If you’re suffering from a little post-holiday traumatic stress disorder, or are just feeling a bit down now that the season of sensory overload is past, fear not – there is just cause to celebrate in the weeks to come. If you need a fix, get ready for Save the Eagles Day, Amelia Earhart Day, Ben Franklin’s Birthday and Groundhog Day – all Hallmark-approved occasions. On a more practical note, President’s Day and Valentine’s Day are the first two holidays of the New Year that really entice us to make merry.
If you want a treat that is easy to make, will impress in its simplicity and amaze in its incredibly elegant taste and texture, try the Ultimate Chocolate Cherry.
The Chocolate:
Kallari Rainfamily Rainforest Chocolate – The best chocolate on earth.
Most of the world’s cacao beans come from Africa, Brazil and Indonesia. They are of the lowest quality, have poor flavor and require complex processing to minimize the bitter characteristics present. They are then diluted by the addition of milk fat and other additives. Conversely, the highest quality cacao beans are grown in Latin America and the Caribbean. Known as Noble beans, these comprise less than 10 percent of all cacao beans grown in the world. The Kallari Rainfamily farmers of Ecuador grow the Noble varieties, including the organic, shade-grown variety, Cacao Nacional, which earned international recognition when Slow Food selected it for the prestigious Presidium Award in 2004. To say “the best” is subjective; however, this is as close as it gets. It certainly is the freshest.
Most cacao beans spend a few years in storage before being traded and transported to chocolate makers. Long-term storage allows for possible insect, worm, mold and fungus contamination that can reduce the quality of the cacao. Kallari beans typically spend only one month between harvest and destination, having already completed fermentation and the drying process. Many international chocolate connoisseurs now actually prefer Kallari Rainfamily chocolate to that of famous traditional European chocolatiers.
In my 30 years of food and beverage trade, I have not experienced fresher, cleaner-tasting chocolate than that in the Kallari Rainfamily line. There are five styles available: 70 percent cacao, 70 percent cacao special edition extra dark roast, 75 percent cacao, 75 percent cacao special edition extra-dark roast and 85 percent cacao. It is available at Corti Brothers, which is one of the few West Coast retailers to offer this amazing line of chocolate.
The Cherry:
Luxardo Marasche al Frutto – The world’s finest cherry off-the-shelf.
The firm of Luxardo, established in 1821 at Zara on the Dalmatian coast (now in Italy’s Veneto), is currently managed by members of the family’s sixth generation. The company industrialized the production of the sweet, clear cherry liqueur known as Maraschino, and is still the world’s major producer. Since liqueur production required quality cherries, the company eventually began preserving cherries as well.
Luxardo Marasche al Frutto is simply sour marasca cherry candied in thick syrup made of marasca cherry juice and sugar. Dark and very flavorful, these delights are probably similar to “cherries in marasquin,” from a French producer listed on the 1903 catalogue of Goldberg, Bowen of San Francisco, the then-reigning fancy grocer on the West Coast.
These cherries are exclamation points in taste. Intense in flavor and wonderfully textured, they are the perfect cherries for chocolate dipping. During years of abundant cherry harvest, some of the Luxardo Marasche al Frutto finds its way onto the shelves of specialty food shops here in the U.S. Corti Brothers is currently one of the lucky few.
The Ultimate Chocolate Cherry:
There are a number of ways to combine these two sensational elements into conjoined bliss. I prefer this simple method: Drain the Luxardo cherries of syrup. This works best if allowed to drain thoroughly before dipping. If you have a chocolate fondue, just melt the chocolate and dip the cherries at will.
Here’s another option: Line a baking sheet pan with waxed paper and place in the freezer. Take a plastic, heavy-duty freezer bag and snip off a small bottom corner, about one-eighth of an inch. Place broken bits of the chocolate into the bag near the snipped-off corner. Melt in a microwave in a few short 30-second cycles. Do not allow the chocolate to bubble. Once the chocolate is melted, squeeze out pennysized drops onto the baking sheet pan. Place a single cherry atop each drop of chocolate and place back into the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Reheat the chocolate and squeeze over the top of each cherry to cover completely, and return to the freezer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and store in a cool place. There are many creative ways to enhance this recipe – use your imagination. Both Kallari Chocolate and Luxardo Cherries are exceptional for any of your culinary needs, but when combined, they are heavenly.
For information about either of these products, contact Corti Brothers at 800-509-FOOD or email cortibros@sbcglobal.net.
