Christmas is often about indulging in delicacies and savoring desserts. Experience the wonders of the season with Valrhona’s festive recipes.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Valrhona is proud to highlight its partners and their local recipes. That is why they have decided to ask some of their clients to give them inspiration this year. We all have festive moments to celebrate and remember as sweet memories. For each of these moments, Valrhona’s pastry chefs have a special creation for you.
Sharing expertise, ambitions, values, passion and always encouraging creativity and innovation is key to discovering the best of chocolate, which is why Valrhona is always keen to be a link between producers and pastry chefs as a service to gastronomy.
Become a part of a community that is passionate about chocolate by checking Valrhona’s festive recipes.
MEET VALRHONA’S CHEFS
Rasika Weerasinghe
Executive Pastry Chef
Born in Sri Lanka, I started my career in 2007 and I came to the UAE in 2009. At the moment I am working for the Four Seasons hotel in Abu Dhabi as an Executive pastry chef.
Alanoud Albraikan
Pastry Chef
Alanoud Albraikan is a Saudi pastry chef and baker with a background in graphic design. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, London and has worked in several prestigious cafes such as Chef Albert Adria’s Cakes & Bubbles and Hotel Cafe Royal. She is now developing her personal brand, Chasing Breadcrumbs, a pop up bakery operating in Jeddah, KSA.
Gurpreet Singh Khalsa
Pastry Chef
Born in India, my journey started as an enthusiast for flavor and color, continued as a Chef in Pastry in one of the Nation’s known restaurant and pursuing as a Chef instructor with one of the best Pastry School. It is a dream come true. The ultimate and heart close ambition is to represent my country on a global Pastry Platform that has made me travel globally and apprentice under Michelin Star Chefs.
Dania Baik
Pastry Chef
My name is Dania Baik, I am from Makkah Saudi Arabia. Trying to realize my dreams and working hard to open my own shop. I’ve learned everything from making gelato to pastries – bread – chocolate and became one of the best.
Richard Bourlon
Pastry Chef
Born in Dax in southwestern France, Richard Bourlon grew up surrounded by nature and tastes. Flavors punctuate a nomadic and sweet career, from Paris (Le Meurice) to Marrakech (La Mamounia) via Italy, Greece, Singapore and Bali, not to mention its privileged Landes, epicenter of inspiration. Seasonal pairings, like one of its Datte / Lemon / Ginger signatures, combine modernity, generosity and tradition, combining the excellence and high standards of the French art of living with the exaltation of new tasty and refined emotions through a variety of menus and new creations.
VALRHONA’S FESTIVE RECIPES
Valrhona invites you to become a part of a community that is passionate about chocolate by savoring their festive recipes.
About author
Rita Ghantous
Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.
