Making Chocolate From Beans to Bars

Continuing on with the goal of making more from and using what we have!  I made a large batch of chocolate from our cacao this past week.  Of course, if you start the timing from picking the fruit, and cutting open, then letting it ferment a week in a big pot, next drying on trays for about a week, then roasting, husking and grinding, the time can be spread out quite a bit. For more in depth instructions, see the Chocolate Alchemist's video series.

I usually let the beans sit in containers after the initial drying stage.  They keep quite well and we can let them accumulate until there's enough to make a chocolate production worthwhile, instead of (as per usual) just using the ground, roasted nibs for my cocoa drink in the morning.  As you might notice, our cacao tree, below, has no fruit at the moment.  Though we have a few other trees, they're not yet producing.  More on the process here, from an earlier post.

The Language of Bees and a Drink to That!

There are a number of authors I go back to again and again, but have never posted about.  We need to remedy that situation. Immediately.  A favorite of mine has been Laurie R. King, with her Mary Russell series, a woman in partnership with Sherlock Holmes (yes:)), solving mysteries and raising bees.  This one I've just finished, The Language of Bees, is ninth in King's series.  I do recommend beginning at the beginning with the first, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, or On the Segregation of the Queen. Also a totally excellent read.

From the Publishers, on The Language of Bees:: 
"For Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, returning to the Sussex coast after seven months abroad was especially sweet. There was even a mystery to solve—the unexplained disappearance of an entire colony of bees from one of Holmes’s beloved hives.But the anticipated sweetness of their homecoming is quickly tempered by a galling memory from the past. Mary had met Damian Adler only once before, when the surrealist painter had been charged with—and exonerated from—murder. Now the troubled young man is enlisting the Holmeses’ help again, this time in a desperate search for his missing wife and child.
Mary has often observed that there are many kinds of madness, and before this case yields its shattering solution she’ll come into dangerous contact with a fair number of them. From suicides at Stonehenge to the dark secrets of a young woman’s past on the streets of Shanghai, Mary will find herself on the trail of a killer more dangerous than any she’s ever faced—a killer Sherlock Holmes himself may be protecting for reasons near and dear to his heart."

Chocolate Liqueur via Sous-Vide or Not

Happy Valentine's Day!  At the back of Lisa Q. Fetterman's Sous-Vide at Home book, I noticed she was making her own bitters and liqueurs and it occurred to me that my cacao nibs would make a lovely home-crafted Creme de Cacao. Some research pulled up a number of articles on the subject:  You don't need a sous-vide appliance.  I've added a recipe for that at the bottom.  Then there's Making cacao nib infused liquor, and a great lesson on video for using sous vide to infuse cocktails.

"This Must Be the Place" for Brutti-Boni

Just finished This Must Be the Place, a novel by Maggie O'Farrell.  She certainly knows how to spin an intriguing story or two.  Or three, or four.  They kept coming, interconnected, and at different dates, and places, leaping back and forth between 1986 and 2016, with the various characters, though most were a recurring group.  I found it a bit confusing, and was continually shuffling around in the book to figure things out and understand what was going on.  Still O'Farrell keeps us fascinated throughout.  She is such a good writer.  I've read a number of her novels at this point and loved them all.   From the Publisher:

"Meet Daniel Sullivan, a man with a complicated life. A New Yorker living in the wilds of Ireland, he has children he never sees in California, a father he loathes in Brooklyn, and a wife, Claudette, who is a reclusive ex–film star given to pulling a gun on anyone who ventures up their driveway. Claudette was once the most glamorous and infamous woman in cinema before she staged her own disappearance and retreated to blissful seclusion in an Irish farmhouse.

But the life Daniel and Claudette have so carefully constructed is about to be disrupted by an unexpected discovery about a woman Daniel lost touch with twenty years ago. This revelation will send him off-course, far away from wife, children, and home. Will his love for Claudette be enough to bring him back?"

Cacao Nibs and Mac Nut Brittle

No Tricks, just treats today! Saturday morning project!  My first experiment in cacao nib brittle making, or brittle making period.  I found 4 recipes to experiment around with, and this is the first, maybe the only.  The kind of guinea pig I don't mind being..  This one was courtesy of  Marc Matsumoto at No Recipes. The only change I made was adding in macadamia nuts. His notes are excellent, so I've included them as well.  My notes and changes are in pink.

