Third Annual Chocolate Show and Competition at TCA
Texas Culinary Academy hosts an afternoon of wining and dining on chocolate
By Claudia Alarcón, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008
11400 Burnet Rd. #2100, 837-2665
www.tca.edu
The Texas Culinary Academy will host the third annual Chocolate Show and Competition on Saturday, Feb. 9, from noon to 3pm, and chef Aimee Olson – organizer of the annual show and chair of TCA's Pâtisserie & Baking Program – is thrilled with this year's program. This is one of TCA's most fun, family-friendly events, where chocolate lovers of all ages have the opportunity to taste and learn about one of the world's most beloved and historically rich foodstuffs.
The centerpiece of the festival, of course, is the TCA student competition, with entries in several categories including chocolate showpiece, chocolate truffles, molded chocolate candies, candy bars, chocolate cake, and chocolate mousse. If you've never seen a chocolate sculpture, this is the place to be amazed at what these skilled young chefs can do with chocolate. Sponsoring this year's chocolate competition is Paris Gourmet, a New Jersey-based specialty-food importer and distributor of premier chocolate brands such as Cacao Noel, Pastry 1, Beurremont, Gahara Vanilla, Gourmand, and Maison De Choix. The company is very active in trade events and chef competitions such as the U.S. Pastry Competition, and TCA's students will be using these products to make their showpieces.
The event, free to the public, will feature hourly expert chef demonstrations of savory chocolate dishes, including mole and barbecue, with samples available. There will be activities for children as well, and kiddos will be able to get their hands dirty decorating chocolate cookie valentines. Austin's beloved wine diva Jane Nickles, TCA wine instructor and author of WineSpeak 101, will offer a wine-tasting and presentation at 1pm at Ventana, TCA's student-run restaurant. She will pair a variety of wines with sweet and savory chocolate items and explain the tricky art of wine-and-chocolate pairing. This is the only part of the event where guests will have to pay, but the cost is just $10 per person.
What better way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon? See y'all there!
