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JustcallmeLucyRi- cardo. That's who I felt like when Ian Macken- zie invited me to spend a couple of days work- ing in his chocolate shop. It was my fantasy to relive Lu- cy's famous chocolate factory episode. The chocolates didn't come zipping down a conveyor belt. Rather, they arrived in dozens of molds like ice cube trays. We used our thumbs to push more than 50,000 chewy centers into the molds before the choc- olate hardened. (No ex- aggeration. It was a spe- cial order.) And then back they went to the tem- pering machine for a fi- nal sealing with choco- late before going to the chiller. Melt. Temper. Mold. Stuff. Seal. Chill. Unmold. Bag. Label. Pack. Then start again. I learned firsthand why handmade chocolates are so much better than those from a factory — and so much more expensive. Talk about an incred- ible amount of work! Ian and his wife Mary Rose employ a small but in- dustrious staff at Mack- enzies Chocolates on So- quel Avenue in Santa Cruz. Juan Garcia, the tal- ented guy who runs the tempering machine and fills the molds, has been with the company for a dozen years. He can turn out perfect multi-layered molded novelties with a quick hand. I also learned from Amanda Mahan, Abbey Petersen, and Brenda Her- nandez, who wear many of the hats required in a family business — every- thing from stuffing to un- molding to chilling to packing. And sales. They also work on the retail side. Should I admit that I was terrible with un- molding? I sent choco- lates flying everywhere before giving up. I was much better at stuffing and packaging. And no, I didn't go overboard. I ate only a few pieces in three days. After a while, trays of chocolates look like "just more work." After a few hours, my back hurt, my arms grew weak, and my thumbs were sore from push- ing chewy centers into the molds. But the rest of the staff was still going strong. Seriously? How did they do it? Temperingiscritical Tempering — manag- ing the way chocolate melts and cools — is key to a successful chocolate product, said Ian, who has traveled many times to Europe for master con- fectioner certifications. Thousands of dollars go into specialized equip- ment that melts, stirs and keeps chocolate at exactly the right temperature so the cocoa butter doesn't separate from the solids and make it "bloom." That's the gray film you'll see on chocolates that have melted and hardened again or that haven't been kept at the right temperature during production. It's fine to eat, but it looks inferior. Dark chocolate has to be processed at a slightly higher temperature than milk chocolate because it has so much more cocoa solids in it. The extra fats in milk chocolate melt at a lower temperature. Chocolate is composed of six chemical crystals in- cluding the desirable beta crystals. The whole idea is to develop those betas into well-tempered chocolate by aligning them prop- erly. One way to do this at home is to melt good choc- olate to about 120 degrees and then, off the heat, drop in a piece of properly tempered solid chocolate to "seed" the mixture with beta crystals. Stir gently (to avoid forming bubbles in the mixture) and bring the temperature down to the low 80s. Then slowly bring it back up to about 88 degrees for dark choc- olate or 86 degrees for milk chocolate. Now your chocolate is tempered and ready to mold. Yes. Lots of work and an exacting process. It's easy to ruin an en- tire batch — which I have done at home. Several times. That's why it's eas- ier to buy from a repu- table chocolatier. Great products will be shiny, they'll have a good snap, and they will melt easily in your mouth. If it tastes waxy or powdery, you've just wasted your money. How it's done During my time at the shop, I watched Ian make several confections. For English toffee, he melted gobs of butter and sugar in a big copper pot until it thickened and turned golden. A sprinkle of bak- ing soda made it fluff up. Then he spread it on a metal table to cool, cut it into perfect squares with a roller device, and sent it all through the enrober. That's where a shower of melted chocolate coats each piece. While the coating is still soft, a sprinkle of chopped nuts goes on top before the conveyor takes them into the chilling tunnel. For soft-center choc- olates, the molds are coated with a shell of chocolate, hardened and then run through an in- jection machine. Fine tubes fill the mold with the centers while also adding the final chocolate backing. This is another expensive machine that requires constant super- vision to ensure the tubes don't clog up. Seasonal and special novelties — chocolate airplanes, cornucopias, trucks, cowboy boots, etc. — are handmade in molds, sometimes requir- ing Juan to brush on sev- eral layers of different chocolate types. Ian experiments quite a bit, as do other local chocolatiers, with vari- ous flavorings, spices, fill- ings, and decorations. He once took a spiced choco- late cookie recipe, tested out various ratios of the spices, and created the popular Allspice chocolate. The Chocolate Festival If you're like me, choc- olate is a passion. Get your fix at the ninth an- nual Santa Cruz Choco- late Festival this Sunday, Jan. 17, from 1-4 p.m. at the Cocoanut Grove at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Admission is free. Tasting tickets are available at the event. More than 30 chocolat- iers will provide samples so you can go straight into a chocolate coma, if you wish. They'll also name the newest Chocoholic of the Year. Proceeds bene- fit the UCSC Women's Club scholarship program for re-entry students. For more information, go to santacruzchocolate- festival.com. ContactDonnaMaurillo at sentinelfood@maurillo. com. FOODFORTHOUGHT Mastering the sweet science of chocolate PHOTOSBYDONNAMAURILLO—SPECIALTOTHESENTINEL Ian Mackenzie of Mackenzies Chocolates cuts toffee squares. They'll later be covered with chocolate. Chocolate windmills are