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ELEGANCE MANUFACTURER OF THE MONTH
Each month we will be covering some interesting facts about one of the leading makers of elegant house wares. Many of these market leaders have very long histories full of interesting facts; some will require more than one newsletter to cover completely.
This Month we focus on Rosenthal.
Last week we covered a small piece of the long history of Rosenthal over the past 120 years. In this issue we take a look at an interview with Rosenthal AG Chairman of the Board, Ottmar Kusel for an October 2002 press release. In this interview Kusel gives some insight to where Rosenthal is going with their new designs and why their focus is going in a specific direction.
In Oct 2002 Kusel announced the focus for the upcoming years would be more than simply a piece or a line of manufactured goods. Kusel says Rosenthal AG’s Table Trends or “Treffpunkt Tisch” is the idea of the complete lifestyle. This idea of the complete lifestyle consists of more then the china Rosenthal is famous for but also of the matching table linen, cutlery, glassware and vases. Kusel says Table Trends will make the most of Rosenthal AG’s diversity. These versatile designs include:
Young in the Thomas Range
Elegant Splender in the Versace & Bulgari
Avant-garde shapes in the Studio-line
Living Traditions for Rosenthal and Hutschenreuther
When asked if it has become socially acceptable to combine styles on a well laid table, Kusel answered “The old way of thinking in categories has been over taken by reality. Everyday living and the realistic needs of everyday life now have precedence over ridid stylistic conventions.” With this statement the interview voiced concern of this freedom leading to a “chaotic mix” for buyers who do not have a firm idea of style. Kusel assures us that, although, everyone has their own tastes, Rosenthal will not be deserting it’s consumers to the new trend. Kusel also says Rosenthal provides “intelligent guidelines” with the table trends. Kusel also assures us that the classic table service has not lost it’s place, consumers relate to the classics like “Maria” by Rosenthal as they do to a piano concerto by Mozart. This is why Rosenthal will continue to offer them.
More interesting dates in Rosenthal History.
1992 – Start of the business cooperation with the Gianni Versace S.p.A, Milano
1997 – Waterford acquires the controlling interest in the Rosenthal Group
1998 – Start of the business cooperation with the Bulgari S.p.A. Rome
2000 – Rosenthal acquires the renowned German porcelain brand Hutschenreuter (household), that was founded in 1814
ROSENTHAL PATTERN OF THE MONTH: Primrose
Rosenthal Primrose is a lovely pattern from the classics in the form of Else. It began being produced in 1920 and continued to be manufactured until the 1960’s, before being retired. Primrose is a classis design of elegant primroses with a delicate gold trim that lends to the beauty of any well laid table.
THIS WEEKS SPECIAL
Newsletter special coupon – receive 15% off your entire order. Use coupon code NL0001.
A GREAT SUMMER RECIPE:
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE
This may look difficult to make, but it is not, because all you need is:
Chocolate Cake (a simple recipe below)
Chocolate Mousse (a simple recipe below)
Creme Anglais (a simple recipe below)
Raspberry Sauce (a simple recipe below)
Chocolate Sauce (a simple recipe below)
Brandy
Parchment paper
Ramekins (I use 8 ounce tomato cans, emptied and cleaned, with both ends removed)
1 plastic squirt bottle for the chocolate sauce (I use a clean ketchup dispenser)
CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE (or use your favorite recipe)
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla,
Pre-heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and cocoa. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter with water and oil; bring to boil. Remove from heat and pour over dry ingredients; mix well. Add egg, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla; blend thoroughly. Pour batter into a 10" x 15" cake pan. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until tester or toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. This should be made before the chocolate mousse.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE RECIPE (or use your favorite recipe)
11 oz. semi-sweet Baker's chocolate
3 ounces melted butter, unsalted
4 eggs, separated
1 cup heavy whipping cream.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt chocolate and butter together. Beat in egg yolks; remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peak form; Fold the whipping cream and the egg whites into the cooled chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate while you are cutting the chocolate cake into rounds for the ramekins..
CREME ANGLAIS RECIPE (or use your favorite recipe)
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks, beaten
In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine cream and sugar. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into pan. Add pod. Bring mixture just to boil (DO NOT LET IT BOIL OR IT MAY CURDLE) over medium-low heat. Whisk yolks in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in half of the cream and sugar mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, strain into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made ahead of time.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE RECIPE (or use your favorite recipe)
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped.
In a heavy medium-size saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer; remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Pour into a squirt bottle with a small opening, (I use a clean plastic catsup or mustard container.) Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made ahead of time.
RASPBERRY SAUCE RECIPE (or use your own recipe)
Raspberries, fresh or frozen
Sugar, sweeten to taste
1-teaspoon cornstarch.
Take a good handful of fresh or frozen raspberries; put them in your food processor for a few seconds, add sugar to taste, and strain. In a small saucepan, heat strained raspberry mixture and add cornstarch; stirring to mix well. Remove from heat, transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made ahead of time.
ASSEMBLY:
You will need 8 ramekin containers with both ends cut out. I use tomato sauce cans, the 8 oz size work perfect as ramekins. (Use the tomato sauce for spaghetti). I discarded the top and bottom lids of each can, washed them good, and now I have 8 hollow ‘tubes’ that I always keep on hand for this recipe and others. Use one of these tubes to cut out two (2) rounds of cooled shallow cake for each person.
Cut 8 pieces of parchment paper 9 or 10 inches long by about 4 inches wide, and put one in each of these cans so the paper stands 4 inches high.
Soak each piece of cake with some brandy, I use a kitchen paintbrush, then put one cake round inside each parchment-lined can. Place the cans on a flat tray or whatever you have that will fit in your refrigerator.
Spoon in the cooled chocolate mousse on top of the cake rounds, going as high as you want (that's what the parchment paper is there for). Then add the other cake round, making sure you have a nice looking piece for the top (don't press it down). Refrigerate for 6 hours or more to set, (I refrigerate overnight).
GARNISHING AND PLATING UP: When you're ready to plate up, center a ramekin on each individual plate, slip off the can and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
With the cake sitting in the middle of the plate, take a small spoon and put a small amount of creme anglais, approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon on all four corners of the plate (good chefs will tell you to keep everything off the lip of the plate).
Then take a clean spoon and put a dollop of raspberry sauce between each dollop of crème anglais except one (don't let the sauces touch each other). You should have (4) four puddles of white and (3) three of red. With the blank space, put a fanned out strawberry (with the hull still attached) and a sprig of mint.
If you have some white chocolate, cut some shavings of this and top each cake with it. The color contrasts are very nice.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
For more great recipes for every occasion visit the Fine Dinings Website at www.finedinings.com
QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS:
