happy chinese new valentine's year!

this year, chinese new year's falls on stupid valentine's day.

to simplify things, i've decided to combine both food-centric occasions into one... by making a chocolate golden carp*!


[this sucker is actually about 8 inches long and 3 inches tall... if it was a mackerel, he would have fed two for supper.]

*carps are signs of prosperity in chinese cultures because the chinese word for "fish" (魚) sounds like the chinese word for "surplus" (餘)... go figure. symbolism runs deep among the chinese.

when making chocolate candies, i learned that it's important to:

- never ever let any water touch the chocolate, whether it is white, milk or dark
- make sure you use an oil-based food colouring if you plan on colouring the mix
- if the melted chocolate is too viscous, you can melt paramount crystals (a palm oil/soy lecithin-based food additive) with the chocolate to help slick it up and make it easier to pour
- find people to actually eat your chocolate concoction... in this case, your valentine should ideally not be allergic to chocolate, dislike white chocolate, and not have mental blocks about eating things with eyes (even if they are fake)... NO i'm not talking about anyone in particular.

happy chinese new valentine's year of the chocolate tiger! 恭喜發財!