April 27, 2012

chocolate mousse

This morning I sent the following email to my friend Odette - 

I just ate a pot of chocolate mousse and a piece of chocolate and it's not even noon. 

Oh Talley, get ahold of your self. 

We often chat about chocolate and cake, Odette and I, as it seems we are both drawn to the bitter sweetness of dark chocolate and the soft crumb of a well-made cake. Odette can justify a few extra slivers of chocolate cake after dinner because she is pregnant - due any day now - and as I mentioned previously, chocolate cake is good for babies. I can't blame excessive chocolate eating on pregnancy cravings, but that doesn't mean I don't try and rationalize my consumption. This morning, whilst spooning airy chocolate mousse into my mouth, I thought the following...

Mousse is made with eggs and eggs are a breakfast food so it's okay to be eating mousse before noon...maybe it should only be eaten before noon...and it has coffee in it and coffee was made for mornings...so mousse with coffee is a morning meal...so what that the eggs and coffee swimming in chocolate?...it's like a chocolate mocha with eggnog and people drink those for breakfast (even though I've never heard of a mocha with eggnog)...and it's in a yogurt pot and yogurt is eaten for breakfast and so what if it's not actually yogurt...it's a really special mousse and I should eat it before it goes bad...

And so it continued until I had spooned all of the mousse out of the little blue ceramic pot and into my mouth, where it melted with a sigh, unleashing note of coffee before disappearing in a smooth chocolate swallow. If you didn't know to watch for it you might miss the coffee flavor all together, it is the secret ingredient, adding just enough richness to the chocolate without overpowering it. 
I stopped drinking coffee a little while ago. It reminded me too much of architecture school, where if I ever found myself without a cup I ran out to get one. It was part of the uniform, right along with the color black. I think we used the cardboard cups as props, something to occupy our hands - and hide behind- while we desperately tried to defend our design decisions, which were inevitably being torn apart by a critic, a critic who was gesturing wildly and using a coffee cup as a pointer. 

The highlight of architecture school and my requisite coffee drinking was a class trip to Rome the summer before my final year. Have you ever stood at the counter of an Italian caffè? Ordering a caffè in italy is an entirely different experience. First you order and pay the cashier, then you take your receipt to the counter, shoving your way to the front, and hand the receipt to the barista, who whips around, places the grinds in the metal filter, mounts the filter on the machine, and quickly the espresso pours into a tiny white porcelain cup. The cup is then placed on an equally miniature saucer and both are passed to you at the counter, where you are expected to stay while you drink it. It is a quick process, just a sip, and it’s gone. There are no long watery American coffees to be seen, just short, smooth, black, ristrettos. They are enough to woo you back to Italy.

And so even though I had semi-given up coffee when we were in Apulia I partook, walking up to the counter, leaning slightly over the edge and ordering due caffè, per favore. I also learned that you don’t need to be in a city to drink a great espresso, you can be in the middle of nowhere, at a gas station along the side of the road from Lecce to Otranto, or in the tiny hill little town of Locorotondo. It will be good, you will think it was the best you’ve ever had, until you pull up to the next counter. 

I came back to Zürich desperate for that smooth Italian caffè. We have a Nespresso machine (thanks Sandy & Katie!) so I marched right into Nespresso and up to the saleswoman and asked if they had anything that tasted like the coffee I had had in Italy. She responded with ‘so you want it very strong?’ I didn’t realize it was strong at the time because it didn’t taste at all bitter, which is the taste I associate with strong, so I said ‘I guess so’ and she sold me two boxes of their strongest pods, and home I went.
For the past few weeks, since before Easter, there has been a life-size chocolate bunny sitting across the kitchen from the Nespresso machine. I swear to you that they have been making eyes at each other since I first put them in the same room. And then of course all Easter bunnies need eggs, and chocolate + coffee + eggs = chocolate mousse. 
Just before I sat down to write this I ate the last two pots of mousse. Well, really, I ate one pot and then I stared bleakly into the empty pot, made a pouty face, and then Zach gave me the rest of his pot, and I ate it, and then proceeded to make another pouty face. This mousse is amazing. It is light, and airy, and fluffy, and smooth, and simple, and (I wish I had another word) delicious. I hope you make it.

As David Lebovitz notes in his book before this mousse recipe, the recipe relies on raw eggs. GASP! but you see, not really. Europeans don't panic about raw eggs, at all. If you go looking for the eggs in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, you wont' find them there, because they aren't refrigerated. They are stacked neatly on a shelf near the cool dairy items, but not with them. This initially terrified me. I avoided buying eggs for weeks, if not months. What about salmonella? I learned that after an egg is laid it has an inherent bacteria fighter built in, that keeps the egg safe for roughly two weeks. That same thing that keeps it safe on the shelf keeps it safe in your food, allowing you to make yummy chocolate mousse with raw egg. The eggs here in Zürich are dated with their lay date and expiration date. I also try to buy my eggs at the farmers market where I can assure they are local and fresh. I've eaten about 4 mousse pots, so that is a little over two raw eggs and I'm feeling better than ever...currently rationalizing...I really do feel good...maybe I should make more mouse...raw egg agrees with me...I feel energetic...and my hair is extra shiny...and I'm extra focused...must be the mousse...

