There is a radio commercial that is partially responsible for me never moving away from the CBC’s commercial free broadcast. I think it is a lottery ad where some ignoramus says their dream is to ‘buy a chocolate store and then eat all of the chocolate’. If their life ambition is to become sick on chocolate they deserve to see what that actually feels like. It’s also fiscally irresponsible, they don’t need to buy the store they can just buy some other store’s inventory and actually bolster the economy instead of leave an empty chocolate store in some sad retail space.
After visiting The Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts I also realized that the person from the commercial could never even begin to understand the complexities of the chocolate that she has annihilated in her fantasies time and time again. Certainly the temptation to indulge is great, from the sweet aroma to the sensuality of silky chocolate being tempered on a marble slab, the gratification of the tactile smoothness, and the density of the texture. All of culminating in the anticipation of the mouth as you take part in the creation of the delicate little spheres.
Those are the elements that sexy movies with Johnnie Depp are about and they are the reason for the intrigue behind cocoa. Beyond the art there is also a science that involves mathematic ratios, precise temperatures, and chemistry. Without these unsexy nerd steps of chocolate making people would not have the lover affair that they do. If ever you wish to make a successful truffle or ganache you must first do it under the watchful eye of a professional or you will feel jilted by your creation and never love it the same way again.
Bonnie Gordon’s skilled instructors take students through both the sexy and the scientific steps of understanding Couverture Chocolate and the importance of fine ingredients and what that actually means. You learn a variety of tempering methods to make the chocolate workable and delicious. After the lesson you will get to work with the chocolate and then finally eat some. If you wish to experience chocolate the right way you can sign up for one of the two day workshops available at the college. The next one is March 23- 24.
