In an ironic and horribly bittersweet turn of events, Susan O’Boyle Jacobson dropped dead of a heart attack last Tuesday evening, April 18. She was fifty-six and had no history of heart problems, according to her stepson Drake, whom I spoke to only because I called Susan at home to congratulate her on her victory at the Mall of America Food Network Challenge that I blogged about last week. Susan was the winner of the Candy Castles competition that took place Tuesday. She was the hometown darling, an underdog to be sure, and eventually the winner of $10,000. She was overwhelmed with excitement when I interviewed her the morning of the event and kept pointing out her family and friends in the audience. When asked why she thought she could win, she told me that she would make a candy castle so mouthwatering and visually alluring that the kids in the Mall would rush up to break off a piece. It was that kind of perspective (the judges were your typical culinary contest hardasses, not wide-eyed ten-year-olds) that made her so charming and ultimately worthy of the top prize. And then she dropped dead. I think she would be laughing the hardest if she was still with us, and in her thrill of victory and her family’s and friends’ agony of defeat, there is an exclamation point to Warren Zevon’s admonition, famously uttered in the weeks before he passed on “ to enjoy every sandwich.” E-mails to the Food Network PR honchos querying their plans to air the show or not have gone unreturned.

Every once in a while I get e-mails asking me about Marianne Miller, the chef who ran the kitchens at both Bobino and Red before they closed. I have not heard word one about where she wound up cooking until the other day when I got an email from a PR firm about an event she is participating in that sounded unique, to say the least.

Studio Vincent, a local jewelry design house, is throwing its annual spring event, called The Art of Seduction, on May 4. The event will be held at its huge loft in the Warehouse District. Guests can take a tour of the workshop where designs are created. Stephen Lehman, the jewelry designer, will be on hand showcasing the newest pieces from the new line. Sounds pretty normal, but there’s a twist—food for the event is being prepared by Marianne Miller, the Judge Crater of the local cooking scene. The menu sounds good . . . .

Sea salt–crusted root chips with tapenade, polenta crepes, seared sea scallops with watercress sauce, grilled figs with mascarpone and prosciutto di parma, grilled pencil asparagus with goat cheese mousse, New Zealand green-lipped mussels with smoked bacon broth and chervil pesto . . .you get the drill.

All the beverages will be provided courtesy of Sam Haislett of Sam's Wine Shop, one of my favorite stores in the Cities. Here’s the kicker: The whole point of the party, according to the event description, is to give you everything you need to know how to woo the one you love. Kind of like a ‘key party,’ but with a food focus. Besides offering a tongue-in-cheek theme, geared toward folks looking to hook up with more frequency or with better results, the event also benefits the Smile Network International. Nice combo.

OK, let’s recap: If you want to attend an event that will help Smile Network perform more facial reconstruction surgery in second- and third-world countries, and you want to eat some good food, drink some good booze, and shop for some cool jewelry, while at the same time improving your chances of getting laid, then this is the event for you.

Hopefully Marianne will land something soon—behind a stove in a restaurant. She’s a good cook and could flourish under the right circumstances. Many chefs endure struggles early on in their careers; saying yes to the right job at the right time is tough. And MM has chosen some goofy places to hang her toque. The woman has talent and needs to be in an environment that allows her to be at her best, and she needs to work for someone who has a keener eye toward ‘editing’ what she cooks, at least more than her last two bosses did. The Red team had no clue how to manage their chef and her kitchen and Bobino was already dead when Miller cooked there, but wouldn’t admit it. Too many chefs both here and across the country take top jobs before they are ready to execute at the highest levels. The cooking school glut, cult of celebrity, and a perverse sense of entitlement have created a generation of would-be chefs who want it all and want it now. Some of them can get there, but as Freud famously suggested, patience is the leading indicator of maturity. It will be interesting to see if Miller can bloom the next time she sets her roots in new soil.

