Many things to be happy about

It's Friday, I finished the chocolate project without breaking my showpiece, and the sunshine outside makes it seem plausible that spring will eventually arrive even in the frozen Northeast. This project was a two-day practical exam and the culmination of our chocolate units in Levels 2 and 3. The theme - "My Favorite Day" - was open to interpretation, with some of the students in our class choosing a specific date or past event, and others choosing a recurring holiday or anniversary. Having been up in Williamstown for the women's crew reunion weekend at the beginning of February, happy college memories and Purple Valley nostalgia were percolating in my mind when we got the assignment last week. Thus inspired, I settled on Mountain Day for the theme of my showpiece. For those of you who have not been privileged to participate, Mountain Day is one of the most hallowed traditions of Williams College. Once a year, on one of the first three Fridays in October, when the air is crisp, the leaves are turning crimson and gold, and New England seems like the best place to live in the world, the College bells will ring early in the morning to announce Mountain Day. Classes are cancelled in favor of all-school outdoor frolicking, and everyone climbs, speed-hikes, or takes a bus up nearby Mt. Greylock. There, students drink cider, eat donuts, and enjoy the incredible Berkshire scenery and company of fellow Ephs. It's the sort of tradition college tour guides love to brag about, and in this case the reality lives up to the glossy admission brochure hype.

Having settled on a theme, my next challenge was translating the beautiful Berkshires into chocolate, while simultaneously, as our chef-instructor insisted in his awesome Austrian accent, telling a story. My final design featured Chapin Hall plastered with a "Gone Hiking" sign, mountains and trees painted with colored cocoa butter to imitate the brilliant fall foliage, and little hiking people made from piped chocolate. And of course a purple sign for Williams College. I was pretty happy with how it all turned out - let me know what you think!