The Chocolatier Quotes

“She breathed in the scent of lemon blossoms, inspired by how their citrus sweetness mingled with fresh ocean air. Closing her eyes, she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, tasting a faint saltiness in the moisture laden breeze. She imagined how dark, rich chocolate filled with the brightness of a lemon filling and dusted with chunky sea salt might taste. Delicious, she decided.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Scents of raspberry and apricot teased her nose. With a deft hand, she nestled each silky delicacy with care into a cardboard box.
Celina had grown up with the aroma of chocolate wafting through her home. As a young woman, her mother had studied at a chocolaterie in Paris before the war, and she had taught Celina how to make handcrafted praliné or truffles, the molded or rounded chocolates filled with delectable centers, such as caramelized nut paste ofnoisettesoramandes.For her, Celina often chose apricot, cherry, salted caramel, cream liqueurs- or any other filling that might catch her fancy. Lately, she had been experimenting with the delicate flavor of green tea she'd found in San Francisco's Chinatown.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“In honor of the beginning of summer, Celina had cut out large shapes of palm trees and sailboats from cardboard and painted them in vivid hues of pink, yellow, and blue to showcase her ornately embellished chocolate eggs fashioned after Richard Cadbury's original Victorian chocolate egg designs in England.Coral rosebuds, trailing green vines, tiny bluebirds, palm trees, starfish, and sailboats.Similar eggs had been popular at Easter, but these had themes of summer in San Francisco. She had even created a large, molded chocolate Golden Gate Bridge for one party.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“A flaming red flapper dress, a sleek black dress with full, satin purple sleeves and a matching flounce, a summery cotton frock with a cheerful red poppy print, and a musketeer's gold-trimmed jacket tumbled out of the pile of clothing. A mound of scarves fluttered onto the bed.
Marge fingered the frayed, tasseled edge of a silk jacquard scarf in shades of amethyst and emerald green.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“In awe at the sheer beauty of the setting, Celina stepped onto the balcony, which overlooked a terrace garden of fruit trees.
"It's so beautiful here." She breathed in, catching the scent of fruit trees below. "What type of fruit are you growing?"
"Mostly lemon," Sara said. "But also olive, grapefruit, orange, fig, and pomegranate. With our temperate climate, most everything thrives."
Celina peered over the balcony's edge. To one side, a cliff dropped to the sea, while on the other, a terrace sprawled along the hilltop perch. Flaming pink bougainvillea and snowy white jasmine curled around the corners of grapevine-covered archways that framed the shimmering ocean view.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“I prefer the delicate flavor profile inCriolloorPorcelana."She loved the Venezuela chocolate, which her mother had favored, too. It blended well with violet and bergamot, equally smooth flavors that created the lightest of delicacies.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Celina surveyed her inventory. Candied lemon and orange slices dipped in chocolate, roasted coffee beans enrobed in dark chocolate, and coconut confections enveloped in milk chocolate. Petite Coeurs with a crème fraîche and raspberry liqueur filling, rum-spiked caramels covered in milk chocolate, bittersweet espresso truffles studded with crushed Sicilian pistachios.
For her seaside fantasy collection, the antique cast iron molds had yielded whimsical chocolate shells and seahorses. Within clam shells formed from chocolate were nestled pearls of white chocolate. Among the delicacies were her trademark stars: creamy milk chocolate, dark chocolate filled with peppermint-flavored crème fraîche, and white chocolate iced with candied lemon peel.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Celina loved experimenting with new flavors and expanding Stella di Cioccolato. She'd created a spicy chocolate truffle with mild chili peppers and white truffles made from cocoa butter and lemon. But the secret of thegran blanco- the rare white beans- would remain a secret of the Andean people until they wished to share it with the world again.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“One chocolate truffle had changed her destiny. Indeed, itwasone of Celina's best- a silky cocoa powder-dusted truffle filled with raspberry-infused, dark chocolate ganache and enrobed with acouverture,a layer of rich chocolate that melted optimally with the warmth of the body.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Stepping across discarded, rotting pod shells toward the cacao trees, she wondered if these were the prized white cacao beans that produced the legendary chocolate that Aztec kings had consumed. Did these trees yield the smoothest, most flavorful, aromatic cocoa that had been the ultimatelingua francabetween chocolate aficionados, chefs, and growers around the world?”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“After completing her work for Monsieur, she made some of the specialties she'd developed at her shop in Amalfi, including hergianduiotto,raspberry truffles, and lemon-shapedsfusato amalfitanotruffles dusted with sea salt. She tucked these into gold paper-covered boxes, along with her delicately flavored violet truffles, the blood orange and roasted pistachio truffles, and the basil, mint, and limoncello in dark chocolate. On the top layer, she nestled her chocolate stars.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“The next pair is inspired by my hometown of San Francisco, where I often searched for rare spices and teas in Chinatown. My Chinese tea collection begins with a dark chocolate truffle infused with Lapsang Souchong tea. Cultivated in the Wuyi mountain region in China, the tea leaves are dried over pinewood fires, which give the leaves a smoky, aromatic flavor."