Claudia and Nancy's Chocolate Factory - Lavender, Lemon and Strawberry Marshmallows on Chocolate Bark

Yes, that's chocolate on our faces, hands, arms and clothing.  Getting in touch with our inner child here.  Deb actually gave that as one of her reasons for picking our current Cook the Books Club selection,  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl.  It was just partly this lightweight, but charming fairy tale's fault for inspiring me to do the chocolate making thing once more.

 Kealani (my granddaughter) remembers me saying the last time, that it was the LAST TIME.  A lot of work, in other words.  Or, maybe not so much work as MESS.  You might compare the process to having a baby, in that you don't ask the just delivered mother if she's going to do it again.  If I wait a bit I might even want to.  You have to weigh the good with the not so.

We did lick up a lot.  And it was good.  It also means I won't be buying any chocolate bars for quite awhile.  Four pounds worth.  And if anybody happens to wonder why I don't post more dessert recipes, well this is your answer.  I'd most always rather just have a little chocolate.  Preferably this kind.

The School of Essential Ingredients - Chocolate Fondue with Pineapple

 Our current Cook the Books Club selection is The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister.  A charming tale of  intertwined  lives, brought together through a cooking class, with careful character depictions and individual stories, well thought out, and woven seamlessly into the whole novel.  I truly enjoy reading good fiction, especially that which also triggers creativity, and fires my culinary enthusiasm.  I won't go into great detail and spoil it for those of you who haven't read this wonderful book yet.  Just go out and get your copy!

The story of the Restaurant owner, and chef-instructor of the evening classes, Lillian, and her childhood relationship with her mother, reminded me a bit of Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone, Growing up at the Table.  Especially the cover photo of a young Ruth, standing at the stove cooking.  I loved that book. I loved this one too.  So, why did I have such a hard time trying to decide what to cook?  Everything they prepared in the cooking classes sounded so fantastic, I want to make it all. And, I will!  Being as the idea here was the importance of simplicity and the best of ingredients, I asked myself, what is just about your favorite ingredient - an essential, in other words?  The answer would have to be chocolate.

I have my own tree, process the cacao and incorporate the product into my cooking occasionally.  Though mostly I just use it for a morning cocoa drink or homemade truffles, since buying the equipment necessary to get cacao nibs to chocolate factory smoothness, is not going to happen.

Another essential ingredient for me would be whatever delicious fruit is happening, fresh and ripe at the moment.  That right now would be our fabulous Hawaiian white pineapples.  Must really be tasted to appreciate fully. Stop by, and I will let you try some.

Pork Enchiladas in Green Sauce

Chocolate is the secret ingredient here.  Don't tell anyone.  I had roasted a pork loin for Sunday and, was faced with the oldest question in gastronomic history, what to transform some left-over meat into.  A resplendent reincarnation, altogether new, is called for.  A favorite with this Left-Over Diva is enchiladas, or cannelloni if we're going Italian style.  Meat pies or empanadas would be a good option, but that's another post.

First off, I wanted to simmer the pork, diced into small cubes, in a marinade of citrus juices and white wine until the liquid was almost all evaporated or absorbed into the meat.  Just because it sounded like a good idea.  Then saute some cooked, diced potatoes (more left-overs, ha), a bit of onion, some minced chili pepper, and add that to the meat.

It was at this point that chocolate popped into my head.  Can't imagine what cosmic dimension the thought arrived from.  But, what the heck.  Everything goes better with bacon, right?  Well, we've already got pork covered, so what else is almost universally loved?  Right, chocolate.  I ground some cacao nibs (yes, these are from my tree) and toasted pumpkin seeds, just because they go well together, then added that into the pork mixture.  Ready for stuffing those tortillas.  Recipe after the jump.

Island Ahi With Spicy Cacao Sauce

This is all about an event thought up by Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy and Marc of No Recipes (who is hosting this one). Each month a different movie is selected for everyone to watch and be inspired to create a recipe from. This month's movie is Chocolat.

