Waiter, there's a fork in my flourless chocolate cake!

Although school is an hour drive away, it has its perks of being situated near one the most beautiful cities in the metro. With the glamour of high-rise buildings and brimming potential money-makers, the city attracts dozens of expats, international business men and plenty of foreigners. Because the city is a chosen destination for the market it attracts, the culture is like any other in the country. It is here that the food industry blossoms and flourishes. Turning on one street can bring you to an authentic Persian restaurant; another will transport you to the wine and tapas bar of a trio of tall, dark and very handsome Spanish brothers. You will find the finest modern technology in relation to wine tasting and still, the nostalgia of a daintily frosted cupcakery.

The other day A and I frequented Cafe Xocolat, located in the more upscale side of town. It's meal menu doesn't boast of much except the usual soup-salad-sandwish-pasta varieties but the dessert and drink menu is impressive. By the name itself, Cafe Xocolat, one is immediately transported to a world of deep cocoas, rich chocolate browns and the purity of Valrhona Ivoires. Boy, does Cafe Xocolat deliver. The extensive drink list, which consists of espresso-based coffees, hot chocolates and sinfully rich cocktails, is drenched in steaming shots of hot chocolate. It is here where you can ask for a double shot of hot chocolate. If their drink list isn't enough
to liquidise you then prepare to be pleasured with their dessert. The have everything from the classic brownie a la mode classics to eighteen-only Grand Marnier brownies to the trendy deconstructed desserts.


To mix pleasure with play, to have the ability to create your own flavor combinations or to be able to sample every element of a dish in its purest form, the idea of a deconstructed dessert gives me shivers whenever I think about it. First introduced onto the market by a famous TV Chef, many establishments are now picking up on this food fad. A and I ordered the deconstructed version of a flourless molten chocolate cake. The idea and anticipation of the dish was enough to send me reeling into a spiral of cocoa bliss.




The dish consisted of four elements - the cake, a shot glass of whipped cream, a ramekin of sweet vanilla ice cream and my ultimate favorite, a shot glass of thick unsweetened hot chocolate. As stated above, you're free to mix and match elements. You can sample each part one by one. You may leave out a component. You can have the ice cream and the whipped cream and leave out the chocolate. (WHAT??!)

My favorite way of eating it was to take a chunk of the cake and dip it into the shot of unsweetened hot chocolate. I'd let it soak for a minute, maybe two, and then hope I don't waste any droplets of the hot chocolate on its way to my mouth. I loved the way the deep chocolate flavor would sink deep into my throat and...




If you are under eighteen, you might want to stay away from the heavily descriptive and colorful following paragraphs... Just kidding. ; ) Needless to say our chocolate encounter was something not even a night in Amsterdam could compare to.

What came first, the food blog or the foodie?

If you're reading this then congratulations, then I bestow upon you the honorary title of being one of, if not the, first person to read my blog. No, really. Thank you. Like the food and hotel industry, it is quite a feat to put a name out in the food blogging world, especially with the all the bigger, omnipresent names looming and towering over you. So for those of you who are reading this, I am absolutely, completely grateful; you've thrust me one step forward towards my goal of joining the ranks of the greater food bloggers. (See sidebar for reference.)

On a lighter note, hello and welcome to my food blog, Chocolate and Wine! My name is Sarah. I am a college freshman in a newly established Hotel Administration and Culinary Arts school, hoping/loving/wishing/praying/planning/begging to graduate with a BA in HA and CA. If not, I am happily content graduating as a CA major. With my degree, I wish to conquer the pastry world and bring a little light to people's eyes.

If you haven't deduced from the name or very purpose of my blog, food is important to me. Chocolate and wine runs through my veins. My hair is made of delicate caramel threads, my limbs are moulded from fondant and marzipan and the only oil my body will secrete is made of the finest and purest olives. Ultimately, food is the very quintessence of my being. It has been since the day I tried icing my first cake at six years old, and it will be until I shakingly place my last garnish at eighty years old.

Through this blog, I wish to bring you orgasm-inducing recipes, heartwarming food insights, moments of truth and the occasional twitter and gasp of delight.