Try our Chocolate:
Why chocolate?
I wish I had a splash/bang of a story to tell you, but I think I grew up like many people do, with chocolate being the answer for the color wheel of life: you’re sad, have some chocolate; you’re happy, let’s break out the good chocolate. In my 20’s I traveled the world gathering stories, and recipes, from the people I met. Along the way, I got curious about how chocolate pieces and bars were made. I started to haunt locally owned chocolate shops. I’d meander in and hang around like it was a café, people watching and pretending to be busy. Eventually I’d work up the courage to ask questions about how the treats were made, or where and how the chocolate was sourced. With each new city, and new shop, my curiosity grew.
When I decided it was time to move home to Chicago, I got a job at Katherine Anne Confections, a family-run confiserie, with an owner who gave me a shot despite my resume having no food service experience on it. After working there for two years—learning the ropes of truffles, caramels, and marshmallows—, I knew it was time for my next adventure. I had to let what I learned percolate for a while, and so I did, after a brief stint running a caramel business in Bristol, UK. I spent the next ten years on many other adventures: living abroad, writing poetry, and making a family. Now, I’m back to adventuring with my first love: chocolate. This time, I’m unpacking my trusty backpack full of spices, in my own kitchen. I can’t wait to bring you the bright, smoky, sharp, and sweet flavors that have chased me through the years, and the ones new to me today.