I was going to call my sauce a curry, as I did in an earlier version posted this year, but on second thought, the origins point as well to South America, home of cacao, and the moles of Mexico, where cacao is often an ingredient. A mole is traditionally a very complex assortment of ingredients, time-consuming to prepare. Most Mexican restaurants don't bother, aside from guacamole that is. Although, there are some fairly simple moles in the book of Frida Kahlo's recipes. Perhaps my concoction is an aberration, not Mexican, or Indian or even Eurasian. Though sauce is such a mundane word. Oh well. This recipe, however, has aside from some Indian and Mexican spices - cardamom, chili pepper, avocado leaf and cinnamon; also Asian elements - lemongrass and galangal, which all combined to work with and complement the cacao and ahi.

As in the movie Chocolat, where the confectioner used unusual flavors to surprise and delight her patrons, I was inspired to strive for that result. I not only love chocolate, I am growing the tree to keep us in good supply and love experimenting with its fruit.



I used fresh, locally caught, ahi (tuna) for this and some of the other ingredients are very local as well - from my garden: the cacao nibs, lemongrass, chilies, galangal, macadamia nuts, avocado leaf, lemon, with basil and starfruit to garnish.

Cacao Curry and Processing Pain

Admittedly this looks a bit messy. But, by the time I thought to take a picture, there was not much left. It's ahi (tuna) steamed with onion in banana leaves and topped with my take on a cacao nibs curry.

What starts as stiff joints, pain and numbness in the hands finally takes me to Honolulu for an exam and cortisone shot. On the good side, our trip to the big city included dinner at Indigo, where the son of a friend works. A delightful and inspiring restaurant with various indoor and courtyard eating areas and three bars. Decorated with an eclectic whimsey and strong South East Asian influences, Indigo has almost the feeling of a seraglio (or what I'd imagine anyway). From the unobtrusive street front, you would never guess all this was going on inside. The food, billed as Eurasian cuisine, was terrific as well.

You might have guessed by now that I had fish with a cocoa curry, and yes, also served in a banana leaf. Chef Glenn Chu's creation was delicious, but much more subtle. I decided to try for a distinctly spicy, with overt cacao taste in my version last night. And, that turned out to be a nice contrast to the rather bland ahi.

I feel so blessed, we also had brunch at Sam Choy's and got to try their pastry chef's signature macarons - haupia and papaya. Here I'd just been reading a few food bloggers' takes on macarons, David Lebovitz for one, and had decided I'd not be making anything that complicated. Though, as a later amendment, I found this recipe, which looks yummy and not too very difficult. Wow! Not to mention another high point - next morning at my all time favorite place for breakfast - it's called Orchids, at the Halekulani Hotel. God is kind. There is pain, yes, but some awesome stuff as well. I won't even discuss the shopping.

bright lights, big city

Spicy Guava Chutney

It felt like a real Fall Harvest Frenzy around here this morning. I chopped up, yes ... more guavas, added some exciting tropical spices - Hawaiian chili peppers, allspice, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, etc. and made up a batch of chutney. Meanwhile cacao pods were roasting and then, cooling for me to husk, grind and make into truffles. In between which I was trying to get a batch of macadamia nuts shelled . I'll put them in the truffles after a bit of toasting.

For those interested, the recipe for Guava Chutney:

5 cups guavas, peeled, cut in quarters, seeds removed; then cut into thin slices
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 thumbs young ginger or 1 thumb mature, peeled and sliced thin
2 cups water
1 lb. granulated sugar
2 cups vinegar
2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded, stems removed
2 whole allspice leaves (or allspice powder)
1  1/2 Hawaiian chili peppers, seeds removed (or not if you want it hotter) & minced
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup raisins

Cook the guavas with ginger, garlic and water, then add sugar, and remaining ingredients. Cook, on a hot fire, stirring occasionally until thick. Ladle into jars. This made 3 normal size jam jars and one smaller jar.

Guavas turn a lovely deep burgundy red when given a long cook.

