08 April 1820 - VENUS DE MILO IS DISCOVERED: A peasant on the Aegean
island of Milos uncovers a "fine marble statue" in an underground cave.
The find, dating from Ancient Greece, will be dubbed the Venus de Milo,
and in spite of, or perhaps partly because of its lack of arms, it will
become an art sensation.
It is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture, having
been prominently displayed at the Louvre Museum since shortly after the
statue was rediscovered on the island of Milos, Greece, in 1820.
The Venus de Milo is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of
love, whose Roman counterpart was Venus. The sculpture is sometimes
called the Aphrodite de Milos, due to the imprecision of naming the
Greek sculpture after a Roman deity (Venus). Some scholars theorize that
the statue actually represents the sea-goddess Amphitrite, who was
venerated on the island in which the statue was found. The work was
originally attributed to the 4th century BC Athenian sculptor
Praxiteles, but, based upon an inscription on its plinth, it is now
widely agreed that the statue was created later, and instead is the work
of Alexandros of Antioch.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Nipples of Venus
Categories: Chocolate, Candies, Dairy
Yield: 60 Truffles
MMMMM--------------------------GANACHE-------------------------------
19 oz High-quality dark chocolate;
- fine chopped
1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
6 tb Softened unsalted butter
32 oz High-quality dark chocolate;
- fine chopped for tempering
16 oz High-quality white chocolate
- finely chopped, for the
- final dip
For the ganache: Heat the cream just to boiling and pour
over chopped chocolate. Add softened butter and whisk
together slowly until emulsified and shiny. If necessary,
heat 30 seconds at a time if not fully melted.
Let this mixture sit at room temperature until it thickens
enough to pipe out, or stick the tray in the refrigerator
to hasten things.
With a piping bag and a No. 7 open piping tip, pipe onto a
parchment-lined sheet. Chill in the refrigerator or let
set up at room temperature.
For the tempering: Melting chocolate is usually done best
in a bain-marie or double boiler, which is just a pan of
hot or simmering water, with a bowl placed over it. Melt
about 2/3 of the chocolate. Use a bain-marie pan until the
chocolate is completely melted, not to exceed 120øF/49øC.
Alternatively, to melt the chocolate, place it in a small
heatproof bowl. Then rest it over a saucepan of barely
simmering water and leave for a few minutes, stirring
occasionally, until melted.
Remove from the heat, wiping the bottom of the bowl to
remove any water. Add the remainder of the chocolate and
stir in. The added chocolate should melt down. This will
recrystallize the chocolate, causing it to solidify. The
perfect temperature for dipping chocolates is between 88
and 90øF/32øF. If the chocolate is still too hot, allow
to cool further. If the chocolate gets too cool, the bowl
can go back briefly on the bain-marie. You can melt
chocolate in a microwave, choosing a low setting and after
initially melting for 30 seconds, use short hits of 10 to
15 seconds each time to see if it has melted.
For the white chocolate: Temper in the same fashion as the
dark chocolate, but the bain-marie or saucepan should have
very warm, not simmering water. Melting temperature should
not exceed 115øF/46øC. Dipping temperature should be
88øF/31øF.
Dipping the truffles: When the ganache has set, temper the
dark chocolate. With a tempering fork (or dinner fork)
immerse one truffle into the chocolate completely. Remove
from the chocolate and carefully shake off excess. Place
the truffle on a parchment-lined sheet. Continue with all
truffles, slowly reheating chocolate if necessary.
Chocolate can be maintained at a constant temperature by
putting a heating pad on its lowest temperature and
placing the bowl of chocolate on top. Cover with plastic
wrap.
After the white chocolate is tempered, dip just the tip of
the truffle in it.
Keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator
for up to a week, but these are best gobbled within a few
days (with help). They may be stored, tightly wrapped, in
the freezer. To defrost, remove from freezer and let
defrost still wrapped until they come to room temperature.
This will eliminate any condensation.
Truffles should be enjoyed at room temperature.
Variations: the cream can be infused with coffee, vanilla
beans, or tea by using a "cold infusion" method. This
method produces a pure flavor, free from the harshness you
sometimes get with a "hot infusion."
Place 1 vanilla bean cut in half and scraped out into the
cold cream, steeping in refrigerator for two days. Steep
with 2 teaspoons of black or green tea for one day. Steep
with 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee beans for one day.
Strain the material out and heat the cream as indicated in
recipe.
Makes 60 truffles
From:
http://recipes.epicurean.com
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