The very word “chocoholic” strikes a sweet and loving chord for so many people. I have heard people announce it about themselves with outright pride, as if the very word puts them into society’s crème de la crème. Does a hankering for any old candy bar qualify you for membership into this inner circle of chocolate lovers? Sure. But, there is a marked difference between those of us who are simply enthusiastic and those of us who are real connoisseurs. Chocolate, like wine, has a science behind it, a history of development, various grades, calibers and distinction. Beans differ; cultivation varies and let us not forget what happens in the decidedly complex act of turning a bean into a confection.
If you are at a loss at to the differences between the many choices in the world of chocolate, worry not. Karletta Moniz, enthusiastic and highly educated aficionado, noted chef and teacher is still on duty and at your service in San Francisco bringing her extensive historic and technical knowledge to her classes. Check out the Cheese School to find some of Karletta’s offerings. And, yes, you learn to count on more than your mouth. Karletta teaches you to sniff, feel, and even to listen to what the chocolate is capable of whispering into your ear.
If you are new to the world of discriminating appreciation and enlightenment in the world of chocolate, you may be surprised (I certainly was) at the parallels to the world of wine. There is a lot to learn. Can dark be too dark? What does “single estate” versus “single variety” mean, and what are the chocolate pairings that are the most heavenly? I may still, on occasion, decide to buy a candy bar off the rack at the grocery checkout stand, but after some training by Karletta I will be doing it by informed choice and not by default.
Karletta will be teaching a chocolate class on The Art of Tasting and Pairing Chocolate on February 10, 2012. I invite you to listen to Karletta tell her story in her own sweet and laughter filled way. It is a joy to hear her talk about her exceptional upbringing in San Leandro, Blum’s sundaes, the joys of a steak soup lunch with girlhood friends and the changes in how we live life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Maybe you want to get yourself a hunk of chocolate to enjoy while you are listening to her.
From me to you with love in the air,
Janet
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