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I’m a Chocolatier Whose Passion is Baking By Zach Townsend |
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It’s very important to me to select the right type of chocolate for my desserts, not just for the percentage cacao but also flavor. I believe in letting customers know exactly what chocolate is being used in my desserts because I believe it adds interest for them and creates more enjoyment. I love to experiment with many types of fine chocolate, including Patric, Askinosie, Scharffen Berger, Original Hawaiian, to name a few. The chocolate I love to use the most, however, is Valrhona, an extremely high-quality chocolate produced in France. To me, Valrhona has the most interesting and complex flavors and is a beautiful chocolate to work with. Valrhona is one of the best produced and most interesting chocolates in the world. My training over the years has taken place in many interesting ways, in both baking and chocolate. Since 2006, I have been an assistant to Rose Levy Beranbaum, Cookbook of the Year award-winning author of The Cake Bible and other classic books on baking, including The Bread Bible and The Pie and Pastry Bible. In 2009, Rose published her ninth book, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, her second book to win the IACP Cookbook of the Year award. I was honored to have been heavily involved with recipe testing and writing for this book and to have a featured recipe. I have also complemented my
self-studies with courses in baking and chocolate at the Cordon Bleu
in Paris, France, and I am a graduate of the Ecole Chocolat
Professional School of Chocolate Arts.
Chocolate I have also always been fascinated with the grand chocolatiers of Paris, such as La Maison du Chocolat and Jean-Paul Hévin. It was during my travels to France in the 1990s that that I met Marc Jambon, the son of Michel Jambon, one of the founders of Jeff de Bruges chocolates. I became good friends with Marc and eventually with the family, spending time with them in their beautiful Paris home for meals and casual visits. At one point, Michel sat down with me and talked to me about the concept of Belgian vs. French chocolate. Marc would often give me a box of Jeff de Bruges chocolates as a gift. In fact, my first experiences with fine chocolate were those boxes of Jeff de Bruges chocolates. It took a lot of effort to share them with my friends and not consume them all by myself. Eventually, my love for chocolate guided me toward chocolate desserts, and I have been focusing solely on creating them since 2003. In 2009, I worked in Paris alongside Miyuki Watanabe of Gérard Mulot fame at her pastry shop La Petite Rose. There are so many words that can be used to describe chocolate—sensual; luxurious; complex; beautiful in appearance, flavor, and aroma. Chocolate as a dessert medium is so interesting in all its forms, and there are so many fun things that can be done with it in all its different flavor combinations that I feel I will never lose inspiration for creating new things. As a chocolatier and chef, my philosophy is create for others what is personal to you and you’ll have great success. |
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usually boxes of chocolates and
truffles. Instead, I focus on combining the elements of baking with
chocolate to produce unique desserts. I would describe a signature dessert by Zach Townsend as one
with many layers, incorporating mousses (which I love), thin layers
of cake and other textural elements; I love multi-layered desserts
with ultra thin cake. I’m also a huge lover of the classic flavor
combinations and classic dessert styles. Although I’m intrigued by
trends, I usually turn toward timeless classics, but my customers’
tastes in the market also dictate what I make.