Nectar of the God,

sabiatteyih | 5/25/2007 10:51 am | The Chef's Table

In a giant leap from an unassuming building on Madison's near-east side on the second floor at the corner of East Main and First, to a Storefront on bustling, eclectic Atwood Avenue, Gail Ambrosius is making, packaging and selling handmade truffles, chocolates and sorbet.

I had the chance to sit-down with Gail

Sabi: What is with the name?
Gail: That is my real name; I was born with that name.
Ambrosius is Greek for "Nectar of the gods."

S: That sounds like chocolate!
G: It certainly does. Some people say I was made to make chocolate.

S: When did your interest in making truffles start?
G: When I was very small I loved to cook, and one of my favorite things was helping my mother make her chocolate pudding. Chocolate was like the best thing you ever had.

S: Did you have any other than Mom's schooling?
G: Yes. I did a lot of self-schooling, but then I went to chocolate school. I studied with a woman from Vancouver. I also went to France, and studied with chocolate makers, and visited numerous chocolatiers in Paris.

S: Was visiting the chocolate shops part of the training?
G: Oh, yes, and many samplings. I came home from the trip with probably 50 pounds of chocolate, finished chocolate.

S: Can you demystify one thing about chocolate makers or chocolates?
G: People always ask "Why are you so thin?" You don't have to be fat, or overweight to be a chocolate maker. High percentage cacao chocolate is very healthy for you. It has a lot of flavonoids in it, and those are chemicals that react in your body and produce a good feeling. They stimulate a feeling of well-being, kind of that "in love" feeling. Studies revealed that it's good for your heart, and it can help lower cholesterol. People think, "Oh, I shouldn't treat myself to chocolate"- like it's a guilty pleasure. It doesn't need to be. Chocolate is good for you, and if you have one good piece of dark chocolate, you're so much more satisfied than if you ate some big candy bar that's mostly sugar.

S: What is percentage of cacao in chocolate?
G: It is the percentage of pure cacao to the total mass of chocolate. The other percentage would be sugar. In a normal chocolate bar that you buy in a grocery store, it's probably between 8 and 12% cocoa mass, and the rest is mostly sugar. My chocolates, by contrast, start at 62% and go up to 82%, and my average is 70%, I would say.

S: Your truffles look delicious. What's with the Asian symbols and the Buddha?
G: That was my idea! The symbol is a Sanskrit "Ohm". I love the Buddha! The Buddha is very playful, it makes people smile, and I mean no disrespect at all. It's made with a Madagascar chocolate, and monkey king green tea.

S: What is particularly unique about your truffles?
G: I use several tea flavors in my chocolates, and people aren't used to that. But I find that the tea infused with the cream that you put into the centers of the truffles adds a very subtle layer, and it makes people wonder what that layer of flavor is. I use rose and white peony tea, Earl Grey is one of my favorites, but jasmine pearls- that's a very delicate flavor. It's a little sweet; I think it's delicious. The other thing I think I do that's unique is, I use all dark chocolate. Most chocolatiers use white, or milk. I like dark chocolate. I use only really good chocolate. I spend a little extra money on my sources because I think it's worth it.

S: Running a small business is a constant challenge. How is it for a woman-run business?
G: You hit it right on the head. Being a woman, I think people say, "Oh, this is a hobby; oh this is cute, you're making chocolate." Yes, this is my business, it's just me, there's no partner, there's no husband. I have a home; I have a son, and people have to take me seriously. It's serious!
Running a small business is challenging; it's like having a baby, a new baby, and an expensive baby. It's very demanding of my time, but I enjoy it. To keep going, you have to love what you're doing, and be passionate about it.

G: As for a chocolate recipe, my mom's Chocolate Pudding is delicious and easy to make.

1/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup of sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups milk, divided (1-1/2 cups and 1/2 cup)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter
Mix cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a double broiler over medium heat with 1-1/2 cups of milk. Stir until warm. Mix egg with the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Stir this into warm milk mixture and bring to boil, stir until it begins to thicken. Stir in vanilla and butter. Pour into dessert dishes. Chill and serve to four lucky people, approximately 5 ounces per serving.

I never needed an excuse to enjoy a chunk of seductive chocolate.
Nowadays, chocolate consumption is not limited to traditional chocolate holidays (i.e Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, "¦). As a matter of fact, many national chocolate manufacturers are including a dark-chocolate choice for adults to their offerings.
As Gail states in her truffle menu:
"May you live all your dreams and love all your chocolates"

Gail Ambrosius "” Chocolatier
2086 Atwood Ave
Madison, Wisconsin 53704
(608) 249-3500 phone
(608) 249-3501 fax
www.gailambrosius.com

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