• Blogger Spotlight – Chocolate Shavings

  Filed under blogger spotlight
  Mar 2
  Welcome to today’s blogger spotlight – Jennifer from Chocolate Shavings!  I’ve been reading Jennifer’s blog for years now and always drool at the magazine-worthy photography.  This is definitely a blog you don’t want to miss!

  

  

  Jennifer Bartoli grew up in Paris, France and has been cooking for as long as she could hold a spoon. After graduating from McGill University, she decided to fully commit herself to her longstanding passion for food and moved to New York to study at the French Culinary Institute. She is now works as a food stylist and writer and can most often be found browsing piles of cookbooks while thinking of what dish she wants to try in the kitchen next.

  What inspired you to first start writing your blog?

  I’ve always loved to cook. When I was in high school, I spent countless weekend afternoons making up baking recipes in my family kitchen in Paris, France. That passion followed me to college, which was when I decided to start writing a blog. It was, at first, just an easy way to write down the recipes I was making and have a record of my favorite dishes. It quickly turned into a full-fledged passion and it has now transformed into a career. A few months after stating the blog I went to culinary school in NYC (you can read posts from that time on my blog) and have been working as a food writer, recipe developer and food stylist ever since!

  Where do most of your recipes come from? 

  I’ve been working as a recipe developer for a few years now, so most of the recipes I feature on my blog are recipes I have come up with and tested. I also post recipes from cookbooks or food magazines that I’ve tried and loved and want to share with my readers. I’m a little bit of a cookbook junkie!

  Do you plan a weekly menu? If so, what inspires your menu?

  I think that menus are a good idea, but they can also be a little rigid and make your weekly cooking difficult. You may have planned for a delicious chicken piccata and lemon spaghetti for Wednesday night but then feel like a simple poached egg and spinach salad, or unexpectedly decide to go out for food or have friends over. To solve that issue, I try to make sure I always have a few meals that I can make straight from my pantry and to only really plan for 2-3 fixed meals a week. I’m also a big fan of making meals in big quantities and freezing them in portion-sized bags to have later (soup with seasonal veggies, mushroom lasagna, meatballs) so you always have a homemade meal that’s ready to use if you don’t have time to make a hearty meal.
  When I go grocery shopping, my main goal is to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables and choose the freshest fish or meat and build meals around those.

  What is your favorite recipe posted on your blog?

  

  I don’t know if I have an all-time favorite, but one of my current favorites has to be my recipe for Gooey Butter Tarts (a Canadian staple). It’s the perfect sweet bite!

  http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/2011/01/gooey-butter-tarts.html

  Gooey Butter Tarts
  Makes 8-10 mini tarts

  For the dough:
  1 1/2 cups (200 grams) of all-purpose flour
  7 tablespoons (100 grams) of very cold butter
  2 tablespoons (30 grams) of sugar
  1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
  1 egg, beaten with 2 teaspoons of water
  For the filling:
  1/2 cup of golden raisins
  2/3 cup of brown sugar
  2 eggs
  1/4 cup of butter, cut into pieces
  1 tsp of vanilla extract
  1 tbl of light corn syrup

  Sift the flour, sugar and salt directly onto a work surface (a cold surface such as marble works best). Cut the butter into small pieces. The butter must be very cold before you add it to the flour. Mix the butter into the flour using a pastry scraper. You can also use your fingers, but work quickly to ensure that the butter stays cold. Once the dough has the texture of coarse sand, create a well in the center by using a cup or glass. Add the egg and water to the well. Using a fork, swirl the egg and slowly incorporate the flour into the centre. Once most of the flour has been incorporated you can start using your hands. Knead the dough into a round ball. At this point, take a small handful of the dough at a time, and, using the palm of your hand, smear it out completely onto the counter surface. This process makes sure that the butter is fully incorporated into the dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough until you have a pile of chunks of dough. Gently knead and form into a flat disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Take out 10 minutes before using.

  In the meantime, make the filling. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes. Drain well and reserve. In a small saucepan on medium low heat, add the butter and sugar and stir until just melted. Add the corn syrup, vanilla extract and drained raisins. Beat in the eggs and whisk over the heat for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not overcook.
  Preheat your oven to 375F. Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out large circles of dough to fit individual mini tart molds. Butter the molds and gently place the dough inside. Pour in the filling until 3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes. Set to cool on a cooling rack and unmold a few minutes later.
  
  
  Any suggestions or hints to have great food photos?

  I think the key to good food photos it to try and recreate a scene around the dish so that you give the ambiance of a meal and not just a photo of food. You obviously can’t smell or taste the food pictured in a photograph so you have to do as much as you can to make the meal come alive. That’s why food props are so important!

  What kind of food did you eat growing up? Do you cook the same kinds of things today?

  I grew up in Paris, France and my whole family lives there. I grew up eating fresh baguette every day, crepes on Saturday mornings, and mostly really fresh, local food. Traditional meals were beef carpaccio with Parmesan shavings, rustic roasts and potato gratin, crisp vegetable sides (my favorite is haricots verts with olive oil and fleur de sel!) and hearty salads. This is still the kind of food I love to make.

  When you really want to cheat, what do you eat?

  Nutella! And a spoon is not always needed!

  If you could travel anywhere in the world – just for the food – where would you go?

  I’m dreaming of going to Japan. I would love to experience authentic Japanese cuisine. I love oyakodon, zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles) and using miso in fish dishes.

  I would also love to learn how to make noodles from scratch. I’ve seen them being made before and it’s such an incredible art!

  What is your best tip for saving money on groceries?

  My number one tip is not to go to the grocery store when you’re hungry! If you are, you are sure to end up stacking up on things you don’t need. My next tip is to take a look at what’s in season and local (it tends to be cheaper – and also much better!).

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  A huge thanks to Jennifer for joining us today!  Here is where you can find her and her beautiful photography and delicious recipes!

  Website:  Chocolate Shavings
  Facebook:  Chocolate Shavings
  Twitter:  @ChocShavings

  
  

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  4 Comments

4 Responses to “Blogger Spotlight – Chocolate Shavings”

1. 

   Jennifurla said on March 2nd, 2011 at 7:21 pm

   One of my favorite blogs! Nice to learn more about you.

   [Reply]

2. 

   Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) said on March 2nd, 2011 at 8:21 pm

   What an awesome post! I love learning more about everyone's stories!

   [Reply]

3. 

   Holly said on March 2nd, 2011 at 11:13 pm

   Totally going to check her out!!:) Those butter tarts sound amazing!

   [Reply]

4. 

   Joanne said on March 3rd, 2011 at 12:33 am

   Awesome interview! I am so excited to have found a new blog to drool over!

   [Reply]

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