Valrhona Dulcey: Pecan Blond Chocolate Disks

A few months ago, I was at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California when I came across the Valrhona Chocolate booth. The French chocolatier is the first-choice for pastry chefs who depend on a high-quality product. I was introduced to a new Valrhona product, Dulcey, by the Valrhona representative and given a bar to try. Valrhona Dulcey is quite the unusual chocolate product, as it doesn't fall into the white/milk/dark chocolate categories. This product is a "blond chocolate" that is basically a byproduct of caramelizing white chocolate. The taste is out-of-this-world and hints at shortbread and condensed milk with a slight salty touch. It's a rather unique taste that I foresee becoming a hit.

Anyhow, I had my bar of Valrhona Dulcey sitting around and was unsure what to do with it. After shooting down ideas for frosting, ganache, and cookies, I felt that the best thing to do was to leave this incredible chocolate in-tact without modifying the taste too much. I wanted my guests to try out my Dulcey-inspired treat without missing out on the original taste of the product. The idea for Pecan Blonde Chocolate Disks was born!

Ingredients:
One bar of Valrhona Dulcey Chocolate
A handful of pecans

Recipe:
1. Heat Valrhona Dulcey Chocolate in double-broiler.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Use large spoon to scoop Dulcey onto wax sheet while creating circular disk shape.
3. Place one pecan in center of disk while chocolate is still warm; sprinkle chopped pecan pieces throughout disk.
4. Allow disks to cool for 10 minutes then transport to refrigerator for additional 30 minutes.
5. Pecan Blonde Chocolate Disks are ready.

 

Sour Green Plums: A Springtime Treat

As the springtime wraps up, so does my favorite fruit/vegetable season. There are several unique produce items that only grow during this time of year (such as mulberries and green almonds); however sour green plums are my absolute favorite. They almost taste like sour candies. It's most unfortunate that so few people know about this delicious treat.

I usually purchase sour green plums from a local Turkish market; you may also find them in most middle eastern markets from early April to early May. They are usually sold by the pound. I like to choose the harder fruits, as they tend to be slightly more sour. If you prefer a bit more sweetness, choose the softer variety. At home, I wash the fruits, sprinkle them with sea-salt, and throw them in a zip-lock bag for an on-the-go treat. Make sure not to bite down on the hard core. Bon appetit!

Quinoa Tabbouleh: A Modern Twist on a Classic Middle Eastern Salad

My Quinoa Tabbouleh

A couple of years ago, I was sitting in my doctor's waiting room watching a television when I heard the word for the first time: quinoa. This was my first exposure to the superfood that would later take the country (or at least my social circle) by storm. While I had heard many good things about quinoa from a nutritional standpoint, I could not help but wonder what on earth I was supposed to do with this strange-looking superfood (quinoa has tails, people). After a couple of failed attempts of incorporating quinoa into recipes, I found a way to use up the bag of quinoa that had been sitting untouched in my cupboard for weeks.

One unusually cloudy California afternoon, I was standing in the kitchen about to soak bulgar in preparation for making my grandmother's tabbouleh recipe. As I reached into the cupboard for bulgar, a tabbouleh staple, an idea came to mind. Bulgar and quinoa look very similar prior to being cooked, so I wondered if I could successfully swap bulgar for quinoa in hopes of finishing the package of quinoa taking up space in the cupboard. After a Google search to make sure this substitution would not be disastrous, I was not-so-surprised to find out quinoa tabbouleh was a already a thing.

I went on to make my first batch of quinoa tabbouleh that day. After taste-testing it out on some hesitant friends and myself, it became clear that this modern twist on the classic middle eastern salad was a huge success. Nowadays, I alternate between quinoa and bulgar in tabbouleh. Bulgar is slightly easier to use because it does not require any cooking; you simply soak it in water. While quinoa requires a little bit more work because you have to cook the grain beforehand, the extra work may be worthwhile for anyone with a gluten sensitivity or intolerance... or for someone who is simply trying to maximize the nutritional benefits on this already healthy salad.

The recipe below can be modified significantly depending on your preferences. Enjoy!

Recipe
Ingredients:

• Two bunches of Italian parsley
• One bunch of green onions
• Two persian cucumbers
• One large tomato
• Two lemons
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of uncooked quinoa (cooked, drained, and set aside) 
• Salt to taste 

Steps:

Prep and wash the ingredients.

You need 1/4 cup of olive oil and the juice of two lemons.

Cook quinoa according to instructions on package.

Finely chop parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions.

Combine everything for the finished product: Quinoa Tabbouleh!