Great for Passover (and the rest of the year). Using olive oil instead of dairy makes it kosher for a meat meal.

Ingredients:
11 oz. chocolate
9 egg yolks
½ c. sugar
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp brandy
salt
9 egg whites
¼ c. sugar

Finely chop the chocolate, and then melt over simmering water in a double boiler.

While the chocolate is melting, whisk together the yolks and ½ cup sugar until the mixture is thick in texture and a pale, lemony yellow.

Gently fold the warm (not hot) chocolate into the yolks.

Stir in the brandy, olive oil and a pinch of salt.

In another bowl, whisk the whites until they are frothy and then whisk in the sugar. Keep whisking until they are at medium peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate, 1/2 at a time.

Pour into glasses and allow mousse to set for at least four hours before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. ramps, cleaned and sliced thin
½ bunch parsley, thin chiffonade
¼ bunch cilantro, thin chiffonade
½ red onion, brunoised
1 clove garlic
1 anchovy (soaked if salted)
2 Tblsp. Banyuls vinegar
4 Tblsp. Extra virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Make a paste in a mortar and pestle with the anchovy and garlic. Combine in a bowl with the ramps, parsley, cilantro, red onion, vinegar and olive oil. Let macerate for 15 minutes. Check seasoning, adjust if necessary.

We pried it loose from the kitchen and here it is. The even better news is that it’s easy!

Ingredients:
100g Valhrona 71% chocolate (just under 1/2 cup)
400g whole milk (2 cups)
120g butter (1/2 cup)
20g white sugar (4 teaspoons)

Grind the following and add to taste:
approximately 3 green cardamom pods - toast the cardamom, crush and discard the green shell, and grind the black seeds inside the pod
1/2 stick cinnamon (Mexican if possible)
1/2 tsp chili flakes (preferably ancho)

Put all ingredients in a pot, stir and simmer constantly until it reaches the consistency you desire. The final yield will depend on how much you reduce the cocoa while cooking but the above recipe should make approx 10 espresso cup portions.

This cocoa is super-rich and smaller servings are usually enough.

If you’ll indulge me by letting me relay just one proud-father story… I figured food-loving readers and/or new parents would appreciate hearing this. (And maybe you have your own baby/food stories to share…)

The other night my wife and I ate at our favorite Chinatown restaurant on our night off because we were hungry and it’s a good place for our nine-month old, Charlie. In fact, ever since we had Charlie we’ve found ourselves down on Beach Street a lot. Chinatown has become our go-to solution for child-friendly, good food, and the convenient distraction of the large fish tanks! Charlie enjoys the finger food and any mess that he makes will go unnoticed next to the disaster area that always results when I wield the chop sticks.

This time, though, Charlie took the experience to a whole new level. My wife, Karolyn, and I were in tears we were laughing so violently. He ate course after course: pea shoots, short ribs with garlic (sucking on the bones and making me very proud!), pork and mustard green soup, pan-fried noodles with pork and Chinese broccoli, and salt and pepper eel. He got more more excited as the dinner progressed to the point where he mildly shrieked when we couldn’t feed him fast enough - he was eating off of our chopsticks and almost using the Chinese soup spoon himself (I might be exaggerating slightly here, but he was pretty close).

Also amusing was watching him wash it all down with breast milk as I gulped my Tsingtao. He kept on clamoring (in his own language) for more. At one point, he burped so loud he made a passing waiter lose it.

Anyhow we had a blast and I encourage any of you to take your own young children to Chinatown (or mine — babysitting offers always welcome)!

People used to marvel that I devoured steamers at Legal Seafood before my second birthday, but Charlie has definitely topped me. I am not sure I am happy that he may have inherited my Chef proclivities, but I am definitely happy to have a passionate, eclectic food-lover in my family!

Tony Maws