Houston Chronicle Food Editor FOUR hundred pianos are on their way to the Crowne Plaza Hotel for the Today's Vision for Literacy Awards' Evening on Sept. 17. The composer of more than 7,000 musical compositions, Allen will be playing a full-size grand piano and possibly singing a song about literacy created for the event. The television comedian and author of 52 books is remembered by many loyal fans as creator and their favorite host of The Tonight Show . The Crowne Plaza's executive chef, Roland Kyburz, has created chocolate pianos before, but the quantity needed for the literacy benefit persuaded him to special-order them from a company in Florida.
Some assembly is required.
Two hours before the dinner, Kyburz and his kitchen crew will glue the pieces together with melted chocolate, adding the mousse before the lid is attached. Piano benches are made of two truffles with a seat of chocolate. It will be served with rice pilaf. Kyburz haunts garage sales and flea markets for coffee grinders and plastic molds. The coffee grinders are great for small tasks, such as grinding the tortillas for the crusted chicken or grinding dried herbs and peppercorns, he said.