A Q & A with the best of chocolatiers, Oliver Kita, where he explains his passion for chocolate and what brought him to where he is now.

Chocolatier Oliver Kita invites you to his chocolate shop in the Hudson Valley where he is ready to serve his delightful chocolate-covered goodies to unsuspecting ghouls! 

My first wedding of the season, held at Osborn Castle also known as "Catrock" in Garrsion, New York, brought a beautiful bride in which a careful and thoughtful hand in planning all the details were part of her enjoyment. When we first met, she said, “I know …I look like Reese Witherspoon”.

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Hi, I am Oliver Kita and this is the Oliver Kita chocolate studio and we're located in the heart of the village of Rhinebeck. It's an 1828 firehouse and we have converted it into my chocolate studio and my retail space. There's more room for tasting chocolate, preparing chocolate, experiencing chocolate and just reading and relaxing with chocolate, catching that buzz.  See Video . . .

Below is a recipe sent to friends who love chocolate – not matter the place – no matter the time. You don’t have to keep a secret stash of high end product around the pantry. What you have will work fine…then after the first trial, you’ll know where to upgrade the chocolate related ingredients. Do you have any ice cream or whipped cream on stand by? These two go well

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Who likes to talk about cacao, cocoa, chocolate and the culture of it all? I do, and I’ve been asked to start to keep track of my adventures in mind body and chocolate everyday. Who asked me you may inquire? One, my sister Margo who lives in Indiana (I want her friends to write); two, my friend Kim (her friends know about chocolate and live in NYC and around the universe of chocolate); and three, Kevin, who calls me “Cocoakita” behind my back when I reincarnated as Chanel No. 5 ganache or something similar.

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If you can believe it I awoke once again desiring the taste of chocolate. And this comes on the heels of a weekend participating in the New York Chocolate Show. What did I enjoy, you may inquire? Black cocoa almonds that were dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in black cocoa – but not from the show, nor from my own chocolate cache of products, but from an outside shopping source of excitement…Trader Joes!

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BLACK CHOCOLATE CRISPS
All Purpose Flour 2 Cups
Dark Cocoa ¾ Cup
Baking Soda 1 Teaspoon 

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The truffle is one confection that anyone can make and enjoy. The truffle was invented in the nineteenth century by Maitre Dufour, a confectioner from Chambery, France. Some truffles are coated in chocolate and some are not, but a cocoa powder coating is essential to the tongue. 

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Yes, it’s true the best plans of the nicest producers get rained upon in Colorado. I awoke to a 7:30AM courtesy phone call, “good morning Mr. Kita- it is 26 degrees and snowing- is there anything further I can do for you?” I did not respond how I felt which was to say, “cancel my booth- I am staying in bed with the TV on and plan to watch movies all day.”

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Thursday is the day, my trunk is packed and I am off to present “From Bean to Bon Bon and Bar” a chocolate tour of cacao from around the equator to the shops of Paris. I am bring goodies that visitors will want to buy after the chat- as everyone loves a souvenir regardless of how much chocolate they tasted beforehand.

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Thank you Gayle for being the one blogger who called to ask, “where is the sugar” in the black chocolate crisps to make a batch and bring them down to our “friends” who are visiting and caring for our Ellen.

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Not a chance- I will repeat. NO! We presented the chocolate buddha out of respect to our intentions to be at the Sakura Matsuri part of the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. this spring.

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WHAT TO DO WHEN THE TURKEY IS LOCKED IN THE OVEN ON “SELF CLEAN” My personal kitchen goddess, Julia Child once said she likes Turkey day best because, ”there are no presents it’s all about the food”. The pressure to create a perfect Thanksgiving meal is so intense some people invest in new dishes and linens just for the day to impress people.

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HOSTING THANKSGIVING PRACTICE
Each and every weekend beginning with the first Saturday of November, we invite different groups of friends and ask them to each prepare and bring a dish for thanksgiving practice. Rehearsal cooking for friends is fun, and helps to work out the potential portion or timing problems. Traditional food prepared in a fresh new way gives everyone at the table something different to try.

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MIX AND MAKE THIS RECIPE WITHOUT A MACHINE- USE YOUR HANDS- GET INTO THE SEASON OF CHOCOLATE
This recipe batch is perfect for fundraising or swapping.
BE PREPARED! THIS RECIPE IS HUGE IN QUANTITY.

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The champagne truffle is one confection that anyone can make and enjoy. The truffle was invented in the nineteenth century by Maitre Dufour, a confectioner from Chambery, France. Some truffles are coated in chocolate and some are not, but a cocoa powder coating is essential to the tongue. This recipe includes Marc du Champagne Cognac from the Cognac region of France…however you may substitute brandy or your favorite similar taste from another country.

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Meditation made Simple with Gourmet Chocolate
Instead of images or visualization, use the awareness of taste to still the mind.

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PLEASE WEAR YOUR PAJAMAS ALL DAY AND STAY AROUND THE HOUSE
Some of you are right back to work. But many of you are not due to school being out ( the more one pays for school the more days off they receive) or vacation time being cashed in. My oldest friend KC who will no longer let me call her that and now wants me to call her my dearest friend has the wish every January that all of her clothing was more like pajamas fitted with forgiving elastic around the waist and all her furniture more like a sumptuous bed so that she can lay around the house all day and enjoy breakfast in bed all day.

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The is no glamour without distance according to Greta Garbo, and the best stars have agents or public relations firms that keep their personal lives off the pages of the tabloids. It’s boring to see someone’s life critically dissected.

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