An Evening Of Chocolate And Wine At Boston Chocolate School

Have you heard of Boston Chocolate School? Sure sounds like the kind of school I'd love to attend if I had to go back to school!

Last Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to check out a class there called An Evening of Chocolate and Wine. (Seriously, where were these classes when I was suffering sitting through Chaucer and Physics 121?)

Course Description

"Ever since the first grape was picked and the first cacao bean harvested, chocolate and wine were meant to be together. Perfect for beginners or for experienced chocolate tasters, Boston Chocolate School’s Evening of Chocolate and Wine will teach you how to expertly pair wine and chocolate, creating new and unexpected tastes that delight the senses."

Sign me up!

Before the class began at 7 p.m., Daisy, Meghan, and I met up at Bistro du Midi for some light appetizers and drinks. The bar was quiet, the bartender friendly, and the food delightful. It was the perfect way to kill a little time between work and the start of the class. After we sampled fried artichokes, fried calamari, and eggplant and olive dips, we walked a few blocks down Comm Ave and ran into Lara as she was heading into Boston Chocolate School, which is located at 44 Commonwealth Avenue at The College Club of Boston.

I'd always wondered what those beautiful brownstones on Comm Ave look like inside. It turns out that the College Club is not only host to Boston Chocolate School but also a bed and breakfast. A couple of the rooms were open and we were invited to head upstairs to check them out if we wanted to. Of course we wanted to!

After checking out the rooms (which are only $75 a night right now in the off-season), we headed back downstairs and snacked on fruit, cheese, and passed hors d'oeuvres, like bruschetta in phyllo cups, coconut shrimp, and phyllo-wrapped asparagus.

Soon enough, the clock struck 7 and we were ushered into the "classroom," which was actually a gorgeous dining room, to begin the class.

At each of our places was a placemat set up with the six pieces of chocolate we would be tasting, as well as the names of all the wines we'd be trying.

In front of each of us were six glasses of wine to pair with the chocolates.

Harry Silverstein, the wine educator at Boston Chocolate School, taught us how to taste wine and led us through the wine portion of the tasting, while Executive Pastry Chef Dorian McCarron taught us how to taste the chocolate and led us through that portion. The two made a great pair. (Pun intended.)

Lesson 1: Tasting Wine

The Five S's

See - Check the color and clarity of the wine.
Swirl - Agitate and oxygenate the wine.
Smell - It's ok to switch and smell the wine before swirling if you want to pick up on the secondary aromas.
Sip - Inhale through the mouth (carefully) while you sip.
Savor - Reflect on everything you just experienced.

Lesson 2: Tasting Chocolate

Listen - Check for the snap.
Look -  Make sure the chocolate is shiny and free of bloom.
Smell - Inhale the aroma of the chocolate.
Taste - Lay the piece on your tongue and let it dissolve.
Sip - Try sipping the wine while the chocolate is dissolving. Notice the changes in flavor of the wine and the chocolate.

The Pairings

Lindt white chocolate and 2009 La Serra Moscato D'Asti, Piedmont, Italy

El Rey Caoba (41%) and 2009 Alasia Brachetto D'Acqui, Tuscany, Italy

El Rey Bucare (58.5%) and 2009 Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, South Africa

El Rey Mijao (61%) and 2007 Luc Piret Merlot, Southern France

El Rey Gran Saman (70%) and 2007 Cameron Hughes Lot 184 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA

El Rey Apamate (73.5%) and N/V Fonseca Bin 27 Port

I took copious notes throughout the entire class and really learned a lot about the chocolates and wines that we tried, including details about wine- and chocolate-making processes. If you love chocolate and wine, I highly recommend this class. Don't we all look like we had fun?

Boston Chocolate School Offerings

An Evening of Chocolate and Wine is offered every two weeks on Wednesday nights. Tickets are $50 and should be purchased in advance.

In addition to this event, Boston Chocolate School also offers truffle making classes and chocolate tours. I'm already making plans to go back for a truffle making class. I need to work on my chocolate tempering skills!

Boston Chocolate School hosted a special blogger edition of this class, and our tickets were complimentary.

What do you think? Would you enjoy a class like this?

