#Chocabaret's Debut!

On Sunday afternoon in Chelsea at the Metropolitan Room the first thing you'd see when looking at Jackie "The Singing Chef" Gordon's Chocabaret event listing is the notation in bold, white letters: SOLD OUT.

You may remember my post earlier this year about Jackie's Kickstarter campaign to fund Chocabaret. I tried several chocolate recipes of hers that came out dynamite and, like many, was excited to contribute in some way to Jackie's dream. Well, the Kickstarter was fully funded with a few days to spare before it ended and garnered a bit more money for Jackie to make a gorgeous chocolate (not real chocolate) necklace to wear for the debut of Chocabaret. The money was raised. Plans were set. Chocolate sorted. It was time.

Sold Out doesn't quite capture the packed audience at the Metropolitan Room. There were foodies, food bloggers, chocolate enthusiasts, friends and family of Jackie's. But there were also those who didn't know about Chocabaret and came to it by way of a friend who donated to the Kickstarter campaign and were unable to make it. I spoke to one audience member who got his seats from a friend in Alabama who donated and couldn't make it out to NYC. "I heard there was chocolate and singing and I was down," he said. Another audience member with a big smile on her face when I spoke with her after the show was gushing about Jackie non-stop. "She's so lively. It was so much fun!" She'd gotten tickets from a friend in Pittsburgh who donated to Kickstarter but also wasn't able to make it.

I saw how much went into Jackie's preparation. The woman is a powerhouse. I see where she gets it too, her mom Bernice is just fantastic. She knew where everything was, what needed to be done, and was the calming force while we got things set up.

Then, the lights go out. The stage is lit. Drinks have been delivered. Time for Jackie's entrance. The velvet curtain separating the performance space from the bar opened and Jackie sauntered in wearing a kind of lab coat with Divalicious Chocolates logo on her pocket. She welcomed everyone. The piano accompaniment played. Warming the crowd up Jackie made some jokes, thanked her "chums" (new ones and old ones), and then the reveal! A gorgeous strapless gown with the chocolate necklace draped over. She was chocolate head-to-toe but not in the literal sense. Though when Jackie noted this she got some hoots and hollers in the positive for wearing chocolate while singing. A saucy crowd? Of course, which also reflected their enthusiasm.

Chocabaret is not just chocolate and singing. It's a full immersion of the senses. It's a chocolate tasting. Getting educated on the aspects of chocolate. It's interactive with you and Jackie (who has owned her own chocolate shops and bakeries not just here but overseas). It's a full on blow-your-mind kind of show that showcases the chocolatiers that have supplied items as well as what you're able to taste on your palate.

The show was carefully planned out. Cocoa beans available for you to know the origins of your chocolate. Nibbling chocolates (milk and dark) at each table to satisfy you before the show began. Saltines to clean the palate. Seltzer on hand to cleanse. And cards from donating chocolate companies as well as program and flavor wheel. A lot to take in but don't worry Jackie will be guiding you through the process.

There's a lot to considering an item good chocolate. Some may like it sweet, some may like it bitter, some may like additions to their chocolates. If so, Jackie had you covered on all bases. White chocolate? Yes! And you know what if it has cocoa bean/butter in it it can be considered chocolate. Learned that from Jackie. The higher the percentage the more actual chocolate and less of everything else in your bar. Maybe you'd like some liqueur in yours? Or some nuts on top? Maybe some edible gold dusting? Done, done, and done.One of my faves was the Elvis skull filled chocolate with a hint of caramel and banana from Fika Choklad and the milk chocolate and toasted white chocolate from Fruition Chocolate. In addition to Jackie's chocolate bark with dark chocolate drizzle and sesame seeds giving a fantastic crunch. Yes, yes, and yes to all. I like my chocolate sweet, yup, I do.

Now it's time to open your box and let the tasting begin. Nine chocolates not including a tenth to take home. Your tasting started with white and milk and got progressively darker, in chocolate. Your box encompassed items from Fruition Chocolate, Oliver Kita Chocolates, Roni-Sue Chocolate (her new storefront on Forsyth St. just opened!), Fika Choklad, Bond Street Chocolate, Raaka Chocolate, Hudson Chocolate, Lagusta's Luscious, Fine and Raw Chocolate, and an additional one (Jackie's own bark) for you to take home if you're a bit overwhelmed.

Jackie guided you through every morsel with a song for each of the nine chocolates. The smooth and warm tone of Jackie's voice was enough to ease you into and out of your tasting in preparation for the next bite. Sweet and slow songs that may make you tear up thinking of home or a catchy tune she came up with for "percentages" in chocolate to a deeply felt rendition with so much soul you couldn't help but clap wildly. The music helped to invoke the feeling and background of each chocolate and enlivened the experience for many who may just like eating chocolate but aren't experiencing it.

Through it all Jackie kept a cool demeanor and the audience laughing and calm while ensuring everyone was all set. As things got straightened out and audience members sated the show did not stop, it did not lose momentum, and Jackie kept a smile on everyone's face. How could you not with that voice and chocolate in front of you?

In the end the crowd was amped up. Not just because of the chocolate but because of the overall entertainment. As Jackie thanked those who supported her and Chocabaret she got teary-eyed and you couldn't help get teary-eyed to see a dream realized and the appreciation and happiness it brought the crowd. Food continues to bring people together and when you have someone as knowledgeable and talented as Jackie Gordon to further promote it you'll leave with a smile on your face, and a high, from sugar and life.

In Honor of #Chocabaret, Three Amazing Chocolate-Based Recipes!

