If it’s not apparent by now, I’m obsessed with cooking. It’s not for nothing that negotiations often take place over food because few things generate a sense of contentment and congeniality more than a good meal. I love how the preparation and enjoyment of food brings people together and creates connections where previously there may have been none, and I love sharing what I know about making food and learning from others.

So in that vein, I’m thrilled to announce that next month I will be teaching my very first cooking workshop, in partnership with the Edible Alchemy Foods Co-Op: “Chocolate Playshop, Part 1: Truffle Rolling.” It’s the first part of a 3-part series about working with chocolate – part 2 will cover tempering chocolate and part 3 will cover working with candy molds.

I’ll be teaching attendees the ins and outs of melting chocolate and blending with cream to make a proper truffle-base ganache, and how to properly handroll the ganache into delicious, creamy truffles. We’ll be “spicing” things up a bit by adding some ancho and chipotle chili to the ganache, and attendees will have a choice to finish their truffles by coating them in either chopped toasted almonds or simple bittersweet cocoa powder (or both). As an added twist, these truffles will be both dairy-free AND soy-free

Here are the “playshop” stats:

• Saturday, March 12, 3:30pm-6:00pm
• Cost: $20 (including equipment & food supplies and 6 delicious truffles to take home with you)
• Location: Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago (exact location will be given upon registration – to register, go here.)

The Edible Alchemy playshops tend to fill up quick and there’s a limited amount of space, so sign up now. Be prepared to get your hands covered in chocolate, but hey, all that cocoa butter soaking into your skin can’t be a bad thing!

I’m very excited to finally be getting this playshop series off the ground and to be partnering with the good folks at Edible Alchemy. The husbeast and I have been enjoying the delicious contents of their bi-weekly produce shares for almost a year now and I can’t say enough about how much I’ve enjoyed working with them. Their desire to create community connections and encourage healthy lifestyles through a greater awareness and availability of good food is an admirable mission and one that I am happy to take part in. So if you’re looking for a local source of delicious and fresh food from people who are dedicated to nourishing both body and mind, give Edible Alchemy a look – they offer fresh produce shares, baked goods, dry bulk goods (beans, grains, seasonings), basic kitchen staples (eggs, flour, butter), kombucha, jams/preserves, coffee beans and tea, all of which is sourced locally whenever possible.

Tags: ancho, candy, Chicago, chili, chipotle, chocolate, dessert, Edible Alchemy, education, ganache, handmade, learning, local food, non-dairy, non-soy, nuts, seminar, series, spicy, teaching, treats, truffle rolling, truffles, workshop
Filed under: Chicago, chocolate, cooking, food, hobbies, local spot, recipes, snacks, teaching