Tuesday, February 26, 2002


trend alert: chocolate is turning up as a fashionable ingredient in savory dishes . . .

we're used to the moles of mexico, but lately it seems as if chocolate is being used as a finishing ingredient in other cuisines too. particularly in any dish with many spices or highly constrasting flavors, chocolate can serve as a pleasant base that unites them all into a mellow whole.

here in new york we're now seeing chocolate starring in dishes ranging from the completely unexpected -- tuscan at the restaurant beppe -- to the more expected pan-latin at patria. at beppe, you'll see chocolate at dessert, but also in the seasonal meat courses, particularly in a recent dish of pork. the chef notes that this use of chocolate is traditional in livorno. at patria, you can sometimes see savory chocolate in the specials and tasting menus.

look for chocolate to appear under entrees on the menu of your local dining hotspot soon.

posted by fortune | 10:27 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments