Simple yet Complex

Before......

After.........

The finale of our participation in the IACP conference.

Our truffles have wowed the meet&greet of the French Culinary Institute, the board of trustees dinner for Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, and last night we triumphed at the Wild and Rare dinner. Following a menu that included bison, elk and kangaroo, our poached pear with fudge sauce was universally adored. The food editor of Bon Appetit made a point of telling us how fabulous it was. The lovely Italian lady who has a gelato business in Texas loved it - and from what she said about her gelatos (including one with orange and vidalia onion) it would be worth a trip to Texas just to try them. We met a lot of really cool people (the Vidalia onion representative, two R&D people from Smuckers, a couple of very promising students from Johnson & Wales).

I always dread going to public events. I'm shy, introverted, and try to avoid attracting attention. There's a lot of stress leading up to them. Once it starts, I'm busy, people are excited, and the praise begins. I get to see and hear how people react to what I've made. And I blossom. I'm like one of those dried-up tea flowers that blooms when placed in boiling water.

But back to the dessert. A poaching syrup of star anise, saigon cassia cinnamon, tahitian vanilla bean, all spice, clove, black peppercorn, grapefruit, lemon and a reduction of Chateau Roland Sauternes 2006. Organic pear. Chocolate leaf of Kokoleka, from Oahu, only 18 trees of this variety in the world, with 23 karat gold flakes. Fudge sauce of dark cocoa, cream, blackberry schnapps and tamarisk honey. You know you want some.