1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 495 Is there anyone who doesn't love chocolate?
The organizing committee did not make things difficult for the participants.

Almonds and chocolate are a classic combination in French desserts, offering a wide range of possibilities for making cakes, cookies, and candies.

Some contestants who frequently participate in formal culinary competitions even think the theme is too simple—there's no need for thought or discussion at all; just a few random thoughts can bring up more than a dozen related dessert names.

The tourists reacted enthusiastically when they heard about the competition.

Is there anyone in the world who doesn't love almonds and chocolate?

These are probably the two most widely accepted elements.

"This trip was worthwhile! I want to try all the contestants' dishes!"

"Almonds and chocolate are my two favorite flavors, and I can't wait! Hey, is anyone making almond chocolate shortbread balls?"

"There must be some, let's go look for it! I also want to eat almond chocolate cake."

The Provence Food Association and the Aix-en-Provence government's requirements for the first dessert competition were: to make it a lively and successful event, to closely link Aix-en-Provence with desserts, and to avoid any mishaps, so as to build a good reputation and popularity for the second competition next year.

It was precisely because of this desire for stability that they set the theme of the competition as almonds and chocolate.

This combination is so classic that the contestants don't even need to think; they can simply copy their best work.

The content of the competition directly determines its level.

For many skilled competitors, this kind of popular and basic topic requires a strong foundation in fundamentals and comprehension.

"Chocolate cake, with almond-flavored decorations and nuts, oh, I can already taste it in my mouth."

In the first half of the competition, the contestants were preparing their raw materials, so there wasn't much to see. The judges made a quick round and then left.

But there was much more to talk about in the second half. Some of the desserts were already showing their general shape. From this point on, the judges started to patrol more frequently, and the members of the organizing committee and guests also came out to observe the competition area in turn.

Llorente was exchanging ideas with one of the judges:

"The previous contestant made an almond cake topped with chocolate sauce and fruit. Before that, there was a contestant who made a caramel almond cake with a chocolate crust. There are so many contestants choosing cakes."

The judge smiled and spread his hands:

"Cake is the best medium for blending and showcasing, and it's not easy to make mistakes. Besides, who can resist a cake with almond and chocolate elements?"

The group continued forward, arriving at the next group of competitors, where Llorente once again smiled:
"Oh, almond chocolate shortbread balls, that's a classic combination too!"

Almond chocolate tarts are a French dessert inspired by caramelized marzipan. In the 17th century, a French chef introduced this improved dessert at the birthday banquet of Duke Louis XIII. Since then, almond chocolate tarts have become a regular in candy stores and are displayed in shop windows. Before holidays, children will often cry and beg their parents to buy them some.

After taking a few more steps forward, Llorente smiled and looked at his Axe government colleagues behind him:

"And Calison! Whether you top it with chocolate powder or drizzle it with chocolate ice cream, it's a fantastic combination. I can't wait to have a feast."

The official walked happily toward the local player:

"Oh, this is my favorite Caesarson today!"

To make the event more lively, the organizing committee invited more than fifty teams of participants from Provence.

However, after looking around, the variety of desserts was not very rich, always revolving around a few classic combinations. In addition to almond chocolate cake, almond chocolate shortbread, and the famous kalisson from Aix-en-Provence, there were also almond chocolate nougat, almond chocolate croissant/Danish pastry, almond chocolate brownie, almond chocolate shortbread, and almond chocolate macaron, etc.

The shapes may vary wildly, but the core types are always the same. After seeing too many, it's easy to get tired of them and lose interest. At first, people were actively commenting, but later they just watched and stopped talking.

Commenting and scoring are the responsibility of the judges; even if they have nothing to say, they should still read through the reviews in order.

However, some guests and officials did not have such patience.

Cake, it's cake again.

Almond candy, almond candy again.

Macarons, I don't want to eat macarons anymore!

They unconsciously quickened their pace, stretching the entire procession into a long, thin line, hoping to finish quickly and return to their comfortable rest area.

"what?"

One of the guests who had sprinted to the front suddenly spoke up, breaking the slightly subdued atmosphere.

The man waved to his companions behind him:

"Come and take a look, I can't even figure out what they're trying to do here."

Everyone immediately quickened their pace.

Has any contestant come up with a new and creative twist on traditional desserts?

The lively atmosphere that had just been stirred up quickly returned to calm, because no one could tell what was prepared in the preparation area. Everyone craned their necks to look at the end of the line with anticipation.

The real professionals and judges are there.