Chili, Hold The Beans

The February issue of Bon Appetit features a spread called "The United States of Chili" with recipes for four different kinds of chili. I immediately dismissed the Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and the Cincinnati Chili, lingered a moment over the Pork Chile Verde with Red Chile Salsa, and homed right in on the Chili con Carne.

How do you like your chili? Do you make it with chicken, pork, or beef, or do you go meatless? Is it red or green? Do you load it up with veggies and beans?

I'm a huge fan of Texas-style chili, or chili con carne -- all meat, no beans allowed. If that's how you like your chili too, then I recommend giving this recipe a try. It has a very authentic flavor, likely from the half cup of ground ancho chiles, and is full of tender beef. It has heat, but it's not overwhelming. If you like your chili hot, you may want to chop up some chiles and throw those in. It's also pretty effortless -- involving just a bit of prep, a little sauteeing, and then a whole lot of slow and low simmering. Just remember to make it the day before you plan to eat it.

Chili Con Carne (adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2011)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 pounds well-trimmed boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 head of garlic (about 15 cloves), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup ground ancho chiles
2 tablespoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 cups water
2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons masa harina
Cooked egg noodles (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Chopped scallions (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the beef to the pot, season it with salt, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer beef to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining two-thirds of beef, adding another tablespoon of oil before each batch.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the onions, and saute until onions are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in ground anchos, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the beer, making sure to scrape up all the brown bits, and cook for another minute.

Return beef and juices to the pot.

Add tomatoes with juice, water, oregano, and kosher salt.

Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover (leaving lid slightly ajar), and simmer gently until beef is tender, about 2 hours.

Cover, and chill overnight.

When ready to serve, scoop the fat off the chili, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in tomato paste. Sprinkle masa on top of the chili, and stir it in.

Simmer uncovered until thickened and beef is very tender. If necessary, thin the chili with 1/4 cup of water at a time.

Spoon chili over egg noodles (if using), and top with cheese and scallions (if desired).

Tell me what's in your chili!

Scenes From Mother's Day In March

On Saturday night, we went to Mother's Day in March, a pop-up restaurant/event at the Boston Center for Adult Education. All proceeds from the pop-up went toward helping local chef Will Gilson's mother rebuild her greenhouses, which were destroyed by this winter's heavy snows. Here are some pictures from the event.

The menu
FYI - I'd be more than happy to edit menus for future events.
Unfortunately, these were rife with misspelled names and restaurant names,
but at least we knew what we were eating!

Grilled escarole salad with anchovy vin - Colin Lynch, Menton

Mac goulash - Matt Jennings, Farmstead and La Laiterie
Definitely my second favorite dish of the night!

Lynne Viera of how2heroes

Justin of Justin Can Cook

Justin's wife Leah

Me chatting with Justin

Our friend Bill chatting with Jodie Gilson, Will's mother

Chef Will Gilson, thanking everyone for coming

Beef stroganoff with egg noodles - Jay Silva, Bambara
My favorite dish of the evening

Barbecue chicken legs with cucumber and Kent's vinaigrette - Jamie Bissonnette, Toro/Coppa
The chicken legs were Jeff's favorite dish, and I loved the cukes.
(Jamie was just voted Food & Wine's Best New Chef!)

Brussels sprouts with bacon - Dante de Magistris, Dante/Il Casale

"What I wish my mom made as a kid" Porchetta - Louis DiBiccari, Sel de la Terre

Sticky bun bread pudding - Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery + Cafe/Myers + Chang

Look at all the bloggers who were there!
Me, Elizabeth, Justin, Bianca, Jacki, Dan, Meesh

The space at the BCAE was really interesting for holding a pop-up. There were a bunch of long tables set up in different rooms, and food was served family style. The lights were much brighter than typical restaurant lighting, which made for great pictures, but gave the atmosphere less of a formal restaurant feel.

I was most impressed with the lineup of chefs who came together and donated their time and so much more to help a fellow chef whose mother was in need. I'm really glad we bought tickets to support this cause and that we got to enjoy some delicious food and great company.

Do you attend events like this or donate to any charities or fundraisers?