We have hosted two dinner parties within the last two weeks on opposite sides of the continent. Both were much fun and quite succesful, but the west coast one wrapped up at about 10.30pm, whilst the east coast one was still barelling along at 1am and we had to boot everyone out.
J was in a bit of a state before the last dinner party as we had two chefs coming to dinner, and she always worries about cooking for chefs. She needn't have worried - both of them scoffed down the food with no complaint.
Nat, who is a pastry chef at a flash hotel, was nice enough to make up a box of chocolates for the dinner. When I say, make up a box, he not only handrolled 24 delicious little chocolates, he also made the box out of sheets of chocolate. It was something to behold (and eat). I say bugger your worries - always invite a chef over for a feed.
Nat did the right thing and made up a range of chocolates to suit all tastes, which included some milk chocolates. Now I usually hate milk chocolate, but I thought "what the heck" and tried one of his.
It was awful. I simply can't stomach the stuff. Nat said that my face was something to behold as I bit into it. I assume he is used to people that only really like dark chocolate and can't stand the milky stuff, and had seen it all before.
The rest of the chocolates were all of a dark variety, and were fantastic. We have two top class chocolatiers within walking distance of home, and I have bought stuff from them occasionally. Nat should quit his day job and open a chocolate shop, for his stuff was much better. The reason? Most makes of handmade chocolates put too much flavouring into them - if they make a mint chocolate, they stuff the little chocky full of mint and it is absolutely overpowering. All taste of the chocolate is lost. It doesn't matter what flavouring they are using - they are too heavy handed. Nat's on the other hand were quite subtle, and the chocolate was allowed to dominate.
I am now trying to organise dinner parties for every weekend for the rest of the year.
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