Creative inspiration can strike just about anywhere, anytime and
for any reason. A momentous idea can hit when in line at the
grocery store, while brushing your teeth or as you contemplate why
something does not work right. Last week, my creative moment of
inspiration struck me as I angrily drove back from a restaurant. It
isn’t any surprise that the grill is involved.
Creative inspiration can strike just about anywhere, anytime and for any reason. A momentous idea can hit when in line at the grocery store, while brushing your teeth or as you contemplate why something does not work right. Last week, my creative moment of inspiration struck me as I angrily drove back from a restaurant. It isn’t any surprise that the grill is involved.
Back in January, a group of my friends took me to a restaurant that is known for its dessert service. I was impressed. Since my sister’s birthday was approaching, I thought it would be fun to take her for dessert and see the decor.
The restaurant has a specific time when they serve dessert only. According to a menu I recently acquired, it states that those who only want to have dessert may come after 10 pm. We arrived at the restaurant about eight minutes after 10.
We walked in and the hostess said hello. I said, “Hello, two for dessert please.” She apologized and informed us that the kitchen closes at 10pm. I asked, “So, I have to be here exactly at 10 o’clock to be seated?” She only answered with, “We seat at 10pm.” We had no choice but to leave. I at least had the chance to show my sister the decor of the restaurant.
One thing that made me angry was that the language of the menu and what the hostess communicated was not the same. Something else made me angry. Why would the kitchen close at 10pm when the restaurant sits their guests at the same exact time? People had to read the menu and decide upon their dessert selection. There is absolutely no way that the kitchen can close and people also order. My sister, who has worked in various capacities of the food service industry, expressed this point.
As I walked back to the car in anger, minus the cartoon steam coming out of my ears, my sister did her best to lighten the situation. It was difficult to “let it go” since the trip was a waste time, energy and especially now, fuel. My sister thought the price per person was too much to pay for dessert. She assured me that if I wanted to have the same style of dessert, she could hang sheets from the ceiling of the kitchen to recreate the same sense of ambiance.
As the tension of my clinched teeth began to diminish, my creative thought process went into action. We went to the restaurant for “melted chocolate.” How would I accomplish the same thing on the grill? This would become my new challenge!
I immediately thought of S’mores, the classic camping dessert where marshmallow is toasted over an open fire and sandwiched between two graham crackers with chocolate. Done right, S’mores can be such a wonderful thing. It became the inspiration for a stylish update, Grilled Chocolate Melts.
For Grilled Chocolate Melts a base must be used for the chocolate to melt on. S’mores use graham crackers, but you may also choose to use a store bought cookie like a sugar, oatmeal, gingersnap or macaroon. The macaroons happen to be my favorite.
The chocolate is added to the graham cracker or cookie base and allowed to melt on the grill. Too very good chocolates to use for this purpose are Guittard for milk chocolate and Scharffen Berger for semi sweet chocolate. Additional topping such as sliced strawberries, bananas or whipped marshmallow cream gives your creation a wonderful finishing touch and unique twist of flavor that traditional S’mores do not have.
As a final note, I sent e-mail to the restaurant informing them of the experience. I received a response back stating that the situation had been corrected for future guests. Although I was angry, it inspired this week’s article and recipe. The result is a wonderful elegant dessert inspired by a classic.
Grilled Chocolate Melts
(From Mitch Mariani)
1 package graham crackers or favorite cookies
1/2 package Guittard milk chocolate chips OR
2 bars Scharffen Berger semi-sweet chocolate (3 ounces each)
Assortment of sliced strawberries, bananas and whipped marshmallow cream
Step 1: After grilling your lunch or dinner, allow the grill to cool slightly.
Step 2: Assemble Grilled Chocolate Melts by using a base, the graham crackers or cookies, and place 6-8 pieces of chocolate chips or a piece of chocolate bar on each base.
Step 3: Place a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on the grill, followed by the assembled Grilled Chocolate Melts on top of the aluminum foil and close the lid of the grill. Allow the Grilled Chocolate Melts to heat for about 60 seconds.
Step 4: Remove the Grilled Chocolate Melts from the grill with a spatula and place them onto a decorative platter to serve. Place sliced strawberries, bananas or whipped marshmallow cream on each serving.
