petite pig pen

pig digs

Happy Friday! Every week I find such fabulous things when I'm supposed to be working, but I'm going to try my best to condense it to a once-a-month list (trying to devote more time to necessities, less to surfing).

In addition to the links this month I found myself surprised that I kind of love Shakira as a host on The Voice, I made a lot of rhubarb desserts (soon to be posted) and oatmeal with tofu, an egg and Sriracha (a la Sang Yoon) is maybe the most sustaining breakfast ever (sounds gross, but really, try it sometime). Other than that, Mother's Day is right around the corner so keep an eye out for the new collection - out this Monday!

: Thank you David Lebovitz for giving me yet another reason to be sad I don't live in Paris

: Next read
: Next doc
: Loving this Garden of Delight
: Next stop: Brazil
: A little freaked, but totally intrigued
: Never knew making ink is such a beautiful craft
: Spaniards truly take gin & tonics to a whole new level
: 30 best places if you love to read
: Never mind that Karlie always looks this good, love that this was shot in our backyard
: Every young cook and/or culinary student should watch this
: If you aren't regularly visiting this blog, you really should. She's 17!
: Take me to Tulum
: A fun quiz to find your best city match
: Great idea for gussying up otherwise old-fashioned pearls
: Bought the black pair and love them so much, I'm also getting the lime pair
: More Paris lusting
: Eco-friendly bee's wrap
: The perfect minimalist, chic outfit
: Sunday supper

petite pig in Martha Stewart Weddings

Big news to share - HUGE, actually. petite pig chocolates are in the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine!!! It's surreal to see my little golden eggs printed - it's like reaching wedding magazine Mecca.

As part of a fun spread on all things chocolate, the Martha Stewart crew reached out to me in January to take part and I thought I was dreaming when I read the email. Little ole petite pig contacted by Martha Stewart? I mean, how did this happen?

The whole issue is pretty amazing, filled with gorgeous details and beautiful weddings. I'm savoring every last page. Get your copy on newsstands now, download it on your iPad or catch some sneak peeks online!

Campfire Bananas Foster and 100 Layer Cake

Who doesn't love a good beach party? The GATHER girls styled a gorgeous beach rehearsal dinner shoot that was featured on 100 Layer Cake a couple weeks ago and petite pig was fortunate enough to take part.

The GATHER girls envisioned a cozy get together, filled with pretty paper details, big knits, delicious cocktails and yummy treats.

Lupa & Pepi made clever little favor tags for our Pigmints and when the GATHER girls asked me to come up with a fun beach side dessert we decided on campfire bananas foster.

Banans, rum, caramel, whipped cream...it's a combo that can't miss. By putting the bananas on skewers and roasting them fireside, it adds a fun interactive element without falling back on the ole standby S'mores (which there is nothing wrong with at all).

At home you can re-create the same thing, either by making a classic bananas foster in a pan, firing bananas under the broiler or roasting over an open gas flame, like I did when I tested the recipe. After roasting, dip the bananas in rum, light a match and instant bananas foster! We finished it with salted caramel sauce, candied pecans and vanilla whipped cream, but the possibilities are endless. Just because it's a classic dessert doesn't mean you can't change things up!

A big thanks to the GATHER girls, Heather Kincaid for her beautiful photos, the rest of the team which I was so lucky to be in great company with and of course, 100 Layer Cake for the post. Please check it out if you haven't already!

(photos by Heather Kincaid for 100 Layer Cake and petite pig)

Perspective

A week and a half ago, an opportunity fell in my lap out of nowhere that would have changed our lives pretty drastically. In a matter of 48 hours, we were planning on moving (out of L.A.), there was talk of me having to put petite pig on the back burner for some time and everything about our lives as we know it was going to change. It was bittersweet in the sense that we've talked about moving for a while and it was kind of exciting, but we never expected the opportunity to arise so quickly. Suddenly we were faced with leaving without having time to say goodbye to L.A. and our friends. There was so much we were going to miss - our walks to the farmer's market, LACMA, K-town, the weather, great food, the tuba player down the street...all the big and small things we've grown to love in the last five years.

But, after that dramatic 48 hours, the deal fell through and we were back to where we were before all of this happened. It was strange because at first I was really upset that it didn't fall through, but then I was relieved because we didn't have to say goodbye to all of the things we love here. Not to mention I didn't have to give up petite pig.

