Subj : Today in History - 1820
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Sat Apr 08 2023 04:06:00

08 April 1820 - VENUS DE MILO IS DISCOVERED: A peasant on the Aegean
island of Milos uncovers a "fine marble statue" in an underground cave.
The find, dating from Ancient Greece, will be dubbed the Venus de Milo,
and in spite of, or perhaps partly because of its lack of arms, it will
become an art sensation.

It is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture, having
been prominently displayed at the Louvre Museum since shortly after the
statue was rediscovered on the island of Milos, Greece, in 1820.

The Venus de Milo is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of
love, whose Roman counterpart was Venus. The sculpture is sometimes
called the Aphrodite de Milos, due to the imprecision of naming the
Greek sculpture after a Roman deity (Venus). Some scholars theorize that
the statue actually represents the sea-goddess Amphitrite, who was
venerated on the island in which the statue was found. The work was
originally attributed to the 4th century BC Athenian sculptor
Praxiteles, but, based upon an inscription on its plinth, it is now
widely agreed that the statue was created later, and instead is the work
of Alexandros of Antioch.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Nipples of Venus
Categories: Chocolate, Candies, Dairy
     Yield: 60 Truffles

MMMMM--------------------------GANACHE-------------------------------
    19 oz High-quality dark chocolate;
          - fine chopped
 1 1/2 c  Heavy whipping cream
     6 tb Softened unsalted butter
    32 oz High-quality dark chocolate;
          - fine chopped for tempering
    16 oz High-quality white chocolate
          - finely chopped, for the
          - final dip

 For the ganache: Heat the cream just to boiling and pour
 over chopped chocolate. Add softened butter and whisk
 together slowly until emulsified and shiny. If necessary,
 heat 30 seconds at a time if not fully melted.

 Let this mixture sit at room temperature until it thickens
 enough to pipe out, or stick the tray in the refrigerator
 to hasten things.

 With a piping bag and a No. 7 open piping tip, pipe onto a
 parchment-lined sheet. Chill in the refrigerator or let
 set up at room temperature.

 For the tempering: Melting chocolate is usually done best
 in a bain-marie or double boiler, which is just a pan of
 hot or simmering water, with a bowl placed over it. Melt
 about 2/3 of the chocolate. Use a bain-marie pan until the
 chocolate is completely melted, not to exceed 120øF/49øC.

 Alternatively, to melt the chocolate, place it in a small
 heatproof bowl. Then rest it over a saucepan of barely
 simmering water and leave for a few minutes, stirring
 occasionally, until melted.

 Remove from the heat, wiping the bottom of the bowl to
 remove any water. Add the remainder of the chocolate and
 stir in. The added chocolate should melt down. This will
 recrystallize the chocolate, causing it to solidify. The
 perfect temperature for dipping chocolates is between 88
 and 90øF/32øF. If the chocolate is still too hot, allow
 to cool further. If the chocolate gets too cool, the bowl
 can go back briefly on the bain-marie. You can melt
 chocolate in a microwave, choosing a low setting and after
 initially melting for 30 seconds, use short hits of 10 to
 15 seconds each time to see if it has melted.

 For the white chocolate: Temper in the same fashion as the
 dark chocolate, but the bain-marie or saucepan should have
 very warm, not simmering water. Melting temperature should
 not exceed 115øF/46øC. Dipping temperature should be
 88øF/31øF.

 Dipping the truffles: When the ganache has set, temper the
 dark chocolate. With a tempering fork (or dinner fork)
 immerse one truffle into the chocolate completely. Remove
 from the chocolate and carefully shake off excess. Place
 the truffle on a parchment-lined sheet. Continue with all
 truffles, slowly reheating chocolate if necessary.

 Chocolate can be maintained at a constant temperature by
 putting a heating pad on its lowest temperature and
 placing the bowl of chocolate on top. Cover with plastic
 wrap.

 After the white chocolate is tempered, dip just the tip of
 the truffle in it.

 Keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator
 for up to a week, but these are best gobbled within a few
 days (with help). They may be stored, tightly wrapped, in
 the freezer. To defrost, remove from freezer and let
 defrost still wrapped until they come to room temperature.
 This will eliminate any condensation.

 Truffles should be enjoyed at room temperature.

 Variations: the cream can be infused with coffee, vanilla
 beans, or tea by using a "cold infusion" method. This
 method produces a pure flavor, free from the harshness you
 sometimes get with a "hot infusion."

 Place 1 vanilla bean cut in half and scraped out into the
 cold cream, steeping in refrigerator for two days. Steep
 with 2 teaspoons of black or green tea for one day. Steep
 with 1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee beans for one day.
 Strain the material out and heat the cream as indicated in
 recipe.

 Makes 60 truffles

 From: http://recipes.epicurean.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

MMMMM

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