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Is anyone here a professional Chef?

What I really need to do is talk to someoen who is a chocolate expert.
I don't even know what they are called or I would google it.
 
Originally posted by: glen
?
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I've known and worked with a few.

It's a pretty messed up industry. High stress and low pay, until you really move up. Real salaries are only available to those who have training from respected schools.
 
I'm not a professional chef, though I do know quite a bit and know my way around the kitchen rather well.

What's your question?
 
Originally posted by: Zanix
Originally posted by: BigJ
Originally posted by: Zanix
I can brew a pretty mean cup of coffee.
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If it was Descartes that posted those pictures that one time, you ain't got nothing on him.
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Sh!t. Link?

It's on now.
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It must've been from at least half a year ago I think. He took pictures of all the coffees and espresso and such that he was brewing, and made all these crazy designs with the milk and everything. You'd have to PM him for the pictures.

He REALLY likes his coffee.

EDIT: here's the thread. He was brewing cappucino and espresso

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1602476&enterthread=y&arctab=y
 
Originally posted by: OdiN
I'm not a professional chef, though I do know quite a bit and know my way around the kitchen rather well.

What's your question?
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How to infuse chili peppers into chocolate without it seizing.
Typically you do this with a special machine designed to temper chocolate.

 
Originally posted by: glen
Originally posted by: OdiN
I'm not a professional chef, though I do know quite a bit and know my way around the kitchen rather well.

What's your question?
Click to expand...
How to infuse chili peppers into chocolate without it seizing.
Typically you do this with a special machine designed to temper chocolate.
Click to expand...

Do you mean actual peppers or powder? Though either way I don't think I can help you in this instance.

I guess I'm not sure what you mean by infuse.
 
Well...it's easy enough to find out how to temper chocolate. It requires a double boiler, a candy thermometer and a lot of patience and possibly trial and error for those who have not done it before. But I'm not going to outline the instructions for tempering. Use Google and I'm sure you'll find something good.

As for not having it sieze - do not heat above 130°F.

The infusion part I'm not sure what you are trying to do there.
 
Adding anythign to chocolate can make it seize.
Chocolate is especially sensitive to water.
So, you can make a whole pot of melted chocolate solidify into a mess by adding one drop of water.
Hot stuff, like Chili, makes chocolate taste twice as chocolately well before you have added enough to make it taste spicy hot.
The problem is that you often have to add the chili to something besides the chocoalte like butter.
 
Originally posted by: glen
Adding anythign to chocolate can make it seize.
Chocolate is especially sensitive to water.
So, you can make a whole pot of melted chocolate solidify into a mess by adding one drop of water.
Hot stuff, like Chili, makes chocolate taste twice as chocolately well before you have added enough to make it taste spicy hot.
The problem is that you often have to add the chili to something besides the chocoalte like butter.
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Okay...mainly the source of siezing is liquid and especially water, correct. I know powders can be added without much trouble, but it's not quite the same. But to get the liquid in there from the chili I don't know how to do without ruining the temper.

I've never ruined my chocolate by making it spicy 😛
 
my buddy is a chef and owns his own restaurant. he is a chocolate fanatic too, he knows a lot about all different types of chocolate.

i can ask him this question for you, or email it to him. no problem, just give the word and 'll get on it.

feel free to check out his restaurant's site: Text
 
You could use chile infused oil and add it to chocolate over a double boiler. That would provide the smoothest results. The problem is, most infused oil is olive oil or other flavorful oils, and you'd want something pretty neutral.

Have you tried just adding dried ground chiles to melted chocolate over a double boiler? It shouldn't be any different than adding any other spice.
 
Originally posted by: glen
What I really need to do is talk to someoen who is a chocolate expert.
I don't even know what they are called or I would google it.
Click to expand...

My sister has a 4 year degree in that field and my ex g/f has a 2 year degree and I have access to 2 executive chefs....let me know what you need and I can probably find out for you.
 
You can only "infuse" something, such as peppers, into a liquid such as cream, water or oil with any reasonable success. You need to have a relatively high heat to pull the flavor from the peppers. Having made truffles a number of times, you infuse the flavors from items such as lime zest, lemon zest, peppers, or mint leaves by steeping them in heavy cream just below a simmer, then strain the solids out of the cream and mix that cream with chocolate to make the ganache.

In this instance, if you just want some chocolate to be tempered with a chili flavor, try using a dried chili powder or make your own chili powder and add it in small amounts to the melted chocolate as you are tempering it. DO NOT add any cool, water-like liquids to chocolate while tempering or it will sieze. Any water at all in chocolate will cause it to become grainy.

Tempering chocolate simply keeps the emulsion of the cocoa butter and the milk solids happy. If you've ever seen chocolate with a rather unattractive gray finish to it, that is called "budding" and means the chocolate was improperly tempered (or not at all), so as it cooled the emulsion was broken and the cocoa butter came to the surface. It doesn't affect the flavor, but it sure looks bad.

Hope that helps.

Moogs

Edit:No, I am not a professional chef, I just watch way too much food channel and am WAY too obsessed with the kitchen/cooking/candymaking etc. I spend more time in the kitchen than I do on ATOT...BLASPHEMY!
 
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