artistic crudite display

As we get ready to launch our new website (yippy!), we wanted to give you a sneak peak of some of our favorite photos. This Artistic Cruidite Display was shot by Shelly Mosman of Shelly Mosman Photography. A vibrant, delicious and healthy way to feed your guests some fresh vegetables. Who says vegetables have to be boring? We beg to differ!

flourless chocolate cake

We get a lot of questions about our photography. Everyone wants to know who takes the shots. All the photos posted on this blog were taken by Cocoa & Fig. Actually, the resident photographer is Joe himself.



We have no formal training nor do we know what we are doing half the time. We just want to take photos that represent what we do. We use a Canon SD800 IS, but other than that there is no fancy equipment.



We try to set up our shoots when there is good natural lighting. And we do think ahead in terms of styling. We don't use photoshop or any other editing software. I probably should, but just don't have the time between cooking, party planning and overall business running.



We just take a lot of shots and hope that sometimes we get the shot we were hoping for. After 4 flourless chocolate cakes and 200+ pictures, I got a few that tell a story. And I'm happy with that!

cocoa powder

A couple of weeks ago I told you about our Black Velvet Cupcakes and explained that we use the mother of all cocoa powders... Valrhona. Actually, we exclusively use Valrhona cocoa powder in all our recipes that call for cocoa powder. I also promised to give you a little more information on the topic. You see, not all cocoa powders are created equal. There are actually two types: natural and Dutch-processed.

Most of the cocoa readily available in the grocery store (Hershey's, Nestle, Ghirardelli) is unsweetened natural cocoa powder.

Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder

The Dutch-processed cocoas (Valrhona, Lindt, Droste) are treated with an alkali to neutralize the acids, making them perfect for baked goods. Valrhona cocoa powder is quite a bit more expensive, but we think it's worth it for the superior quality and flavor. Everything is just a bit more, well, chocolaty!

Valrhona Cocoa Powder

Notice the difference in color. This difference carries over into the baked goods you make. Now, take a look at the cocoas below, side-by-side.

Valrhona, Hershey's and Nestle Brand Cocoas

Professional Membership

In January, Cocoa & Fig became a professional member of the Twin City Bridal Association. With this membership, we entered into a wonderful group of wedding professionals. I encourage you to use their site when choosing reception sites, florists, photographers and bridal attire. And while you're there, check out our section: Cocoa & Fig on Twin City Bridal. We agree to abide by their code of ethics, which is pretty cool. Check it out below.

CODE Of ETHICS

Twin City Bridal Association and its members acknowledge the need to preserve and encourage fair and equitable business practices and, as a condition of membership, subscribe to a Code of Professional Ethics. To this end, Twin City Bridal Association and its members subscribe to this Professional Pledge:

I pledge myself to honesty and integrity; to pursue my profession and education so that service to my clients shall be maintained with high standards and practices.

I pledge myself to seek and maintain association with fellow TCBA members and with all others who may become a part of my business and professional life in an honorable and cooperative manner.

I pledge myself to comply with the standards of TCBA and my colleagues as set forth in this Code of Professional Ethics:

ARTICLE 1: I will accurately represent my qualifications and experience in both oral and written communications.

ARTICLE 2: I will act and speak professionally so as not to offend nor bring discredit to the wedding services profession.

ARTICLE 3: I will be committed to understanding my customer’s needs, approaches and goals in promotion of service and proposal.

ARTICLE 4: I will share knowledge and professional experience with others.

ARTICLE 5: I will maintain the trust of clients and respect the affairs of clients and other members who may share confidential information.

ARTICLE 6: I will treat other wedding professionals with professional courtesy and dignity.

ARTICLE 7: I will provide services in those areas in which I am qualified to serve, taking into consideration available opportunities to develop new services or take on new opportunities. When unable or unqualified to fulfill requests for service, I will make every effort to recommend the services of another qualified TCBA member.

ARTICLE 8: I will protect the public against fraud or unfair practices and shall attempt to disengage all practices which bring discredit to the profession.

ARTICLE 9: I will not be party to agreements that unfairly limit or restrain access to the market place by any other wedding professional, client, or to the public, based upon race, creed, color, sex, age, physical disability or country of national origin.

Corporate Luncheon

You know that Cocoa & Fig makes some of the best desserts in the Twin Cities. But did you know that we cater as well? And have some of the best tasting food in the Twin Cities? We have so much fun making our pastries, that sometime I forget to include all of the great food we make in my posts. So today, I'm going to show you some amazing salads from a recent Corporate Luncheon. This was a laid back function with a moderate budget. Oh yeah, we'll work with your budget to create the perfect meal with your wallet in mind!

Roasted New Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Layered with Blue Cheese and Scallion

Crunchy Broccoli Cabbage Slaw
Sprinkled with Golden Raisins and Sunflower Seeds

The Cute Buffet Set-up
Complete with Raffia Rolled Flatware
Tiny Potted Signage
Flowering Tulips and Hydrangeas

On the menu but not shown (still need to work on picture taking!):
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Assorted Waters, Sodas and Tea
Chocolate Bouchons & Fresh Fruit Tartlets

2009 Bride's Choice Award from WeddingWire

We love getting emails like this one:

"Congratulations! You have been chosen to receive a 2009 Bride’s Choice Award! This award recognizes the top 3% of vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. That means your past clients have spoken on your behalf and chosen you for this honor!"

Thank you to our past wedding clients, we really enjoyed being a part of your special days. And to our future brides and grooms: We promise to make your event a truly memorable one! Thank You!