An Encounter with...Chocolate

Name : Leigh Ann Seto

Age :  46

Where Are You From?   Honolulu, Hawaii, USA – Land of dancing trees, double rainbows and Hawaii Five-O!

Currently Residing In… : Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia

What Do You Do For A Living?  I whip cream, play with chocolate, and paint with edible glitter.  All part of my day as a pastry chef.  Oh, I do bake too.

AEW : What is Chocolate to you?

LAS :  Chocolate is what makes people happy. I personally don’t eat a lot of chocolate myself.  But I love working with it. It’s an ingredient, it’s a canvas, it’s paint and it can be a lifesaver. It’s amazing all the things that can be made with chocolate - whether it is for consuming or viewing.

AEW : Tell me, or rather, share with me your thoughts on why chocolate is such a big fuss the world over.

LAS : The ancient Aztecs and Mayans believed it to be an elixir. So the Spanish carried that with them back to Europe. As time progressed, chocolate became a symbol of romance and love. Through the years though, chocolate has become more refined and the quality has come up a great deal. Now that the medical field has found that chocolate can be good for your health too, more people are happy that some delicious temptations can actually be good for them.

AEW : Tell me about the temptation bit. I really have to try hard to fight a chocolate binge! Hmm... Have you learnt any lessons from Chocolate itself? Maybe it was inspirational? Maybe it was cultural? Anything?

LAS :  When I first started working with chocolate, I found that it could be VERY temperamental. I’ve had a few 'bad chocolate' days. Like when I’ve rushed the chocolate and it didn’t come out nice. I soon realized that the chocolate is ready when it wants to be ready. And when it is ready, you better drop everything for it or you start all over again. 

AEW : Chocolate is your ‘thing’ as a Pastry Chef, yes? Why?  

LAS : It’s a good medium to work with. Many things can be made with it. There are also so many savory dishes that can be made with chocolate. Chocolate is also available with different percentages of cocoa, which reaches out to more consumers, different consumers.

AEW : And what’s YOUR special chocolate ‘thing’ to make as a Pastry Chef?

LAS : Everyone enjoys a good chocolate mousse. I make several styles of mousse. My personal favorite is a smooth cream style. It’s like eating a brulee that melts right as it hits your tongue. 

AEW : You know, Chef, eversince I've met you, I've been putting on some "fatty weight". Your chocolate desserts are simply superb! But what about Vanilla? Are you also a Vanilla person? 

LAS :  I love vanilla. I prefer vanilla ice cream to chocolate ice cream. Vanilla is a very subtle ingredient. It’s actually almost in everything, though it may go unnoticed. I even keep a vanilla pod in my sugar canister just for a hint of the aroma.

AEW : Well, I don't mind Vanilla every now and then too. But Chocolate dominates for sure! What is actually good quality chocolate and what is bad quality chocolate? No, no, don’t tell me about the raw stuff. I’m talking about the types of chocolates that mortals like me can readily eat J

LAS : Good quality chocolate is made with cocoa butter and not vegetable fats. The higher the cocoa, the better. But most chocolate bars in the market are made with vegetable fats. 

AEW : Would you care to share an easy home-cooking recipe using Chocolate for the readers? Errr, hopefully, a low-fat one J

LAS : Sure, but I don't do low fat! For low fat, melt some 65% chocolate and have a fruit fondue instead!

AEW : I should've asked you all about Low-Fat vs Full-Fat as a pastry chef! But perhaps, I shall keep that for next time! Thank you so much for your time, Chef! I'm going to go get me a slice of Devil's Food Cake now!

For those who would like to have Chef's Chocolate Cream Mousse recipe - click HERE!