Welcome to Spring

     Welcome to spring!  I can't believe it is here already.  I guess it is time for an update of all that has been going on.  I hope I can remember everything.  Well, here are some of the ones I do remember.

     I just put a chocolate showpiece together at an event at the Westlake Village Inn. It is a beautiful venue and was a lovely event.  I assembled the sculpture while the guests were watching.  That is always fun for me because they usually can't believe that everything is made of chocolate.  While they were watching, they were treated to my freshly dipped strawberries and biscotti.  We were so popular that we ran out 2 hours before the event was over.

     This is a photo of the piece while I was putting together the main structure.  It was taken by the Acorn Newspaper.  Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the finished piece, as I am always too busy assembling and forget to take one.  The piece was too large to fit in the truck, so it didn't make it home for photos either.  I guess I will just have to make it again!

    

     I taught a French Macaron class and a Chocolate Heart Box and Truffle class before Valentine's Day.  Everyone went home with delicious and beautiful gifts that they made and packaged themselves for their sweethearts.  We had a blast.  The truffle dipping part of the class was so fun because it reminded me of the chocolate episode of the I Love Lucy Show.  I even had a Lucy and Ethel in class!

     I put a showpiece together for the City of Santa Clarita, for the second time, at their annual Chocolate Slam Art Walk.  This time, when the evening was winding down, the guests used my fancy hammers and broke the showpiece apart into small pieces so that they could take it home to eat. I think they had more demolishing it and bagging the Belgium chocolate work of art, than they did while watching it being built.  I don't blame them.  It is yummy chocolate.

     Happy Chocolate to all.

Happy Holiday!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

   Gingerbread House Workshop Photos Christmas 2014

  

  Happy holidays to everyone!  I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful New Year and give you a brief update. A brief update will be a challenge though, as I have been really busy these past six months.  

   I am teaching culinary classes through Robin Art Chocolate.  I offer both, sweet and savory menus.  Classes are limited to 6 to 8 students.  We have had such a great time.  My class schedule is now listed on my website.  Check it out!

    Here are some pictures of my annual Thanksgiving, Make and Take Designer Pie Workshop.  Everyone makes their own delicious and beautifully decorated pie, all ready to go into the freezer, to be freshly baked for their Thanksgiving feast.  This is always my favorite class to teach.  Everyone is so surprised  and thrilled with their pies, so it is so much fun.

     I will make a new post after the holiday madness.  Meanwhile, have a happy and healthy holiday and Bon Appetite!
  

A Tribute to My Mom

          This Mother's Day, I wanted to make something special so I came up with this.  This is inspired by my mother and a tribute to her.  I always picture her in floppy hats whenever she travels!  She is very stylish.  She loved it and I am so pleased.

Sunflowers

     Check out my chocolate sunflower showpiece.  This one was lots of fun to make but it took a lot of chocolate to make and weighs a ton!

My Chocolate and Pastry Tutorial Website is Now Online!

     I have just started a new tutorial website with Katreece Montgomery of the ChocolateAddict.com and Razor Byrne Productions.  We just put our first video classes online!  I am very excited about these classes and format because it allows me to share what I am passionate about and the most rewarding part of what I do, which is teaching.  

     The first two video classes are chocolate related.  One is all about hand tempering chocolate and making it very easy and understandable.  The second one puts the tempering to use in making several types of flower petals and assembling different kinds of flowers and the making of several types of leaves.

     I am planning to add classes to the website on a regular basis and will be including all types of pastry and baking as well as tons of chocolate techniques.   The website is ChocolateTutorials.com and is listed as a favorite link on this blog.  You can also access it with the tutorials button on my website, robinartchocolate.com.  I hope you visit the new website and try one or more of the classes. Please sign up on our mailing list on the tutorial website and also feel free to request what you would like me to teach in the future.  We would like our website to be very interactive and encourage you to contact me with any questions, via email.  I will get back to you personally, as soon as possible.

   

My Day With The Culinary Students of College of The Canyons

     I spent a fabulous day with the students of the culinary program at The College of the Canyons in Valencia, California.  They were preparing for their final presentations for their pastry program.  

     We worked on perfecting the tempering of chocolate, the making of several types of flower petals, the assembling of a flower and the planning and making of a chocolate showpiece or amenity for displaying their final pastries and bon bons.  They were great students and did a wonderful job.  I had such a good time with them.  I hope I get an opportunity to work with them and their terrific teacher, Chef Cindy Schwanke.  

     I wish them all the best success.  I want to thank them for the very inspiring experience.

Here are some of the student's flower creations.

The Pastry Class of 2014 

College of the Canyons

I Just Upped My Game

   
     I recently spent a week with a world renowned chef  added new techniques to my chocolate skills.  It was an enlightening chocolate experience and also so much fun.  I learned lots of new ways of doing things.  I really got a great deal from the class and feel that I really upped my game!  Here are some new pieces.
I hope you like them.

Chef Stephane Treand, MOF

Gifted Chef and Artist