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Real Chocolate
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Real Chocolate
by Chantal Coady
List Price $19.95
Our Price with Amazon.com: $13.97
You Save: $5.98 (30%)

Reviewed by Jeremy Emmerson


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Review

April 2003
Twenty Years in the Making
Back in the mid 1980's Chantal Coady opened Rococo - her London based specialty chocolate shop. Twenty years on, Coady has assembled a collection of her favorite, chocolate based recipes.

Kicking Off With…
The book starts with a bounty of chocolaty facts including a swift history of chocolate, how it makes it from bean to bar, what separates the real stuff from low grade imitations and a couple of interesting pages on how to taste the delightful substance.



Chocolate Know How
A fifteen page "master class" fills the second chapter, encompassing the basic skills of making ganache, tempering, molding and sculpting. The recipes follow…

Savory You Say?
I have always been rather skeptical of savory recipes that include chocolate, but I must say that there are a clutch of good, realistically usable ideas here. The chocolate tempura: a dish of tempura style vegetables that has the nutty flavor of raw Cocoa nibs incorporated is pretty smart. And the very versatile chocolate-balsamic vinegar makes a great vinaigrette - it's is not too sweet as cider vinegar and cooking balsamic are used as its base (the obvious acidity balances out the sweetness of the added chocolate and sugar).

Sweet Ideas
The final chapter offers what most would imagine to find in the first - desserts, cookies, cakes and breads. Here you will encounter the more classic chocolate mousse and biscotti along side the not so classic but most welcome "white chocolate pannacotta with saffron and cardamom" and rather cheeky "bad girl's trifle".

The Verdict
Real Chocolate is a quality publication that has been well researched and written. The book is well laid out, contains solid photography and the occasional sketch. It won't change the culinary life of a professional but defiantly offers: a little education, some great ideas and would make for a wicked gift. At only $19.95 it offers great value and a worthy addition to yours or someone else's collection.

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