The moment the weather turns as nice as it has been around here for the last few days, I try to eat all my meals outside, and I look for easy, do-ahead recipes that allow my family to spend as much time out of the kitchen as possible. We love fried chicken dinners on the deck, and this recipe—along with the potato salad that goes with it—is one of our faves.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1 3- to 4-lb. frying chicken, cut up (or simply use 6 to 8 pieces of chicken cut into legs, thighs, breasts, and wings)
2 c. buttermilk
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. paprika
2 T. sea salt
1 T. ground black pepper
1 qt. rendered lard

Wash and dry the chicken parts. Place in a Zip-Loc bag, cover with buttermilk, and store overnight in the fridge. Drain chicken parts, discard buttermilk, and place flour and seasonings in a large paper shopping bag. Stir to combine. Add chicken parts to bag, fold top down, and shake bag to coat chicken. Fry in the lard in a preheated electric skillet set to 350 degrees or in a large iron skillet over medium heat using a kitchen thermometer. Do not crowd pan. Keep lard at 350. Fry for 17 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is brown and cooked just to the point of being done, with internal temperature of the pieces at or above 150 for white meat,165 for dark. Drain on paper towels and serve at room temperature, or let cool completely and refrigerate for use later on. Makes 6 to 8 pieces.

Grandma’s Potato Salad

2 lbs. fingerling potatoes (or red/gold new potatoes)
2 T. fresh minced parsley
2 hardboiled eggs
1/3 c. minced onion
1/2 c. minced celery
2 T. brown mustard
2 T. minced chives or scallion tops for garnish
2/3 c. mayonnaise (or to taste; homemade is best)

Place potatoes in 3 quarts of rapidly boiling, salted water. Bring back to a boil, lower heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, until potatoes become tender. Drain and rinse for 5 minutes with cold water. Drain a second time and cool potatoes for a few hours in the fridge. Quarter potatoes and combine with all other ingredients. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper and refrigerate. Serve.

According to the April 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, dental fillings containing mercury pose little or no health risk for most children. The studies cited found no “detectable loss of cognitive or renal function in children who received fillings containing mercury.” That’s great news.

Locally, Minnesota may be about to strengthen its mercury emissions rules for coal-fired power plants. Last month, Governor Pawlenty said that he wanted local lawmakers to pass a bill requiring substantial mercury emissions reductions at the state's largest coal-fired plants. More great news.

Why, you may ask? Because mercury is a hardcore neurotoxin that can destroy the brain and nervous system, especially those of developing fetuses, which can be exposed to mercury if their mothers eat contaminated fish and other foods that score high on mercury tests.

Recently, sushi has gone from a newly fashionable ethnic edible to a pervasive über-snack. It’s fresh-tasting and naturally low in fat. The only place you can’t find sushi these days is at SuperAmerica. Target even sells it! But according to the LA Times, a public health watchdog group tested tuna from six restaurants on the Left Coast and discovered that mercury levels were double what the FDA guidelines say is safe to eat. Furthermore, some of the samples were “unsafe for anyone to eat.” Mercury accumulates in all predatory fish at a faster rate than nonpredators, which is why it’s safer to eat walleye this summer at the cabin than swordfish or tuna at the local fish house. While mercury levels continue to soar, both in our oceans and here in our Land of 10,000 Lakes, there is little or no testing of the daily catch on a national or local level. Caveat emptor . . . .

Cooking Class of the Year:

On a more positive note, the legendary Wolfgang Puck will be in town on the May 2, doing a participatory cooking class, demonstration. and a five-course tasting menu for eighty people at the Walker Art Center. With Puck will be Sherry Yard, his longtime pastry honcho and the winner of the 2002 James Beard Award for pastry chef of the year. Guests will also receive a custom-made chef’s jacket and a one-of-a-kind plate designed by Takashi Murakami. If you are interested in tickets, they are 1,500 bucks a pop, but the proceeds from the dinner benefit the Walker programs and the evening is looking to be a must-go, one-of-a-kind affair. Call the Walker at 612-375-7642 for more info.

If Tiger Woods ordered an iced tea mixed with lemonade, what would he call it?

Nothing ticks me off more than cutesy nicknames. For the last four, almost five years, I have taken careful note that every time I order a half iced tea mixed with lemonade, the server always, without fail, smiles at me and says, “. . .an Arnie Palmer . . .” confirming my order with an insouciant nod of the head. It happens five times a week, all over the world. For some reason every restaurant training program from ten-seat mom-and-pops to ten-unit chains all feel compelled to have their servers call back your half-and-half order to you. They don’t do it when I order a burger, or a salad, just the iced tea-lemonade combo. Strange.

Today the streak ended. At The Cheesecake Factory, a server actually took my order without feeling the need to editorialize any further. God bless him! My faith in humanity has been restored. Just thought you should know.

