For the Love of Chocolate

Chef Scott's Sugar Working Station

Bleeding Heart Bakery's table  

     I was stationed in the Cocoa Sutra room which included: a hookah lounge, a sitar band, chocolate body painting, a fortune teller, belly dancer, massage station and all of it surrounded by tables of decadent chocolate desserts.  The mood was set with dim red/orange tinted lighting and it was Awesome!  The hookah lounge was full of draped shear and silky fabrics, pillows on the floor and low couches.  I was surprised how many people really settled in there dressed in their best and ready to relax.  The sitar band was really good!  It was Chris Freeman & Crew and they have taught me a whole new respect for the sitar.  "... the music seeks to integrate classical eastern music into a rock-electric context."*

     Cocoa Cuisine housed the savory chefs tables.  It smelled heavenly!  There were over 50 chefs at the event from restaurants such as: Graham Elliot, Everest, Takashi, Blackbird, La Sardine and Ria.  Chef Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill/Topolobampo), had his own station in one of the show kitchens (the gala took place in Merchandise Mart).  One of the girls in my class was lucky enough to be assigned to his station; she worked right smack in the middle of Chef Bayless and his (hot) sous chef.  Literally rubbing elbows with one of Chicago's most famous chefs!  We watched her with friendly envy through the display kitchen glass...

Wine Bike

      Anacron DJ'ed in Cocoa Candy Land and he was amazing.  I purposely walked around bussing tables in the area for a while because I loved him.  There were women in beautiful napkin dresses for people to take with their drinks.  A large brass bicycle with an "umbrella" of glasses around the top was riding around and serving wine, a wine bike!
      There was plenty to see while walking around enjoying extravagant desserts from Sarah's Pastries, Cake Nouveau and Boka, to name a few.  Marie Antoinette was working the room serving chocolate cake from her large tabletop skirt.  Models were being airbrushed with chocolate and others were wearing chocolate dresses.  You might also see an oompa loompa or one of several women dressed as candy.  Chef Scott Green worked on an impressive sugar sculpture while at the other end of the room the "cast" of I Love Lucy rolled truffles.

"Let them eat cake."
Marie Antoinette 

     Needless to say, it was amazing!  Next year I'm paying to go as a guest and strongly urging everyone I know to go as well.

Bo Peep Dress

*"2011 entertainment: Chris Freeman & Crew." Events Fortheloveofchocolatefoundation.org. 2007. February 6, 2011 http://www.fortheloveofchocolatefoundation.org