As Valentine’s Day approaches, thoughts turn to love and chocolate.
“Valentine’s Day is about love and chocolate is love,” chocolatier and chocolate educator Ruth Kennison told The Journal. “But it can go beyond just giving a box to your partner; why not spread that love to your community?”
Kennison, founder of The Chocolate Project, plans to give boxes of chocolate to local firefighters to bring home to their loved ones, as well as people in the community, who are still at shelters waiting to find homes. “I’m working with a few chefs who are already making food and I’ll be adding to their effort,” she said.
Kennison, founder of The Chocolate Project, plans to give boxes of chocolate to local firefighters to bring home to their loved ones, as well as people in the community, who are still at shelters waiting to find homes.
That’s just one bite of the cacao rich chocolate bar.
Kennison recently co-founded Rise and Rebuild LA as a way to support those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. “When the fires were raging, a friend, Devora Rogers, who is a great fundraiser contacted me and said she was getting a group of people together to “Do Something,” Kennison said. “The key was to not overthink it or wait to be asked; [we wanted to] start immediately.”
A group of changemakers, from in and outside Los Angeles, started gathering virtually, and decided to start raising money for different charities who were supporting people affected by the fires. Rise and Rebuild LA, which believes in the power of community and unity to bring about meaningful change, was formed.
“We are a grassroots community action group who does not have a bank account, but we choose different charities, raise awareness of their mission and encourage people to donate directly to them,” Kennison said. “We are a conduit or a ‘connector.’”
Leading up to Valentine’s Day, Rise and Rebuild LA decided to raise money for One Voice, as their first charity. Their fire-relief program is aimed at getting money into the hands of domestic workers who were affected by the fires.
“There were so many GoFundMes for people who had lost homes, and I was wondering who was helping the workers whose lives have been significantly impacted,” she said. “These hardworking individuals — housekeepers, childcare providers, and gardeners — are the backbone of many households, yet now find themselves facing overwhelming losses and limited support.”
Last week, Rise and Rebuild LA hosted a virtual and then an in-person fundraiser at The Cloverfield in Santa Monica for One Voice to raise money, along with awareness of the organization and the “parallel crisis” facing domestic workers.
Kennison, who also made beautiful boxes of bonbons to sell with all the proceeds benefiting One Voice, believes that chocolate and tikkun olam go hand in hand.
“Choosing direct trade and socially responsible chocolate means you’re supporting farmers, protecting the environment and contributing to a more just world,” she said. “Plus, there’s something beautiful about how the sweetness of chocolate symbolizes joy, healing and bringing people together in celebration.”
She added, “It’s a small but meaningful way to help make the world a better place.”
After all, chocolate is all about love.
“Besides the fact that, when we eat chocolate, dopamine is released in our body to simulate the feeling of being in love, everyone just LOVES chocolate,” she said.
A chocolate brownie is Kennison’s go-to “feel good” recipe. Her recipe for double chocolate brown sugar brownies is below.
“This takes only a few more steps than opening a box but it is exponentially better,” she said.
For Valentine’s why not make two batches? One to enjoy and another to share.
“Anyone can make them and they will heal your soul, “Kennison said. “The key is to get the best ingredients.”
Learn more at RiseandRebuildLA.org. Go to JewishJournal.com/podcasts to learn more about Ruth Kennison and her passion for chocolate.
Double Chocolate Brown Sugar Brownies
Adapted from recipe by Clemence de la Lutz
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, 112g or 4oz
1 1/4 cups (246g) brown sugar
10.5 oz (300g) high quality dark chocolate (I recommend Tcho Chocolate “Real fudgy” chopped finely
3 eggs
2/3 cup (85g) all-purpose flour
9 oz. (255g) high quality milk chocolate chips (I recommend Valrhona Jivara, which comes in 250g bags)
large pinch salt
3 Tbsp cocoa nibs
large pinch Maldon salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8” x 8” square baking pan lined with parchment paper.
2. Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk until the butter has melted and brown sugar has dissolved (this step is what gives the brownies that deep, butterscotch flavor). Remove the pot from the heat once butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the dark chocolate until melted.
3. Pour this chocolate mixture into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the eggs until a smooth batter forms (watch it magically go from slimy to homogenous in 10-12 strokes of your whisk)!
4. Add the flour and salt and whisk until just combined.
5. Fold in 6 ounces (170 grams) of milk chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 3 ounces (80-85 grams) for topping.
6. Pour batter into your lined pan, sprinkle cocoa nibs, milk chocolate chips and Maldon salt on top, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the center is just set. Let these cool until room temperature and, if you can wait it out, freeze until firm (about 1 hour) to slice clean-edged brownies.
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