All day today I have been out at the Mall of America Rotunda watching the Food Network Challenge, hangin’ with some of my cable TV buds . . .Gary Feblowitz and his wife Dominique, who shot my Travel Channel Bizarre Foods show, are shooting the MOA–FNC, along with a dozen other teams. Keegan Gerhard, a good dude BTW, is the host of the show, and Allison Page, the veep of programming, is in town keeping tabs on the shoot. She’s seen more tape of me than my mom has, and it was nice to chat with her live and in person.

You can witness extraordinary culinary performances that may go down in the Guinness Book of Records. All week you can watch candy wizards, sugar spinners, pastry magicians, and pizza athletes compete for a place in history and $10,000, which will be awarded at each event. Each challenge is free and open to the public, so go check it out. Not only can you get up close and personal with the chefs, but you can also be on TV, and who doesn’t love that? Here’s the 411:


Cereal-Scapes Challenge
Wednesday, April 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Four pastry chefs bring their creativity and artistry to the Rice Krispies bar, but this competition will be anything BUT square! Our chefs have only a few hours to bring a skyline to life built out of crispy breakfast cereal. Chefs may add color to the Rice Krispies mix, pour sugar and chocolate, and use pastiage. There will also be a chance to taste unique recipes using Rice Krispies.

Pizza Record Breakers
Thursday, April 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Four pizzaioli will attempt to break records for the highest toss, the fastest spin, the speediest roll, and the quickest pizza ever made. These challengers—hoping to make history—are judged by officials from the Guinness Book of World Records. There will be pizza tastings and a chance to receive recipes for pizza you won’t find anywhere else.

Sugar-Skyscrapers Record Breakers
Friday, April 21, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Four pastry artists are charged with making the tallest sugar showpieces ever constructed in competition. The skyscrapers will be made entirely out of sugar. A sugar-cube stacking event will be staged at the same challenge. Guinness judges will be looking to add these creations to the Big Book!

Springtime is here—I can feel it in my toes. As the weather warms, I always take out my asparagus recipes and start cooking them about mid-April, following the asparagus season as it begins in the Southern U.S. (some of the Texas asparagus this year is great already!) and eventually finds it way up to the local stuff toward the end of May. This recipe came to me fourteen years ago from Restaurant Bouley in New York City. David Bouley’s version was more refined and served over a shellfish ravioli, but I have made this recipe for years with amazing results.

Pasta with Asparagus, Carrot, and Pistachio Pesto

This sauce can be used with any pasta noodle, but I recommend penne, a large macaroni, or rigatoni.

1 lb. asparagus, cleaned and trimmed, root ends peeled of their fibrous tissue and chopped into 1-inch lengths
4 carrots, peeled and cut into coins

Pulse this mixture in a food processor until ground, but not mushy. Combine in a bowl with the following:

3 T. sliced garlic
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
3 T. honey
12 fresh basil leaves
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 t. ground cumin
3 T. olive oil

Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, cover with aluminum foil, and roast for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, uncovering midway through the process. Let mixture cool, and when it is room temperature stir in the following ingredients:

1/4 c. ground roasted pistachios
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. chicken stock
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste

For 2 servings, place 12 ounces of sauce into a sauté pan, add 2 portions of noodles (6-8 cooked ounces), and sauté until hot and liquid has tightened around the pasta. Serve, passing plenty of ground Reggiano parmesan at the table.

Last night was Passover—seven people at our house for some serious fressing. Oy vey, I am still stuffed. We went unconventional this year, both with the short Seder and the leavened products (bagels for the salmon and noodles for the brisket) but the meal and the short-format prayers were a big hit, especially with the kids. Let me state here. for the record. that Carol Mack makes a mean matzo ball !!

A few weeks ago I wrote about some crazy press releases I receive on a regular basis. Here’s another juicy one . . .and it’s real! The typos are all theirs.

Opening of an agency specialized in original declarations of love.

