Our Best Advice

CHEFS DELIGHTS – Chocolate Revolution

Thursday, April 29th, 2010 | Our Best Advice | No Comments

Great Chefs know that Chocolate is a passion shared by children and adults alike, and for some, is the worlds greatest temptress. At ISA staffing we place Chefs in private homes to prepare not only nutritious and beautiful meals, but they must also know how to provide a delectable healthy dessert for our clients. One of my memorable meals involved chocolate with a poem describing exotic swooning recited between tastings, a most enjoyable event held in Paris by an amazing Chef who loved chocolate.

TIP – dark chocolate is key in using benefits of the cacao bean for your healthy eating habits. A new study published  in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the detailed cocoa antioxidant contents of commercially available chocolate and cocoa-containing products.

The use of chocolate has been proven as a cure for emotional stress from clinical trials (according to Mercola.com). About an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks was found to reduce levels of stress hormones. There is growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors of heart disease and other physical imbalances. Some believe that only raw chocolate is the way to go, but not all chocolates are created equal.

There is connoisseurship involved with chocolate, and an unending array of recipes and books available for your exploration. Countries compete over who manufactures the best with coveted awards handed out inspiring new trends. There are several chocolate museums and annual events held worldwide you can find online. Visit Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon for details on chocolate tastings. Discover, Savor, & Taste Some of the Finest Chocolatiers & Wines in Southern California, or go to the Pasadena Center to purchase tickets for this annual Event many Chefs attend to learn what’s new (or just to indulge) in October 2010.

Restaurants like Gloria Felix’s Reservoir (in Silver Lake, great food) feature The Chocolate Plate dessert which includes molten chocolate and peanut butter cake, a milk chocolate caramel pot de crème, a vanilla strawberry compote with an iced mocha, a chocolate sorbet and chocolate hazelnut crisp, all to indulge your cocoa craving. Beware, you’ll go back for more.

Their other great desserts come from Cake Monkey which ships overnight in Gift Boxes, and offers customized desserts for special occasions, weddings, or a sweet box to give guests filled with goodies.

A great guide to chocolate is the book Chocolate French containing fifty chocolate recipes from the world’s top Chefs and Chocolatiers. You can pre order the new edition on Amazon so check them both out. A foreword by Bernard Poussin of Debauve & Gallais describes recipes from exotic world-class locales such as San Francisco Lulu and Le Zinc, Brisbane’s Bruno Table, and New Orleans’ Broussards, to Chicago’s French Pastry School, Napa’s Bouchon, and Paris’ Jean Paul Hevin and Le Cordon Blue. Chocolate French introduces you to an entirely new language of taste. The current trend has gone towards Chocolate Tasting Events.

If you’re serious about Chocolate, below are some detailed TIPS for having an event you may wish to create for your Employer or their favorite charity, or start a tasting community with your friends and family. Once you start with this you’ll see it take off. One of the benefits of supporting Chocolate Tasting Events is that it prompts people to learn more about good quality chocolate and Fair Trade practices many chocolatiers now actively support.

Everything you need to get started with Chocolate Tasting in your community is here, or send our blog to a friend who might be interested to host one. Humans have called it Food Of The Gods for millenniums, films and books about it’s historical inspiration abound.

CHOCOLATE EVENTS

BEFORE TASTINGS - It’s best not to be starving, since you might be craving the chocolate for the wrong reason! Also best not to be overly full as high-percentage chocolate can quickly get too much for the stomach. Ideally perhaps a few hours after you have last eaten, and without any strong flavors in your mouth.

BREAKING AND SMELLING CHOCOLATE – Before you actually taste the chocolate, note how it breaks when you snap it. Chocolate should not be too brittle (it might be too cold if it is) but also not too soft – a quiet snapping noise is perfect. Also smell the freshly broken piece, noting any unusual aromas. You can often already tell good chocolate at this point.

SIZE OF PIECES – The piece you eat should not be too small – this is important in order to let the flavors fill your mouth (like wine tasting). However, the higher the percentage of cocoa, the smaller the piece should be, as it is generally harder to eat chocolate with a high cocoa content. For 70%, a square inch of average-sized bar should be about right, for 45% you might want up to double that, for 100% at most half.

