Fine&Raw goes behind the scenes with raw chocolate

Remember Gene Wilder in the iconic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Five lucky kids found a prized golden ticket inside their bars, and earned their way inside the iron - clad Wonka gates , and his fantastical chocolaty world.

The association between the name Willy Wonka and chocolate is still strong for a lot of people - even thirty years later - which explains why I'm sometimes called a modern day Wonka when people hear that I make raw chocolate and work in a chocolate lab.

It's true that I'm often in my lab creating new formulations and producing our classics at Fine&Raw. But it's also true that I'm not anything like the reclusive Wonka, who delighted in the mystery and intrigue that he created around himself and his chocolate. In fact, I want to share my world with you, and that's why I'm inviting you behind the scenes at Fine&Raw.

We want to get to know you better, and for you to get to know us, because we believe that chocolate and community go hand in hand. Chocolate builds community whenever we share it , and I always have this in mind whenever I'm creating our raw bon bons and bars. I want people to come together and socialize, celebrate life, dance and have fun, while indulging together in our raw chocolate. Sure, they'll be moments when we want to sit down and just savor every little bite by ourselves. But chocolate is actually very social, so it's best eaten with friends. It's the sharing that elevates chocolate eating from a visceral and sensuous experience to a communal one. And it sure makes celebrating a whole lot more fun!

I've always been a total foodie, and I've always loved the experience of getting out and trying all kinds of restaurants with the people in my life. I've tried so many places here in New York - in so many ethnic communities - that sometimes it feels like I've tried them all. It's true that the choices here are endless, but so is my curiosity. And while the restaurants vary, one thing remains constant: I'm the guy who always gets the chocolate desert.

This love of chocolate followed me into the kitchen when I was working as a raw food chef. Just as soon as it was put in front of me, all these creative chocolaty ideas were flowing out of me - ideas that I wanted to bring to life and eat with friends. Chocolate is about sharing experiences and sharing thoughts. It's about the balance between creativity and fun. That's what chocolate means to me, and has always meant to me in the history of my life.

At Fine&Raw, our artisanal confections are balanced in the qualities of fine and simple, while creamy, deliciously epicurean and raw. Our chocolate is unprocessed, cunningly absent of sugar, dairy and additives and nutritious - just the way it is in nature. We make sure to keep its nutritional profile intact, and in an upcoming post, I'll tell more about why it's healthier for you to eat raw chocolate than the ubiquitous processed chocolate that we've come to know.

I like to think that our chocolate making process is a carefully chaotic celebration of life. The celebratory aspect is evident: chocolate makes us smile. The chaos is the unexpected element in chocolate production, never knowing exactly what you're going to get. An ingredient can spill into the chocolate mix , and out comes an incredible tasting chocolate surprise. There all always random elements like this when you're in the chocolate lab, and all things are possible. In life, we need to stay open to these creative possibilities, and that's just what we do at Fine&Raw. We surrender to the creative process and see where the adventure takes us. I like this excitement and I like to follow it.

I'm self taught with chocolate, but also studied at the French Culinary Institute to refine my chocolate skills. Our bon bons are a luxurious french creation, with a silky and creamy texture. And our bars are made with traditional chocolatier techniques. We agitate the chocolate by heating it up to 85 or 86 degrees. And then we give it time to cool.

There's also a lot of alchemy to the process, and techniques and alchemy have to be good friends. When I'm in my lab , I start with ground cacao ( chocolate is made from cacao beans, grown in pods on cacao trees ) and I always start with a basic idea of what I want to create. And then I start layering. I ask myself where I want to take the bar. Dark? Creamy? Fruity or floral? What kind of texture do I want it to have? Nutty? Caramel? Basically, I'm transforming the cacao, by adding a variety of spices, berries and nectars, one ingredient at a time, although I never like to work with more than five. I add and I try, add a little more and try again. And then I invite others inside to taste.

I study their reactions carefully, but also know to expect varying opinions. And at the end of the day, it's up to me to put my heart into the flavor , and create what I truly want to create. Once it's out there for the world to consume, the customers then add to this alchemy ,with their unique experiences and reactions. I value their feedback, because I create for their pleasure.

I always try to enjoy the entire chocolate making process and look for the most positive thought about what I'm doing. And I let chocolate flow into my life and just let it be fun. I hope you will too.

Possibilities and cacao,
Daniel