ApoteoSurprise, an agency that produces themed experiences for couples who plan to travel to Paris and who wish to declare their burning love in a magically original way, has just recently opened its doors. Its out of the ordinary romantic experiences offer couples the chance to visit a dreamlike paradise via orchestrated scenarios set in the charming City of Light :
- projection of the declaration of love on the walls of Notre-Dame de Paris at the time of a dinner-cruising,
- apparition of the declaration of love on the wings of an airplane or on the big screens of the "Stade de France",
- ninety foot message written at the foot of a castle and visible from a helicopter,
- wax statue of St Valentine coming to life at the Musée Grévin,
- parchment delivered by a prince in the meanders of an enchanted forest,
- etc.
Each of ApoteoSurprise’s experiences involves the appearance of an exceptional vehicle at the foot of the loving couple’s hotel. Direction : a mystery destination. One of the two will be completely unaware of the surprise that’s being set up and the delightfully subtle scenario will slowly progress towards the apotheosis : his/her sweetheart’s amazing and totally unexpected declaration of love.

The forty turnkey experiences are aimed at couples in love who are in search of an unusual and total escape, and who want to ask for their partner’s hand in marriage, commemorate a wedding anniversary, celebrate a honeymoon, or "simply" offer their sweetheart the surprise of his/her life.

Anyway, speaking of magic and burning love, has anyone eaten at Ikea recently? Oh my lord, what a bargain, especially at the snack stand located directly across from the check-out aisles. Fifty-nine-cent dogs, and two-dog combo meals with soda and a big bag of handmade Scando-chips for under three bucks . . .even mammoth ice cream cones that are only a dollar. Wash it all down with lingonberry soda—my new favorite beverage. Once you stuff your face on dogs and ice cream, you have enough energy to browse the store again . . .or do what I do and drift into the prepared foods kiosk, take two tubes (yes, I said tubes) of squeezable creamed herring roe and a box of rye crisps and head on home for some serious snacking. Creamed herring roe is a Swedish caviar spread that tastes like anchovies, salted fish eggs, sugar, and copper, all mixed together. I schmeer it on everything, and even whisk it into vinaigrettes for salads. If you like salty, fishy things, you need to trust me on this one.

OK, the wait is over . . . . Last week I suggested a slew of concepts that would work here in this market that currently aren’t being executed. Now here’s why I think there’s a better chance of Steve Marsh and I opening an antiques shop in Kuala Lumpur than any of these happening in our lifetimes.

The Concept: A real full-service scratch delicatessen that makes everything on premises, using high-quality ingredients, just like the great delis around the rest of the country.
The Reality: Minnesotans will never pay more than ten bucks for a sandwich, which is a shame, and won’t pay for quality or for the “experience” in certain eatery categories, like this one.

The Concept: A real food emporium featuring prepared foods and specialty goods, like a Dean & Deluca—a place where imported prosciutto di Parma sits side by side with terrines, Taleggio, and truffles.
The Reality: Minnesotans are somehow less willing than residents of a city like Kansas City (which has a D & D!) to shop for foods when it means breaking out of the convenience box that the modern-day supermarkets offer. Our lack of street culture doesn’t help, but the first grocery store that can offer real high-quality cold cuts, prepared foods, and gourmet items—all at the same time—will hit a major league home run.

The Concept: A great Chinese restaurant serving high-end authentic foods; think Shun Lee Palace or Mr. Chow’s. 20.21, one of my fave eateries, doesn’t count because it does its own version of Cal-Asian food. It rocks, but it’s not the same.
The Reality: Price value again, Dad! Everyone I know will visit Chinese gastronomic temples when they travel, but back home all they want is LeeAnn Chin or the local chow mein joint. Is it just me, or would any of you be grateful to pay for great authentic straight-up Chinese food that doesn’t involve guesswork when it comes to the origins of some of the meat proteins?

The Concept: Indian food that isn’t based on a cookie-cutter menu or offers only a watered-down version of the real thing . . .think Devi or Dawat.
The Reality: Same as the Chinese issue. I am guessing that for the all the Minnesotans that email me about their transcendent experiences eating sophisticated Indian fare in other cities, there are not enough of us here to create a critical mass sufficient to support one at home. Sad, because Indian regional cuisine is hot right now, and the modern upscale take on this kind of food makes for a wondrously great restaurant experience.

The Concept: A Japanese yakitori bar, Robata grill, or shabu-shabu hot-pot restaurant.
The Reality: Please, someone, be brave. This one I would bankroll. Any of these concepts would slay 'em, even in Shakopee! The prices in concepts like these are very friendly, the fare is recognizable, and the wow factor is high.

