One thing to do before you diet

Do you have a list of 100 things you want to do before you die?

I sure do, but this lady food artisan I was talking to, owner of Paulene Chocolats, thinks of things that I could only imagine and dream about. She wants her own restaurant and catering business, her own brand of gourmet ice cream, an authentic boulangerie (French bakery), and a Swiss patiserrie (pastry shop) carrying her exclusive line of chocolats. At the mention of chocolats, my head and my eyes began to dance because what chocolate wouldn’t have that effect on me?

“It’s the most tempting of all sweets,” said one death- by-chocolate blogger while I call it the “sweet trophy to win” over a battle between sensual pleasure versus self-denial. Despite reminders about losing my waist, my hips and even my teeth, I chomped on two squares of dark ganaches before mouthing a deep “mmm” followed by a satisfying “haaay.”

“In 2010, it will be our year of TDF (to die for) chocolates,” she said. That made me sit her down next to me for the following Q&A: 

Philippine Star: Why chocolates?

PAULENE OF PAULENE CHOCOLATS: It’s good for the soul, it makes you like yourself more and there’s the greater satisfaction of knowing that when you make it yourself, the “good-feel” feeling doubles.

Where do your chocolates come from? 

They are flown fresh from Switzerland. These are Swiss chocolates as differentiated from the ones made by the French, the Belgians, the German, the Italians and even the Japanese and the Chinese. 

How do you make the basic chocolate?

You need two essential tools: a “temperer” machine and a thermometer.  You need to watch the chocolate being melted at a certain temperature, steady and unfluctuating, for the best consistency.

Who makes the Paulene brand of chocolates?

Our master chocolatier makes the chocolates by hand. During months of trial and error, the mixture is adjusted until they reach a stage that when you close your eyes, there’s that undeniable “glorious” feeling that when the chocolate touches your tongue, your natural taste buds take over and they burst into fireworks of indulgence.

What are the most popular types of hand-made chocolates that Paulene makes?

Pralinés are hand dipped, hand-molded and mixed with fruits. It may or may not contain cream. 

Truffles are hand-rolled and shaped like mushrooms, thus “truffle” which means mushroom in French and tartufo in Italian. These are mixed with different varieties of fresh nuts. 

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream with different flavors added for variety and for your sampling delight. They are rich and compact and are usually molded in perfect little squares.

What is better, dark or white chocolate?

Dark chocolate has a deeper, richer flavor but many are guided by their personal preferences. We know of many clienteles who prefer white to dark.

What’s the shelf life of your handmade chocolates?

So long as there’s no variation in room temperature, they could last for several months but since the Philippines is in the tropics, they are best consumed in a month, which emphasizes our strict standard that our chocolates are made fresh, always.

How do you store chocolates?

Pralinés can be kept in a cool (air-conditioned) place, away from sunlight and not necessarily kept in a refrigerator. In cooler countries, chocolates are never kept in a refrigerator.

For ganache and truffles — they need to be refrigerated but bring them out to room temperature shortly before serving them so that they are not cold when eaten.

The colors of your trademark are not the usual brown and gold that we normally associate with chocolates Why pink, purple and lilac?  

We wanted livelier, bolder colors to signify that we are not after the traditional, old-fashioned flavors; our brand aims also for non-traditional combinations with exciting soulful, funky flavors and designs. Fuschia seems to get that message across.

The purple/lilac leaves signify that our selection is fresh, preservative-free, using all-natural ingredients. Purple is also the color for “love” (of chocolates).

What other exclusive services would interest your clientele?       

We make specialized and personalized chocolates for any occasion like weddings, Valentine’s, graduation and as corporate gifts. Our artist can design unique and one of a kind chocolates in keeping with the theme or celebration. There are more combinations that are now being tried and tested by our own host of critiques, all chocolate fanatics. 

Where is Paulene available?

We have two distributors at the moment — Blue Kitchen in Rockwell and Cuillere in Serendra. We are also talking to more distributors with branches in major retail outlets.   

Can you describe a dyed-in-the-wool chocolatier who never fails to bring on the magic of chocolates?

You enter a small shop with glass-paneled walls. The brass bell announces your arrival and you see a long counter with multi-layered glass shelves filled with all sorts of chocolates in different flavors — brown, dark brown and white chocolates — wrapped in gold or silver foil, floral and fruit-stamped foil.

A ruddy, portly-built chocolatier is smiling behind the counter and he moves about the counter with a certain flair, proud of all the chocolate delights that he fashions by hand from a kitchen smelling of fresh caramel, cocoa, vanilla and cream.

You lean close to the counter and start pointing, “Ah, this one here please, that one too, over there; no please, to the left, on top of the pistachio, yes, and the one with almonds, and…”

A chocolatier knows each piece by name and by location. While his assistant drops each piece in a lined, cellophane pouch, you glance up to see the chocolatier bringing in more chocolates in a huge tray. “Ah, what are those?” you ask. The chocolatier picks one out and hands it to you, “Here, try this one; you will love it.”

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What chocolate can you not love?

Paulene reminds me of life’s simple pleasures, those once-in-a-while treats that everyone deserves. What’s more, her chocolates have rolled (and shaped) a silent message of passion, kisses and romance that tongue-tied or text-weary lovers will welcome anytime... always.

Paulene, however, is not quite a dyed-in-the-wool chocolatier; she is far from fat and portly.

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 Contact Paulene Chocolats at 871-9989 or at  info@Paulenechocolats.com or www.Paulenechocolats.com.