& other such things from professional eater and Chocolate Bar mastermind Alison Nelson
If you've visited The Tasty Show lately, you've probably been seeing a lot about NYC's Chocolate Bar, my latest obsession and newly favorite chocolate stop. I was lucky enough to chat with Alison Nelson, the founder of Chocolate Bar and the co-author of the shop's new self-titled cookbook (read review). Dana :: Have you eaten any chocolate today?
Alison :: First thing I consumed after my morning coffee. Hey, it's really good chocolate, why not start off the day sweet?
Dana :: What did you have?
Alison :: Well, we have a line of solid chocolate bars at our store - like white lemon, bittersweet, and one of them is a 99% bar, which is what I had this morning.
If you've visited The Tasty Show lately, you've probably been seeing a lot about NYC's Chocolate Bar, my latest obsession and newly favorite chocolate stop. I was lucky enough to chat with Alison Nelson, the founder of Chocolate Bar and the co-author of the shop's new self-titled cookbook (read review). Dana :: Have you eaten any chocolate today?
Alison :: First thing I consumed after my morning coffee. Hey, it's really good chocolate, why not start off the day sweet?
Dana :: What did you have?
Alison :: Well, we have a line of solid chocolate bars at our store - like white lemon, bittersweet, and one of them is a 99% bar, which is what I had this morning.
Dana :: Damn. 99% cocoa, that's pretty hardcore.
Alison :: It's 99% cocoa, 1% cocoa butter, but it doesn't taste like baker's chocolate. It has sweetness from the cocoa butter. It's great for people that like espresso, we have a whole slew of people that come to the store and eat these bars. So I had 99% chocolate with peanut butter.
Dana :: Peanut butter?
Alison :: I can either put peanut butter on bread, or just use chocolate instead.
Dana :: That's awesome. So that's been your chocolate fix for today so far?
Alison :: Well, when I get to the store, as soon as I get there I'll probably eat a spicy brownie.
Dana :: So, how did you get into chocolate? Have you ever gone to school for pastry arts or anything?
Alison :: I'm a professional eater. My food background, actually, both my mother and her father were caterers - which was great, except that she rarely let us eat anything... Then I went to college, I was a writing major, my work was primarily in coffee shops and bakeries, and I just loved the atmosphere. In all these little bakeries and coffee shops, you had the people who came in every day, and I loved that, that environment. Being a huge chocolate fan, I really wanted to open up a store that had the same feel as neighborhood coffee bakeries, but just with chocolate.
Dana :: I love your book - it's beautifully done, simple and clear, with a great feel.
Alison :: In creating our book, I wanted people like me who love food and love chocolate to be able to makes these recipes in their kitchen. The recipes were simple enough that I was able to make each of them in my little alleyway of a kitchen with a little 2 month old child rolling around on the floor.
Dana :: Does your baby like chocolate too?
Alison :: Oh yes, she eats chocolate - she snuck her first taste of chocolate! I was restocking our Retro bars in the store with her in my arms, and I literally walked out of the store turned around to look at her at she had taken a bar off the shelf and was sucking on it. At 9 months old.
Dana :: Well, hey, she's taking after her mom!
Alison :: It's something I'm definitely not going to deny her&
Dana :: So what are your favorite chocolate things that you carry at your shop?
Alison :: I have a couple. I eat a spicy brownie every single day, it's a brownie that's right in between, not too fudgy, not too cakey, we put cinnamon and chipotle. I literally have to eat one every single day. My favorite of all the chocolate bars is the Caf� Con Leche bar, it's a milk chocolate that's blended with browned espresso. It's really good.
Dana :: What about your truffles?
Alison :: Yes, those are the other things that I can't get enough of. Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections is one of our chocolate makers, and my favorite truffle of his is the salted caramel. What he does is put in fleur de sel. Then there's Jacques Torres, my favorite truffle of his would be the passion heart, it's a heart shaped truffle that has a milk chocolate ganache that is infused with passion fruit.
Dana :: You know I visited Chocolate Bar. The way you've created the space is really unique, it really takes a different feeling than any other chocolate shop I've been to. It seems to have kind of a retro feel to it, yet your take on chocolate is so modern. And it's so simple and open&
Alison :: You hit it on the nose, which makes me really happy. I always found that chocolate is universal, everyone loves it whether you're a kid or an 80 year old, and when creating the space, I wanted it to be entirely acceptable to everyone. Chocolate makes everyone feel good and I think that the memories that we have associated with it are good memories and that was kind what I wanted the shop to be, not intimidating, it's clean, and crisp - for a long time, gourmet chocolate was associated with formality.