Finding Lauro in the crowd, Celina echoed his description. With a smile tugging at her lips, she added, "You might find it reminiscent of the rich earth around Vesuvius, moist with morning dew."
Bringing his hand to his lips, Lauro sent her a happy kiss across the crowd.
"Also from the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian comes oolong tea, which can be fruity, green, or sweet. This oolong is a sweet, roasted woody version.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Inspired by the traditions of Piedmont comes a handcrafted, milk chocolategianduiottotruffle speckled with roasted hazelnuts. This is to honor my late husband's family, the Savoias. "
When Sara and Carmine sampled the truffles and nodded their approval, Celina breathed a sigh of relief.
"Next, we'll sample the sweet lemon flavor ofsfusato amalfitano,formed in the shape of lemons and dusted with sea salt to enhance the flavor. "After explaining her inspiration for this local favorite and receiving approval, she gestured to Karin and moved on to the next one.
"This one is a twist on basil, mint, and limoncello. These flavors are enrobed in rich, dark Venezuelan chocolate. I import the cacao beans and roast them downstairs in my kitchen."
Surprise crossed a few faces, followed with growing delight.
Celina continued. "Next, you'll sample a truffle infused with blood orange and topped with roasted pistachios from Sicily, and sweetened with Madagascar vanilla.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Serving chocolate outside?"
"Ice cream in the summer.Cioccolata caldain the winter. Andbicerin."
"Bicerin?That's only served in Torino. "
"Why not? Is there a law?"
"Of course not, but this is Amalfi."
"The tourists will love it." She turned around. "And I told you I don't want that grouch in here."
"Caffè napoletano,"Lauro muttered as he straightened a table." Andcappuccino freddoin the summer. "
"What?"
"I should go. Let me know if you need more help in the kitchen."
Wincing at his choice of words, Lauro hurried from the shop before she could respond. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her watching him. Her lovely lips parted in surprise.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“If you're not going to move, then the least you can do is give me a hand."
"Don't you have workers for that?" Once again, his voice belied his frustration with the dilemma he found himself in.
"Not all of us have an army of employees.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“One early morning last week, I walked through a terraced garden over the ocean, peeling a blood orange. It was a Taroco orange, orarancia rossa,brought from Sicily many years ago, its skin thin with a hint of blush, its flesh the color of a setting sun, its sweetness beyond that of any other orange. "
Pursing his lips in remembrance, he went on, his voice rich with reverence and wonder. "The salt air on my lips, combined with the sweet juice, inspired this new effort. Try it for me. I'd love to know what you think."
Celina brought the dark chocolate-enrobed delicacy to her nose and inhaled, reveling in the juxtaposition of aromas. Biting into it, a complexity of flavors melted across her tongue. The intense aroma of blood orange with its singular sweetness... a bitter edge of dark chocolate with hints of tropical earthiness... a tart explosion of sea salt that intensified every flavor.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Lifting her nose to the air, she detected the aroma of licorice." Anisette, isn't it? "
With the edges of Lauro's lips twitching upward, he nodded. "You have a good nose."
"Have you tried Amaretto?" With her imagination piqued, the scent of bitter almonds, sweetened in liqueur, swirled in her mind.
"Yes, of course."
"Perhaps in a creamy caramel center."
Lauro met her faraway gaze and held it, two minds whirring with creativity.
"Dark or milk chocolate?" he asked.
"Dark... this time. With zest of orange as a finishing touch."
"A little apricot?"
"Oh, yes..."
She could taste it on her lips.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Non capisci una fava."
Celina lifted her chin to him."Tu sei una fava,"she shot back.Hewas the one who didn't know anything.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“After a long day, he cleaned up and met her almost every day after work to take her out for supper at an Italian restaurant in North Beach or a restaurant at the docks to get fresh-caught seafood. They feasted on crab sautéed in garlic and olive oil, hot clam chowder and fresh sourdough bread, and raw oysters shucked right off the boats at the pier.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“The scents of chocolate and other rich ingredients filled the air. Vanilla, sugar... raspberry, apricots... almonds, pistachios, pecans... cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cayenne. Celina breathed in. She loved the aromas of her artistry.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier

“Among connoisseurs of chocolate, Cioccolata Savoia was famous. From Torino to Amalfi, experts lauded the family's legendary chocolatiers for fusing the smooth, delicate flavor ofCriollochocolate with Sorrentino and Amalfitano lemons.”
― Jan Moran, The Chocolatier