Admittedly, before all of this happened though, I was feeling unmotivated, a bit discouraged and scared about what the future holds with running a confectionery business (showcased clearly in the lack of blog posts). So what this whole experience gave me was a new perspective on things. I realized (well, G helped me realize) that our life is really good here. I can pursue what I love and grow a business into something I can be proud of. I was reminded that I have the ability to nurture my craft, continue to be creative and yet have the flexibility in my day-to-day life to focus on the other things I love in my life, too. Not many people have that kind of situation and I now know all of this happened for a reason. It stirred the pot, lit the fire, changed my perspective. Sometimes we all need is a good shake every now and then.

Crack Nuts

Every pastry chef and chocolatier loves nuts. Okay, maybe not every one, but I've never met one who doesn't. I've also never met a nut I don't like and most of the time my favorite way to eat them is straight out of the shell, unadulterated. But when we're talking about crack nuts, well, I can eat those all day long and they're covered in sugar.

The proper name is simply candied, but these are made differently than the ones most people are familiar with that are tossed in sugar and roasted. I've never cared much for those because of the sandy texture and raw flavor of sugar. These, on the other hand, have an even caramelized sugar coating around each nut and I promise you, once you eat one, you won't be able to stop.

The instructions may seem unfamiliar, but truly anyone can make these. Even heat and constant stirring is all it takes. You'll see the sugar go from liquid to sandy to liquid again, then finally the gorgeous caramel glassiness that shatters in your mouth ever so slightly when you pop them in your mouth. Kind of like the sugar cap on creme brûlée. Mmm...

You can add any number of spices to them, jar them, gift them, hide them for emergencies or unforgiving hoarding. Extras can be paired with a cheese plate for a simple summer dinner or as a garnish as these little beauties were for wedding favors. A traditional way of finishing them, known as dragées, is to coat them in thin layers of chocolate and tossing them in cocoa powder or powdered sugar. I like them just the way they are, like Billy Joel said.

Crack Nuts

2 oz sugar

2t water

6 oz pecans or almonds

pat of butter

Place sugar in a heavy bottomed pan ~4 qt (wider is better than narrow and deep).

Add water to make the sugar look like wet sand.

Heat on high until the sugar starts to boil. Add the nuts.

Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring evenly. It will go from glossy to sandy in a couple minutes. Keep stirring but gently to not break the nuts.

As the sugar coating starts to melt, make sure to stir the nuts evenly so they don't burn as they begin to brown. The sugar on the nuts will soon start to caramelize and continue cooking until every nut is coated in caramelized sugar.

Off the heat, add a pat of butter and coat evenly (if adding spices, add now and toss).

Turn the nuts onto a parchment lined sheet pan or one that is lightly sprayed with oil. With gloves, separate each nut and set aside to cool.

Munch and try to resist eating them all in one sitting.

If you don't eat them all, place them in an airtight jar or bag with some desiccant to keep them from getting sticky.

Mentions

The last month at petite pig has been full of fun and surprises. Projects in the wings, development of new flavors for upcoming seasons, collaborating with creative friends and colleagues and most flattering, two mentions on two incredible sites.

Having been a longtime fan of both Green Wedding Shoes and Oh Joy!, it was a huge compliment to be featured on their sites. If you aren't regularly checking in on them, hop on over there to see what you've been missing!

pig digs

There is this creeping feeling that Pinterest will start taking over the digs list, but sometimes you just need a list to keep things straight. Lists are awesome - they maintain sanity. While some of these discoveries were made early last month the list was compiled slowly. Mostly because, well, it's been a little busy here at petite pig. Keeping up with everything in addition to actually making chocolate is a little tricky. And here's a secret about most chefs: we are best in the kitchen. Or at least we hope we are, which usually means we're not so savvy out of the kitchen. There has been a bit of a learning curve with all of these other things that tote along with running a chocolate business. But there's still time to tinker around with new recipes (newbies coming out next week for Mother's Day!) and peruse the web to fill in the gaps. Enough chatter...onto the list!

: This diet speaks for itself
: My kind of pop up
: If only every employer cared about the health of their employees this much
: Normally not one to follow trends, but I'm all over this one
: Obsessed with the cast of Downton Abbey and this jewellery line (click on collection)
: I would like my pantry to look this organized. And I would like to eat at the restaurant that keeps it.
: Arm candy
: And for the hands
: Everyone needs a golden spoon
: Camp coffee nostalgia
: And if you can't go camping, you can make your house smell like you are
: Speaking of scents, I would like this to be my next one
: When I have time to shop again (in a real store)
: Can't wait to see this movie
: Gorgeous restaurants

Highlights

It's a bit of a delayed wrap up of Unveiled, but better later than never! For petite pig's first wedding show, it was a fantastic experience if not only for the amazing people I was fortunate to meet - Andrea from Superfine Bakery, Chandra of Oh Lovely Day and Laura from Beautiful Day Photography just to name a few. It was a blustery day but we stood our ground and miraculously escaped the wind unscathed. Thanks to the girls from GATHER Events for letting me share their booth space, Megan - couldn't have done it without you, Tower Films for excellent company and extra storage space, Wolfgang Puck Catering and An Catering for delicious treats and Plan A Events for throwing the event!