Dana :: You also extended that feeling to your book.
Alison :: Even the book - for the photography, they told us we should have a food stylist, but we decided to make the recipes for the photos ourselves, and then, however they look when they come out, that's what in the book. That way the people who make them at home see how they really look. We keep it real.
Dana :: Do you have any favorite recipes from the book?
Alison :: All of them I love because they taste really good. I love the cookie recipes, they come out so good, they're nice and soft and not hard, and a great richness which I love. And the spiced cocoa meatballs. Everyone makes meatballs, and they come out so good, and the sauce is amazing and it's not difficult to make, it's great!
Alison :: It's 99% cocoa, 1% cocoa butter, but it doesn't taste like baker's chocolate. It has sweetness from the cocoa butter. It's great for people that like espresso, we have a whole slew of people that come to the store and eat these bars. So I had 99% chocolate with peanut butter.
Dana :: Peanut butter?
Alison :: I can either put peanut butter on bread, or just use chocolate instead.
Dana :: That's awesome. So that's been your chocolate fix for today so far?
Alison :: Well, when I get to the store, as soon as I get there I'll probably eat a spicy brownie.
Dana :: So, how did you get into chocolate? Have you ever gone to school for pastry arts or anything?
Alison :: I'm a professional eater. My food background, actually, both my mother and her father were caterers - which was great, except that she rarely let us eat anything... Then I went to college, I was a writing major, my work was primarily in coffee shops and bakeries, and I just loved the atmosphere. In all these little bakeries and coffee shops, you had the people who came in every day, and I loved that, that environment. Being a huge chocolate fan, I really wanted to open up a store that had the same feel as neighborhood coffee bakeries, but just with chocolate.
Dana :: I love your book - it's beautifully done, simple and clear, with a great feel.
Alison :: In creating our book, I wanted people like me who love food and love chocolate to be able to makes these recipes in their kitchen. The recipes were simple enough that I was able to make each of them in my little alleyway of a kitchen with a little 2 month old child rolling around on the floor.
Dana :: Does your baby like chocolate too?
Alison :: Oh yes, she eats chocolate - she snuck her first taste of chocolate! I was restocking our Retro bars in the store with her in my arms, and I literally walked out of the store turned around to look at her at she had taken a bar off the shelf and was sucking on it. At 9 months old.
Dana :: Well, hey, she's taking after her mom!
Alison :: It's something I'm definitely not going to deny her&
Dana :: So what are your favorite chocolate things that you carry at your shop?
Alison :: I have a couple. I eat a spicy brownie every single day, it's a brownie that's right in between, not too fudgy, not too cakey, we put cinnamon and chipotle. I literally have to eat one every single day. My favorite of all the chocolate bars is the Caf� Con Leche bar, it's a milk chocolate that's blended with browned espresso. It's really good.
Dana :: What about your truffles?
Alison :: Yes, those are the other things that I can't get enough of. Andrew Shotts of Garrison Confections is one of our chocolate makers, and my favorite truffle of his is the salted caramel. What he does is put in fleur de sel. Then there's Jacques Torres, my favorite truffle of his would be the passion heart, it's a heart shaped truffle that has a milk chocolate ganache that is infused with passion fruit.
Dana :: You know I visited Chocolate Bar. The way you've created the space is really unique, it really takes a different feeling than any other chocolate shop I've been to. It seems to have kind of a retro feel to it, yet your take on chocolate is so modern. And it's so simple and open&
Alison :: You hit it on the nose, which makes me really happy. I always found that chocolate is universal, everyone loves it whether you're a kid or an 80 year old, and when creating the space, I wanted it to be entirely acceptable to everyone. Chocolate makes everyone feel good and I think that the memories that we have associated with it are good memories and that was kind what I wanted the shop to be, not intimidating, it's clean, and crisp - for a long time, gourmet chocolate was associated with formality.
Dana :: You also extended that feeling to your book.
Alison :: Even the book - for the photography, they told us we should have a food stylist, but we decided to make the recipes for the photos ourselves, and then, however they look when they come out, that's what in the book. That way the people who make them at home see how they really look. We keep it real.
Dana :: Do you have any favorite recipes from the book?
Alison :: All of them I love because they taste really good. I love the cookie recipes, they come out so good, they're nice and soft and not hard, and a great richness which I love. And the spiced cocoa meatballs. Everyone makes meatballs, and they come out so good, and the sauce is amazing and it's not difficult to make, it's great!
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