Every year, I make a batch of chocolates over Thanksgiving weekend. The size of the batch varies from year to year (the current record is 133 pounds), but usually it’s around 90-100 pounds. I send them to friends, family, and donors to my annual “Chocolates for Charity” campaign.
I would describe myself as “semi-pro”; I learned my craft by working for Richard Donnelly, who was named one of America’s top 10 artisan chocolatiers by Chocolatier Magazine. He taught me a lot, and I’ve studied quite a bit on my own. (I’ve been at this since 1989, so I have a lot of boots-on-the-ground experience, too.) My recipients tell me that my work is on par with the best artisan chocolatiers.
The 2008 Chocolate Extravaganza!
In 2008 I teamed up with Michael, a fellow chocolatier, to produce 133 lbs of chocolates, about half made in my home kitchen, half made in a commercial candy kitchen that we rented for the occasion. It was a week of nonstop chocolatiering – fun, but exhausting!
You can read the saga in my blog, starting here. The saga runs through Dec 1 or so.
