Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Nominated in the list ’50 of the world’s best food blogs by Times, Cafe Fernando is where you click when you aim at impressing your guests.

How did this passion start? I stumbled upon a food blog one day and was so inspired by what I saw that I decided to start my own.

What was the inspiration for this recipe? I'll be honest: I don't know much about fashion. And the closest I've got to a Dolce & Gabbana anything was when I was shopping for chocolate side by side with Domenico & Stefano at Fouquet in Paris. So, I know for a fact that they like chocolate, but had no clue where to start. Then I visited the Swide and D&G websites for some inspiration and came across the Fall Winter 2011 runway show. What I saw was quite seductive, but so very tastefully camouflaged with transparent fabric. What inspired me the most was the ending, when the whole team of tailors appeared on screen. To me, it was an appreciation and celebration of craftsmanship. With these in mind, I decided to bake my classic brownies and spread a thin coating of velvety hazelnut butter on top, which screams seduction. The tasteful (and very laborious I must add) camouflage is the chocolate lace decoration on top, which I piped by hand on a piece of parchment paper and later transferred on top of the hazelnut butter layer.

Are you a chocolate addict? Oh yes.

What are the vices you have apart from chocolate? Ice cream, coffee and salted butter caramels.

Can you fill in the blanks please? An amazing brownie has to be ... chocolatey and fudgy. A chocolate is delicious when ... combined with salt and caramel. The three whites are ... marshmallow, vanilla ice cream and crème fraiche. No dessert is a good dessert unless ... you use high-quality ingredients.

When it comes to chocolate, are you more fondant or moelleux? Fondant.

What’re the hints for finding the perfect chocolate? It is always a good indication if it looks glossy, smells chocolatey and snaps cleanly when you break it, but you simply have to eat it for a complete assessment. If it melts in your mouth immediately and is smooth and velvety, then it means the chocolate is very good :)

Your favourite dessert? Ice cream. Vietnamese coffee ice cream, to be exact.

Top 3 places for gourmet food? A l'Etoile d'Or, Pierre Herme and Fauchon.

The best chocolate manufacturer in your opinion? I am torn between Franck Kestener and Bernachon. For baking, there's no contest. My absolute favorite is Valrhona.

 The recipe? Please click here.

 

Interview by Yigit Turhan

Credits: Cafe Fernando

 

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