// chocolate mousse //

* David Lebovitz suggests using Chartreuse liquor or espresso
** the little pots are optional, you can also make on larger batch
*** I just made these again (May 6, 2012) and I used a stronger espresso and it is a bit too strong. Use a mild espresso or even a lungo (more like an americano) or even a strong american drip coffee. 

ingredients
 225 g // 7 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
45 ml // 3 tablespoons water
30 ml // 2 tablespoons mild espresso or strong coffee (see note above)
4 large eggs at room temperature, separated
pinch of salt. 

In a double boiler, or a bowl set over barely simmering water, begin melting the chocolate, water and espresso. Stir occasionally, making sure the mixture doesn't get too hot, and remove from heat just as it begins to looks smooth. Continue stirring until all of the chocolate has melted and the mixture smooth. Set the bowl aside. 

Whip the egg whites with the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture looks creamy. 

Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. Then fold one third of the egg whites in, incorporating until no white streaks are visible. Follow with the remaining egg whites until fully incorporated. 

Pour the mousse into 4-6 ramekins (or one big bowl), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight. The mousse will keep in the fridge for five days or in the freezer for one month. 

26 comments:

  1. This was such a fun post to read. I especially loved all the beautiful pictures. The chocolate mousse sounds wonderful, I think I'm going to try out this recipe once I get done with the school year (maybe eating three little pots of it can be justified because I'll have something to celebrate?)

    And this is a little funny, my twin sister is currently studying architecture in seattle, and although next year is her final year, she'll be spending the first half of the year in Rome. Haha, and she's told me the exact same thing-- how all her arch professors wear black turtlenecks and how they are always, always drinking coffee. (Apparently she says they all have edgy short haircuts too...?) Anyway, my sister now drinks coffee like water, yikes! I don't really like coffee myself, but when I was in italy last summer ordering and drinking a cappuccino for breakfast was one of my favorite parts of the day. Now that I'm back I can't stand it again, what a shame!

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    2. Hey! That twin sister is me! I was going to comment on this saying how much I enjoyed relating to the architecture & rome comments, but then I realized Amy already had.

      ps. there's a couple foodies in my studio and we love your blog!

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    3. Amy & Lindsey - Thank you for your nice comments. Amy, three pots, or maybe four, sounds just about right for an end of year celebration. Lindsey - isn't it funny that male architects think black turtlenecks are stylish? Ugh, I hate them, and then they wear them with black jeans and black shoes and a black blazer, AGH. My theory is that architects wear black to escape fashion judgement - they are so busy being judged for building design decisions that they don't want people to comment on their clothes - black is safe. The edgy haircuts are a different story. And the glasses - that is a whole post in itself! And yes, so so so so much coffee...too much.

      But you are going to Rome for 4 months? JEALOUS! we were only there for one and it was the highlight of my three years at Yale. It was heavenly. My favorite caffé is Caffé Sant'Eustachio (google it) it is right near Borromini's Sant' Ivo all Sapienza. Together they are two of my favorite spots in Rome. I would go draw Sant'Ivo and then retreat for an espresso. ENJOY!

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  2. Talley, I love your rationalizing. I will keep this recipe in mind when it's too hot in my apartment to bake and I'm looking for excuses to bathe myself in the cool air of the open refrigerator searching for a cup of mousse.

    Amy, how do you stay awake? Coffee is the lifeblood of students! I'm convinced that everyone would like coffee if they just had someone to make it for them properly. Good beans and proper grinding make all the difference, I think...but I might be just a little coffee obsessed.

    P.S. I'm sad to see the bunny go, but it looks like it met a good end!

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    1. Bring on the summer heat so I can justify more mousse eating.

      And you are absolutely right about coffee, a good cup is entirely dependent on freshly roasted and freshly ground beans. Zach and I recently purchased a grinder and a Chemex and we found a local roaster in town and our appreciation of coffee has grown immensely. You can really taste the difference. And if I can't have an Italian caffé then this is an okay substitute.

      Yes, bunny died a good death.

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    2. Yeah, I've found that a good grinder is at least as important as the Chemex itself. We used to have this terrible Cuisinart thing that produced a really inconsistent grind, but now we have this cute little Japanese stainless steel, cylindrical, hand-cranked grinder. With the hand-grinding and the Chemex-brewing, coffee is a little bit more labour intensive in the morning, but it's a nice sort of ritual.

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  3. How wonderful! The chocolate pots looks amazing. Shame I am not a friend of yours. Once of them could have been for me!

