Joyeux Anniversaire! Brummie Gourmand is 1!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since my first post. It started off as a way to highlight some of the the wonderful restaurants and streetfood vendors Wifey and I visited around Birmingham. I never thought anybody would take their time to read it but it was good way to keep track of what was new about town.

Since then it’s been a wild ride! I’ve been to some fantastic places, eaten things I never thought I’d try and met some amazing people. Some personal highlights are:

We’ve also met fantastic people (some of whom you can find on my Brummie Good Bloggers Page) and I’ve even found time to squeeze in a Saturday Radio show on Brum Radio!

To finish, a quick thank you to long suffering Wifey and thank you to all those who’ve taken time to read my little corner of the internet. Here’s looking forward to year two!

 

Truffle Hunting in The Chocolate Quarter

The Jewellery Quarter is having a bit of a renaissance recently, attracting new and creative independent stores.  One of the most recent editions is a new chocolaterie in the form of The Chocolate Quarter.

On #StarWarsDay (aka May the 4th for non-geeks), I had the hardest job in blogging to go and attend a chocolate making class and investigate this little (chocolate) gem courtesy of The Chocolate Quarter team, Kembes, Maninder and Jay, and Susie of Susie81Speaks.

The shop is artfully simple in its decoration to show their wares and gift packs. They’ve made use of the previous occupiers map of Birmingham to great effect showing off happy local customers.

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I could even find BG towers on the map!

To start off, we had a cup of Aztec drinking chocolate, made traditionally with just chocolate and a touch of water. It was rich, smooth and unctuous and there was a range of spices, including chilli, cinnamon, nutmeg and inger, to spice up your drink.  I picked the ginger, which worked really well.

Following our drink, we had a quick talk about the history of chocolate and how to taste chocolate correctly with samples of three different dark chocolate from Madagascar, Tanzania and Ecuador. All were high values of cocoa mass and all different in taste and texture. The Madagascan is grown in a humid and acidic soil but with a very strong citrusy taste.  The Ecuadorian variety  came from close to the Equator having a longer day, giving it a much smoother taste.  The Tanzanian climate was probably the most closest to what you’d expect a dark chocolate to taste like. We also learnt white chocolate was not a true chocolates (gasp!) due to its lack of any cocoa mass.

Jay took us through making our own chocolate truffles and how to fill our truffles with caramel, then tempering the chocolate from 45 to 33 degrees for sealing and coating our filled truffles. The tempering was the hard part, requiring constant stirring and the addition of beta crystals to give the chocolate that firmness and shine.  The bloom most people see in chocolate is where the beta prime crystal melts away, allowing the fat to come to the surface and discolour the chocolate.

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Then it was our turn. We had 4 little hollow spheres to fill and coat…

I tried my best but still managed to get messy! After filling, we dipped them in the molten tempered chocolate and then rolled them in our choice of coverings. I went for icing sugar, cocoa powder, coconut and one just chocolate.

 

We went through a few flavours created especially for Father’s Day gifts, which we tasted and reviewed.

The three flavours were Stout, made with Jewellery Quarter’s own Jewellery Porter from Two Towers Brewery; Smoked Bacon made with real salty bacon and a dash of Laphroaig to give it a smoky kick; the final was Whisky made with Hard to Find Whisky of choice Glen Garioch. My favourite was the Stout which was rich and creamy. Whisky was very whisky and the Smoked Bacon was a touch too smoky for me. There was enough variety for everyone and I’m sure there’ll be some very happy dads come Father’s Day!

To finish off proceedings, we had a very tasty chocolate fondue with a selection of things to dip in, my favourite being  honeycomb. After that, I waddled home very slowly and let the choco-coma seep in!

Chocolate Quarter also offer private events and parties, including those after a delicious stag or hen do twist, and can even create bespoke chocolates! You can also buy delicious Chocolate Quarter delights online here!

Disclaimer: For this event, I was a guest of the Chocolate Quarter who provided all food and drinks; this provides no bias to the post. This blog is my own personal opinion and strives to provide an independent view, promoting, enjoying and reviewing the range of exciting food and venues in and around Birmingham.

When: 04/05/2016

Where:  The Chocolate Quarter, 1A Spencer Street,Birmingham, Jewellery Quarter, B18 6DD

Who: The Chocolate QuarterSusie81Speaks

 

A very ‘Tesh’ty Pop Up – Ben Tesh takes over Urban Coffee Company

Pop ups are becoming a big thing in the foodie world. Allowing chefs creativity before establishing roots and letting them be experimental with dishes for the curious.

Former Turner’s chef Ben Tesh is moving into Birmingham city centre to host a new Summer of restaurant pop-ups at Urban Coffee Company in Church Street.

To launch the new dinner dates, Ben is hosting a special event on Saturday 28 May. From 7pm, he will be serving six courses for £39.50 alongside a wine flight for £20 and is promising the finest seasonal ingredients.

Ben Tesh pork sourdough starter (small)
Starter – Pork Deep Fried in Sourdough Batter with an Emulsion of Pine Needles

Ben is creating a menu where dishes such as Langoustine, lamb with seaweed and sea kale, plus Yorkshire Rhubarb with preserved cherry blossoms could feature and intends to delight diners with his culinary skills honed at Michelin starred restaurants.

Ben Tesh cured mackerel (small)
Main – Cured Mackerel in Charcoal Oil with Oyster Emulsion and a Granita of Pressed Apple and Sorrel Leaves

Excited about being able to cook for Birmingham foodies, Ben says: “Pop-ups give me the ability to be more creative, flexible and experimental with my food. I love how they break down that barrier that separates the chef and customer in most restaurants, so allowing me to be really interactive with my customers, which is something I love. The direct feedback is great way to keep learning and keep evolving my cooking for people to enjoy.”

Tickets are on sale now, to book one of the 30 places, email  info@ben-tesh.co.uk.