When I was growing up, gourmet food was a luxury we simply could not afford. My mom's 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 couldn't 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 didn't 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 Hershey's 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 didn't mind. I was learning a valuable skill, and I got to eat all the gourmet candies I could possibly want. It wasn't until later, however, when I discovered my true love.

Don't 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 didn't 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.

Yahoo! News Search Results for Gourmet Candies
Yahoo! News Search Results for Gourmet Candies

Innovative Food Holdings Announces Launch of Premium Gourmet E-Commerce Web O...
www.forthegourmet.com Offers the Same Gourmet Products Used by Professional Chefs Across the United States; Now Available Directly to Your Kitchen
Innovative Food Holdings Announces Launch of Premium Gourmet E-Commerce Web O...
NAPLES, FL--(Marketwire - 03/15/10) - Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (OTC.BB: IVFH - News ), a marketer and purveyor of over 3,000 high quality gourmet food products throughout the United States to professional chefs and to the gourmet consumer market, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, For The Gourmet Inc., has launched its flagship online retail e-commerce site: www ...
Skelton had ?Crave? to get back in business (Mississippi Business Journal)
With a sleek décor, unique gifts, specialty gourmet foods, an espresso bar, dozens of cupcakes and other treats, Crave is quickly becoming a favorite place to dine or lounge in Cleveland.
Iditarod sled dog racers go gourmet on trail (USA Today)
Mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race take care of their dogs first when they stop to rest, massaging sore paws and serving up stews of hearty grub for their teams.
Iditarod racers go gourmet on trail (News Chief)
Published: Friday, March 12, 2010 at 4:55 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, March 12, 2010 at 4:55 a.m. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race take care of their dogs first when they stop to rest, massaging sore paws and serving up stews of hearty grub for their teams.
Iditarod racers go gourmet on trail (Connecticut Post)
Hugh Neff gets a kiss form Geronimo at the Takotna, Alaska, checkpoint on Wednesday March 10, 2010 during the 2010 Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Geronimo was born of Annie, Neff's main leader.
Iditarod racers go gourmet on trail (Spartanburg Herald-Journal)
Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. Mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race take care of their dogs first when they stop to rest, massaging sore paws and serving up stews of hearty grub for their teams.
Iditarod racers go gourmet on trail (Bay News 9 Tampa Bay)
Competitors in 1,100-mile sled dog race fuel up on fancy meals, junk food
Portsmouth area community calendar (Portsmouth Herald)
march 13
Brighton company gives pretzels a twist (Detroit News)
Brighton -- With Michigan's economy in a freefall, Jessica Kughn Baxter shifted the focus of her family's business, the Ultimate Pretzel Co., from corporate gift boxes to organizational fundraising.