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  4. Chocolate mousse is basically chocolate yoghurt so definitely a good breakfast food and better to fill up on chocolate mousse than bread! I love the photos of the bunny being turned into the mousse. I'm impressed he lasted so long. :)

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    1. Oh Odette, my partner in crime, you are very good at rationalizing. I agree, mousse is basically yogurt, and yogurt is better than bread, so ta-da, mousse is better than bread. Mousse for breakfast everyday!

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  5. I love this- there's something macabre and yet funny about that bunny melting away in the pot. Last week I traveled with a good friend who calls herself a "recovering architect," so it's interesting to read your memories of school. I will always say yes to chocolate, even at breakfast. :)

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    1. Jess - hehe, yes I love the melting bunny too, much more fun that a chocolate bar. A 'recovering architect' is the perfect term, that is really how I often feel. It was a tough three years of school and I think for at least a year after I was pretty much brain dead and without any motivation. Glad to hear that you are on the chocolate for breakfast bandwagon too, makes it easier to rationalize when I have support.

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  6. oh my. the pictures on this post are truly lovely!

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    1. thank you! I've been having fun shooting with film, but it is a big of a struggle and I definitely have a lot to learn.

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  7. Aude's WSM Leigh here - she just sent me a link to your blog and I am loving it. Your photographs are just amazing - gorgeous and real at the same time, very hard to manage with food. I've already found a couple of recipes to try - looking forward to following you around Zurich.

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    1. Thank you Leigh! Always nice to hear that people like the photos. You are right, real food photos are much harder to capture than you might think.

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  8. Poor bunny......are those Le Fermier yogurt cups? I have a million of them, I can't throw them away!

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    1. Stacey - Yes, they are! I can't seem to throw them away either. We've started using them as espresso cups. And I love Le Fermier yogurt so I buy a couple whenever I go to the 'fancy' grocery store, which is more often than I should, so we have enough pots to open a little caffè - and we could see mousse right along side the coffee, yum

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  9. That's so funny, I recognize those little blue ceramic pots too :) I first tried La Fermiere yogurt in Paris, and soon my kitchen cabinet became filled with all of their pots - I even brought 10 of them with me in my suitcase when I moved back to New York! P.s. your photos keep getting better and better!

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    1. Your photos are beautiful, very inspring! Glad to hear that someone else has been collecting old yogurt pots. The little pot is such a wonderful marketing tool, considering I never would have bought the same yogurt in a plastic cup. Thankfully the yogurt is delicious! Thank you for commenting, comments keep me going!

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  10. So many things to discuss here:

    1. I like the creepy melting bunny on the stovetop.
    2. Where did you get those blue pots? I want.
    3. I know of a French woman living in Philadelphia who refuses to travel without her Nespresso machine. Should I get one?
    4. Very jealous of your egg supply.
    5. I have chocolate with my coffee every morning so chocolate mousse for breakfast wouldn't feel all that odd to me.
    6. The mousse looks amazing! Yum. Can't wait to make it.

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    1. 1. melting bunny probably would have scarred your Ella for life.
      2. The pots are actually old yogurt pots - a brand called Le Fermiere. Their yogurt is wonderfully thick and smooth and delicious and as a bonus the little ceramic containers are adorable (the only reason I buy the yogurt
      3. she schleps her Nespresso around with her? That is dedication. I love it, especially for a late morning/afternoon pick me up. it's quick and I don't need to make a whole pot of coffee to have the few sips I'm craving. If you like espresso drinks then yes, you should get one
      4. but your eggs always look soooo pretty too
      5. I have been eating Rhubarb buckle for breakfast...it has fruit...totally breakfast food
      6. Hope you do try it!
      7. you're funny

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  11. Talley... the photo of the bunny's head in the pot is my favorite. Good-bye, poor bunny.

    I remember when we first moved to London and I looked all over the refrigerated section of the store for eggs. Where were they hidden? Like you, I was totally creeped out initially by them being on the shelves, but quickly got over it after some reading on the subject.

    I both want to make this mousse and don't... I'm scared as my rationalization abilities seem similar to yours and I really ought not be making something like this and eating it for breakfast. Alas, I probably will anyway.

    Loved this post!

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    1. hehe, bye bye bunny, this was a good end for a chocolat bunny!

      the egg thing is really unsettling at first. Interesting to know it is the same in London. Did they also have a whole aisle of unrefrigerated milk - the ultra processed stuff. I can do the eggs, but not the milk, at least not yet.

      Glad to hear I'm not the only one who rationalizes herself through a chocolate mousse breakfast...recently I've been eating rhubarb buckle a'la Ali for breakfast...same thoughts going through my head..."chocolate" replaced with "fruit" (actually a veggie which is even better!)

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  12. Talley, I made the buckle over the weekend with a friend and felt thankful that I had to get on a plane to remove myself from the buckle's proximity. But then I made my own at home tonight. I'm dreaming of breakfast already....

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  13. Yummy mousse recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Do you want to try a mousse recipe without using eggs??
    Explore my blog at

    http://recipe-chocolate-mousse.blogspot.in

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