Serendipity would have it that I crossed paths with a very talented pastry chef looking to expand her chocolate skills. Darcy and I met at my lovely neighbor's Valentine party, where I had brought a few chocolates. I turns out that I had been planning on getting someone to apprentice and help me in our day to day production. But Darcy has taken to the job with a relish and an aptitude that makes any notion of apprenticeship quaint. It is clear that her training and pastry skills are transferring readily to chocolate work, and that I am now so...
Moving from the big city (Boston) to Portland has meant lots of changes for this little chocolate company, and nothing was more apparent last night at my Pop-Up launch at the Fork Food Lab. A strong sense of community is the most obvious, in this small city that is simply obsessed with good ingredients and great food. Taking visitors through the range of my chocolates created a true exchange and connection. I had made the little hearts tiny so one could taste all seven without any guilt. The experience convinced me even more strongly of the necessity of creating widely...
We moved to Portland a short four months ago, but it already feels like ages that I have been making chocolates at the Fork Food Lab. Fork has a vibrant community of exceptional food makers, and I wanted us to join forces for my official launch into the Portland food scene. We are doing a Pop-Up on Monday Feb. 12 from 5PM to 8PM in the Tasting Room of the Lab. It is the kind of event where you will just want to nosh and forget dinner, because we have some really special treats for you! How about Parlor ice...
My darling mother, who helped me create over 900 Hazelnut Citrus chocolates. October 2017, Fork Food Lab. On average, I spend two long days a week at the Fork Food Lab. Each time I produce one big batch of one type of chocolate. Having to reserve my kitchen space focuses the mind and has forced me to refine my production so I create the right chocolate at the right time. So I was pretty proud of myself for ending the holiday season with roughly 40 chocolates TOTAL! I spent the last three weeks building back our stocks and just...
Holiday markets hold a special place in my heart: it was at the SOWA Holiday Market three years ago that I got my start, and to this day I love them. The collective energy of my fellow vendors and the displays of their marvelous wares, the music and the crowds, all combine into a happy space. It is even more special when snow makes an appearance, as it did last week-end. Well, the snow did feel special - that is, until I had to head back to Maine... We come with even more samples than usual, which are dominated by...
To think that a short six weeks ago there wasn't a single chocolate made! Day one of production was October 23. It was followed by a military schedule so every one of our core flavors could be created in time for our Union Square markets before Thanksgiving, and now for all our Holiday requirements. I am so very thankful to our loyal customers who didn't miss a beat from our move to Portland. If anything, we have been shipping everywhere in the lower 48 states: being able to do so has been liberating and wonderful! And I was thrilled to...
