Fresh berries with Grand Marnier crème anglaise, served in a chocolate bowl.

This dish is all about my daughter Clara Mae. She is five years old and I have had the great privilege to be a stay at home dad since her birth. In that time, domesticity has crept into my rock n' roll lifestyle like an old friend crashing on the couch that just won't leave. It has served to round out some (but not all) of my edges. Among many great rewards and personal growth over they past five years, my love for cooking has come out of this experience.

To me good food is about family and sharing. When I make a dish for my daughter and she says, “This is yummy daddy” I feel like she's unwrapping a Christmas present. I get to experience that joy of giving to the people I love every time I put something beautiful on the plate. It is richly rewarding and a feeling you just can't buy.

With this dish, I set out to make all of her favorite things in such a way that I am not only putting myself on a plate, but I am putting her on the plate with me. The whimsy and playful nature of the chocolate bowl reminds me of her twirling in the living room, singing songs and grabbing that freedom of childhood by the horns. (Also it's cool and spiky so still a little “metal”).

Like most of her kindergarten age contemporaries, her desire for sugar knows no bounds. Her affection for chocolate is only surpassed by her love of berries and cream. We grow chocolate mint in our herb garden and whenever I make this for her, we go out together and pick the mint fresh, smell it, crush it in our fingers and pick only the best leaves.

I am immeasurably proud that she is growing up with an ingrained understanding of where her food comes from and the value of sitting at the table to share a meal.

INGREDIENTS:

Tablespoon of Vanilla bean paste (or one actual vanilla bean)

1 ¼ cup Heavy Cream

3 Eggs

Grand Marnier

1 Tangerine for zest

Handful of Ice

1 cup Water

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons of Chocolate Mint leaves (Plant name Mentha×piperita f. citrata'Chocolate')

1 cup Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers

1 cup White Chocolate Melting Wafers

4 helium grade balloons

Powdered Cocoa

½ cup fresh blackberries

½ cup fresh raspberries

½ cup fresh blueberries

For the Chocolate Bowl:

-Using double boilers, melt dark chocolate in one and white chocolate in the other.

-Inflate balloons to about the size on a softball and place tied end in ramekin to hold it upright.

-Transfer melted chocolate to bowls and let cool until no longer painful to the touch.

-When chocolate has cooled, pour a couple spoonfuls of dark chocolate on top of balloon in a star pattern, allowing to drip. Do the same with the white chocolate and use spoon to blend white and dark on balloon to make it all swirly and cool lookin'.

-Place chocolate covered balloon in freezer to harden.

-Dip two of each berry in each kind of chocolate and set aside.

-After a few minutes remove chocolate bowl from freezer. Dollop a spoonful of melted dark chocolate on a piece of parchment paper and place dripped chocolate bowl on top to crate a solid base.

-Using kitchen scissors cut a very small hole in the top of balloon right next to the knot and allow it to slowly deflate. Once deflated, remove the balloon completely.

For the crème Anglaise:

-Heat saucepan and add ¾ cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer.

-Separate 3 eggs and whisk the yolks with ¼ cup sugar (adding sugar gradually) until mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when dropped from the whisk.

-Add half the simmering cream to the yolks whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then add the mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk on medium heat.

-Whisking constantly, add 3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier and simmer crème anglaise until it stays on the spoon.

-Fill large metal mixing bowl halfway with ice, water and salt.

-Transfer crème to medium metal mixing bowl, place the bowl inside of ice bath and whisk till it comes to room temperature. Move crème to the freezer to continue cooling.

-Meanwhile, pour ½ cup heavy cream into stand mixer to form soft peaks, whisk in 1 tablespoon of confectioners sugar to make glossy.

-Remove crème anglaise from freezer and fold in whipped cream to thicken.

For the Berries:

-In saucepan set 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of chopped chocolate mint to boil. After it has reduced slightly into a simple syrup, transfer to bowl and put in freezer to cool.

-Once cool, add the rest of the mixed berries to soak.

To serve:

-Dust plate with cocoa powder and place chocolate bowl in the middle.

-Fill bowl with a couple spoonfuls of crème anglaise.

-Strain mixed berries with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of the crème.

-Top with chiffonade of mint and tangarine zest.

-Garnish plate with chocolate covered berries and mint leaves.

-Serve, and feel free to weep openly with each bite of creamy chocolate berry heaven.