift: add a chocolate monogram!
Fill a pastry bag or heavy duty zip-top bag with melted chocolate. Snip the end - being careful not to make the hole too large, you can always snip more if needed. Pipe out your initials or special message onto dessert plates, cookies, cakes, etc. If needed, practice piping onto wax paper a few times before writing on your finished desserts.
Chocolate and Wine Pairing: Some say it can’t be done, pairing wine with chocolate, but if you have the right wine to complement the right chocolate it can be a match made in heaven! Whether you are pairing a delicate white chocolate or a lively dark chocolate with wine, there are a few pairing tips to keep in mind.
Tips for Successfully Pairings Wines with Chocolate
Rule #1, the wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards sour.
When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel.
Similar to “formal” wine tasting, if you will be experimenting with several varities of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white chocolate and end on a dark or bittersweet chocolate.
From “Pairing Wines and Chocolate” by Stacy Slinkard
From Oops To Yum: Ever try to impress your friends at a dinner party only to have your cake fall apart on you? Instead of vaulting it in the trash and cursing as you run to the grocery store at the last minute, try this tasty tip.
Find a pretty glass bowl that maybe has been lost in the back of your cabinets for a while. Now dig through your kitchen and see if you have any fruit, nuts, pudding, whipped cream, chocolate syrup or even the frosting you were going to use. In your bowl layer your crumbled cake with any combination of these other items, like lasagna. Not only will you have saved your cake, you will have a beautiful, tasty dessert to impress your friends with.