Chocolate Date Truffles

Today, having just finished a new adaptation of my homemade chocolates, I thought they were worth posting an approximate recipe with photos. I didn't measure anything but the cacao nibs, though can guesstimate for you:

Chocolate Date Truffles

2 1/2 Cups roasted, husked cacao nibs - grind fine
1/2 Cup toasted almonds*, chopped roughly
1 Cup dates, seeded and chopped/mushed
1 Tablespoon lecithin
1/2 Cup honey

*We've been harvesting more macadamia nuts, so next time I'll use toasted mac nuts in these.


Notice the chaff flying here - I'm grinding the cacao nibs in my Sumeet Asia Kitchen Machine, which was kindly recommended by John Scharffen Berger of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Makers, whom I met at a Kona Chocolate Festival several years ago. Ahh what sweet memories that. I had the best ever mole there, inspired by a recipe of Frida Kahlo's .

This machine doesn't obtain that professional, super smooth, chocolate finish, but is fine enough for me and my truffles. Hey, we're not a commercial kitchen here. The chaff was flying about.


Now you mix in the ground cacao (cocoa at this point) with the date mixture, till well blended.


The final step, rolling them into nice little truffle balls and wrapping in cling film. Then refrigerate in a container. They will keep nicely.

The uplifting thought for the day: God didn't have to give us chocolate, along with everything else he provided, but he did. Thank you Lord!

From Cacao to Morning Cocoa

I was reflecting on the cacao nibs drying in my oven (on pilot light) and the whole process, from the raw fruit, through fermentation, drying, etc. to the point of chocolate or cocoa. Our understanding of how to prepare all sorts of produce is handed down from generation to generation, everything from making cheese to wine or coffee. But, how did it all start? Current teaching would have us believe it was pure chance, a process of trial and error, and random discoveries, moving slowly through thousands of years of human technological evolution, like the rest of our supposed history from drifting protoplasm to modern man.

I hope most Christians would tend to question that theory or begin to, since God's Word has another version of our accumulated understanding. There we learn that God is the source of wisdom and knowledge, in the physical world as well as the spiritual. While Adam and Eve walked in the garden with their Creator, I'm sure He was explaining the uses of and methods of caring for and preparing all of what He had planted. I can imagine their curiosity as they walked with their Lord in his beautiful garden. We are told, "The land produced vegetation..." (Genesis 1:12) but, "the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden" (Gen. 2:8) There is a difference. Wilderness grows as it will, but "God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Vs. 15) And, we know from the following verses that God walked with them and talked to them in the Garden.

Further, the prophet Isaiah tells us directly where agricultural knowledge comes from. It is such a beautiful passage, I'm going to quote the whole thing (almost). Isaiah 28:23-29:

Listen and hear my voice;
pay attention and hear what I say.
When a farmer plows for planting, does he
plow continually?
Does he keep on breaking up and
harrowing the soil?
When he has leveled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter
cumin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
barley in its plot,
and spelt in its field?
His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
Caraway is not threshed with a scythe,
nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cumin with a stick.
Grain must be ground to make bread....
All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,
wonderful in counsel and magnificent in
wisdom.


Back to the cacao, all this considering was brought on by a recent cooking blog post about a new way of preparing the fruit using a food dehydrator, skipping the fermentation and roasting processes. I thought, hey this is great, short and simple. Went out (well really it was Craig's list) got a food dehydrator and gave it a try. Guess what? Used up a lot of electricity and didn't get the job done. Sometimes the old ways are better.

Though the different techniques employed for utilizing produce may have changed, the processes are pretty much the same today. i.e. instead of fermenting cacao under palm or banana leaves outdoors, it is more convenient for me to use a pasta pot in a gas oven with pilot light, or for a factory to use a big mechanized operation to deal in quantity. And, isn't it interesting that processing plants remove the cocoa butter for other uses, then add in milk products to achieve that same delicious unctuousness that is part of the chocolate experience. I like mine the way it comes - non dairy. Grind the roasted pods and put in my French Press, add hot water. Voila!

a cacao pod opened

One of my Bible Commentaries compares the verses in Isaiah to the way God created people so different from one another, and how everyone should be treated with understanding and respect for their individuality and uniqueness.