Sneak Peek: Baume Chocolates

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Look forward to the day you can try these incredible chocolates at Baume.

Chef Bruno Chemel of Palo Alto’s Baume can be a bit of a mad scientist.

With his molecular gastronomy creations that foam, smoke, fizz and bubble savagely at the dining table, you’d think that any chocolates he would make would be equally jaw-dropping wild.

But instead, they are as timelessly elegant and chic as can be.

Chemel doesn’t make chocolates very often. No time. But on his rare days off from his nearly one- year-old restaurant, which just received a coveted one Michelin star, he likes to pull out molds, temper chocolate and stir ganache. Sometimes, he even enlists the help of his 6-year-old son, Antoine, who is a whiz at piping.

For Chemel, chocolate-making is relaxing — which, he jokes, his pastry chef thinks is preposterous.

Chef Bruno Chemel of Baume.

Next year, Chemel hopes to find the time and a way to incorporate his chocolates into the restaurant. Let’s hope so, because recently, the chef allowed me to try some of the bonbons. They are exquisite.

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A Daring Pairing with Clam Udon

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What would you pair with this warming bowl of clam udon?

San Francisco’s Evan Goldstein knows his wine.

After all, he was only the eighth American — and the youngest ever at the time — to pass the rigorous Master Sommelier certification back in 1987.

Now, he wants you to know your wine, too — particularly the more daring varietals.

After all, we probably are way too accustomed to reaching for Chardonnay and Cabarnet Sauvignon. But when’s the last time you had the nerve to uncork an Albariño, Tempranillo, Carmenere or Touriga Nacional?

In his newest book, “Daring Pairings” (University of California Press), Goldstein spotlights 36 edgy varietals to get to know. Then, he assigned one of them to each of 36 chef friends to come up with a homecook-friendly dish.

With the chilly, drizzly weather of late, I decided to try making “Steamed Manila Clams with Udon” from Larry Tse of The House in San Francisco. The dish is paired with Albariño, a medium-bodied, crisp, dry white with plenty of citrusy acid.

An easy dashi stock is made with dried kelp, instant dashi granules, soy sauce, leek and dried bonito flakes. Udon noodles are cooked in boiling water till toothsome. And fresh clams — one of the most sustainable seafood around — are cooked until their shells open.

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Coffee Cup with a Cause

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Funny man Will Ferrell designed this coffee cup for 7-Eleven. (Photo courtesy of 7-Eleven)

The next time you swing into 7-Eleven for a cup of Joe, you can lend a helping hand to cancer survivors.

All you have to do is purchase a snazzy Will Ferrell-designed coffee cup as part of the convenience store company’s annual “Coffee Cup with A Cause” campaign.

The zany actor is the fifth celebrity to design a coffee cup for 7-Eleven, joining the ranks of Snoop Dogg, John Cena, Jennifer Hudson and Nicole Ritchie. His snowman cup is for sale through Jan. 3 or until supplies last.

Proceeds from the cup will benefit Cancer for College, a California-based charity that provides support to cancer survivors through academic scholarships. Since its inception in 1993, it has granted more than $1 million in scholarships to more than 800 cancer survivors and amputees.

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Rockin’ Rolls

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Herb-inflected rolls with unforgettable flavor.

That’s precisely what these are.

Crispy on the outside, pillowy inside, and suffused with fresh parsley, dill, chives and rosemary for an herbal blast.

These aren’t rolls that you put out just to have something on the side. No, these are rolls with personality that you remember.

The recipe for “Overnight Herb Rolls” is from Chef Bradley Ogden, a pioneer in contemporary American cooking. He created these when he was head chef at the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur (now the Tavern at Lark Creek).

The recipe is from “The Sunset Cookbook” (Oxmoor House), which is quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks of the year with its more than 1,000 recipes culled from the magazine that covers the West.

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A Few of Jamie Oliver’s Favorite Things

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Mustard with a real kick.

Celeb chef and kids’ nutrition revolutionary, Jamie Oliver, has searched the United Kingdom for handmade, artisan food products to share with the rest of the world.

His hand-picked collection of condiments, cookies and teas — under the Jme label — is now available at Williams-Sonoma.

Recently, I got a chance to sample some of the products, many of which would make great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

Jamie Oliver's mustard is chunky and complex.

First up, Jme One Mean Mustard.

Don’t you just love the name?

It sure packs a punch with jalapeno, tumeric, paprika, dark brown sugar and white wine vinegar.

More like a mustard crossed with a chutney, it’s spicy, tangy, sweet, chunky and complex. One taste had me thinking of how great this would be slathered over grilled chicken.

An 8.3-ounce jar is $14.

Buttery, nutty cookies.

Next, Jme Nutty Pecan & Pumpkin Seed Biscuits. Made by London bakers, these shortbread cookies are extremely buttery and crunchy, with a distinct vanilla flavor. Made with Welsh butter, they’re studded with nuts and seeds for added contrast.

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