Jenn GarbeeThere are marshmallow peeps, and then there are Jacques Torres' dark chocolate tuxedo clad peeps (rather unfortunately named Chirp n' Dales, but hey, it's Jacques Torres). The deadline for Easter shipment from Mr. Chocolate, as he dubs both himself and his New York-based online store, has already passed. Not to panic, peep-ophiles. We have Madame Chocolate — the Madame Chocolate, Torres' wife — right here in Beverly Hills.
Hasty Torres' pastry career is your standard practical-turned-powdered sugar story. The San Gabriel Valley native ditched her finance job for a sudden urge to make chocolate. Pastry school at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena followed by a stage with Jacques in New York had the expected storybook dark chocolate truffle ending… she returned to Los Angeles to open Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills. But then there was the unexpected brown butter caramel filling: She married the master chocolatier.
Her Peeps
Both chocolate shops offer bonbons and truffles, chocolate bars, as well as a barrage of chocolate-dipped confections that are, unsurprisingly, very similar on a cursory web glance (Full disclosure: Squid Ink has not yet conducted a proper He Peeps/She Peeps taste test).
His Peeps
But Madame notably seems to have more of a cookie craving (she offers chocolate covered Oreos), whereas Mr. Torres, we can only surmise, is more of a breakfast guy — or at least as long as his Corn Flakes are covered in chocolate.
As for the couple's peeps, hers are the cute little bunnies above, his are these chicks dressed in dark chocolate tuxedos with white chocolate bow ties. Proof, perhaps, that even marriages made of chocolate occasionally require separate kitchens.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.