(photos courtesy of Karina Pires)

petite pig

A Website is Born

After months of collaboration and lots of hard work, petitepigchocolates.com is finally live! I could not have done any of this without the help of my husband, our great friend Ryan, the amazing designer Russ and the talented Jake. Thank you so much for all the hours of work and putting up with me going back and forth with details >_<

That being said, there are still some things I would like to polish up but one thing I have learned with launching something is that you just have to dive in. Take the plunge, don't look back, onward and upward. For now, with bleary eyes I will dream of...truffle cones.

Unveiled

Please join us at Unveiled on Sunday April 1st! We are debuting a fun new chocolate favor and an assortment of treats. A sneak peak after the jump with more to come.

petite pig

Is it ice cream? Is it chocolate? Come find out at Unveiled on Sunday!

Soolip

The ever-fabulous girls from GATHER Events were, and always are, so nice to invite me to join them at A Soolip Wedding on Sunday. It was the most gorgeous day in Los Angeles - a balmy 80º - and couldn't be set in a more beautiful place than the Bel Air Bay Club. I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon than sipping Acai cocktails (mojitos and pink lemonade anyone?), nibbling on tasty h'ors oeuvres and best of all, meeting some the best and most creative pros in the wedding arena. Jumping into this world of weddings and events has been so much more fun and motivating than I could have imagined. Everyone I have met has been so gracious, candid, helpful and inspiring.

For a full list of vendors that participated in Soolip check them out here, but some of my favs were Utterly Engaged (Henny is cuter than a button and I want to put her my pocket), Tower Films, Archive Vintage Rentals, Soolip naturally and, of course, GATHER Events. Can't wait for the next one! Unveiled is coming up April 1st so stay tuned.

pig digs

Even though I have been living in L.A. for a few years now and it is my day-to-day reality, my memory of the city will always be the way I imagined it before I moved here. A vintage version of the city with the requisite palm trees, beaches, fit and tan people, mid-century modern design. That image makes it easy to dream up a menu of retro flavors so the wheels are turning. In between while I let the cogs rest, I browse the internet mindlessly and find all sorts of fun things. Lists help to keep things straight and the bonus is sharing it with anyone who cares to look!

: The perfect pencil pouch
: Spring showers bring May flowers
: One-use tools are a pet peeve, especially ones a knife can accomplish, but just I bought
one of these and it's great.
: Next on the drink list
: As if I couldn't love this Chef any more
: Inside peek
: More than just beautiful shoes
: Perfect for lattes and melted butter
: Play with your chocolate
: My next book (the first one)
: And the room I would like to read it in
: Dreamy vacation
: Must eats - I love L.A.
: But Seattle is so cool
: And so is New York

Salted Sweets

There was a time when peanuts freaked me out - is that weird? Something about the softish shell and papery skin, not to mention the whole GMO thing, that made me uneasy. I love nuts, all kinds, especially when paired with chocolate, but when it comes to peanuts or peanut butter, I have always preferred its partner in crime - jam. However, the thing I have discovered with my forays into testing chocolate with family and friends is that people love them some peanut butter with chocolate.

Peanut butter with chocolate always seemed too rich and sweet for me so I had to do something different. The challenge with making a chocolate that is comforting, appealing and delicious while pushing the conventional boundaries of taste, is finding that happy medium that taps into people's nostalgic desires while making something I would want to eat. It's a principle I will live and die by that I would never serve anything to anyone that I wouldn't eat.

So, an easy solution - salt. It's not complicated or inventive by any means. We all know people's addiction to salt (enter hub's name __here__) and I have never met anyone who doesn't like salted caramels. I'm not a salt freak but I guess I sort of am when it comes to sweets. In practically any dessert recipe that doesn't call for salt, I add salt. Am I going too far by adding too much salt to my chocolates? We shall see. So far, the reception is good and the only thing I care about is making people happy with chocolates and confections.