Llorente always had that enthusiastic look on his face, and no matter how many almond chocolate cakes he saw, he would look at them with surprise as if he were seeing them for the first time.

He was discussing with the judges what made this cake different from the other dozen or so in front of one of the contestants' areas when he looked up and noticed some of his colleagues, who had previously been completely out of sight, were now stopped in front of a preparation area, seemingly waiting for them to pass. Looking at the contestants inside, Llorente's smile widened even more.

"What's wrong, friends? There are too many tourists in front of our popular contestant, can't they squeeze in?"

There were indeed quite a few tourists watching in front of Ronan's preparation area, but it was still easy to squeeze in, although even if they did manage to get in, they wouldn't understand what was going on.

A local official in Aix said to Llorente with a smile:
"This might require you to explain it in detail."

Ronan and Leah followed the same work order as the other contestants, spending the first few tens of minutes preparing ingredients, such as melting chocolate, which they had planned beforehand.

However, since the two had warmed up for more than an hour, they could immediately get into the atmosphere of the competition. They also knew the content of the competition in advance and made very thorough preparations, so their progress was a little faster than the other contestants. The dessert in front of them was almost finished.

Why say "almost formed" instead of "already formed"?

Because Ronan saw the judges arrive, he excitedly said:

"You've come at just the right time. This piece is almost finished with just one last step. Who will finish it for me? It's very simple, just cut it open."

The competition is scheduled for 90 minutes, but contestants are allowed to finish early and be judged in advance.

With over fifty groups of contestants bringing their work at the 90-minute mark, how long will the judges have to eat?

However, Ronan was indeed the first contestant to finish today, and there are still 30 minutes left until the deadline.

The judges formed a circle, scrutinizing his unassuming creation, which was unlike any traditional French dessert they were familiar with.

"The base is more moist, unlike a cake."

"It's not mousse-like; all I can tell is that it's topped with frosting and almond ice cream."

The judges looked at Llorente, wondering what he had to say.

They don't understand this dessert, but isn't that embarrassing?

They hoped that the tactful Llorente could resolve this awkward dilemma.

In some things, Llorente is better than others, such as being flexible and adaptable.

He didn't engage in any internal conflict and humbly sought advice.

"What is this?"

Ronan handed him the spoon:
"I'll say the name after I finish the last step; it'll be easier to understand that way."

Llorente picked up his spoon and asked the judges around him:
"Everyone, are you ready to score? I'm going to cut now?"

His response was a series of urgings.

Llorente inserted the spoon into the cake-like substance and found it to be very easy to cut into, especially after cutting in; the feel was incredibly smooth, as if the outer layer and the inside were made of two different materials.

He slowed down his movements, wanting to carefully feel the texture of the spoon. Almost instantly, a large amount of viscous, chocolate-like liquid gushed out from near the cut.

Llorente was startled and pulled the spoon away.

Ronan then picked up a spoon and cut a slit in the dessert.

"This dessert is called Almond Lava Chocolate."

In normal history, in 1987, a French Michelin three-star chef was developing a new dessert when he discovered that the uncured chocolate sauce in the center of the cake had a volcanic eruption-like molten center due to insufficient baking time. However, he did not do anything about this "incident" but only mentioned it as an interesting story at a gathering of colleagues.

In 1991, an American chef who had previously worked in the French pastry industry added lava cake to the menu for the first time at his restaurant in New York. After being promoted by the media, the dessert became popular all over the world.

No one in the world doesn't love chocolate, especially molten chocolate. Even though it arrived four years early, its arrival still had a huge impact.

The judges urged Ronan to quickly share the food, eager to taste it.

Having seen too many similar works, they were completely captivated by this innovative creation.

"God, this texture brings out the best in chocolate."

"The flavor of the almond ice cream was also fully brought out, creating a concerto of ice and fire in my mouth."

"This is amazing, this work is amazing."

Llorente licked the spoon, seemingly wanting more, and asked Ronan:
"This is truly a great invention. May I ask how you manage to maintain the chocolate in this precise state?"

In an earlier conversation today, Ronan candidly shared his method for making cherry tart crusts without reservation. Llorente thought he would get the same result this time, but to his surprise, Ronan refused to answer his questions in public.

“Sorry, Llorente, now is not the time to talk about this.” Ronan wiped the chocolate off his fingers and stood next to the busy Leah. “The competition is still going on, and we need to prepare our second piece.”

Numerous exclamations arose simultaneously.

"What, you have other works?"

(End of this chapter)