layered into boxes at Mackenzies Chocolates in Santa Cruz. By Heather Shelton hshelton@times-standard.com Okra — most folks love it or hate it. IwasraisedbytwoSouth- ern parents and, by default, was served this small green Louisiana staple all the time — in gumbo, pickled, sau- téed, fried … you name it. Asanadult,Ihaven'tgone out of my way to eat this un- derappreciated veggie. And, tobehonest,Ihaven'tmissed it much. For Christmas this year, Mom surprised the fam- ily with a two-pound bag of fresh okra to include in our holiday meal. She had wanted to try my Grandma Bernice'ssimplepickledokra recipe and also wanted to show me how easy it was to bake okra in the oven, along withasparagusandBrussels sprouts. The results were pretty good. I liked the baked okra best and even enjoyed the slimierpickledokrawithon- ions. Below are a few of the okra recipes Mom shared with me. I hope you'll give okra a chance! Enjoy. SimplePickledOkra INGREDIENTS 1pound fresh okra ½ cup salted water 1onion, thinly sliced Enough white or apple cider vinegar to cover the okra Salt and black pepper to taste DIRECTIONS (AS WRITTEN BY MOM) Iftheokraisfuzzy,wipeitwith a wet cloth; otherwise, clean it with water. You can cut the tops off or not, my mother didn't; I did at Christmas. I steam the okra in abouta 1/2 cup of salted water. Cook until tender. Pour off the water, put the okra in a bowl, then slice an onion thinly and sprinkle it over the okra. Pour vinegar into the bowl — enough to cover the okra and onions. Salt lightly and add black pepper. The longer you let it sit, the slimier the okra gets. RoastedOkra INGREDIENTS Fresh okra Olive oil Salt and cayenne pepper DIRECTIONS Clean okra and place it on a cookie sheet. Cover with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Roast for about 20minutes at 400F, or until the okra is tender. FriedOkra Mix corn meal, salt and pepper in a bowl, and then toss the okra in the mix to coat. Fry in oil until golden. (Some people dip the okra in an egg and water batter before the corn meal, but I like a light batter.) Remove okra from the pan and serve. OkraSauté Sauté okra in oil with a chopped onion and tomato until everything is tender. (You can use cut-up frozen okra for this.) FAMILY RECIPES Don't limit yourself to fried okra By Laura McLively Bay Area News Group We all need a little in- spiration at this time of year. That limp stalk of celery and wrinkly car- rot in the bottom of your fridge aren't really calling your name. And they defi- nitely are not inspiring you to follow through on your New Year's resolution to eat healthier this year. Maybe your resolution is to jump on the Meat- less Monday bandwagon. Or maybe you just want to eat out less. Whatever your goal may be, it likely involves getting more pro- duce into your hands. That can be challenging in win- ter, with its seemingly lim- ited selection, compared to the summer smorgas- bord of fruits and vegeta- bles. But luckily, there are actually dozens of inspir- ing winter options avail- able if you know where to look — and what to do with them. When I need winter- time foodspiration, I head to Berkeley Bowl, a market famous for its vast array of produce from around the world — and infamous for its frenzied shoppers. Plow- ingmycartthroughthehec- tic maze of aisles brimming with bright, exotic produce zaps me out of my post-hol- iday stupor. I always leave with far more than I can carry, feeling like I've just had a double-shot espresso. On my most recent trip, I loaded up my basket with a kaleidoscope of fruits and vegetables that are all in season right now. Quince and squash have made way for winter treats, such as rosy blood oranges and purple kohlrabi. The pro- duce section is overflowing with bright rainbow chard, green garlic and other en- ticements as inspiringly colorful as any summer fruit basket. From a bright green garlic soup to a flavorful braised leek salad with blood oranges, these five recipes are all you need to kick-start your new year Thegreengarlicsoupjust makes me smile. Its bright flavor is perfectly comple- mented by a dollop of yo- gurt garnish, flavored with aromatic cardamom and fresh lemon. Craving heart- ier fare? Try a curried root vegetable and lentil dish that is just as good for din- ner as it is packed up and takentoworkforlunch.The more colorful the roots you choose, the more beautiful the resulting dish. Beans and greens are a winter weeknight stan- dard in my house. The dish is as comforting as it is quick, and you can use whatever winter greens catch your eye at the mar- ket, whether that's dande- lion, collards, mustard or chard. And nothing beats a steaming bowl of ramen on a cold winter night. This vegetarian version is much lighter than traditional ra- men, but it gets its rich fla- vor and texture from the miso mushroom broth. Whether you try one or all of the recipes, chances are good that you won't miss summer a bit. Laura McLively is a registered dietitian and creator of MyBerkeleyBowl.com, a food blog about cooking with exotic produce. FOOD Tu rn w in te r bl ah s to a ah s PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURA MCLIVELY This vegetarian riff on the ramen theme showcases a rich miso broth, fresh mushrooms and purple kohlrabi. Chard, leeks and other cold-weather veggies perfect for cozy, flavorful meals Donna Maurillo This seasonal winter recipe showcases curried root vegetables and black tea-infused lentils. The more colorful the root vegetables — a pink turnip,yellow carrot, parsnip and golden and red beets, for example — the more beautiful the resulting dish. redbluffdailynews.com • Choice of ad sizes • Free ad design • Free link to your webpage Now Look Here... Get All This ➞ 6,000 guaranteed online ad impressions For $ 99 CallyourDailyNewsadvertisingreptoday! (530) 527-2151 advertise@redbluffdailynews.com FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, January 13, 2016 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B4