02/14 LIZA BOOZ, LINDT, CHEF LORETTA KELLER, COCO 500 SAN FRANCISCO

LIZA BOOZ - Lindt - Master Swiss Chocolatier 

Lindt, the Master Swiss Chocolatiers, are offering tips for enjoying and entertaining with chocolate this Valentine’s Day. Bringing people together to enjoy chocolate, what could be better than that? 

To throw a chocolate party, the experts at Lindt have some unique tips!

- It’s best to bake chocolate just before the party so the house smells divine!
- Chocolate and wine makes a very happy combination. Share this exquisite taste experience with your guests by savoring different flavor combos.
- Chocolate Fondue is a Valentine's Day favorite.

Try different flavors of chocolate, such as Dark Chocolate with Chili or Sea Salt, and dip fruits, pretzels, pound cake - everything's better with chocolate fondue!

The most important part of throwing a chocolate party is the chocolate tasting. 
Lindt recommends a Five Senses Tasting Process:

1) LOOK Take a look at the chocolate. What do you see?  Premium chocolate has a silky sheen and a smooth, even texture.
2 )TOUCH Run your finger lightly over the surface of the chocolate. The chocolate will be incredibly smooth.
3) LISTEN Hold it up to your ear and break the piece. You should hear a real snap. High quality dark chocolate that has been stored properly should have a very crisp snap, like the crack of a twig in the forest.
4) SMELL Try to pick out the different notes. Some people smell ingredients like currant, spice or even earth.
5) TASTE Break off a small piece and place it on your tongue. Let it dissolve slowly and coat each part of your tongue in order to reach all of those sensitive taste buds.


CHEF LORETTA KELLER - COCO 500 SAN FRANCISCO

"Keller, one of the most soulful chefs in the city, closed Bizou for two months and reopened with a new name, COCO5OO, a modern, updated interior, and an exciting small-plates menu... Keller's lusty sensibility shows up in many dishes, whether it's the black steel skillet of black rice topped by local calamari, stewed garlic and a confetti of red peppers, or the bright tangle of slender heirloom peppers in orange, red and green that engulf plump curls of prawns... Keller has always offered a changing array of flatbread, but her squash blossom version is the Picasso of the the food world... while the approach may be more relaxed in this venue, the service is professional.... It's unexpected , but another touch that makes COCO5OO seem like a great value. ***  - from "A Restaurant Reinvented," Michael Bauer, SF Chronicle

"How could a restaurant so associated with the sensibility of one person be completely reinvented? By changing the look, the menu format, the portion size, and the prices, but not the signature wit and sense of style the made Bizou so unique. Keller is a wizard. She has opened one of the best new restaurants in town."  - from "Hot Coco", Patricia Unterman, San Francisco Examiner