Chocolatiers and candy makers are among the most popular exhibitors at the Fancy Food Show. At the 2010 NASFT Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, CA., we were delighted to have discovered Chuao Chocolatier. They really opened our eyes and taste buds to some of the most unique and creative chocolates which we have have seen at this show.

Pronounced chew-WOW, Chuao Chocolatier is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the Unitied States. Their products span from a variety of chocolates, hot chocolate beverages and gelato. If you are in the San Diego area, there are three locations to have the  Chuao Chocolatier Cafe experience at. If you are not able to visit San Diego, you can still experience the fun filled joy of Chuao at home by purchasing their products at Whole Foods Market, Pier 1 Imports, or Crate & Barrel.

We were able to sample some of the featured ChocoPods (11-gram mini-bar), full sized chocolate bars, and hot chocolate. Of the chocolate bars and ChocoPods, we tried the Panko, the Honeycomb, the Spicy Maya, and the Firecracker.

The Panko is made with premium dark chocolate with toasted breadcrumbs and sea salt.

The Honeycomb is made with premium dark chocolate and caramelized honey.

The Spicy Maya is made with premium dark choclate with pasilla chile, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. It sounded a lot more spicier than it tasted. When you take the first bite, you taste the wonderful dark chocolate. The more you chew the more you will discover heat slowly building in the back of your mouth. It finishes nicely with a slight chili and cinnamon fire as it goes down your throat. I personally liked the hot chocolate version of this as the heat hits you a little more instantaneously. It’s what I would call a perfect sipping chocolate on a winter day.

The Firecracker is made with again premium dark chocolate but with chipotle, salt and popping candy. It was this bar that really impressed me. It was like a party in your mouth which promises to bring a smile to anyone’s face. The first bite brought the rich, dark chocolate to the forefront while the chipotle and salt enhanced the wonderful flavors. As you begin to chew, the popping candy starts to activate and it’s such a warm memory of having popping candy as a kid. Bystanders also get to enjoy the sounds and laughter that comes with eating Chuao’s Firecracker bars.

For more general or ordering information on Chuao Chocolatier, you can visit their website at:
http://www.chuaochocolatier.com

Brian Food Products, Product Reviews

I love hard boiled eggs, but taking boiling an entire pot of water just to boil a single egg is too troublesome. I was really happy to happen upon Boiley, the Microwave Egg Boiler. Pop an egg into him, stick him into the microwave for 3-5 mins, and out comes a boiled egg. Mine did not come with an egg piercer as described in the packaging, but I just used a push-pin instead. I was always told not to put metal or eggs into the microwave, so the combination of the two for the egg boiler made me a bit hesitant; but I decided to put some faith into a product that hasn’t been recalled.

I used the three minute setting for my first attempt. In the picture below you can see that the egg leaked a bit, but at least there was no popping. It comes out pretty hot, so I waited a bit to peel it to see how the egg boiled. It was the right amount of runny for me, but for those who like it hard boiled, I’d recommend a higher setting. There was minimal clean up, and perhaps if I put two holes into the egg there won’t be any leakage at all. I think I will be using this little guy for my hard boiled eggs for a long time!

Available at retail stores and online: http://www.amazon.com/Boiley-Microwave-Egg-Boiler-MSC/dp/B000GW89GY

Amy Equipment, Product Reviews

Besides buffets, casinos usually have a restaurant for big spenders to dine at. Harrah’s in Reno has their own fine dining option called Harrah’s Steak House. It is difficult to know where to begin the review because the experience was so complete. The service excelled in every way. The staff easily humored us with jovial remarks. They were also knowledgeable about their ingredients (the lamb is from New Zealand) and capable in their live cooking performances on carts that are pushed to your table. Even the small things were done well. I couldn’t have emptied my glass of water no matter how hard I tried. The atmosphere was comfortable with the usual mood lighting, complex table setting, and cushy chairs that one expects at high class restaurants.

The meal started with dutch crunch loaves with butter in the shape of flowers. Being my favorite bread, the bread was the perfect mixture of sweet and crispy. After an engaging conversation with my party, the server made sure that the appetizers flew onto our table. Despite my apprehension, the combination of spinach, Pernod, and oysters baked together in the shell proved to be delicious. For those who are curious as I am, Pernod is an anise flavored liquor and the hot appetizer is called Oysters Rockefeller.

After polishing off every last oyster, my main course arrived. The Double Cut Berkshire Pork Chop was a thick piece of meat with a glaze made of Calvados and sun dried cranberries. As if you haven’t learned enough in this review, Calvados is an apple brandy and makes for an amazing sauce. The juice filled meat sliced away easily and I generously coated it with the sweet and tangy sauce. Accompanying the pork chop was a small helping of spinach mash potatoes which was smaller than I’d expected.

