ACS Chocolate Workshop Now Online

 

The American Chemical Society’s workshop, Cooks with Chemistry —The Elements of Chocolate provided reporters with a delectable assortment of new information on the world’s favorite treat. Held Oct. 11, 2007 at the Institute of  Culinary Education in  New York City and sponsored by the ACS Office of Communications and the ACS Committee on Public Relations and Communications, the chocolate workshop featured presentations from Harold McGee and Shirley Corriher, award-winning cookbook authors, and Sara Risch, the noted food and flavor chemist. 

 

With chocolate consumption nearing an annual peak as the holidays approach, we are providing content from this event to news media unable to attend the workshop. The material includes advice for cooks who run into trouble with chocolate recipes; tips on how to successfully use “new” chocolates in old favorite recipes; and a fascinating comparison of the health benefits and flavor components of different kinds of chocolate.   

 

Among the highlights:

 

·       A sneak preview of the secret to perfect brownies. Dense? Soft? Slight top crust? No crust? Excerpts from The Brownie Chronicles in Corriher’s upcoming book, BakeWise

·       From the bean to the bar to the “essence of chocolate.” Harold McGee’s presentation describes how fermentation of cocoabeans contributes to the flavor of chocolate. McGee also describes how chefs are using cutting-edge science to bring out more intense chocolate flavors

·       Risch’s  perspective on health claims about chocolate, flavor insights, and chocolate’s role in low-fat dishes

·       Corriher’s solutions to chocolate problems from R&D departments, recipe developers and chefs, including tips on cooking with those increasingly popular high cocoa chocolates 

 

For interviews with the chocolate workshop participants or other information, please contact [email protected]