Well, I certainly feel more myself after a week back home and a weekend of making some deliciously chocolately treats. I'm happy to post about my enlightenment after making Jackie's recipes and also talk about her Kickstarter campaign for her wonderful new show Chocabaret, which is something she's been wanting to delve into for a while now.

First off, Jackie "The Singing Chef" Gordon is awesome. And you may think I throw that word around but for her she encompasses it. I met her because of Pie Party Live a couple years ago and she's an amazingly selfless person who has connected the tri-state foodie community, organizes amazing events, helps a bunch of charities, and is always giving of her time and knowledge to help others. So it was a real blessing to be embraced into this community and I owe that to Jackie.

And I'm more than glad to talk about Chocabaret and also add to the praise that Jackie knows what she is talking about when it comes to chocolate!

Chocabaret is about chocolate, obviously, but also about how to make it, how to recognize decadent chocolates for taste and for baking. It's a show not just for food lovers but for enthusiasts and heck if you like chocolate in and of itself you should be interested.

I'm not quite there yet in regards to making chocolates from scratch, but I did decide to do a few recipes of Jackie's from the reci-tees that have a picture of her original recipe on the front and the recipe on the back. Of the five reci-tees available I did three. And I guarantee you, they were good.

The Recipes

Hot Chocolate

Supposedly it was summer (i.e., humid) upon my return or still in spring technically. That was not so this past weekend and the tail end of last week. So making hot chocolate on what may have been a hot and muggy day turned into making it on a chilly day and then having it on a chilly and rainy day that just got chillier and windier. It was perfect.

I hadn't thought to make hot chocolate myself. I'm a Swiss Miss person or go for steamed cider in the colder months. But it was easy and tasty!

Take unsweetened cocoa powder add in milk and heavy cream, sugar, a cinnamon stick and boil all the ingredients and you have yourself some kick butt hot chocolate. The unsweetened cocoa ups the ante for sure because there's no added processing in it. (I always have unsweetened cocoa powder on hand.) And you can keep it and nuke it and it's still good (and pretty filling as well). I added some caramel--you may want to add 1/4 or more for the liquid ratio of this recipe to taste it. It did kick up the sweetness but still chocolate was first and foremost and it was really great. I don't know if I can go back to Swiss Miss or Land-O-Lakes brand after this. And considering how simple it was there'd be no reason to.

Chocolate Pudding

Again, I do like my store brand stuff. I was raised with Jell-O and it has a deep place in my heart. I grew up with Jell-O brand pudding and gelatin and I hadn't really thought about making pudding from scratch. But again, simple. Just as it was for me to make panna cotta from scratch, it was so with pudding. Don't know why it took me so long to delve in and try doing so.

The taste is not chalky like you'd get from store brand and I'm sure that's part of the process for it to keep for long periods of time. But Jackie's is rich and super chocolatey, just like the hot chocolate. Big flavors come in these recipes and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Sweet? Yes. Too sweet? Not at all. Pair with some homemade whipped cream (heck, I had a bunch of heavy cream available) and it is a really tasty treat and can feed numerous people in the one batch you make.

I think I did over stir or cook mine because it wasn't as soft and malleable. While solid it tended to crack a bit after refrigeration. But the taste was still delicious and I'm eating the whole Tupperware full myself. No help needed, thank-you-very-much.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Ah, brownies. So simple to make and yet they make everyone happy. Brownies and blondies are go-to desserts but while they may seem easy (thanks to boxes from Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker) doing them from scratch to get the right consistency takes some skill. And yet again, Jackie nails it with this recipe!

You have unsweetened/dark chocolate in the mixture and semi-sweet and milk chocolate morsels added in once the batter is mixed. Bake but don't over bake so that it still remains a bit fudgy and this is chocolate overload. Have your milk ready, people!

I have no shame in saying each of these items served as my dinner or lunch on various occasions throughout the week. And I am eager (read: terrified) to hear what my dentist has to say when I see him next week after this chocolate indulgence.

These are easy recipes, with great and huge chocolate flavors putting it at the forefront but not too overwhelming in the sweet department compared to what you may have gotten from the packet, cup, or box. If you like these (and I'm sure you will) it will change your mind about the store brand stuff. These three are just a few recipes that illustrate Jackie's knowledge of not only food but of chocolate.

Speaking of...

Chocabaret

The Kickstarter campaign started last Tuesday. It's continuing on for another 21 days as of this posting. If you read Jackie's mission and inspiration you will fully understand what she wants to provide to attendees and why it'd be a great addition to New York as well as the food scene.

The gist: You get to taste an array of chocolate, Jackie sings, and you chat about chocolate exploring new flavors and learning more about origins and the differences. This is an interactive chocolate tasting and an intimate gathering as well.

I know, you may have been sold on chocolate alone but hey getting educated about it too?! Bonus. Tasting some of the best chocolate available in NYC? BIG selling point. And being serenaded to. Heck yeah!

I'm sure many of you must know by now (especially for you Veronica Mars fans) if you don't reach the goal for Kickstarter...no money! So it's imperative that we help Jackie hit the $11,500 mark in these next few weeks. She's an instrumental part of the foodie scene and wants to bring more to it. How can you not love that idea. And again, CHOCOLATE!

So I urge you to check out the Kickstarter page, read up more on Chocabaret and Jackie's overall plan and inspiration, donate, and seriously try her reci-tee recipes or any of her recipes. I'm going to be making a vat of hot chocolate and chocolate pudding in my small NYC apartment just in case. For what? I dunno, I just want that chocolatey goodness handy.

Lastly, if you'd like a taste of Chocabaret check out Jackie's video preview Launch Party embedded below via YouTube: