Poking at the Paralysis
April 10, 2006
7:43 p.m., MT

Music: Crowded House, 'Private Universe'

Wish I could say I was making better progress on things, but I'm not really. A few important items are under consideration, and I've a longstanding habit of putting too many things on hold when big changes might be afoot. Recognition of that bad habit at work doesn't usually suffice as a cattleprod, either. It's amazing, really, that someone who feels the pressure of time as strongly as I do can fritter away so much of it on such silliness.

That was today's big revelation. And so I'm trying to get over this idea that I can somehow paralyze my life until I can get it all nice and tidy, and it'll then stay that way. Instead, I'm trying to just get on with doing the things that need or want doing.

Unfortunately for those of you who come here looking for reptilian rants or other politically-oriented polemics, I just haven't been very interested in the goings-on of late. How much of the same ol' bad news can a freedom-loving person read before going fetal and sucking his or her thumb? I'm not too keen on getting to that point, so I've withdrawn from much of the world and have been focusing on my own world. And my world isn't always that entertaining or interesting, even to me.

Lately, it has been sweet, in a manner of speaking. I think I mentioned a while ago that I had signed up for a chocolate course offered by a local chocolatier. I finally got to do that, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the class packed a lot of things to do into a very short time, it was terrific — well worth the cost. We tried lots of different things, and the instructor offered many great tips while we worked. Other students asked some really good questions too, including several on flavoring truffle centers that helped inspire my already-in-overdrive creativity.

The bunny keeping a vigil on these words is one of my creations from the class. Sylvilagus easteris chocolatii isn't solid, just a fairly thick shell of bittersweet chocolate. It was fun learning how to do a 3-dimensional mold like this, but I don't know that I want to do a lot of that sort of thing. Much more fun for me was learning how to paint the small details on the mold. (The whitish streaks came from a film of white chocolate spread in the mold and allowed to set up before the bittersweet chocolate was poured in.) Both snolfs adored the rabbit. Fortunately, another big item — a large, hollow egg that was also painted with some rather uninspired decorations — was also pretty enough that there was no fighting over either item.

I really enjoyed the painting, and focused on it probably to the detriment of gaining more experience with other decorative techniques. I wasn't terribly focused on trying to create perfectly decorated candies in the course; I wanted to explore various ideas and methods for using the colors. Some of what I ended up with wasn't too pretty as a result, but a few turned out decently.

The lighting is pretty crappy on these molded truffles, which is too bad because the red one was very pretty. It garnered admiring comments from the instructor and several students. Even though my technique was rough, I like the cheery freeform orange flower, and might try to incorporate something like that into one of my products. What flavor should be my signature Sunni truffle — the one to be graced with a warm yellow flower? The other two are variations on striping the candies, obviously — what isn't obvious because of the poor lighting is that the stripes atop another white chocolate wash are a pretty dark blue.

I'd been planning on doing hand-dipped truffle centers, but I like using these molds very much. They offer much more flexibility regarding the texture of the filling (and I'm partial to softer fillings myself), and the decorative possibilities, both from the shapes of the molds and the uses of colored chocolate, are very broad. Also, I have a very deep suspicion that seeing me doing pretty paintings in chocolate might inspire the snolfs to exercise more self-control, so that they'll be able to try their hands at it too. That would open up a lot of learning opportunities for them. I also like the rocher style of truffles — rocher is French for rock and these candies usually have chopped nuts mixed into the enrobing chocolate to give the truffles a rough texture. So that might be my focus for hand-dipped truffles.

And now, thinking back on all I learned and how much I enjoyed that day of chocolate play, and anticipating more days like that, I'm happier than I've been in a long time. Who knew chocolate could be so therapeutic without being eaten?

I might not change the world or help people be freer by becoming a chocolatier, but I'll be happy. And I will, I hope, be spreading some of that happiness to others as well. There's nothing wrong — and a lot of right — in that.

Sunni

Comments: 10 people have contributed to the conversation

On Monday, April 10th, at approximately 8:20 p.m. Mountain time, Laura said:

The chocolates are beautiful!!! Where are mine?

On Monday, April 10th, at approximately 10:50 p.m. Mountain time, Sunni said:

I should've known you'd say that! Thanks, Laura ... hope I can do it as nicely on my own. Next shipment in about two weeks!

On Monday, April 10th, at approximately 11:09 p.m. Mountain time, freeman said:

Even with the supposedly crappy lighting, the red one looks very pretty indeed! I've never seen one in a cool color like that before.

On Tuesday, April 11th, at approximately 5:55 a.m. Mountain time, Pagan said:

Suggested flavors: banana, almond, orange, or -- my favorites -- mint, mint/orange combo, or mint/almond combo.

On Tuesday, April 11th, at approximately 7:22 a.m. Mountain time, Jorge said:

Great looking chocolates. Horrible for my diet .

I can be a great time waster as well. Especially if the things I need to do are either unpleasant or in some way scary (what if I fail?).

What works for me is to stick everything into a queue and attack them one at a time.

When I am actually doing the task it usually is much easier than I thought it would be.

On Tuesday, April 11th, at approximately 12:00 p.m. Mountain time, Sunni said:

Jorge, I guess it's a good thing you're too far away (and in too warm a place) to be seriously tempted by them. Believe it or not, I've actually lost weight since pursuing this business — despite needing to sample chocolates, ganaches, etc. And for me, I think the greater fear has been fear of success.

Hi Pagan, and thanks for your ideas! I'm not sure how to go about doing banana, though; I make the flavorings myself, so they're natural and have limited sugar and chemical additives. I love bananas but don't know that I love the flavor enough to use an artificial flavoring.

Freeman, the coloring is actually quite easy to achieve. Once the business is going, I'll reveal the secret there.

On Wednesday, April 12th, at approximately 6:45 a.m. Mountain time, William's Dad said:

--"How much of the same ol' bad news can a freedom-loving person read before going fetal and sucking his or her thumb?"--

I read somewhere that they studied men in combat zones and even the toughest individuals weren't any good after 9 months. I figure we could all use some R and R.

Creative activities renew my enthusiasm.

In the background William is watching Bugs Bunny munching on a carrot. "Ahhh... what's up Doc?" That's what I hear your chocolate bunny saying.

On Wednesday, April 12th, at approximately 2:03 p.m. Mountain time, SRS said:

OOOh!

They look both irresistible and too good to eat!

I vote for cardamom-flavored truffles. I'll bet they would be the Sunniest.

On Wednesday, April 12th, at approximately 4:47 p.m. Mountain time, Sunni said:

Thanks, William's Dad; I think you're right on the R&R. The snolfs like Bugs Bunny a lot too; and I usually can be persuaded to watch a couple of cartoons with them.

SRS, welcome! I like cardamom a lot myself, but am more familiar with it in Indian cuisine and baked goods than candies ... I'll put on my thinking cap.

On Thursday, April 13th, at approximately 9:14 a.m. Mountain time, SRS said:

Thank you, Sunni!

I offer the following links as potential additions to your ruminations.

https://www.surfasonline.com/products/36630.cfm

http://www.rumela.com/recipe/afghani_dish_cardamom.htm

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