Aptly Named Bliss Bakery Opens . . .

Gluten Free can be D-lish!

…this week!

We’re super excited to be a part of the new venture by Ms. Maria Blame, a fantastic chef and instructor at Bauman College, who is a superstar when it comes to all things gluten-free (and delicious!).

Hard to believe, but Bliss Bakery will be the first gluten-free bakery in Sonoma County!

Maria approached us a little while back and asked if we wanted to supply her with fresh truffles weekly for her pastry case.  Since we make a mean vegan/gluten-free truffle (we use coconut cream and cocoa butter instead of dairy cream and butter), we thought it was a fantastic idea. Too often people with food allergies and dietary limitations have to settle for sub-par food that borders on inedible.  Luckily there are passionate chefs out there like Maria who want to create delicious, healthy food that just happens to be gluten-free/vegan/etc.  To be sure, they need not be mutually exclusive.

So of course, we said Yes!

This week we made Ms. Maria the crowd-pleasing Tahitian Vanilla Chai Spice truffle, as well as the new Midnight Moroccan Mint that went over so well last week at the Occidental Farmers Market. She’ll have them in the pastry case, and will likely have some samples available too.

Be sure to stop by for her Grand Opening this weekend in the too-cute South A Arts District in Santa Rosa. Even if you’re not gluten-free or vegan, you’ll definitely want to indulge in some of her tasty treats (and ours!).  Drop by and try something new.

Location: 463 Sebastopol ave, Santa Rosa CA.

Opening/Hours: Opening this Friday, October 1st at 8am. Regular Hours will be Thursday-Monday from 8am to 3pm.

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Tasty Festive Fall Truffle Menu

For every Farmers Market we make fresh new flavors. We also always provide a detailed write-up of the flavors that we display on the table. Unfortunately most people never read it and we end up having to explain each flavor. I get it though; reading takes too long when you’re on the quest for a decadent chocolate treat (no no, don’t worry, this is not one of my typical gripe posts . . .)

But I do take time writing the menu and I want at least some people to read it . . . so here it is. If anything entices you, be sure to drop by the Occidental Farmers Market Friday from 4-dusk. Or, if you’re not local, we can always ship these flavors as part of our Variety Pack.

Juicy Apple Cinnamon Spice

Fall is officially here! We went apple picking and gathered our favorite fall spices to create this comforting and sweet truffle perfect for a fall afternoon treat. Fresh organic cream is infused with Vietnamese cinnamon and fresh juicy local apples and then blended with sweet and smooth milk chocolate. We then hand-roll and hand-dip each truffle and garnish with toasted old-fashioned oats, warm cinnamon, and a dash of bright Maldon sea salt.

Ingredients: Fresh Organic Cream, fresh local apples, cinnamon sticks, 38% Cacao Single-Origin Milk Chocolate (*E. Guittard “Kokoleka” Couverture: cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, milk, vanilla beans), organic local European-style butter, Calvados, 72% Dark Chocolate Couverture (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans),organic old-fashioned oats, ground cinnamon, sea salt.

Remolacha

Our friends at New Family Farm provided us with the most beautiful of beets, which we then roasted and infused in fresh local cream to extract a lovely earthy sweetness. We then created a silky ganache with a dark 72% cacao chocolate that plays off of the beets’ natural sweetness, and a splash of tangy balsamic vinegar reduction to add a dynamic brightness. To finish the truffles, we carefully hand-dip each one and garnish with a large flake sea salt to make all the flavors pop. So delicious and so good for you!

Ingredients: Fresh Organic Clover Cream, red beets, “Coucher du Soleil” 72% Dark Chocolate Couverture (cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), Organic European-style Butter, Maldon sea salt colored by raspberry dust.

Midnight Moroccan Mint

Organic vegan coconut cream is infused with a refreshing blend of spearmint, peppermint, and just a hind of lemongrass. Then we blend with 64% cacao Peruvian chocolate from magical Machu Picchu to make a creamy, silky ganache. Then we hand-dip each truffle in dark chocolate and garnish with a flourish of sel gris. You’ll never know it’s vegan!

Ingredients: Coconut milk, Organic Vegan Coconut Cream, 65% Cacao Single-Origin dark chocolate (Origin: Machu Picchu Peru; cacao beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, vanilla beans), fresh mint leaves, peppermint oil, fresh lemongrass, cocoa butter, sel gris. VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE!!!

