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A PUBLICATION OF THE OREGON RESTAURANT & LOdGING ASSOCIATION | JUNE 2012

ARTISAN DELICIOUSNESSOregon Ice Cream Makers and Chocolatiers Crafting Smiles

also in this issueIntroducing Artisan Chocolates & Ice Cream to Your Menu

WHO'S GOT YOUR BACK? It Pays to Think Ahead

Federal Operations Update

Jamie North Mix Sweet Shop, Ashland

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Artisan: a person or company that makes high-quality, distinctive products in small quantities, usually by hand, using traditional methods. Jamie North and her Ashland-based Mix Sweet Shop fi t the defi nition right down to the delicious fastidiously crafted European-style ice cream that she serves her customers. “It’s more how it’s being made and with what ingredients,” explains North when asked about the craft. “To me, it’s like small batches, made with human hands, at least to some degree.”

Another of her secrets is incorporating local ingredients, from farm fresh eggs to local berries, whenever possible. “We do focus on seasonal local ingredients,” she reveals. “I would say 70 percent of everything is from very nearby.”

Th e adventuresome sweet shop owner is constantly exploring new combinations of regional foods. For example, North is currently working on an idea to incorporate

a Rogue Creamery product into her desserts. “I started thinking about things I could make with the powdered bleu cheese,” she says. “I was thinking about putting it in truffl es. It’s great paired with chocolate or even using it in an ice cream.”

How does North keep the creative juices fl owing? “I think my style is really to come up with new fl avor combinations, but also just to make updated, perfect versions of classics that are nostalgic. You tap into familiarity, things that people are used to eating, but feel fresh in just a slightly diff erent way.” Th at is what artisans do, and the model seems to be working for Mix Sweet Shop and other businesses in Oregon.

Entrepreneurs like North have found the Northwest a very welcoming environment for their sweet-making, creative craft. While ice cream innovators like Northwest Portland’s Salt and Straw experiment with creative ingredients that keep curious customers coming back, Oregon-based chocolatiers,

including Coastal Mist, Cacao, Alma Chocolates and Th e Great Unbaked, put new twists on old favorites.

Kim Malek, who founded Salt and Straw with the help of her cousin and business associate Tyler, knew that her handcrafted frozen treats would be popular in Portland, but didn’t realize just how passionate some people are about their dessert. “Th ere are wine fanatics and beer fanatics, and then there are ice cream fanatics,” she smiles. “Th ey are adults, they are culinary experts, and they know their ice cream. When they go out for a treat, they might not go to a bar. Instead, they might come have ice cream. So that’s a diff erent social experience for people, and that’s actually a lot stronger than I even had understood.”

Flavors like Banana with Spicy Monkey Caramel and Walnuts melt moods and bring people together. Combinations such as Pear with Blue Cheese, made with regionally-grown fruit, crumble the staunchest of

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIDI JANKEPHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIDI JANKE

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willpowers. Salt and Straw even makes a non-alcoholic beer-fl avored product, according to Malek. “We work with a diff erent brewer every month and come out with an ice cream that represents their beer and their brewery,” she says. “Portland is known for great breweries, so it’s a pretty cool thing to get to have them come in here and help us create an ice cream. If you’re thinking about ice cream as an adult-oriented treat, it kind of brings out the kid in you, and you can explore diff erent fl avors that maybe kind of keep you more interested as an adult. It’s kind of fun from that perspective.”

From the Maleks’ perspective, the budding artisan ice cream industry in Oregon could experience the kind of growth in popularity that the region’s microbreweries have realized. “Beer was kind of beer, and then all this creativity started coming out in terms of diff erent techniques and fl avors,” she remembers. “It feels like ice cream is a little bit at that stage now. Th ere are a lot of small batch makers throughout the United States who are doing things that are really unique to their region. I think we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Th ere’s no limit to what you can do with ice cream.”

Th e same could be said for chocolate. Although cacao (chocolate in its purest state) has been a favorite ingredient dating back to the Aztec beverage xocolātl, modern-day chocolatiers like Jennifer Davis, owner of Th e

Great Unbaked in Grants Pass and creator of Karma Katcher Chocolates, continue to explore the realms of the un-invented. “Whenever we think we’ve done it all in any industry, we will always be proven wrong,” believes Davis. “Humans are born inventive and creative. I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what can be done with chocolate. Th e sky is not the limit!”

In fact, one of Karma Katcher’s innocent-looking but deceivingly hot chocolate squares will send your taste buds into orbit. “I love savory spices in chocolate,” admits Davis. “Th ere is a blend of chilies inside our Heatwave chocolate. As we are testing the hotness when we are making it, our mouths must become immune to the heat, which is why we keep adding more and more,” she smiles.

If the Heatwave is literally Davis’s hottest product, the Goldenberry Cherry chocolate truffl e, which won ‘Best Raw Chocolate’ at the 2012 Oregon Chocolate Festival,’ fl ashes her brilliance. She knows that winning recipes start with quality ingredients. “We really care about where our supplies come from,” points out Davis. “Our cacao comes from small farms where the owners and workers are being treated fairly, with respect, and receive a fair wage for all their hard work. Our company will only support suppliers/farms that create exceptional ingredients while honoring the people who work there. Our products are also

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vegan and gluten-free, which is becoming more important to the health conscious for varied reasons.”

Another of her secrets to success is “unbaking” foods. “I make foods that are raw and not heated above 118 degrees, which is the industry standard (depending on who you talk to) on when they think food starts to break down,” explains Davis. “Once I learned about raw foods and their health-promoting abilities, I knew I just had to start with desserts. How could a dessert be healthy? Intriguing! I love to take something and make it better, so that’s exactly what I did.”

Functional foods are becoming more and more popular and chocolate is no exception, according to Davis. “People seem to want more from their foods and are willing to experiment,” she observes. “Bold chocolatiers are putting some crazy things in chocolate these days because the demand for ‘diff erent, bold and exciting’ is there. How can I take the fun trends in chocolate to a diff erent healthy level? Th at question begs to be answered, and I’m just the girl to answer it!”

Fellow chocolatier Sarah Hart, owner of Alma Chocolate in Portland, is equally as passionate about the subject. “I love chocolate because it is totally pleasurable to eat,” confesses Hart, who’s company name means ‘soul’ in Spanish and “to nourish’ in Latin. Th e Alma brand is a particularly good fi t for Hart, who learned her craft from a master chocolatier. “It tastes great, it is complex, it feels good on your tongue, and it makes you feel good,” she says, adding, “It makes love chemicals go off in your brain!”

What sets apart a small batch chocolatier from the big guys is quality of ingredients, craft and attention to detail, according to Hart. “Everything we do is the best possible version of what that thing could be,” she states. “We don't bombard it with overly-strong fl avors. Our ingredients play well together. Plus we are masters of subtle surprises, like the heat of a little candied ginger in our classic almond toff ee and a layer of 75 percent Ecuadorian chocolate. Yeah baby!”

Hart doesn’t believe in getting “weird for weird’s sake” (calling out chocolate inclusions), but thinks that there is always room for innovation when it comes to chocolate. “Just when I think it has all been done, someone comes up with something beautiful and new,” she explains. “If you

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listen to the chocolate,

taste it carefully, it will make suggestions to you as to how to use it, what

to pair it with.” Th e open-minded confectioner notes that

savory infl uences are really hot in chocolate. “Th ings like olive oil, salt and chili peppers continue to be strong,” she points out. “On the fl ip side, I think comforting fl avors still hold steady. Consumers are much more sophisticated about chocolate now. Th ey have so many options. You have to perform at a really high level!”

Getting it just right requires attention to detail, a sound process, and practice. “Craft matters,” emphasizes Hart. “Th e single thing that is making me the craziest these days as more and more people enter the chocolate-making fi eld is that they don't temper properly, or the shells on their confections are super thick. I see this all of the time! It is exciting to see all the crazy good innovation happening in the fi eld right now, but I love to see that married with a respect for technique.”

Business partners Jesse Manis and Aubrey Lindley,

who handpick the chocolate for their shops from sources

around the world, know quality when they smell, feel,

and taste it. While Lindley grew up in a family specialty food business,

Manis developed a passion for the craft working at Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle.

Today they operate Cacao, with two locations in Portland, including one at Th e Heathman Hotel.

Chocolate is rumored to bring out the best of our emotions, and Manis is obviously not immune. “Chocolate is a singular food,” he muses. “It can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s good for your heart, skin and teeth. It makes you feel good. It’s fun to share. It’s energizing. It’s relaxing. It smells good. It makes me think of childhood. It never stops surprising me.”

Yet Manis has a solid understanding of this fl uid confectionary art form. “When discussing the artisan chocolate industry one really has to talk about two diff erent categories,” he explains: “Th e fi rst is chocolatiers, who purchase chocolate that has already been manufactured by a chocolate maker and make beautiful, delicious creations out of it.” He adds that some chocolate makers are also chocolatiers.

Th e second category of artisans that Manis alludes to includes makers or manufacturers, who typically purchase fermented and dried cacao beans, then roast and work through a variety of steps to create solid chocolate that is transformed into solid chocolate bars. “Th is is a craft in its infant stages,” he points

listen to the chocolate,

taste it carefully, it will make suggestions to you as to how to use it, what

Business partners Jesse Manis and Aubrey Lindley,

who handpick the chocolate for their shops from sources

around the world, know quality when they smell, feel,

and taste it. While Lindley grew up in a family specialty food business,

Manis developed a passion for the craft working at Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle.

Today they operate Cacao, with two locations in Portland, including one at Th e Heathman Hotel.

Chocolate is rumored to bring out the best of our emotions, and Manis is obviously not immune. “Chocolate is a singular food,” he muses. “It can be enjoyed by people of all

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out. “In 2005, there was approximately one craft chocolate maker in the country that was selling chocolate (De Vries Chocolate), maybe two if you include the much larger Scharffen Berger. Now there is an unknown number; definitely more than 30! Both of these categories require tremendous skill and attention, and we try to celebrate the craft of both and to help our customers tell the difference.” Consumers are certainly taking notice.

“Artisan chocolate is hot overall whether you are speaking about makers or chocolatiers,” he continues. “Having said that, the most momentum at the moment is behind small batch or ‘craft’ batch artisan chocolate makers. It seems like there is a new one starting up weekly across the country right now. They are still developing manufacturing techniques and identifying and designing machinery. A lot of work still needs to be done with sourcing of raw cacao beans and learning consistent manufacturing techniques. This is a challenge for the market, but consumers seem to have an endlessly hearty appetite and a forgiving palate. Watch for local makers everywhere. It remains to be seen if they can support the momentum with a profitable business model.”

The increased interest and resulting experimentation is pushing industry boundaries. “There are some really amazing things being done that far exceed the flavor complexity of any chocolate that was being made 10 years ago,” notes Manis. Among the current trends that he lists are spicy chocolates, nostalgic flavors, milk chocolate made with alternative milks, as well as smoked and salted chocolate. “It has been wonderful to watch

our clients palates develop as the industry has evolved,” he observes, then finishes with verve: “Viva La Chocolate!”

Unbridled passion like this runs at full throttle in the craft. “It is an amazing food, and I picked up my love of chocolate from my mom who is a huge chocoholic,” confides Kevin Shaw, who operates Coastal Mist, a small chocolate boutique based in Bandon. “It is a blend of flavor, science, chemistry and art. It has always been challenging and rewarding in the same breath. If I could do anything in the world, I would do this.”

With wife Tara and partner Nicole Malloy, Shaw and the Coastal Mist staff produce individual desserts, chocolate-covered handmade marshmallows, about 30 different artisan chocolates and fresh made drinking chocolates and drinking caramels. “Our top selling chocolates are our sugar-roasted Brazil Nut Salt Caramel and our Dark Treasure, which is a dark chocolate caramel with sugar-roasted almonds,” he reports. “We have a very loyal fan base that travel far and wide to have our products.”

Coastal Mist also ships its products to customers in the foodservice industry. “We look at every chocolate as a tiny individual dessert,” explains Shaw. “We have blended our background as pastry chefs with our chocolates. Our chocolates are like mini desserts, and we wholesale both chocolates and desserts to various restaurants in Oregon and Washington.”

Shaw offers words of wisdom to those working with his favorite ingredient. “Chocolate is a very complex beast!” he warns. “Understanding how to handle it and what makes it sing is a must. Also you get

what you pay for, and customers can discern the difference between fine couverture and a waxy chip. Also if chocolate is not your particular ‘cup of cocoa,’ then go to an expert for what you are looking for. You will save time, money and headache in the long run.” Beyond all else, he adds, “Be open and have fun with chocolate, put aside the ego and just have fun and enjoy.”

North is enjoying success with her Mix Sweet Shop. “I think that the American palette is changing a little bit, and I think people want things that aren’t as sweet and are more about flavor,” says the Chief Proprietor. “So, it’s more of a European-style taste profile. I think that is really a big thing that’s trying to catch on. People don’t want to taste a bunch of sugar in things.” In other words, taste buds are becoming more sophisticated.

“All of these artisan chocolates that have come out have really changed a lot of peoples’ palettes,” notices North. “Before, there was really just your standard kind of sweet chocolate bars. Now it’s all these single origin bars and different chocolatiers that are making all these interesting infusions, and I think that’s kind of a trend we’re going to continue to see grow and even become that much more mainstream.” Whether enveloped in ice cream, pastries, or candy, North says that chocolate is always popular at her Mix Sweet Shop. “I don’t think people get tired of chocolate,” she concludes, then laughs. “It’s kind of addictive, you know?” A growing cult of indulgence enthusiasts around the northwest would certainly agree, much to these artisans delight. | KirK richardson