Categories Pastry Chef Articles
Martin Diez puts his creativity to the test with five chocolate creations
Martin Diez recently participated in an experimental session in Chicago alongside Dimitri Fayard and Nick Notter, organized by the Chocolate Academy. A session which allowed for playing with chocolate and giving free rein to the imagination. The result is these fun and original creations which were captured by creative photographer Ivan Raga and shared in so good.. magazine #30.
“It is amazing how you are way more inspired and creative working with a team. We picked up some themes, exchanged ideas, made lots of trials and that is how it came out. I really like to work in contrast and I am inspired by lots of things such as art, architecture or painting. I wanted to work with shape, mimic some materials and try different flavor combinations. I wish I could only have those types of weeks, surrounded by talented people and having a blank page as a brief is so inspiring”, he assured.
Coffee and almond calisson
For this creation (cover of so good.. magazine #30), Diez really wanted to have something crunchy and surprising. This is composed of warm flavors and multiple textures: coffee, the coarse almond praliné and the caramelized chocolate. The sea salt will bring the sparkle at the end of the degustation.
Chocolate caramel snack
This mold shape is so inspiring, right!? I really wanted to create something easy inside but that would work with the shape, something you cannot break, so caramel was the first idea. Combined with Cacao Barry’s dark milk chocolate Alunga, it is fantastic. The shape is inspiring and the taste is mesmerizing!
White Ruby Nougat
This product is inspired by the materials and architecture you can find in a city like Chicago. This is the contrast between a deep red and the color of concrete. I also like to see square-shaped panned items.
Soy and Baru zigzag
I owe this idea to Ivan Raga, our creative photographer. He said, ‘make me something with soy or whiskey. Something I can pour soy or whiskey on during the shot!” and this came up! Baru is a seed that is native in the Amazon and is being cultivated to avoid deforestation and create extra revenue for those communities. I really love the product and the project. Therefore, I decided to use Baru with soy and Thai curry for the crunch and the spicy notes. It is fabulous! Having the chance to exchange, take ideas from others and push the boundaries bring such great products!
Salted caramel dragée
This panned item – the only one not included in so good.. #30- is layered to deliver a unique chocolate taste at every moment of the degustation. The cut of the dragees is also very impressive.
Discover Martin Diez’s interview in so good #30