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Where’s the Pop Rock’s Farm?

Probably not fresh or organic either . . .

How do I make my champagne sparkling wine truffles (don’t want any irate Frenchies arresting me for my loose terminology) remind the palate of those delightfully romantic bubbles? Though the taste of the champag, er, sparkling wine does infuse the ganache with a wonderful richness and dynamic layering of flavors, it unfortunately loses its bubbles during truffle production.

So I set my mind to finding some way of translating the bubbles through alternate means . . . and my mind immediately went to Pop Rocks!

Oh how I used to adore these strange little bits of magic. I’d mix them in my cereal, put them on buttered toast, put them in my juice; you name it, I put Pop Rocks there (well, not in/on everything . . . ). So of course, I thought of Pop Rocks.

So I tried topping some of the experimental batch with a few fruity Pop Rocks, along with the obligatory dash of salt.  I then placed the truffle salt side down on my tongue to taste-test the creation and . . . wow! Bubbles! No really, the candy popped in my mouth and gave me the sensation of sparkling flavors erupting in my mouth. How cool!

But then I remembered my commitment to creating truffles without preservatives from all natural and local ingredients. Dang it!

So I checked the Pop Rocks website to see if by the off-chance they are produced in Healdsburg using ingredients from a local farm. Um yeah . . . no dice (apropos, I did enjoy reading about why they pop).

I have to say, I was still tempted. I mean, it’s such a small part of the truffle; just one or two for garnish. But then I remembered why I made the commitment to use fresh ingredients and poured the rest of the Pop Rocks down my throat (had to get rid of the evidence).  Fresh local ingredients just plain taste the best. If I spend all this time toiling away, hand-rolling, hand-dipping, and hand-garnishing, each and every truffle, shouldn’t I want to make sure the ingredients I’m using are the best? At the end of the day, my truffles will only taste as good as the raw ingredients I use.

So, though this week’s Sparkling Raspberry truffle may not have the pop of bubbles, it still tastes decadently delicious and oh-so-fresh. Not much of a sacrifice after all 🙂 Stop by the Occidental Farmers Market to try a sample!

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The Return of the Dreaded Yuck Face!

Yuck Face 2.0

We’ve had quite a lot of success lately at our local farmers markets and events.  Lots of repeat business and a bunch of referrals from happy customers.  Folks really seemed to be responding to our salt and chocolate concept.

And then it happened.  Like a ton of bricks.  Like a stinging slap in the face.  Like lemon juice and salt rubbed vigorously into a paper-cut on your index finger. The return of the dreaded Yuck Face!

You may be familiar with this rude reflexive expression that often graces small children’s faces when forced to eat brussel sprouts (for me it was cooked zucchini). The crinkled-up face a gesture of disgust that your parents train you to repress so that you might become a well-adjusted, polite, upstanding citizen in society.

Sure, you may find yourself faced with a rather unappetizing piece of chicken that your boyfriend’s mother cooked for you on your birthday; but you’re not going to whip out the Yuck Face and hurt her feelings. You’re going to remember your manners and be polite; chew ans swallow and move on. If you’re at a fancy restaurant and the dish you ordered reminds you more of a fast food version of itself, you’re not going to spit it out and scrunch-up your face for all to see. That’s not how polite society conducts itself.

That at least is the assumption I’ve been operating under my entire adult life. Unfortunately, it would seem humans in the beginning and end of their lives are immune to these societal constraints.

This past Friday we received not one, but TWO full-on unmistakable Yuck Faces, one of which was accompanied with a verbal explanation. The first was a little kid who sampled one of our truffles. I warned him that it was not milk chocolate and thus might be a bit too bitter for him. And of course, he didn’t like it. Big surprise. This didn’t bug me that much since kids aren’t really our core market base.

It was the second Yuck Face that really irked me.  A seemingly sweet old lady asked for a sample, which I of course provided with a smile.  Not but a half-second later (hardly enough time to properly taste anything, let alone a complex and dynamic artisan truffle) this sweet old lady’s face became a nasty contorted version of itself: Yuck Face 2.0.  And for the real kicker, she exclaimed, “Ooo, I don’t like that at all! Salt and chocolate is not a good idea”. To which I stammered a shocked apology as I tried to gather myself (shocked because of the rudeness, not because I’m so full of myself to think everyone is going to like my creations).

