This book is to be published tomorrow, Feb. 17, 2009
Here is an article about it from a Tulsa newspaper...
Chocolate for breakfast. Why not?
http://www.tulsaworld.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?subjectid=39&articleid=20090211_39_D3_Chocol58803
Chocolate-chocolate pancakes are found in "Chocolate for Breakfast."
By NATALIE MIKLES World Scene Writer
Published: 2/11/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 2/13/2009 11:38 AM
It's definitely decadent, somewhat indulgent and just a little bit naughty.
It's "Chocolate for Breakfast."
And for author Barbara Passino, it's more than a catchy book title. At her Napa Valley bed and breakfast, the Oak Knoll Inn, every morning starts with chocolate for breakfast. Not just chocolate, mind you. But every breakfast has at least a little.
It's no wonder. Passino's mother tells her the first piece of solid food she ate was a chocolate brownie.
"I didn't stand a chance after that first brownie," she said.
When Passino opened the Oak Knoll Inn 17 years ago, she didn't set out to serve chocolate for breakfast. For a chocolate-lover like herself, it was just a natural thing to do.
"I didn't even realize it until one of my guests pointed it out to me. She said, 'This is the fifth day you've had chocolate on the menu.' Really?" she said.
By now it's tradition, whether in the form of chocolate crepes, chocolate tacos filled with fresh fruit, chocolate-filled toast pillows or a chocolate omelet with blueberries in a pinot noir sauce.
"People who come here are going to be going out and drinking wine around 11 in the morning, so it's good they have something good and solid for breakfast," she said.
Passino has no problem with your typical "chocolate for breakfast" fare — hot chocolate, chocolate-chip muffins, chocolate croissants. But it's the unexpected, like the chocolate omelet, that delights her guests. It's also the reason
she wrote the cookbook.
Guests asked so often for the recipes that Passino began writing them down, freely sharing them with guests and friends, letting them help her with the testing.
And Passino loves the idea that people can re-create the luxury of a Napa Valley inn wherever they live.
"During the week," she said, "you have your oatmeal or grab a bagel, but on the weekend, sitting down to a nice breakfast is a way to get the family together, to relax."
Yes, and to eat chocolate omelets.
Here are some reviews of it, plus a recipe from it:
Chocolate for Breakfast: The Cookbook, Oak Knoll Inn, Napa Valley (Hardcover)
by Barbara Passino (Author), Antonia Allegra (Editor), Marc Hoberman (Photographer)
- 288 pages
-Publisher: Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection (February 17, 2009)
-Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1919939555
- ISBN-13: 978-1919939551
-Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.7 x 1.3 inches
-Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
Product Description
With over 100 detailed recipes and 260 full color photographs, this lavishly illustrated cookbook is the ultimate tribute to the world's favorite indulgence. Chocolate connoisseur and chef extraordinaire Barbara Passino is renowned for her sinfully decadent breakfasts, which she serves daily at the luxurious Oak Knoll Inn, situated in the heart of Napa Valley, California. "Chocolate for Breakfast" is a sumptuous collection of Barbara's passion-filled techniques, philosophies and anecdotes, all presented in easy-to-follow recipes and illustrated with the spectacular photography of renowned photographer Marc Hoberman. Menus with a chocolate twist inspired from cultures around the world are presented, including Italian, French, Asian, Moroccan, Spanish and American, as well as some fun surprises such as breakfast ideas for Valentines Day, the secret to making a perfect bed (who says breakfast has to be at the table?), a Chocolate-y proposal and a lot more.
About the Author
Marc Hoberman is a photographer, designer, author and director of The Hoberman Collection, a publisher of luxury photographic coffee table books. From a young age he has travelled the world, camera in hand, capturing the striking images that have earned him his reputation. Commissioned by many prestigious organisations and publications including Vogue, Historic Royal Palaces and the Elton John Aids Foundation, he is also an official photographer for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, working with many of the world's leading movie stars. Marc lives in London with his wife Sarah. Barbara Passino is the proprietor/chef of Oak Knoll Inn, a luxurious, intimate inn nestled amidst rows of grapevines in Napa Valley, California's Wine Country. Her decadent breakfasts have become the stuff of California legend and attract people 'in the know' from all over the world. Leaving behind 15 years in the world of finance, Barbara took a break from creating the mutual fund business at Charles Schwab and studied with master chef Marcella Hazan in Venice. Hungry for learning about other cultures through the way food is incorporated into daily life, Barbara combined travel with the study of cooking and was inspired to turn her passion into a full-time dream-come-true, in the heart of Napa Valley with her husband John. All of this culminated in the greatest breakfasts imaginable.
Serve these pancakes with a raspberry sauce or sliced strawberries.
CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE PANCAKES
1 2/3 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 ¼ cup (plus up to ¼ cup more) milk
1. Put the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar through a sieve placed over a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and vanilla together. Add melted butter, then milk and continue to blend. Pour the liquid mix over the dry ingredients, and stir thoroughly. It should be about the consistency of a really good chocolate milkshake.
2. Place a platter in the oven and turn the heat to 200 degrees. As you make the pancakes, put them on the platter so that they stay warm until you’re ready to serve.
3. Place a griddle or a large skillet over moderate heat and brush the surface with a little melted butter. Using a ladle, drop batter onto the griddle to make pancakes about 2 to 3 inches across. Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles appear on the surface. Flip gently and cook for another minute on the other side.