TASTING – When tasting you should let the chocolate dissolve a little bit first and wait for first impressions. A good bar will often have a striking first impression, after a few seconds at most. Then chew the piece (except for very high percentages such as 99% or 100%) and make sure ALL the flavors permeate your whole mouth. Sometimes it is best to close one’s eyes to concentrate entirely on tasting, but talking to others – after a short period of initial silence – who are tasting the same chocolate at the same time can be helpful to identify flavors one cannot place. Oohs and Aaaaahs are allowed!

KEEP A TASTING BOOK OF NOTES WITH DATES AND EVENTS. It is always helpful to note down one’s tasting experience for future reference. Things to note should definitely include:

(a) Any flavors encountered. Bitterness and sweetness are the coarsest categories, but good chocolate will exhibit flavors such as those of various fruits, nuts, mushrooms, smoke, wood, tobacco, caramel, vanilla, spices and licorice, while extraordinary chocolate might reveal completely unexpected and complex flavors on top of this. Altogether 300 different flavors have been identified in chocolate! If possible one should also note down when they were tasted (e.g. as a first impression, during or after chewing, during the finish, or in the aftertaste),

(b) The texture (e.g. dry, brittle, fatty, oily, smooth, soft),

(c) The finish (did the flavors disappear quickly or gradually), and

(d) The aftertaste (how long after swallowing the last remnants did you still have the taste in your mouth? Further things to note are the aroma (smell) and snap. Of course the percentage of cocoa solids, the origin of the cocoa, the manufacturer and the name of the bar are essential, but also look out for any indication of the bean (sub-)type used, added ingredients or special treatments of the cocoa.

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Torrance, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Westwood, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, & the greater United States…

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com.Visit often for other great ideas, use our Tell A Friend featured link to this blog, and our Domestic Staffing website to pass our TIPS and renowned services. THANKS!

Tags: BEVERLY HILLS, Breakfast Cakes & Pastries, Cake Monkey desserts, Chaya restaurants, Chef Tachibe, CHEFS, Chefs Delights, Chocolate, Chocolate French book, Chocolate Salon, Chocolate Tasting Events, Event Planning, Event TIPS, Fair Trade, French Japanese Fusion Foods, Great Chefs, ISA Staffing, Le Cordon Bleu, Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salons, M Cafe, Macrobiotic Foods, Michel Cluizel, Napa, Organic Chocolate, Pasadena, Pasadena Center, Reservoir restaurant, San Francisco, Silver Lake, The Chocolate Connoisseur's Club, The Chocolate Society, Vegan, Vegan Food

AUTOMOBILES – GREEN RACING

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 | Our Best Advice | No Comments

MORE ON GREEN AUTOMOBILES. Sexy, fast, fun, green and chocolate! (Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates are for humans, not cars) Yet, see video on the speed racer car at a great website called IMPACT featuring the Formula 3 racer (open ‘click here to explore‘, then ‘quick menu‘, click on ‘racing green‘), with other new terrific research development taking place in England for a more energy efficient world. At Brands Hatch on October 17, 2009, the team proved that high performance competitive cars built from sustainable materials can reach speeds like 135 mph, going from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. This car is turbo charged to give it more torque, but amazingly, has a love of chocolate for its fuel and is lubricated by plant oils. Who said cars don’t love chocolate?! (more on organic chocolate). According to Dr. Kerry Kirwan, who lead the research team out of the University of Warwick in England, the idea behind the project was to show that: “being sustainable and green can be incredibly sexy, fun and fast.” Kirwan further elaborated the test project was “aiming to show ways for the future, for people to race and be green.” (also see I Drive Green ). If Ferrari’s going Hybrid by 2015 as they project, you know the trend is true. There’s a large movement for hybrid luxury sports cars our younger clients are into. Several are innovators and leaders in various fields, wanting a life style aligned with sustainability.

I’ve always been a bit of a speed driving girl. I even went to Bob Bondurant School for a race car driving course which I loved (driving a Ferrari at the time that belonged to a friend). I was driving Porsches back in the 80′s (until I bought a Jeep with custom bucket seats when I lived in New Mexico), so this green news is also good for my speedster side. Those days were some of my speed demon driving experiences – now I drive Hybrid, and after Bob’s fantastic course; he taught everyone to drive awarely, defensively, follow the rules, with both hands on the wheel. In the 1960′s Bob was famous for having joined Carroll Shelby’s team (with those famous Mustangs), also drove Ford Cobras in European competitions, Ferrari’s, Grand Ams, you name it, he drove it. Little did Bob know about cell phone text messaging back in the 80′s, and dangers we currently face on the road driving defensively against hand held devices. TIP - if you can do it, take a course at Bondurant. The job market today is highly competitive, do your best to always seek improving your skills.

