Want to Eat Chocolate Every Day & Successfully Diet?

Then New Tree "Alpha" - I recommend you try it!

If there is one thing I am loathe to give up when I am dieting, it is chocolate and I've found that a little piece of dark chocolate every day satisfies any cravings. Recently, at Rainbow Grocery, I discovered range of Newtree's 'Alpha' range of chocolate discs that come in three flavours: Noir, Thym and Piment.

These small, but extremely satisfying 23 gram bars contain crisped rice and golden roasted flax seeds not only give each bite a pleasing nibbly effect and crunch, they provide 15% of the recommended daily amount of Omega 3 too. I don't pay any attention to the Omega 3's in my diet as a rule, but since Newtree's got it, I am not going to knock it.

For those who are calorie counting or 'Weightwatching', these small treats contain only 110 calories, or just 2 Weightwatcher points; very modest numbers in the world of chocolate eating.

I do have a certain amount of willpower, but perhaps not quite enough to stop myself sneaking 'just another square' once a larger bar has been unwrapped. That's why these tiny little 'Alpha' bars, help me overcome the issue of overindulging, by providing just enough chocolate to keep me happy, all in one small, handy package.

With its spicy kick, the 'Piment' is my favourite of the three flavours offered with the plain 'Noir' a close second. I would describe the 'Thym' as 'interesting' and although I don't dislike it, it does trail behind the other two in the desirability stakes.

And as for chocolate on a diet - you might be wondering - does it work? Well, I've lost over 20 pounds in just 14 weeks, so I'll let you be the judge of that...




Archives
2008 | Free Water for Life courtesy of Boccalone Salumeria
2006 | Lemony Yogurt
2005 | 2003 Vintage Coonawarra Majella Sparkling Shiraz
2004 | Restaurant Pizza "La Gioconda", Paris

© 2009 Sam Breach

Want to Eat Chocolate Every Day & Successfully Diet?

The last Lagier Ranches sour cherries of the season,

Washed and drying, ready for freezin'...



At 8am last Saturday morning, just as the market was opening, four women, myself included, picked over the very last of Lagier Ranches' sour cherries, 2009.




Archives
2008 | Grilled Fresh, Plump, Portuguese Sardines
2006 | How I made Lemon Curd
2005 | The Helmand


© 2009 Sam Breach

The last Lagier Ranches sour cherries of the season,

Smudgie tayberries, a dusting of sugar, a splash of cream,

I close my eyes and of Scotland I dream.



Tayberries from Yerena Farms.

Read more about Tayberries here, written by my friend, Jane Tunks




Archives
2007 | Fresh Garbanzo Beans & Pimientos de Padrón, Pan-Fried, Browned, Blistered and Sprinkled with Salt
2005 | My beloved Salter Digital Scales (now deceased and usurped by newer Salter scales)

© 2009 Sam Breach

Smudgie tayberries, a dusting of sugar, a splash of cream,

If you're serious about your Chocolate Obsession,

I'd suggest a Recchiuti chocolate lesson.

We watched Michael go through the process of making these four chocolates: Star Anise, Pink Peppercorn Ganache; Rose Caramel; Lemon Verbena Ganache; Piedmont Hazelnut.

Michael shows us his chcolate sprayer. He uses the spray for the Rose Caramels.

Michael makes these templates for creating the backs of chocolates himself.

Michael spreads chocolate over the template to create the disks that will later become the backs of the Star Anise & Pink Peppercorn chocolates.

Tempering white chocolate.

Michael explains the tempering process.

A larger tempering machine also has a vibrating shelf that jiggles the chocolates to get rid of any potential air bubbles.

I'd like to make a bed of this machine and just lie back with my mouth wide open to catch the dribbles. This is tempered milk chocolate being used for the Piedmont Hazelnuts.

Michael sppons the Star Anise & Pink Peppercorn Ganache into a large piping bag.

Then he carefully pipes it onto the chocolate bases he made earlier.

This is a chocolate slicing machine - it works much like an egg slicer. Michael uses this one for the Lemon Verbena Ganache.

As soon as they have been enrobed, the Lemon Ganache chocolates are topped with a pattern transfer.

Then the Lemon Verbena candies continue their way down the conveyer belt of the enrobing machine...

...As the other chocolates are just getting ready to be cloaked with a chocolate coating.

