Chocolate-Ancho Torte

Chocolate-Ancho Torte
Originally uploaded by mzones

I've been working as a prep/line cook at a restaurant here in Plano. Their style of food is Southwestern and Continental. We don't have a pastry chef, but we make creme brulee and key lime pie in house, and order cheesecake and a 4 layer chocolate cake from a bakery.

The chef asked me to come up with some dessert ideas as it isn't his thing. So, I thought about the Southwestern cuisine and thought a Chocolate Ancho Chili Torte would be a good fit. On my day off, I made this torte, which is a flourless chocolate cake with the addition of some finely ground dried ancho. The ganache on top is also infused with ancho. I made a Kahlua Creme Anglaise to serve with it.

I took tasters to work (weird to take treats into a restaurant, but I guess it's what I do) and it was a hit with all who tasted it. Will it show up on the menu? Probably not, I think the ingredients are too expensive for them. But, I have another dessert up my sleeve that is just a little different than what everyone else has.

CheeseCourse

CheeseCourse
Originally uploaded by mzones

I attended the Women Chefs & Restaurateurs conference in Newport, Rhode Island the first weekend in November. There were 300+ people in attendance. I went on a tour of Sid Wainer & Son warehouse. They are a purveyor of specialty produce and foods, delivering mostly to the New England states, but they will ship elsewhere.

This photo is of a cheese table they put out for one of our evening receptions. I don't thing the photo does it justice, the table was completely filled with many different kinds of cheese. Yum!