After being pulled over for holding my phone trying to read a text message (it was a legitimate emergency and I wasn’t texting but was trying to read my phone), I got it loud and clear not to have anything in my hands other then the wheel. TIP- please don’t be tempted to drive and text regardless of how urgent the need. It really only takes a minute to pull over and you’ll be glad to make it a habit that becomes second nature. It’s important to know that people expect you to have a clean driving record working for them when they do a background check on perspective employees, make sure yours passes.

Bob Bondurant taught some of the best actors in the industry to drive for their roles in movies including James Garner, Paul Newman (who became a professional racer too), and Steve McQueen, who still gets huge attention for his super cool style (see clients gallery page on our website), contributing to ‘life in the fast lane’ image. Times have changed. I automatically pull over now and don’t even think about it. But the other day a new client told me he’s the “text message king” (as he put it.) I laughed and said, you win, hands down (although I’m pretty fast myself). He was looking for a Personal Assistant, a great opportunity we immediately filled. I wanted to offer him a chauffeur so he could text to his hearts content (I will when I speak to him next!) Good for all of us to remember how easily we’re distracted on the road.

At ISA, we place highly skilled professional chauffeurs on jobs (Apply for a Chauffeur Job in Los Angeles). Many have completed special training for driving customized sports cars and other exclusive vehicles, and to handle defensive maneuvers for unexpected emergency situations. I would love to see companies like Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini and all luxury car manufacturers become totally green on fast track. People who buy those cars can certainly afford to pay for green regardless of the up charge it might cost. I’m a huge believer in luxury green. There is no reason to be wasteful, but having a beautiful sleek car that’s sustainable/green, well designed, and luxurious, is an outcome of our talents and desire to refine as a specie group, not an example of misguided values. I do get a bit perturbed by folks who believe we should all wear jeans and T-shirts endlessly and walk everywhere (and all three are great, but not as dogma). That’s a silly take on reality. Mother Nature loves nothing more then freedom and variety. My prediction is that American cars will soon lead again for design and innovation. I’d like to see them manufactured in California out of Silicon Valley, with tech and design esthetics by Apple, and no, I’m not kidding. Bondurant School offers courses for handling special and fast vehicles skillfully, or to folks like fathers/mothers who want to become better drivers when driving kids in a regular automobile, also courses for Teens, and several to Professionals. They teach how to handle any situation that might present possible danger, including various security issues for the professional driver (like kidnapping/car jacking/etc.)

We encourage people to become certified in as many skills possible for increasing their job pay. Staffing for a high profile VIP clientele is our business. It requires us to know all aspects of a family’s needs to contribute our expertise to their quality of life thereby increasing it for their optimal experience. We take care of our clients on a VIP basis whether they’re famous or not. We specialize in staffing tailored specifically to the job and the work environment for both employer and the applicant, with many detailed considerations other agencies don’t even know about. We are also the oldest agency with the same owners in the domestic help staffing field, with the best jobs for top salaries to meet the quality of life expectations our clients pay for. If you, or someone you know has a background in our field with top references, please do register with us on line or send them our link. Call our office for a free consultation on what we can do for you. If you’re an employer with a job request, we will give you our utmost renowned expert care and staffing we are famous for worldwide. Meanwhile, our TIP for today is drive safe, and GREEN!

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Torrance, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Westwood, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, & the greater United States…

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com, renowned Best of The Best in Household Work and Domestic Help staffing. Visit often for other great ideas, use our Tell A Friend featured link to this blog, and our Domestic Staffing website to pass our HOT TIPS and renowned services. THANKS!

Tags: Bel Air, BEVERLY HILLS, Bob Bondurant, Bondurant School, Brentwood, Cars, chauffeurs, Chocolate, domestic help staffing, Domestic Staffing Agency, employees, employers, Ferrari Hybrid, Fine Chocolates, food, Formula 1, Formula 3, Formula 3 Racer, green racing, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills, Hybrid Cars, IMPACT, JOB OPPORTUNITY, Jobs, luxury cars, luxury hybrids cars, Malibu, Marina Del Rey, organic, Our Best Advice, Pacific Palisades, Paul Newman, Porsche hybrid, Steve McQueen, sustainable driving, sustainable vehicles, TIPS, Vegan