SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

July 29, 2021 by Johanna

The Secrets of Chocolate | Review

July 29, 2021 by Johanna   Leave a Comment

The Secrets of Chocolate cover

The Secrets of Chocolate
by Franckie Alarcon
NBM Publishing, $19.99

Subtitled A Gourmand’s Trip Through a Top Chef’s Atelier, The Secrets of Chocolate is a delicious book. The author spent a year back in 2013 working with and observing chocolate chef Jacques Genin’s creations. (The chef clearly establishes early on that he is not a chocolatier, as he doesn’t make the chocolate itself. Instead, he melts it and makes candy or pastries from it.)

Alarcon’s excitement and enthusiasm is a pleasure to read. He takes the reader through Genin’s kitchen and shop, showing us procedures and creations. There’s so much thought that goes into the chocolates, balancing flavors and evoking memories with traditional French influences. It’s also clearly hard work, as the various kitchen assistants speak about what they do and how they got their jobs.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The open pages are not paneled. Since there are no borders, the images and descriptions scattered across the pages give the book the feel of a scrapbook. The reader can almost smell the dark, rich scent coming off the images. It’s mouth-watering.

One particularly affecting image is a page where Alarcon first tries a ganache that includes cinnamon. His open-mouthed face is surrounded by his reactions and the influences he tastes. It’s a visual montage of how flavor carries memories and evokes such a variety of reactions.

Plus, there are recipes. Readers can learn how to make simple truffles, chocolate tarts, and hot chocolate, among other things. Techniques are also demonstrated, including how to use a pastry bag, and the many things the author learns when he works as an intern. As the book continues, Alarcon visits a chocolate factory, where he sees cocoa beans processed, and a plantation in Peru. He also explores chocolate made for Valentine’s Day and Easter gifts.

This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in gourmet desserts or how much can be done with chocolate. It’s remarkably detailed, but the conversational approach makes it seems approachable as well. It’s one of the best kind of educational comics: the kind where the reader learns a lot without realizing it. It’s an excellent suggestion for any aspiring foodie.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews, Young Adult

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
ChocolateFranckie AlarconNBMNBM Publishingnonfiction graphic novels

About Johanna

Johanna Draper Carlson has been reviewing comics for over 20 years. She manages ComicsWorthReading.com, the longest-running independent review site online that covers all genres of comic books, graphic novels, and manga. She has an MA in popular culture, studying online fandom, and was previously, among many other things, webmaster for DC Comics. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

January 2023

My Sister, the Cat, vol. 1 | Review

by Johanna

December 2022

Heartstopper Volumes 1 and 2 | Review

by Johanna

December 2022

Ride On | Review

by Johanna

December 2022

Besties Work It Out and Besties Find Their Groove | Review

by Johanna

December 2022

Review| Change the Game: A Graphic Novel

by Johanna

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

13 Graphic Novels To Look Forward to in 2020 | Stellar Panels 

Latinx Graphic Novels to the Fore | Stellar Panels

First-Person Graphic Memoirs Bring Events to Life for Students

Top 10 Manga of 2021

Top 10 Manga of 2020

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023