Thankfully, it wasn’t because finished with a trio of desserts. We started with the cherries jubilee which was prepared on a cart at our table. You can’t go wrong with cherries, liquer, and vanilla ice cream. Next came the chocolate in a metallic bowl with dry ice giving off a vapor as it approached our table. Visually, I was tricked into believing that it was colder than it actually was, but as for the chocolates, they were a perfect mint breath freshner that also satisfied the sweet tooth. Along with such wonderful desserts, it is customary to have coffee. At Harrah’s Steak House, they call their coffee, Cafe Diablo which translates to Devil Coffee. If the name wasn’t intimidating enough, a staff member would concoct the mixture in front of you. The first step was to peel an orange in a circle to keep the peel in one piece. Then cloves are stuck into the skin of the orange. Next, a lemon is peeled in a similar fashion and is intertwined with the orange peel using a skewer. As you start to realize the complexity of it all, ther performer starts to pour generous amounts of alcohol over the rinds with a pot below to catch the drippings. One alcoholic beverage wasn’t enough for Cafe Diablo. Instead, they used three different kinds: Cordell Brandy, Gran Marnier, and . Surprisingly, there was no coffee added and the server resumed by igniting the alcohol in the pot. With a ladle, he slowly started to pour the flaming liquid over the orange and lemon peels to extract the oils. Like a fireplace, I was mesmerized by the performance as liquid streamed downward and the flame climbed upward. Finally, a splash of coffee was added after most of the alcohol burned off. Cafe Diablo was served in expresso sized cups which is the perfect amount for the potent drink. The taste was a pleasant mixture of alcohols but without the strong alcohol content. The coffee provided a slight bitter flavor, but gave me a good helping of caffeine. The show was the perfect way to end an evening and as long as you’re not afraid of the Devil, I recommend you go there to try Cafe Diablo yourself!

Harrah’s Steak House
219 North Center Street
Reno, NV 89501
(775) 788-2929
www.harrahs.com
Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11am to 2:30pm
Dinner: 5pm to close

Jason Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants

Popcorn has been around for many thousands of years.  Today, people mostly associate it with movie going as a light, buttery snack that you can’t stop eating.  In recent years, popcorn seems to be “popping” up in other places.  479° popcorn has entered the revolution by offering unique flavors, which are available to you in local grocery stores.  I had the pleasure of trying two types of popcorn at the Fancy Food Show.  The first was the Ginger Sesame Caramel popcorn that emitted a light but pleasing ginger taste.  Despite being pre-packaged, the popcorn still offered the same crunch as fresh popcorn.  The other flavor was Madras Curry Coconut and Cashews.  I hesitated initially because I saw that the outer white shell was speckled with curry powder.  I was worried that upon entering my mouth, my saliva would first have to rehydrate the powder before I tasted anything.  On the contrary, I enjoyed an mild curry flavor that didn’t leave me desperate for water.  Both tastings justify picking some up at your local Whole Foods and finishing it during your favorite DVD at home.

For more general or ordering information on 479° Popcorn, you can visit their website at:
http://www.479popcorn.com/index.html

Jason Food Products, Product Reviews

For many years, the joy of flavored gelatin desserts has been absent from my life.  Today, the largest manufacturer of gelatin products, Jello, has  gone even further to simplify people’s lives by increasing the convenience with pre-made, single serving cups.  As competitors arose, I recently came across Trader Joe’s Natural Black Cherry Gel Cups and purchased one solely for my love of black cherry.  I’ve enjoyed black cherry soda and ice cream in the past so I was intrigued by this new food amalgam.  As I peeled back the aluminum foil cover, I received a thick breath of Black Cherry that hit me like a person who stands too close to you when talking.  With my curiosity peaked, I spooned the deep red gel and it broke away like almond tofu.  With Jello, the consistency is denser and requires more strenth to spoon out but personally, I liked how easy Trader Joe’s Gel Cup was to scoop out.  The reason for the difference in consistency is that the Trader Joe’s version uses carrageenan, an algae extract, that has gelling characteristics similar to gelatin.  Another significant trait of carrageenan is that it is Vegan friendly as opposed to gelatin which is made from collagen extracted from animal bones.

Realistically, by now, I had already taken a few bites before I noted these characteristics so I should go on to describe the flavor.  The Black Cherry poked my tongue in various places as I broke down the pieces in my mouth.  It had a light taste and may not be able to satisfy people who crave for something more potent, but for me it was enough.

Trader Joe’s Gel Cups was a fun snack to enjoy.  I got to take in the smell.  I enjoyed slicing through it like a hot knife through butter.  I loved how I could use my tongue to reduce the size of it while tasting the Black Cherry.  Now that I’ve convinced myself to have a second cup, I suggest you go out and get some and maybe find some Cool Whip to go with it.

Jason Food Products, Product Reviews