Whenever I taste anything pre-made, whether it be at a restaurant or store bought, I immediately analyze the flavors and textures and then clock how I could improve every element. This makes me one of, if not the worst dinner companions.
Over the years, I’ve become better at quelling my analysis so that my company isn’t deflated by my excessive critique. But, be sure that the gears are whizzing away, making notes and scribbles of all the various improvements.
The odd thing is that dining out, buying interesting food products, and tasting new food items are my favorite pastimes. But, instead of being the end result, these activities merely provide me with a jumping-off place.
They are inspiration for my at-home lab, fully equipped with mandolines, sharp knives, seventeen different salts, and a notebook with mad scratches and measurements.
I work away improving the already vastly improved. Even improving dishes that started out satisfactory. I make tiny changes in technique to improve texture, minor flips in seasoning to amp up flavor, and adjustments to cook times and levels of acidity.
Luckily nothing goes to waste during recipe development because the Junior Chefs in the house nearly always accept free food. In fact, they frequently provide me with valuable feedback. Other times, it’s disheartening. The worst of which is, “it was better before.” Which means I’ve tinkered too much.
The pursuit of perfection is a fickle target, often moving right when you think you’re close. It’s a bit obsessive and in all likelihood a treatable mental condition that leaves me consumed until I’ve deemed the result perfect. Which is, as I’m writing this I realize, absolutely insane because after all, flavors are entirely subjective. To one person a ghost pepper is spicy and to another ketchup.
Our palates have been shaped by our preferences, childhoods, experiences and exposure to food. Like snowflakes, no two are the same. For every dish I think needs improvement there is a person who thought it was perfect, and the opposite.
The most fun of these projects is when one of my kids wants to embark on these quests with me. Lately my 10-year-old has been challenging me — she’s the most eager to learn all the kitchen magic.
Along with most of the United States, she became obsessed with Dubai Chocolate — a viral sensation that consists of a runny pistachio and shredded phyllo dough paste enrobed in chocolate. We got our hands on two different bars, putting on our judging glasses while we discerningly tried both.
“I think we can make something better,” she said after noting the chocolate was too sweet and waxy and the pistachio mixture lacked depth. “I liked it though,” she assured me.
A fear of not being a part of future sweet treat trials was not a risk she wanted to take. That’s my girl.
Though I’m not in the practice of creating chocolate bars, I am in the business of making cookie balls — the original recipe for which has been included in an older column.
What if we changed the cookie ball into a Dubai Chocolate ball?
This time it only took one try.
“But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in Southwest Ohio with her four kids, two cats and a food memoir that’s ever-nearing completion. If she’s not playing tennis or at a yoga class, she’s in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.
DUBAI-CHOCOLATE INSPIRED COOKIE BALLS
1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup shelled pistachios
½ t pink Himalayan salt
1 cup dark chocolate, around 72% cocoa is great
1 T coconut oil
Steps:
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
- Blend until you’ve reached the texture of grainy playdoh.
- Mold mixture into 1-inch balls with your hands.
- Make the chocolate ganache by heating the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium low heat.
- Take balls and submerge halfway in melted chocolate, removing with a fork so the excess chocolate drips off. Rest dipped balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour, until chocolate hardens.
Note: Soft dates will work best here. If you happen to have a drier pack of dates, soak them in very warm water for 5 minutes before draining and adding to the food processor.
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