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Thursday, November 5, 1998
NEWS Oceanographer by day, chocolatier by night Bill
Fredericks knows how to make a truffle By Kirsten Martinsen The Daily
Imagine half a ton of pure, luscious, dark velvet temptation. Diverse flavors and textures flowing together, creating an array of wonderful chocolate bliss. An irresistible, chocolatey scent luring people into a basement in Lake Forest Park. At least one man at the UW doesn't have to imagine. This chocolate wonderland is in the basement of scientific programmer/oceanographer Bill Fredericks' house . "People think that oceanographers do stuff like swim with porpoises, scuba dive and spear-gun fish," Fredericks said. "But actually we do none of that." Fredericks majored in chemistry and earth science at the University of California in San Diego. More than 18 years have passed since he became an oceanographer. Most oceanographers work from computers and rarely leave the glow of the computer screen. Fredericks is actually one of the few oceanographers at the UW who does field work, though he is famous for a lot more than his scuba diving skills. "I typically bring chocolate to my field work," he explained. "It eventually becomes expected." Fredericks' career in chocolate started with his wife a little more than 10 years ago. She was anxious to make some fancy desserts and had her mind set on truffles. He made some for her using chocolate chips. Discovering that chocolate chips don't make the best truffles, he began experimenting using different types of chocolate.
What started as experimental fun for Fredericks soon got serious. "I wanted to know everything about chocolate," he said. To become the expert he now is, he took several courses on how to make chocolate, including a recent three-day course at the University of Pennsylvania which cost him $2,500. Eventually, Fredericks turned professional and now knows everything about chocolate, from the different flavors to "the chemistry of the fatty acids," he said. In fact, Fredericks manages his career as a "chocolate man" from the basement of his home in Lake Forest Park. Right now there are 1,115 pounds of chocolate, varieties from 25 different countries all over the world, sitting comfortably in storage - a converted wine cellar. "I don't have to worry about it getting too warm," Fredericks said. Fredericks chose to share his talent with the rest of the University by teaching a one-night truffle-making course at the experimental college called "exploring chocolate." He will present chocolate from 35 different countries to taste, compare, evaluate and enjoy. Fredericks will also speak for an hour describing the different flavors. He offers this invitation to all: "If you can boil water and make toast, you can make truffles." If you happen to catch a whiff of Fredericks' special recipe as you walk through Lake Forest Park and want to order one of his tasty blends to give your mother for the holidays, you'd best place an order now. He makes 70 percent of his sales between this time and Christmas, and that doesn't come without its labor pains. Fredericks said that he will be up until 1 a.m. every night between now and Christmas filling orders. Fredericks' ASUW Experimental College class, "Exploring Chocolate," is Nov. 13 only, from 7-9:30 p.m. at the UW faculty club. For more information, contact the Experimental College at 543-2320. Copyright © 1999 The Daily University of Washington Send Feedback | daily@u.washington.edu | dailyweb@u.washington.edu |
