Would you like some water?

You know there are times when I just don't have a good feeling when developing a recipe? Today, I was having one of those days. We are working on a new chile truffle in our little kitchen for Valentine's Day's orders. [We will showcase it next week.] However, there came a moment today when I couldn't taste anything anymore and I didn't realize it. What I was tasting were I think after-effects from the constant assaults my taste buds were undergoing. Then it hit me, I really can't distinguish the intensity anymore of one recipe to another....that's not so good. I decided I needed some verification of exactly where I was....it is kind of like being lost in the woods....you just need someone to point you to the way out.

It was change of shifts at the cafe, so I had the freshest tastebuds coming onboard to try out our newest treat. They took one bite. That's it. One bite. They almost hyperventilated and told me, in no uncertain terms, that they were turned off for some time to spicy/hot foods....verification? Did I see the path yet? Am I looking in the right direction? One strike against the new recipe. [staff people can be rather....honest to a flaw - I wouldn't have it any other way]. I apologized to them and said that I may have missed the mark a bit. You know it's like a plane landing...sometimes you go a bit too far down the runway....they replied, "You ran it into the ocean, Fred!!!"

Next step, I took some to my darling children....they are rather discriminating when it comes to chocolate. Most anytime I have them taste test a new concoction, they give me the thumbs up....not so this time. My son could not give me an immediate thumbs up or down because he was too busy sucking down glasses of water to scream. My daughter decided when she saw big brother wince in pain after eating his test piece, there was no way she was going to eat her portion. Ok what I need is some person(s) that usually likes hot and spicy foods to try it out and give an honest opinion....some feedback please....I need more data....that will come tonight. Thankfully, my ever resourceful wife, Elaine, has tracked down some kind South Asian folks that are quite happy to light up their tastes to something a little on the more dangerous side....I'll let you know how that turns out. Tomorrow, back to the drawing board as it's said. Adios for now.