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Blackmarket Bakery – Cabernet Flour Workshop

Cabernet Hazelnut Torte at Blackmarket Bakery

Enlightenment

Some say the Buddha enlightens, others swear by sunny days. I however get bits of enlightenment daily from all different sources. Back in 2006 I had the wonderful experience of planning my daughter’s 4th birthday party. I needed a cake. At that time I did not bake. I knew nothing about how to make flour, sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate turn into a magical crumbly confection. After a bunch of research I found myself standing in Blackmarket Bakery talking to the owner & baker Chef Rachel Marie. This gal knows baking, great ingredients and how to put flavors together in phenomenal ways. The rest is history.

 

Orange County Blogger baking workshop

Baking & Respect

Not only do I highly respect Chef Rachel because she put herself through culinary school at the CIA in Napa Valley. She did it while raising 4 kids. I can hardly handle being a full time blogger who works from home with 2 little kids. Rachel adds sparkle & spunk to our world in a big way with her high energy, great wit, talent & enthusiasm for life.

Food blog baking workshop at Blackmarket Bakery in Irvine, CA

Baking Classes

Since our first meeting she has made cakes for quite a few of my kids birthdays. While in the bakery placing my first order I saw that Rachel had a list of baking classes that she held most Tuesday nights. I took a class, got hooked, and then took a few per month. Classes run from 6-9pm. They are a great way to get a break from the kids and learn a new skill. From hot/sticky caramel sauce, to velvety chocolate ganache, sweet & savory tarts, puff pastry, puddings, cakes, muffins-the classes are organized into lots of different themes, ingredients and skill sets.

Hands on demonstration at Blackmarket Bakery in Irvine, CA.

A Few Bloggers Who Were at this Workshop (clockwise from top)

Do Not Fear the Power to Learn New Things

As you know, I don’t bake much, but I feel like I can handle baking challenges when they come my way. Chef Rachel taught me well and inspired me to get cooking & baking. I learned not to fear the kitchen. I was taught to roll up my sleeves & get fired up to cook & bake from scratch. She is a leader & innovator. She is the kind of gal that inspires greatness.

Hands on baking workshop at local bakery.Orange County Foodies

Because I love Rachel and I enjoy watching her business grow I pitched the idea for her to host a group of Orange County food bloggers & local magazine editors over to the bakery for a hands on workshop. Immediately she jumped on the idea. In no time at all the guest list was formed and the RSVP’s came rolling in.

Blackmarket Bakery hosts bloggers at hands on baking event

Focus – Cabernet Wine Flour

The focus of the evening was on her latest favorite ingredient-Cabernet Wine Flour. We made Foccacia with Figs & Goat Cheese, Cabernet Crusted Chile Rellenos, a Cabernet Hazelnut Torte, a Dragonfruit Topped Cabernet Bread, Pumpkin Gorgonzola Cabernet Ravioli and a Cabernetti Pasta dish.

Adding cabernet flour to sweets and savories imparts a unique color and earthy flavor to baked goods. It is good real good. This flour is made from the ground up skins of grapes that were used in the wine making process. You can use up to 15%of this flour in recipes to replace traditional flours. Chef Rachel has a market at the front of the bakery called Marché Noir Foods where you can order some of her goodies, cabernet wine flour & many other delectables.

Blackmarket Bakery online store

Blackmarket Bakery Info

Blackmarket Blogger Links

Feel free to link up your blog posts that tie into this event.

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

33 thoughts on “Blackmarket Bakery – Cabernet Flour Workshop

  1. Marla- Love your post! The pictures, the text and the layout are fabulous. Overall, an amazing event and you deserve so much of the credit for your great marketing mind. I’m glad to finally reconnect. Keep in touch, sweetie!!

  2. Well said! I did my recipe post and am now working on a second post featuring Rachel and Blackmarket Bakery. Great seeing you twice in one week and thanks for organizing this fun and educational event!

  3. Great post!!! It was seriously such a great night. I might sell my right arm for some fig and gorgonzola focaccia right now… Oh gosh my mouth is watering!

  4. I can imagine how much fun you lovely ladies had at this workshop! The pumpkin cabernet ravioli looks so good and love your pink polka dot apron! 🙂

    1. So glad you gals are digging my polka dot apron. I love that thing! Everyone is smitten over the pumpkin ravioli-it truly was amazing!

      Sara: This workshop is right up your alley. Wish you lived closer.

      Rachel: Glad you were such a champ having us all invade your kitchen.

  5. Oh wow. I really, really, really want that flour. I’m drooling, and it isn’t even just for those wonderful Pumpkin Gorgonzola Cabernet Ravioli. That flour seriously blows my mind. This workshop sounds so freaking cool, though if I had participated, I might have slipped home 5 lbs of those flour.

  6. This sounds like such an awesome workshop! Pumpkin cabernet ravioli sound downright dreamy to me. And I love that you got to hang out with some of my favorite bloggers!

  7. Marla,
    I adore you in that pink apron, and those ravioli look scrumptious! So nice to see food-bloggers cooking together. Great event. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Marla….Rachel is certainly a very fortunate gal to have you by her side.
    The event seemed to have been extremely successful.
    Ohhh…how I wish that I would live closer to you…and all these wonderful outings ;o)

    It’s great to learn about a product that seems to be quite intriguing. Looking forward to learning more about it.

    Thanks Marla for keeping it interesting.

    Ciao,
    Claudia

    1. Valerie – Yes, I do believe that the Cabernet flour is made in somewhere in Canada. I should have know you would have been up on this ingredient. I wish you and Claudia (Foodessa) lived closer. You gals would love this stuff!

  9. Marla – I had such a great time!! Thank you for inviting me and many thanks to Chef Rachel for opening her kitchen at Black Market Bakery! It’s such a wonderful place. I can’t wait to work with more wine flour! yum!

  10. WHAT A FUN EVENT!

    Thank you so much for the invite. It’s been a heck of a busy two weeks for us, so I haven’t gotten my recap post up yet, but I PROMISE to do it soon. It’s the least I could do to give Rachel the proper shout-out she deserves for introducing me to cabernet flour.

    [K]

  11. I love your post, and so wish I could go to one of those classes, but I’m the other cost, oh well, I can live through your photos and writing 🙂

  12. I love that bakery! My sister used to work there and would buy all sorts of yummy stuff for us 🙂 Love their black widow tarts.

    1. Elizabeth: Lucky you that your sis used to work at Blackmarket Bakery! I bet the treats she came home with were amazing. I have never tried the Black Widow tarts & now you have me very curious!