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Discover Chocolate: The Ultimate Guide to Buying, Tasting, and Enjoying Fine Chocolate
There's a difference between a chocoholic and a chocophile, and Clay Gordon is decidedly in the latter category. It's not enough for him to simply love this rich indulgence; he is equally addicted to the finer points of choosing it, just as a wine aficionado enjoys researching different varietals and developing a taste for particularly fine ones.
In Discover Chocolate, Gordon opens a world that extends far beyond cookbooks and coffee-table books that feature assorted gooey shots. Yes, his primer is packed with more than a hundred gorgeous photographs of chocolate and truffles, but this is a guide that also includes a handy rating system, a field guide for discerning among different types and styles of chocolates, an overview of how cacao becomes chocolate (including maps of where cacao is grown), advice for pairing chocolate and wine, and, perhaps most important of all, how and where to shop for the best chocolate in the world.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and Clay Gordon is there to help you relish every drop of it, discerning why you like certain types but not others and generating a personal list of favorites. This is the book every true chocolate enthusiast has been craving.
In Discover Chocolate, Gordon opens a world that extends far beyond cookbooks and coffee-table books that feature assorted gooey shots. Yes, his primer is packed with more than a hundred gorgeous photographs of chocolate and truffles, but this is a guide that also includes a handy rating system, a field guide for discerning among different types and styles of chocolates, an overview of how cacao becomes chocolate (including maps of where cacao is grown), advice for pairing chocolate and wine, and, perhaps most important of all, how and where to shop for the best chocolate in the world.
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and Clay Gordon is there to help you relish every drop of it, discerning why you like certain types but not others and generating a personal list of favorites. This is the book every true chocolate enthusiast has been craving.
- GenresNonfictionFoodCookbooks
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 9, 2019
A great review of the fine chocolate world focusing mostly on bean to bar chocolate. He is obviously very knowledgable on the subject. The content is easy to digest considering how much information is conveyed in such a succinct book. A must for anyone who wants to learn more about artisan chocolate.
July 11, 2018
I was surprised by the amount of information in what is a relatively short book containing ample photographs. But it covers a lot -- how chocolate is made, the different types, how to decide what to buy, etc. A very helpful guide.
May 28, 2015
I was just expecting to skim a paragraph here and there in hopes of learning a little about cacao beans, but before I knew it, I was completely engrossed in this book and ended up reading it cover to cover.
The format (wide margins, glossy paper stock, lots of photos, etc.) looks like a coffee table book, or worse, one of those you'd find in the $5 bin outside a book store (i.e. junk); but looks are deceiving in this case, as the author has compiled a succinct history of chocolate along with detailed descriptions of the entire chocolate making process.
He starts with the birth of the cacao pod itself, and then proceeds to walk you through each nuanced step of how these little bitter beans are eventually transformed into delectable pieces of heaven. What really adds to this book though is the personal experience he has with the chocolate process itself. He goes into specifics about the realities of the process and how things are actually done (e.g. sometimes cacao beans are dried on the road with cars-picture included), and does not just discuss how things are supposed to be done (i.e. beans are dried with proper equipment in the sun).
This makes the book not a dry collage of research, but rather a hands on take to the entire chocolate making (and tasting!) process. The photos, which I initially discarded, end up being a great supplement to the explanations he provides about the cacao bean-especially during the refining process.
If you want to learn about chocolate, or have a desire to be a chocolate connoisseur, then read this book and become my friend.
The format (wide margins, glossy paper stock, lots of photos, etc.) looks like a coffee table book, or worse, one of those you'd find in the $5 bin outside a book store (i.e. junk); but looks are deceiving in this case, as the author has compiled a succinct history of chocolate along with detailed descriptions of the entire chocolate making process.
He starts with the birth of the cacao pod itself, and then proceeds to walk you through each nuanced step of how these little bitter beans are eventually transformed into delectable pieces of heaven. What really adds to this book though is the personal experience he has with the chocolate process itself. He goes into specifics about the realities of the process and how things are actually done (e.g. sometimes cacao beans are dried on the road with cars-picture included), and does not just discuss how things are supposed to be done (i.e. beans are dried with proper equipment in the sun).
This makes the book not a dry collage of research, but rather a hands on take to the entire chocolate making (and tasting!) process. The photos, which I initially discarded, end up being a great supplement to the explanations he provides about the cacao bean-especially during the refining process.
If you want to learn about chocolate, or have a desire to be a chocolate connoisseur, then read this book and become my friend.
July 9, 2010
Great overview of fine chocolate. Includes good info on what to look for in fine chocolate and how to taste and evaluate it. Also provides an excellent look into the growing and processing of cocoa beans and the process of making chocolate and how both affect the final taste.
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July 5, 2009Are you a chocoholic? If so, Take a look at this book - but be careful not to drool on it!
January 6, 2014
This was great. Quick, informative, and enthusiastic. Gave me a lot of chocolate resources! Can't wait to go on chocolate hunts and have chocolate tastings. Into it!
January 29, 2015
Full of information. Only wish I'd had a supply of chocolates on hand to sample.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews