FOOD
&
DRINK
44
DECEMBER2015
AMERICANWAY
LET’SGETONETHINGSTRAIGHT:
Hotcocoaandhotchocolatearenot the
same thing.Onecomes ina littlepouch
from thesupermarket, and theother is
culinaryalchemy; amagicalmergingof
chocolate,milkandcream tocreatea lus-
cious liquiddessert.While itmaybeeasier
topourpowder inamugandaddwater,
makingarealhotchocolate takesgenuine
effort, andaward-winningchefsallover
Americaare turning theclassichotchoco-
late intoedibleworksofart.
ChicagochefMindySegalmayaswell
be thepatronsaintofhotchocolate.The
JamesBeardAwardwinner featuresnine
rotatingversionsof thedrinkable treat
atherrestaurantnamed—whatelse?
—Mindy’sHotChocolate.Segal takesa
scientificapproach to theprocess,blend-
ingdifferentpercentagesofmultiple types
ofchocolate (milk,dark,white) tocreate
her idealflavors, infusingspicesand fresh
herbs toroot them inasenseofplaceand
time.Herever-popularPumpkinSpice
seasonalversion isfilledwithwhatSegal
calls“themotherspices,” (nutmeg, clove,
cinnamon, gingerandblackpepper) to
makeeachsipevoke theessenceof fall.
Whilemostpeoplepreferasweetcup
ofhotchocolate,mega-chefWolfgang
Puck takeshisback to theancientCentral
Americanrootsof thedrink. “I likeusing
bittersweetchocolate,”Pucksays. “Itgives
itabetter textureand, forsure, amuch
morebalancedandwell-rounded, intense
flavor.”This timeofyear,hiscateringcom-
panyservesanAztecHotChocolatemade
withdarkchocolate, cinnamon, vanilla,
chilipowderandcayenne.
For theculinarilychallenged,Segal
notes thatanyonecanmakean interesting
blend; just followyoursweet tooth. “Find
thecombinationofchocolates thatyoure-
ally like,”shesays, thenplayaroundwith
flavors like freshmint,orange,mapleand
somethingmoreexotic like lavender.And
keep thosepackets in theboxwhere they
belong.
–
JASONKESSLER
AztecHotChocolate
Serves4
3 cupswholemilk
1 cupheavycream
1 cupdark-chocolatechips
1 teaspooncinnamon
1
/
2
teaspoonvanillaextract
1
/
4
teaspoonchili powder
cayenne, to taste
Whippedcream, garnish
Combinemilk, heavy cream,
cinnamonandvanilla ina saucepan
over amediumflame, bringing toa
light simmer.
Add chocolate chips and chili
powder, stirringuntil chocolate
melts completely.
Remove fromheat, adddesired
cayenneandwhip ingredientsgently
withawhisk to createa light foam.
Ladle intomugs and topwith
whipped cream, addingadrizzleof
hot fudgeandapinchof cinnamon
for addedgarnish.
LavenderWhiteHotChocolate
Serves4
4 cupswholemilk
1
/
2
teaspoondried lavenderbuds
1 cupwhite-chocolatechips
Heatmilk and lavender over
mediumflame, bringing toa light
simmer.
Remove fromheat andallow
lavender to steep in themilk for an
additional 5minutes.
Strain lavender and returnmilk toa
lowheat.
Stir inwhite chocolateuntil fully
meltedand serve.
Your favoritefiresidedrink
goesgourmet
Haute
Chocolate
PHOTO
KEVIN MARPLE