The Concept: A South American–style steakhouse like Fogo de Chao.
The Reality: After the passing of Mojito, which was re-imagined more times than Annie and Les Mis put together, I am sure that any restaurateur, not just the nattering nabobs of negativity, are thinking twice about the efficacy of a rodizio-style restaurant here in the Twin Cities. But if an authentic one opened, with a menu and service style that stayed constant from the get-go, it would be a touchdown. Minnesotans love their steakhouses, and one that serves unlimited portions of quality food, served tableside, is a can’t-miss proposition. Fogo will open here sooner or later and prove me right. I hope a local restaurateur gets there first.

Locally owned and operated independent restaurants are the lifeblood of a vibrant local culture and economy. New concepts, “firsts” if you will, are not easy for local diners to embrace, and tougher for most restaurateurs to execute. Local restaurateurs have an unfair disadvantage when it comes to competing against chains, we know that, but if local independent restaurateurs keep opening the same old same old, they shouldn’t expect to win the hearts and minds of the dining public. In some cases, if you build it, they will come!

With the holidays upon us, what better time to consider an easy-to-make show-stopper of a side dish? These rustic spinach soufflés are the perfect complement to the Easter ham or the Passover brisket, and the no-worries 'fallen' souffle option that is twice-baked is the way I do these at home—it makes for a crustier, textural final product and gives me the do-ahead capability that I look for when guests come over to the house.

Easy Spinach Soufflés

6 T. butter
Fine dry bread crumbs for lining the molds
20 oz. frozen cooked spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (2 cups' worth)
6 T. flour
4 T. minced shallots
1 T. dry oregano
3 T. minced dill
2-1/2 c. milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. parmesan-Reggiano
1/2 c. grated Gruyere
8 egg whites
1/ 2 t. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and crumb 12 4-oz. china soufflé ramekins. Mince spinach. Melt together flour and butter for several minutes in a saucepan. Add shallots, oregano, and dill. Cook briefly. Add milk, in thirds, and simmer until thick. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, adding 1/2 c. of the ‘milk sauce’ to temper, then the rest of it. Season again. Stir in spinach and cheeses and reserve. Beat whites stiff with cream of tartar. Add whites to spinach mixture in thirds, folding to combine. Fill molds with soufflé mixture and bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately, or . . . .
Remove from oven. Cool on a rack. Unmold, and refrigerate on a no-stick pan liner. Bake again to puff as needed, serving them as ‘fallen’ soufflés.

One of the funnier sides of doing what I do for a living is cataloging the endless tides of insipid press releases that wind up on my desk. From TRAFON (check it out backwards), a company devoted to gastrointestinal distress, to an inquiry from a singing gynecologist who was anxious to appear on my radio show, eager to preach his message that happy and healthy women needed to understand the crotch-appetite connection to enjoy a wellness-focused lifestyle—well, I get a lot of stuff that you just couldn't make up if you tried.

Parasole Restaurant group is the undisputed king of the double entendres; remember its Chino Latino billboard brouhaha? Well, they have sent me some great releases touting everything from Figlio’s Britney Spears (the asparagus dish, not the gas-station-urinal-hopping, barefooted pop singer) to Chino Latino’s Robata-style, grilled skewered meatball appetizers (“. . . nobody can touch our balls!” is I believe how Parasole honcho Phil Roberts phrased it), but the best stuff always comes from the unintended and underwhelming offerings I receive.

I got a release yesterday at the TV station for a club/restaurant opening in the North Loop Warehouse District. The invite for a private press tour and tasting (I make it a rule to never go to these, that’s how bad they always end up being) of the Visage nightclub and Rosewood Room restaurant offered the following—the sarcastic italics are entirely my own. The rest is, scarily, all too real:

“At last (OK, this will be good, must be something we have never seen before in these here parts, whooooo-eeee), Minneapolis will offer an inviting and creative nightspot with both the comfort of a quiet and secluded lounge setting with sofas, wine tower, and marble bar (WOW! sofas and a wine tower, holy crap!) for cocktails and dining—while the adjoining room will feature the sparkle, lights, action, and musical spirit of a downtown nightclub—each with its own entrance (no way, really?) . . . small plates and elegant wines (oh no. . . not small plates again! Aaaaagggghhhhhhhh!) will be the signature (the most overused word in the biz) for this newly transformed warehouse space with see-through fireplaces and imported Brazilian walls of rosewood . . . .”