So stunningly rude! Aren’t old ladies supposed to be the paragon’s of sweetness and polite dispositions?

JetBlue's oh so awesome Steven Slater . . . my hero!

Indeed, all I could think about was my favorite flight attendant and how I wished there was an inflatable evacuation device that I could deploy to get out of dodge.

But of course, being a polite, well-adjusted, considerate adult, I merely swallowed the jagged little pill granny had just shoved down my throat and moved on.

The rest of the evening was very successful, and it was actually one of our busiest markets.  Still, I had a hard time shrugging-off those Yuck Faces. I mean, what is with these people?! Where are your manners? Just because you’re young or old does not give you leave to bypass societal mores and proverbially punch people in their guts with rudeness.  Mind your manners; keep it to yourself.

And for those of you who say honesty should always be greeted with respect, I say honesty need not be delivered in such a belligerent manner.

Okay Okay, I know, I’m going on and on about the same thing. So I’ll wrap it up with this simple and to the point quip by Mr. Tennessee Williams: I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can stand a rude remark or a vulgar action.

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Beets and Chocolate . . . no, really!

Bountiful and Beauteous Beets

Last week at the Occidental Farmers Market we were fortunate enough to score a bountiful bushel of beautiful red beets from our friends at New Family Farm. We’d traded some truffles with them over the past few markets and had reveled in their luxurious leafy greens and veggies; but, we’d yet to indulge in their beets.

Upon hearing our interest in their beets, the gregarious and charming gentlemen farmers piled our outstretched arms full of the most lovely beets you’ve ever seen.  So generous!

. . . but, what were we supposed to do with all of them? Sure, I knew to roast them and use the greens in my braising greens pot . . . but I’d still have more than a few left over.  And I wouldn’t recommend O-D-ing on beets (let’s just say you’ll be in for a bit of a surprise).

Luckily the kindly gentlemen farmers had an intriguing suggestion that I  should try using any extra beets in an upcoming truffle creation.

Huh? Beets and chocolate?!

Heck, why not? They have a lovely natural sweetness that comes out when cooked, as well as a rich earthy butteriness that could pair perfectly with a dynamic dark chocolate from Peru.

And so healthy! to boot.

So that’s what we’re going to work on this week. Roasting, boiling, poaching . . . not sure which will be the best preparation. Also, I’m still on the fence regarding a possible name. Should I avoid mentioning beets as the secret ingredient? Might that turn off the unadventurous? I’ll have to think on that . . .

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Office Meetings, Corporate Events, and Trade Shows? Yeah, we do that!

How can your company stand out in the crowd? Chocolate!

When we first imagined what the Salt Side Down Chocolates customer base would look like, the corporate angle was not something we considered.  As it turns out, however, there is a nice little niche market for artisan chocolate truffles among the gray-suited-set.  Particularly in this market environment, businesses are looking for ways to stand out and be remembered by their clients.

Most recently we supplied a local sensor corporation with a large order of our Original truffle to hand out at a huge trade show in Colorado.  While most booths were handing out rinky-dink pens, mouse-pads, and stale old Halloween candy, this company supplied attendees (and potential customers) with oh-so-decadent and unique truffles that helped drive home their unique locale in the wine country and their ability to think outside the box.  And word it, it went over quite well!

Playing off of this interesting angle, we’ve also opened up our marketing schema to local offices and businesses that have weekly, monthly, annual meetings.  Usually there is a spread of pastries, sandwiches, or greezy pizza at these meetings. Not too exciting.  Instead, we suggest that employers use these meetings as morale boosters where they bring in decadent treats to spoil their staff and make them feel appreciated.  And what’s more of a treat than a salted truffle?!

Two-Packs . . . and don't forget the red wine!

Oh, and don’t forget about those holiday thank you gifts! We can put together some lovely little two-packs for you to ship to your best clients over the holiday season. We even have relationships with some great local artisan wineries if you’d like to pair the truffles with some wine to make a memorable package your clients will not soon forget.

So if you work in an office that needs a little bit of sweet, or if you want to get a head-start on holiday gift planning, contact us for a custom quote.

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