Perhaps they’re the same thing; I’m never sure. I do know that I like to play and often learn a lot doing it. I’m thinking about my newest pieces.
Spice Road was inspired by two principal flavors of Vietnam: curry leaves and five spice. The earthy complexity of Max Felchlin’s 68% Cru Sauvage from wild Bolivian cacao was a perfect way to bring these together. A splash of tangy quinine liquor I picked up at Paul Debondt’s shop in Pisa added just the right aftertaste. I colored the piece with green and yellow cocoa butters sprayed on with my new Paasche airbrush. The glassy finish is the result of perfect tempering and working my chocolate and equipment at just the right temperatures.
The second piece, Raisin d’ etre is a play on words, feelings, history, and culture. The gold is real gold and the sun is blood red on an Aztec motif. Inside is a thick caramel melange of honey blended with raisins I’ve soaked in Calvados. The piece is bound together with Alan McClure’s amazing and intensely plummy 67% Sambirano Valley Madagascar chocolate. There’s a sense of richness, boldness, power, and edge.
Rich