When I was growing up، gourmet food was a luxury we simply could not afford. My moms idea of gourmet was tuna casserole once a month. We did not have the money to live high on the hog. My parents tried to feed us in a healthy manner، and we grew up strong and fit، but I couldnt help but feel like I had missed out a little bit. That is why I decided to go to culinary school. Now that I had the chance to make my own way in life، I wanted to know everything I could about gourmet food. I didnt know it at the time، but gourmet candies would become my specialty. They would soon be at the center of my life.
At the time I entered chef school، I had no idea that there were such a thing as gourmet chocolate candies. When I thought of gourmet، I immediately pictured steaks and French cuisine. Gourmet candy was beyond the scope of my limited world. After all، what could be better than a Hersheys chocolate bar? Quite a bit، it turns out!
During an apprenticeship to a chocolatier following my culinary education، I became enamored of gourmet chocolate candy. Every day، I would spend morning till night making gourmet candies. It was a lot of work، and it would have burned some people out، but I was loving every moment of it. Although the hours were long and the job did not pay very well، I didnt mind. I was learning a valuable skill، and I got to eat all the gourmet candies I could possibly want. It wasnt until later، however، when I discovered my true love.
Dont get me wrong، gourmet chocolates are good. Gourmet hard candy، however، is even better. I was hired by a toffee maker، and was exposed to tastes that completely blew my mind. The gourmet candies we made were like nothing I had ever imagined. Soon، I was coming up with my own recipe ideas and they were selling like hotcakes. After a while، an idea occurred to me. Although I liked my job، it didnt make sense to stay on and work for the candy maker when I could use my own recipes in my own shop. I quit as soon as I could scrape some funds together، and started a gourmet candy store of my own. It has done very well.
