The Art and Craft of Chocolate

The Art and Craft of Chocolate is a delightful and insightful read with impressive scope. It encompasses everything from growing and harvesting cacao (including sustainability and ethical production) to the history of chocolate consumption, and finally, recipes. I certainly learnt something new about one of my favourite treats, and I would like to try out a few of the recipes. For those really keen, the book even offers home hacks for preparing your own chocolate from scratch. Although, I am not sure I'm ready to attempt that much myself! This is a book that will appeal to all chocolate lovers. The only problem? It leaves you with definite chocolate cravings! 4.5 stars.

Well, let me tell you that as soon as I saw THE ART AND CRAFT OF CHOCOLATE on NetGalley, I grabbed her. ‘Cause a gal’s gotta have her chocolate fix, n’est-ce pas? What a good choice it was, because this is a gorgeous guide to choosing, fixing, making, and enjoying artisan chocolate at home. I’m in 🍫 heaven!

Nathan Hodge, world-renowned chocolatier (now that’s a job I want!), teaches you the basic principles of chocolate-making at home, using tools at hand like a food processor, hair dryer, or a double boiler. He also includes delicious recipes for traditional moles from different regions of Mexico; mayan chocolate drinks; cocoa as a meat rub; and an array of baked goods. What can I say but, “Yes” and 5/5!

Pub Date 07 Aug 2018

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#TheArtAndCraftOfChocolate #NetGalley

This book is a treasure trove of luscious photographs and facts about chocolate and all its stages of growth and manufacture. I loved leafing through the book and imagining myself in the fields of cacao plants, or in the fragrant factories where chocolate is produced.
A wonderful addition to the books are lots of appealing recipes utilizing chocolate in all its forms. This is now one of my favorite sources of information and recipes for my favorite ingredient.

The Art and Craft of Chocolate: An enthusiast's guide to selecting, preparing and enjoying artisan chocolate at home by Nathan Hodge

Lovely, tasty and educational – this book provides not only recipes but the history, types, processing, manufacturing and more about something so delectable and delicious that it may have been fought over in the past and kept secret as well.

I can see this beautiful book on a coffee table for guests to read or by the side of my bed to contemplate before sleeping. Who wouldn’t want to have dreams of chocolate?

The photographs are beautiful.
The information provided more than I knew going in.
The recipes sound interesting enough to try in the future.
The places it is grown that were shown in the book made me want to go visit.

I learned so much about chocolate that I did not know before and found myself amazed that something that looks so little like it would have anything to offer has been found to be so valuable.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I buy it for myself or to give as a gift? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry for the ARC – this is my honest review.

5 Stars

This book provided a brief history of chocolate and an overview of how chocolate bars are made, from growing the tree to the finished product. There were photographs showing the various stages of processing the bean and the equipment that's used. In side boxes, the author suggested some ways that a person could process cocoa beans in their home to create their own chocolate. However, it sounds very time intensive and unlikely to provide good results unless you buy some specialized equipment. At the end, the author provided 25 recipes which add cocoa powder or nibs to various dishes. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in learning about how chocolate is made.

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

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Chocolate…one of my favourite things! Melted, baked, coated or in bar, I LOVE chocolate! I picked this book up simply because it has a spoon dipped in chocolate on the cover…I know, judging a book and all that! I have no intention of taking cacao beans on their strenuous and fascinating journey to the delicious substance I enjoy but, that in no way limited my experience and appreciation for The Art and Craft of Chocolate by Nathan Hodge. He reveals to the reader the historical, scientific and practical nature of chocolate! I learnt far more than I expected and am now even more attached to the tasty stuff as well as motivated to advocate for the people who produce it. I’ll be paying more attention to my chocolate source and make up. Nathan shares exactly how to take your bean to the chocolate you love, it sounds wonderfully detailed and he shares cultural and different recipes to try out! If you are a lover of chocolate, and want to get to know it better, this is the book for you! Highly recommended and five out five! I do, however, recommend having chocolate, in several forms, near to hand whilst reading it though…it’s hungry work!

Interesting facts included:

“In fact, this tree loves the tropics so much that it refuses to grow outside of 20 degrees north or south of the equator…less than 28 percent of the world’s total landmass sits within this latitude. We’re talking about only around 8 percent of the globe that even qualifies for growing cacao.”

“…the cacao tree cannot be pollinated by a bee, like a normal plant, but instead relies on a tiny fly called a midge to pollinate it’s flowers…only the flies that grow larger than two millimeters are large enough to carry the pollen”

“…the average income for a cocoa farmer in Ivory Coast and Ghana was [in 2016] less that $0.70 per person per day.”

Recipes I plan to experiment with:

Lavender Chocolate Ice Cream

Flourless Cardamom Chocolage Cake

Chocolate-dipped Pecan Shortbread Hearts

The history of chocolate described in this book is just as interesting as how much work goes into cultivating chocolate trees and what steps are necessary to get from chocolate bean to the chocolate bar.
Making chocolate is extremely interesting. Even if you will never make chocolate bars in your own home, this book might make you appreciate artisan chocolate more.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Quarry Books for my unbiased opinion of the book. If you are a chocolate connoisseur like I am this is the book for you. It gives you how it processed where it came from and so on. It makes you appreciate chocolate more than you thought possible! All the recipes are well laid out and easy to follow. Once you have the basics down the rest is easy. I made Chocolate Tortillas, Chocolate Stout Rolls, Cocoa Jerk Chicken. They were all memorable. This will be a great reference guide.

Its a great book for those who wish to know lots of facts about chocolate, be it how it grows, where it comes from, the people, which to begin with, whilst important for the process, makes the book a heavy read overall.

The recipes do look interesting and I'd quite like to make the chocolate pasta with Spanish paprika and nib lamb ragu - who'd have thought the two go together!

The book is full of interesting colour photography, the recipes look easy to follow and have both imperial and metric measurements.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

Everything you ever wanted to know about chocolate is answered and explained in this book, along with some recipes to cover any chocolate cravings you might have! I give this book 5 stars easily! They did such a good job explaining everything and anything to do with chocolate, the recipes are a bonus! Chocolate truly is an Art and Craft and this book lives up to its title!

These are easy recipes with items that you can prepare. Great book and I cannot wait to cook with my daughter.

Quarry Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Art and Craft of Chocolate. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

The author starts out with an introduction of terms, which I found most helpful. Learning about the cacao tree and all of its by-products will help readers understand the origins of chocolate. Something that readers might not know is that chocolate begins as a fruit, which is temperamental at best. It can be grown only in certain climates and in certain regions around the globe. It is fascinating how very complicated it can be for nature to come together in such a way as to have the cacao tree bear fruit. This book allows readers to gain a greater appreciation for chocolate, especially considering how labor intensive the process is. The delicate balance that the ecosystem needs as the trees are growing is vital to the survival of the fruit. Readers may be surprised by all that they learn regarding the art and science behind chocolate, from its humble beginnings to the finished form.

The Art and Craft of Chocolate is very informative and includes many beautiful photographs. This is more history book than cookbook, as only the second half is dedicated to recipes. Celebrating the different areas in which the cacao tree grows, the cookbook includes signature dishes for those regions. I am most excited to try the two Mole recipes (pgs. 113 and 114), as this rich sauce highlights the chocolate in a savory manner. With a few sweet and savory recipes to choose from, readers will be able to showcase all they have learned from The Art and Craft of Chocolate. Although I was a bit disappointed as to the limited amount of recipes, I found this book to be a complete and comprehensive look at chocolate. I would recommend The Art and Craft of Chocolate to those readers who desire to learn more about this ingredient and not simply just the use of it.