Releases of this type, attempting to convince the reader that something unique is actually being created, are my favorite category in the business-to-business literature oeuvre. Whatever happened to the good ol’ days, where people actually tried to create a restaurant that offered something that didn’t exist in the Twin Cities rather than what already does? Here’s my freebie list to all the wannabe restaurateurs of concepts that we currently don’t have in town, that would seem to be can’t-miss killers based on all the e-mail and letters I get from real-life potential customers . . .

A great Chinese restaurant serving high-end authentic foods; think Shun Lee Palace or Mr. Chow’s. 20.21, one of my fave eateries, doesn’t count because it does its own version of Cal-Asian food. It rocks, but it’s not the same.

Indian food that isn’t based on a cookie-cutter menu or offers only a watered-down version of the real thing . . .think Devi or Dawat.

A real full-service delicatessen that makes everything on premises; think Carnegie, Stage, 2nd Avenue Deli, etc.

A real food emporium featuring prepared foods and specialty goods; think Dean & Deluca, Barefoot Contessa, Citarella, Balducci’s, etc., etc.

A Japanese yakitori bar, Robata grill, or shabu-shabu hot-pot restaurant.

A South American–style steakhouse like Fogo de Chao.

. . . Next week, reasons why you might never see these types of restaurants open locally in your lifetime.

Is it just me, or does the fact that the Twins start their schedule a day later than every team in the big leagues seem like a horrible omen for the 2006 season? Essentially, we are in last place before we even see a pitch that matters this year—it’s a puzzler. And it’s not just the MLB schedules that bug me these days—the SATs, the sacrosanct way in which we can all measure ourselves against each other, has been tainted by water-logged test sheets that the score-readers can’t measure accurately. Our president preaches at us about democracy in Iraq and then contests the outcomes of the Iraqi democratic process. Apparently global warming is a myth, and yet I have the unsettling feeling that the earth is hurtling out of orbit and falling into the sun and our government is keeping this a secret. Huey Newton’s widow has trademarked the phrase “burn, baby burn” for use in her barbecue sauce business. The World Wrestling Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment after the World Wildlife Fund sued it over the moniker WWF. Forty-two percent of all shared files online are pornographic, yet not a single case has been brought to court contesting sex-vid file-swapping. The Village People refused to let its songs be used for a documentary about gay lifestyle, citing in court filings its desire to be thought of as mainstream. We used to be able to trust anyone under the age of thirty, now I’m forty-four and I don’t trust anyone.

Regardless of my mood, which is cynically turning blacker with each moment today, I am buoyantly jubilant about Seder next week. I feel better already just thinking about food. I have just ordered my goodies from back home because there are no good Jewish delis here in town. I take Passover very seriously from a food standpoint, and while I am making everything from scratch except the gefilte fish, which we order from Citarella on Broadway, I take the opportunity to get my favorite goodies flown in to snack on all week: bialys and blintzes, smoked fish and whitefish salad from Barney Greengrass, pickled lox in cream sauce, and fresh salmon roe from Russ & Daughters, and anything I can get my mitts on from Zabar’s.

Am I eating my feelings? Does it matter? I feel better already.

Everyone loves chocolate. There is not a sexier or hotter ingredient these days. When even local shops and markets are selling varietal, country-of-origin chocolates, the landscape is proven to have changed. Mary Leonard over at Chocolate Celeste on University Avenue is offering rare and exotic bulk chocolates to the consumer in chip form for cooking, as is Michael Roberts at Legacy Chocolate on Marshall Avenue. Grab some great chocolate and use your own favorites to create this exceptional and easy chocolate mousse.

Chocolate Mousse

24 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate (Caillebault, Scharfennberg or similar artisan chocolate)
1 stick butter
8 egg whites, whipped stiff
2 c. heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 c. sugar until stiff
1 T. Medaglia D’oro instant espresso dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 c. Grand Marnier
4 egg yolks

Place chocolate and butter in slow double boiler and melt, stirring once or twice. Fold egg whites into whipped cream. Fold espresso, Grand Marnier, and egg yolks into cream mixture. Fold mixture into chocolate. Divide mousse into glasses or bowls and refrigerate for at least 12 hours to chill and set. Then cover with plastic wrap if needed for the next day. Garnish with seasoned whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Serves 8-12.