I was in Verbier skiing this past weekend – and as a foodies and bonne vivante, my trip would not have been complete without the ever wonderful, and not to be rushed delicatessen, bakery, and fromagerie tour. In my travels I came across a crèmerie located at the centre of town in a little chalet style shop called La Chaumière. It is here that they sell traditional regional delicacies including breads, caramels, jams / preserves, a wide selection of cheeses and a variety of national & international wines to accompany them.

However what is perhaps their piece de résistance, a gourmandise (little temptation) truly not to be missed is the hand-made yoghurts they make on-site. Made only from natural local products, of full fat milk, cream and natural flavours (ie hand crushed hazelnuts, fruits, or vanilla bean), they are thick and velvety and taste more like a desert than a yoghurt. Even the natural yoghurt on its own is delicious, to be accompanied with or without a little honey or jam.

 They currently do not have a website but can be found at the following address: Place Centrale, 1936 Verbier, Switzerland

The Milk Bar chalet style restaurant located just above La Chaumière serves wonderful breakfast including their famous yoghurt. While the products they sell are not inexpensive the quality is exceptional and if you are in the region I would say they are both well worth a visit.

{PETITS POTS DE CHOCOLAT NOIR ET BLANC A LA CARDAMOME} The dinner party…… a wonderful event, but for the host it can become a juggling act to create delicious dishes that are easy, made in advance and beautiful! Do not let the picture above fool you – this is an easy recipe, that is based on Trish Deseine’s ‘Petits pots de chocolat’ with a twist. I have wooed many a guest at the end of a dinner where the conversation goes quiet and everyone relishes in this heavenly desert.

The original recipe calls for only dark chocolate, which is sinful but as it is summer I felt the need to lighten things up – so I divided the recipe in 2 and created one rich dark chocolate cream layer and a 2nd delicate white chocolate layer with a hint of cardamon, finished with a dust of cacao.

RECIPE – SWEET PEA BLOG

For 6 people

Dark chocolate cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18% (in Geneva crème fleurette fraîche)
• 125g dark chocolate (minimum 60%)
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter

1. First separate the egg yolks and set aside.
2. Next break the dark chocolate into as little pieces as possible and place in a heat proof, pouring jug (ie large glass liquid measuring cup)
3. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. As soon as it has boiled remove from the heat and pour over the dark chocolate pieces. With a whisk blend together until smooth (this can take a few minutes). Leave to cool for 2 minutes.
4. Melt the butter and set aside.
5. Whisk the egg yolks and then gently stir them into the dark chocolate cream.
6. Finally add the butter.
7. Divide the dark chocolate cream evenly between the 6 glasses, and place them in the fridge to cool for 1 hour. The timing here is important so please don’t cheat, or your layers will mix together!

White chocolate & cardamon cream:

• 20cl single (table) cream 18%
• 125g white chocolate (minimum 30% cacao)
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 2 egg yolks
• 15g melted butter
• (cocoa for dusting over the chocolate pots before serving)

Repeat the cooking instructions above, only add the cardamon to the cream before bringing it to the boil. Leave the white chocolate cream mixture to cool for at least 5 minutes BEFORE pouring over the dark chocolate cream layer. Place the glasses in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours, with cling film (plastic wrap) over the top to avoid unwanted odours from the fridge being absorbed by the cream!

Serving: remove the chocolate pots from the fridge just 5 mintues before serving, and using a sieve dust with a thin layer of cocoa.

NOTE: many people do not love white chocolate (Olivier included) – too sickly sweet etc. This recipe will surprise you, as the taste is subtle and works well in contrast to the thicker and slightly bitter dark chocolate cream. Also do not panic & run for cover like I did the 1st time – when you see that the white chocolate is not solidifying like the dark. This is normal, and will remain a more liquid cream.

This is my fist SWEET PEA blog post!

I will begin with a story of my dear friend Eliane, who came to visit last week. During the course of our dinner, while chatting about cooking she mentioned that life would not be the same without trying the sumptuous ‘BURRATA’.

This for me was like a carrot to a rabbit. So with great enthusiasm I set off Saturday morning to the Cavalieri & Fils cheese stall in www.halle-de-rive.ch , an indoor food market in Geneva. To my delight, there was the sign marked ‘Burrata’ and the owner had one left!

Imported from Italy, originally from the Apulia region, BURRATA meaning ‘buttery’, is a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream. It ranges in sizes from 250 to 500g, and should be eaten within 24 to 48 hours of buying. I took these instruction to heart and went straight home to unwrapped my bundle of joy.

The cheese was packed first in a plastic sheet followed by two asphodel leaves (leeks), which are used as indicators of freshness – as long as they are a bright green, the cheese is fresh. The first taste I can only describe as heavenly - an outer shell of solid mozzarella which opens to reveal a rich, velvety texture of mozzarella and fresh cream. 

After trying the cheese on its own, I found that a little olive oil marries well with the Burrata’s creamy taste and that a fresh baguette and buffalo tomatoes are nice accompaniments. After a second helping, I must confess, that my eyes were bigger than my stomach and that as this is not a light cheese perhaps a little moderation in the future would be a good idea! A 500g cheese is definitely too much for two people, however the silver lining is that I have a half left over and I think I will try it melted over some fresh pasta for lunch!!