Five Wine and Chocolate Pairing Tips and Two Easy Recipes for Valentine’s Day

In the shadow of his Chocolate Pyramid, Chef Luis and I talk “truffle”!

We were literally “rocking and rolling” on Tuesday night at the sensational Fresh Starts Cooking School! Chef and Chocolatier Luis Realpozo and I led sixty five guests on a hand rolled truffle making extravaganza, complete with a guest chef appearance, artisans and a wine tasting of the highest caliber by Bruce Walker of San Rafael based Starry Night Winery.

Chef Haydon, a brilliant host!

Of all of the cooking schools I have taught in, this is BY FAR the most joyous, best priced and most fulfilling school of all time. Our guests enjoy the best classes at incredible prices while supporting Homeward Bound of Marin’s homeless services and giving the on-site Culinary Academy staff and students a chance to work and gain experience. They did this just by coming to class! The word is out now and top chefs and artisans are making surprise appearances, such as Chef David Haydon of celebrated Il Davide Restaurant (Which I know firsthand.  It was always a favorite of George Lucas and his family on the weekends. I was the private chef there on weekdays only!). David came, made truffles and poured Starry Night Wine to the thrilled guests. 

Wine Expert Bruce Walker’s Tips for Chocolate and Wine Pairing

1. Fruit Forward: Red wine varietals such as Zinfandel and Syrah generally pair better with chocolate than higher tannin wines such as cabernet or merlot. Guests loved the Starry Night 2006 Tom Feeney Ranch Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel. 

2. Try Dry: Drier reds pair nicely with sweet chocolates or desserts. Bruce paired his Starry Night 2005 Russian River Valley Syrah with our sweet chocolate mousse (recipe) and our truffles (chocolate ganache recipe.) 

Plated chocolate mousse by the Fresh Starts
Culinary Team

3. Port Report: With higher residual sugar, ports and dessert wines  pair best with less sweet chocolate such as a top quality bittersweet chocolate or our Chipotle- Sesame truffles made with the ganache rolled in cocoa powder and lightly dipped in a mixture of dried chipotle powder and toasted sesame seeds. The Starry Night 2005 Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel Port/ Dessert Wine was a perfect match. 

4. “No Rule” Rule: “The rule is, there are no rules.” Use guidelines, have fun, learn about what you like. 

5. An Experiment in Fun: Replicate our tasting. Buy the Starry Night Zinfandel, Syrah and Port. Set up 3 glasses per person and label them with a sticky note. Make the ganache and roll in the suggested toppings or add hazelnut, coconut or chopped almonds as we did for our class. Make and portion the mousse. Get a piece of artisan bittersweet chocolate and break it into small bite sized pieces. Taste all 3 wines with food and with the different chocolates and take notes on your preferences. (5579, Assorted handmade truffles by our students) 

Have fun with it. We sure did with guests of all ages, chefs, wine experts, local artisans, a few nuns and lots of our neighbors creating a culinary community and having a blast while doing good. 

Join in the fun: Our next class is a full dinner event on March 10th with Chef Tom Hudgens cooking from his extraordinary new book the Commonsense Kitchen. Sign up now at Fresh Starts Cooking School! 

Sorry, my Macy's Valentine’s Day Class this coming Saturday is SOLD OUT.  Catch the recipes right here next week. 

Keep it sweet…

Chocolate Ganache

{To print the recipe click here}

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon liqueur of choice, optional
• ½ cup cocoa powder

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, add all ingredients together and stir slowly, melt until smooth.
2. Place in a container, cover and put into refrigerator until firm, about four hours.
3. Scoop 1-ounce balls and roll in cocoa powder. Alternatively, toast and chop 1 cup almonds and roll balls in nuts.

Chocolate Mousse

{To print the recipe click here}

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided into two 1-cup portions
• 6 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar, divided into ½ cup portions
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 ounce brandy or other liqueur, optional

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, add both types of chocolate, 1 cup of cream, pinch of salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Melt until smooth and creamy, set aside.
2. Whip egg whites to soft peaks and add ½ cup sugar. Whip until firm, set aside.
3. Whip the second cup of cream with remaining ½ cup sugar until firm but not hard.
4. When chocolate is cool, fold in egg whites, then add the sweetened whipped cream. Let set in refrigerator for six hours before serving. If desired, mousse can be made a day ahead.

Note: If you wish to add a liqueur (Grand Marnier, rum, Kahlua or brandy), add to chocolate when melting.