walking in my shoes

i found these stones outside the restaurant, stacked as they were.  most likely, everyone walked by them. i saw something inspiring.  a natural beauty, organic in nature though something man-made.  almost as if they were meant to be stacked...irregular in shape, various sizes and cuts, yet similar enough to compliment each other.  various shades of the same color. within the still life there was texture and movement.
i saw inspiration...and beauty....and it made me think...

chocolate cremeux, chocolate parfait, violet meringue, blackberry cremeux, feuillatine, violet croquant, blackberry sauce and drupes

trompe le monde

sometimes it is all about appearances. 
watching top chef last night was quite interesting.  the quickfire challenge was to create a dish that was visually appealing and would be judged on looks alone.  it was interesting how the "savory" chefs conceptualized that idea. 
i think within the sweet world, that is always a factor.  mainly in part because most of what we put on the plate we make ourselves.  if i make a bavarois, i have to think about how i want it to look before i even begin to make the recipe.
 the shape, the mold, the size. 
in stating that, how do we move beyond our ordinary perceptions of what "the shape, the mold" should be.
without rambling on too much, i will eventually get where i want to go...

here is the chocolate cremeux recipe i have been using for awhile:
180g  72% Valrhona Araguani
400g  cream
 70g  glucose
70g  water
1.2g  agar
2 gelatin sheets
bring water and agar to boil, reserve warm
simmer cream and glucose, emulsify with chocolate little by little
add softened gelatin sheets, add water/agar mixture, emulsify

usually this is poured into a mold or onto a tray and cut, but this time i wanted to try for a different look.

i wanted to give the appearance of something solid, like stone, when really it is creamy and melts in the mouth.
cremeux poured on a tray, frozen, broken, then tempered.
earl grey ice cream, kumquats, kumquat croquant, tangerine sauce, cocoa paper, wood sorrel, chocolate streusel