Finally the transfers can be removed and these Lemon Verbena confections are ready to enjoy...


These photographs were taken during a "Serious Chocolate" class at Recchiuti's chocolate kitchen yesterday afternoon. For more details about classes and tastings, see the Recchiuti website.

More of my photographs from the afternoon can be seen on my Facebook page via this public link.

Recchiuti Confections on Facebook.
Recchiuti on Twitter.




Archives
2008 | A Dancing Croissant for Every Winner
2006 | Farmer Brown & Coco500

© 2009 Sam Breach

If you're serious about your Chocolate Obsession,

Maine Root's invigorating Ginger Brew does the trick,

When you want a drink with a hot, peppery kick.



I found this Ginger Brew soda at Wholefoods. Find out more information about Maine Root and their all natural, hand-crafted products here.




Archives
2008 | Food Pairing Game
2006 | Boating on the Bay, tomato season day


© 2009 Sam Breach

Maine Root's invigorating Ginger Brew does the trick,

Short Season Apricot:

Candy Cot - I like them a lot



Small, sweet and perfectly balanced with a tinge of acid and a blush of pink freckles. I picked up these apricots last Saturday from the San Francisco Farmers' Market at the Ferry Building. I didn't make a note of the farmer's name, but I can tell you they cost $5 a tray. I've heard rumours that the apricot season is going to be short this year. If you are an apricot fan, don't let it slip you by.




PS - This box is tiny (and very cute). Each apricot is smaller than a golf ball.

Archives
2008 | Purse-sized Poco Dolce Tiles
2005 | Edible Borage Flowers


© 2009 Sam Breach

Short Season Apricot:

Chicharrones from 4505 Meats

Definitely one of the world's best eats.


From Chef Ryan Farr: About 4505 Chicharrones
Where to buy 4505 Chicharrones
Follow Chicharrones on Twitter
Thanks to the friend who first fed me a 4505 Chicharrone: Fatemeh
I buy mine from my favourites, The Fatted Calf





Archives
2008 | A Vegetal Quiz
2007 | What does a good party look like?
2006 | Is New York better than San Francisco?
2005 | The Helmand, Oola, Aziza

© 2009 Sam Breach

Chicharrones from 4505 Meats

Mariquita Agretti

cipes">Experimenting with roasting Agretti, at 7.30 AM.
Only time will tell if I'll ever do it again..?


Here is a link to some Agretti recipe ideas.



Local Resources
Agretti & baby shallots from Mariquita Farm
Olive Oil from Sicabica & Sons

Archives
2006 | WD-50
2005 | Can the English make "champagne"

© 2009 Sam Breach

Mariquita Agretti

Early Summer Dessert Platter: Strawberries, Yogurt & Cookies

Sweet, Simple, Fresh and Bright



At this time of year, for pot lucks, BBQs and other gatherings where you might want to serve up something sweet to a large number of people, I can't recommend this combination enough. I've served this trio of fresh fruit, top-notch dairy and nibbly, buttery cookies to different crowds on more than one occasion and, to date, it's always been met with enthusiasm raptures of delight*.

-Strawberries from Swanton & Dirty Girl: Hulled, sliced and sprinkled with a little sugar to draw out their juices and make them glisten.
-A quart of St Benoit's delicious plain Yoghurt, strained for several hours, to thicken.
-A Syrup made by briefly simmering a little water, sugar and a few damaged strawberries together with six Rose Geranium leaves (from Eatwell Farm) before straining, ready to dribble over both the yogurt and strawberries.
-Wholewheat cocoa-nib sables made with crunchy, nutty home-ground wheat flour (wheatberries also from Eatwell Farm) and local Straus organic butter from a recipe in Pure Desserts by Alice Medrich. [One of my very favourite recipe books from the last year.]



(*for proof, see Anood's comment, thanks Anood)



Archives
2007 | Steak House Sublime
2005 | The Pump Rooms - Bath - England

© 2009 Sam Breach

Early Summer Dessert Platter: Strawberries, Yogurt & Cookies

Pâtisserie Philippe

Local Resources
Pâtisserie Philippe

Archives
2007 | The Fatted Calf's Bresaola
2006 | Hangar One Raspberry Vodka

© 2009 Sam Breach

Pâtisserie Philippe