Howdy!
It has been a mere month since we last spoke and in those few weeks, fall appears to have tiptoed in. Try as Fall may to sneak around undetected – slipping in between football games, the return of students, and Labor Day – I’ve noticed. My clues? Reaching for my blanket in a sleepy stupor at the chill of nighttime air; giddiness at the opportunity to zip up a light hoodie; and, perhaps most exciting after months of iced Americanos, hot drinks no longer seeming a blasphemous order in the Next Door.
To usher in the hot beverage season, the baristas are whipping up hot cups of Mexican Drinking Chocolate, our Next Door Drink of the Month! We combine chopped Mexican chocolate (cacao, sugar, cinnamon, and almonds!) and a splash or two of water, using our “modern day molinillo”, a.k.a. steam wand, to froth the mixture. You’re left with a very aromatic cup of chocolate that tastes light and fresh (bananas always come to mind, but that remark often prompts blank stares – what do you taste?). The almonds are less about adding flavor and more about adding a little richness to the body. The cinnamon is gracefully balanced, adding a little spice without being overblown and searing. If Fall tries to disappear momentarily, ask for the drink iced! I like this version with a little bit of milk.
In addition to serving Mexican Drinking Chocolate, we also sell the chocolate in the Next Door, offering you the opportunity to make it at home. In the one pound brown bags, you will find several “lincoln logs” of chocolate. As you begin chopping, you may notice the beautiful striations in the chocolate, which make me think of highways in the West, cutting through huge rock formations, exposing millions of years of strata. Traditional Mexican chocolate is stone-ground and not heavily refined, thus lending a crunchy texture to and preserving a lot of brightness in the end product. In addition to chopping Mexican chocolate for drinks, I enjoy nibbling on small pieces; technically speaking, it’s a sweeter chocolate than I might usually opt for, but there’s a lightness and freshness to it that is extremely compelling.
Our Mexican chocolate comes from Oaxaca, Mexico via Susana Trilling of Seasons of My Heart. Susana is an absolute authority on Oaxacan cuisine and culture with books, TV shows, and a cooking school under her belt. She is also a vendor with whom the Deli has had a very long relationship. While at the Fancy Food Show in June, Reina, Duff and I had the pleasure of meeting Susana at the Mexican Pavilion. It was quite the thrill to meet such an icon in the flesh! (Duff and Susana pictured here.) Susana exuded genuine warmth and kindness and we found ourselves back at her booth a couple more times, seeking a friendly face and respite and surprised with little bits of sustenance (hand-rolled Mexican chocolate truffles!).
Before I sign off, I want to remind y’all about the extra special chocolate tasting at the end of the month. Join Zingerman’s in welcoming Alan McClure of Patric Chocolate (based in Columbia, MO and one of a handful of small, American bean-to-bar producers) to the Deli on September 30th. Come learn about his company, his chocolate, and his recent projects! I can say in good confidence that a couple of Top Secret new chocolates will be making their debut; come be one of the first folks in the country to taste them! I also encourage you to bring you best questions; Alan proves time and time again to be a (chocolate) fount of knowledge.
Yours in Chocolate,
Patric Chocolate Tastingwith Alan McClure
Thursday, September 30th, 7-9pm
$35 reg. price
Save $5 by paying two days in advance!
Call 734.663.3400 to save your seat!
For more information about this tasting and others at the Deli, please visit our Events & Tastings page.
I went backpacking on South Manitou Island this past week, and my trip was made even better by taking some salami and cheeses from the Deli. South Manitou is a small island off the Northwestern side of Michigan, in beautiful Lake Michigan. It’s surrounded by beaches and sand dunes, with lots of trees inbetween. We hiked all over and noshed on a Crespone Salami from Columbus Salami Company- it was the perfect size to carry (not too big) and slice off hunks to eat with cheese: Cabot Clothbound and Piave. Both cheeses held up well and were deliciously filling on our hikes. It’s true that food always tastes better when you’re really hungry, and this was no exception- but I was really glad that I packed such delicious things.