This book is everything you want to know about Chocolate! From the growing of the bean to the processing into bars and candy. It is an indepth study of the history of chocolate. Who does not like chocolate. I know I do. This book also includes recipes from Chocolate Tortillas, Chocolate Stout Rolls, to Chocolate Pasta Dough and Earl Grey Chocolate Pound Cake. The illustrations are beautiful and it takes you through the whole process. I highly recommend this book to the chocolate lover in your life or for yourself.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I DID NOT HESITATE TO CLICK ON THE COVER WHEN I SAW IT ON NETGALLEY. I love chocolate. The title and cover screamed GIMME the second I saw it :)
What I like about this book is that it isn't only about recipes (although that's definitely the best part) but also history, introduction to processing and manufacturing work. The photographs were beautiful, the information was enough for readers to feel interested in the job "chocolatier," if there's a chance I can get a physical copy of this, why not?

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have always has a love relationship with chocolate. I even got the stuff to make it myself. So when I saw this book I know that it would answer the questions I had about the chocolate making process. It was an interest take on the chocolate process from bean to candy form. It made me feel good and gave me a better understanding of it all.

Have you ever wondered how that decadent chocolate you hide and sneak regularly was produced? Nathan Hodge, an expert in the field of chocolate, has written a fascinating book outlining the steps of chocolate making, the history of chocolate, and almost everything you could ever want to know about this popular foodstuff that in many people’s minds is its own food group. In the cookbook, the author focuses on chocolate making at home, and goes through the steps of making, tempering, and using homemade chocolate.

While the book is an interesting read in itself, it also contains decadent recipes that are unique and upscale. There are recipes using everything chocolate: cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, chocolate bars, and even chocolate stout. Most of the recipes have minimal ingredients and are easy to follow. Of course Hodge has included recipes for both Black and Red Mole – the famous Mexican sauce containing chocolate, but he also ventures out and presents a recipe (which is delicious) for Thai Coconut and Lemongrass Chocolate Soup, Crispy Chocolate Carnitas, and Cocoa Jerk Chicken. Chocolate tortillas are definitely in the queue, as well as chocolate pasta.

Hodge certainly has an imagination and a knack for pairing chocolate with ingredients that most wouldn’t think of putting together. The bottom line is that they work well together, and these recipes are very tasty. Like any really good cookbook, The Art and Craft of Chocolate includes beautiful photographs – both in the history and how-to sections, as well as a photo of every recipe.

Anyone who wants to make their own chocolate as a hobby, or anyone curious about how chocolate came about and is made, will want to pick up this cookbook. Cooks everywhere who like unique and delicious recipes, even if they don’t have the time or ambition to make chocolate at home, will welcome this excellent cookbook in their collection.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I write this review as I sip on hot chocolate. It was not something I planned (I promise!) but I think it very appropriate. This book has given me a whole new appreciation for the magic that is chocolate. It is little more than one half educational and the rest are recipes. These recipes are all out of my league(most of them not really being vegetarian friendly) and I won't even imagine saying that I will get around to trying them ( as I say for other cookbooks). Despite that, I cannot imagine giving this book anything less than five stars. 

The book contains information about the past and present hurdles chocolate takes to get to a store near us. It has everything about Cocoa that I didn't know that I needed (or wanted) to know. It was fascinating to say the least. It is a personal account since the author has invested in the process and has made several trips to the locations where they get their beans from. There is not much more that I can say in the form of a review, but if you like chocolate, or just like reading about where our 'ingredients' come from and what form of life the people producing it have, do check this book out! 

P.S: The photos add to the flavour!

Did you ever watch those videos on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood where they went to the crayon factory or learned how pencils are made? This book is kind of like that, in the best possible sense. You'll learn about how chocolate came to be so popular, what is involved in growing and harvesting it, and what to do with it. Also discusses the ethical implications of the chocolate trade and the darker side of its history.

Recipes include drinking chocolate, Thai lemongrass soup with chocolate, and more things that I wish I was eating right now.

It's important to know what this book is and is not before going in. I was interested in it because I would like to learn how to make chocolate from raw ingredients and because I like to make chocolates (chocolate candies with various fillings or plain chocolate pieces). This is not that book. There are no recipes to make things like chocolate covered cherries, caramels, nougats, peanut butter cups, etc., and it's not really a DIY chocolate making book, either. It's still a fascinating and cool book, though.

The book goes into great detail about the history of chocolate and the process of turning cacao pods into what we think of as chocolate. There are lots of pictures of how cocoa is grown, harvested and processed around the world. It also provides home hacks for all the steps of the processing. It covers how to choose cocoa beans, roast, shell, winnow and grind them. Then it goes into liquoring them and then milling and then conching the chocolate, flavoring it, tempering it and then pouring it into chocolate bar molds. That said, the pictures are just general pictures of the industrial process and most of the details are about how to do it commercially -- it doesn't leave the reader necessarily feeling in any way set up to actually do all this at home despite the little blue boxes with brief instructions on things like how to use a box and a hair dryer for the winnowing process. There are no pictures of anybody actually doing it at home, and it goes on for many pages about the complicated never-ending steps and then somehow the chapter was over and presumably we've made chocolate. It reminded me a bit of some joke my husband always told about some complicated step-by-step process where step #10 was "and then something magical happens."

From there, the book offers recipes using chocolate (presumably purchased chocolate, cocoa and chocolate nibs). These are interesting recipes -- drinking chocolate, kahlua, cocoa nib and melon salad, Thai coconut and lemongrass chocolate soup, red miso and chocolate glazed vegetables, chocolate tortillas and so on.

This is a great book if you'd like to learn more about the history of chocolate and how it gets to the store, or if you're looking for interesting ways to cook with chocolate (especially in non-traditional ways).

I received a temporary digital ARC for the purpose of review.

This a wonderful book for all chocolate lovers and enthusiasts. The book begins with information about the history of chocolate and its composition and various techniques that can be employed with it such as tempering. What follows is an assortment of enchanting, enticing and unusual chocolate recipes for those of all abilities. This is a beautiful book filled with wonderful photographs and flowing text.

If you are a lover of Chocolate and everything about it, this book is one you will revisit many times. There is just so much information and the pictures are absolutely magnificent. Who knew there was so much information on Cacao, I found this book fascinating and now I will be much more appreciative when I indulge in my most favourite piece of sweetness.

This book will be particularly interesting for my daughter who recently sold her RAW chocolate business. I know she did much research before her venture into chocolate making but I would bet she would have loved to have read this book from cover to cover.

The diverse recipes are amazing, never would I have thought to make Chocolate Soup or Chocolate Glazed Vegetables. There are so many interesting new ways to cook with Chocolate if you are adventurous.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Really liked this book! super easy to follow and the turn out was great! i also thought the cover was eye catchy! would like to see more recipe books in this area!

With this book prepare to dive deep into the world of Cacao. Nathan Hodge will take you through the rich history of chocolate and the text will be your guide through it all. Then my friend(s) if you've ever had any questions they will be answered about one of the World's most favorite treats. This book really opened my eyes to how it is processed and he even gives you some really good lessons on how to make your own chocolate without the need for fancy equipment.

In this book there are some great recipes both sweet and savory. The latter of which really surprised me because I have never had a savory dish using chocolate but after reading this I'm looking up creations my family will enjoy that uses chocolate. In this book though I love the recipe for chocolate tortillas. Those would make a great sweet dish with fresh cream and fruit. There are also other crafts you can make such as cocoa butter soap and a few other items.

This book is all around amazing and if you love to cook and/or make crafts then I would really suggest you pick up a copy for yourself or someone else you know that may enjoy it.

I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for my honest review. The review above is of my own opinion and expresses my true feelings about this book.

This is not JUST a cookbook. I collect cookbooks enjoying the stories behind the cooking as well as the results of new recipes. I had a vague idea that chocolate started as a bean but no idea the complicated process it takes to bring my Hershey bar to life much less the varied uses of chocolate in cooking. As the manager of a retail store, my interest in chocolate was on how to move it through the register, now I'm not only looking at it differently, I'm sharing my new knowledge with my co-workers. As a home cook, I've learned new ways to bring chocolate into my everyday recipes and how it can affect the taste of basic foods. I've shared the recipes with my family. We are planning a chocolate party featuring recipes from this book.