Since opening luxury chocolate company Phillip Ashley Chocolates in 2012, Phillip Ashley Rix has made a name for himself as a modern-day Willy Wonka due to his creative use of unexpected ingredients.

Chocolate bonbons in flavors such as collard greens, sweet potato and barbecue have gained Rix national recognition, and his accolades range from being included on Oprah Winfrey’s favorite things, invited to compete on Food Network’s “Chopped” and named a James Beard Awards semi-finalist.

Rix will soon share his candy-making secrets in a new cookbook set to release in September. 

“For the Love of Chocolate” is a new cookbook from chocolatier Phillip Ashley Rix. (Courtesy Harper Celebrate)

“For the Love of Chocolate: 80 At-Home Recipes from a Master Chocolatier’s Imagination” is a 256-page cookbook that includes a forward from renowned chocolatier Jacques Torres. 

Rix said the book is designed for home cooks, with a collection of desserts, confections and drinks that promise to transform an individual’s chocolate-making experience, whether they’re a beginner or an experienced baker.

Recipes include Rix’s signature chocolates, with flavors such as “Bollywood” Cashew Coconut Curry Truffles and “Cherry Blossom” White Chocolate Rose Bonbons.

Also in the book are chocolate-based desserts such as Turtle Cheesecake Baked French Toast, Peanut Butter-Caramel-Cayenne Brownies and Chocolate Sweet Potato Pie with Brown Sugar Meringue.

“I was really focused on making recipes approachable,” said Rix, adding that he collaborated with a Los Angeles-based cook and author, Julie Tremaine, who tested the recipes to make sure they were easy to replicate at home.

In addition to recipes, the cookbook includes reference material that explains techniques, ingredients and tools. There’s also information about the history of chocolate, tempering chocolate, chocolate varieties, equipment for working with chocolate, chocolate molds and shells and fancy finishes.

“There is also a lot of Memphis in this book,” Rix said, explaining that he also wanted to share stories of his hometown.

“It’s a love letter to chocolate, and Memphis,” he said. 

“For the Love of Chocolate” is being published by Harper Celebrate and is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

This Week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

Houston’s Restaurant closed their Memphis location on Dec. 5, 2024. (Jennifer Chandler/The Daily Memphian)

The answer to the question of what might replace Houston’s has been answered. On Monday, I reported that, according to information filed with Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development’s online platform, the proposed tenant is the Spell Restaurant Group LLC.

In Food Files, Sophia Surrett reported that Shawarma King has opened on Macon Road, a Raising Cane’s plans to open a third location in Memphis and Grecian Gourmet will open a retail shop in Bartlett.

Cordelia's Market has new owners. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Jody Callahan reported that Cordelia’s Market has new owners: Husband-and-wife team Robert and Erica Humpheys bought Cordelia’s Market from the Henry Turley Co. in a deal completed last month. 

Dima Amro reported that the former Life Church on Germantown Parkway is on its way to becoming a hub for Asian produce, cuisine and community known as the Grand Mart.

Amro also reported that The Four Way restaurant is one of three local businesses to receive a loan from the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County. 

Memphis Crawfish Company’s boil is intensely seasoned and, more importantly, they let the crawfish soak long enough to taste it. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

In honor of Mardi Gras, my “What to Order” column on Monday focused on a dish from Ragin’ Cajun, a new Bartlett restaurant. The restaurant’s Who Dat Catfish combines fried fish and crawfish etouffee for a Mardi Gras-worthy dish that can be enjoyed year-round.

And Josh Carlucci’s “$10 Deal” this week is boiled crawfish at Memphis Crawfish Company No. 2. He said it’s the best crawfish in Memphis and it’s being served from the parking lot of an Exxon station on Park Avenue.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

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